CIT - Certified Irrigation Technician Controllers and Programming Questions and Answers

Question 1

A client's controller is programmed for peak summer watering. To efficiently reduce water usage in the cooler autumn months without editing each zone's run time individually, what is the BEST method?

Accepted Answer

Use the 'Seasonal Adjust' or 'Water Budget' feature to set a lower percentage.

Answer

The 'Seasonal Adjust' or 'Water Budget' feature is designed specifically for this purpose. It allows a user to make a global, percentage-based change to the run times of all stations in a program, which is much more efficient than changing each one individually.

Question 2

A technician is setting up a schedule for a zone with clay soil on a steep slope, which is causing significant water runoff. Which controller feature is specifically designed to mitigate this issue by splitting a zone's total run time into smaller, separated applications?

Accepted Answer

Cycle and Soak

Answer

Cycle and Soak (also called Multi-Cycle or Intelligent Soak) is a programming feature that breaks up a station's total run time into shorter cycles separated by a soak period. This allows water time to infiltrate into tight soils or sloped areas, preventing wasteful runoff.

Question 3

When wiring multiple electronic zone valves to a standard irrigation controller, a single wire provides the shared electrical return path for all solenoids. To which terminal on the controller is this wire connected?

Accepted Answer

C (Common)

Answer

The 'C' or 'Common' terminal is the connection point for the common wire. This wire is connected to one lead on every solenoid in the system, creating a shared return path for the electrical circuit that activates the valves.

Question 4

A client with a working irrigation system and a rain sensor reports that their sprinklers did not run after a very brief, light shower. The controller is programmed correctly and the sensor bypass switch is 'off'. What is the MOST likely reason the system did not activate?

Accepted Answer

The sensor's sensitivity is set to a low rainfall amount (e.g., 1/8 inch) and was triggered.

Answer

Rain sensors have adjustable sensitivity settings. If set to a very sensitive level, such as 1/8 inch, even a small amount of rain can saturate the hygroscopic discs and interrupt the watering cycle, which is the sensor's intended function.

Question 5

A property has distinct watering needs: turfgrass zones that need to water three days a week, shrub drip zones that require daily watering, and a newly seeded area that must be watered multiple times per day. Which controller feature is essential to manage these diverse schedules?

Accepted Answer

Multiple independent programs (e.g., A, B, C)

Answer

Multiple independent programs (often labeled A, B, C, etc.) allow a user to assign different groups of stations to completely separate schedules, with their own unique start times, run times, and days to water. This is the correct way to manage zones with different watering requirements.

CIT - Certified Irrigation Technician Practice Test

CIT - Certified Irrigation Technician Practice Test

CIT - Certified Irrigation Technician Controllers and Programming Questions and Answers