10 exam-style questions with answers and explanations, straight from our 1,030-question bank. Tap an answer to check yourself. When you're ready, take the scored version in the free practice test.
The PIM exam has 50 questions and runs 2 hours.
These 10 free PIM questions are organized by exam domain, so you can see how each part of the Passive Intermodulation Testing (PIM) blueprint is tested. Reveal the answer and explanation under each question.
"Every part passed at the project's required frequencies and powers, so the assembled sector needs no PIM test," says a project manager reviewing the component certificates. Which limitation of those certificates makes that conclusion unsound?
Correct answer: A - Installation adds interfaces and a radiated environment absent from the individual component tests.
A newly installed jumper meets the specified return-loss and insertion-loss limits, but a two-tone test produces repeatable IM3 spikes when its connector is lightly stressed as permitted. The tester and test lead have passed verification. How can these results be consistent?
Correct answer: B - The line sweep checks impedance and loss, while the PIM test exposes nonlinear behavior.
A verified two-tone measurement uses +43 dBm per carrier and reports IM3 at -154 dBc relative to one carrier. The customer requires a maximum IM3 level of -107 dBm at that same reference plane. Which entry correctly states the absolute result and its disposition?
Correct answer: B - -111 dBm; meets the limit.
A suspect antenna and a known-good control antenna are each tested directly through the same verified low-PIM lead. Both pass in an approved clear test area; both repeatedly fail at the rooftop installation position. Frequencies, powers, orientation, and test method are unchanged, and residual checks pass at both locations. Where should the investigation focus first?
Correct answer: A - Loose or corroded metalwork illuminated at the rooftop position.
After a connector at 12 m is repaired, its distance-to-PIM peak disappears, but the PIM acceptance retest still fails. Another repeatable distance-to-PIM peak at 27 m is now dominant. The reference plane, velocity factor, frequencies, and tone powers have not changed. How should troubleshooting proceed?
Correct answer: B - Map the 27 m peak to the hardware, isolate it, and retest the complete path after correction.
For an authorized conducted test, both transmit tones must lie within 1930-1990 MHz. The lower third-order intermodulation product must fall inside the receiver's 1850-1910 MHz band. Which pair satisfies both requirements?
Correct answer: D - F1 = 1935 MHz; F2 = 1985 MHz.
A carrier requires the maximum PIM during both static and specified dynamic testing to remain at or below -150 dBc. A verified setup records -163 dBc at rest, a repeatable -143 dBc peak during permitted connector movement, and -162 dBc after movement stops. The full-run average is -159 dBc. Which result governs the jumper's acceptance?
Correct answer: D - The -143 dBc dynamic peak; the jumper fails the stated requirement.
During an antenna-connected PIM test, a rooftop worker steps inside the established RF exclusion zone to retrieve a tool. The tester is still transmitting, and its operator is at the controls. The immediate response is to:
Correct answer: C - Disable test RF and direct the worker clear of the exclusion zone.
An acceptance record contains these entries: Feeder PIM peak: -109 dBm; acceptance maximum: -107 dBm. Low-PIM-load check: -111 dBm; permitted residual maximum: -117 dBm. What disposition is justified?
Correct answer: C - Correct and reverify the test setup, then retest the feeder.
The customer requires plots of both the static and dynamic tests. On another computer, the exported report contains only the static plot. The original static and dynamic measurement files, settings, site labels, and verification records remain intact and readable. What should the technician do before issuing the report?
Correct answer: A - Regenerate the report from the saved measurements and verify the new export.
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