Engineers can finally study anywhere with SBE's new web-based certification tools

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Broadcast engineering certification just got a whole lot more accessible. The SBE has finally brought their CertPreview practice exams into the modern era with a completely web-based platform that eliminates the installation headaches and compatibility issues that plagued the previous system.

As broadcast engineers, we're rarely in one place. We bounce between studios, transmitter sites, and remote locations, yet our professional development tools haven't kept pace with this reality—until now. The new browser-based CertPreview means you can study for your CBT, CBNT, CBRE, CSRE, or specialist certification from literally anywhere with an internet connection. Those late-night transmitter shifts or airport layovers just became valuable study time.

This shift reflects a broader industry trend, with over 60% of engineers now preferring web-based training tools over traditional methods. It's about valuing your time and removing unnecessary barriers to professional advancement. The certification committee has recognized that if our automation systems, routers, and monitors have moved to browser-based interfaces, our study tools should too.

The implications go beyond convenience. By making certification prep more accessible, the SBE is strengthening the future of our industry. Engineers no longer need to put off getting certified because the tools were cumbersome. Whether you're looking to break into the field, demonstrate your cross-disciplinary expertise, or secure that chief engineer position, the path to certification just got smoother.

Ready to level up your broadcast engineering career? Check the links in our show notes for direct access to CertPreview, pricing details, and the full list of supported certifications. And if you've recently earned a certification, text me your study tips—I'd love to feature them in an upcoming episode. Your experience might be exactly what another engineer needs to hear.

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📚 Learn more! 

SBE Certifications: https://sbe.org/certification/

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:31):
Thank you, hey.
Welcome back to fully modulated, the podcast where we decode
broadcast tech, media shifts andthe signal shaping our industry
.
I'm tyler woodward and I've gotone hand on the console and the
other on the pulse of broadcastengineering.
Now here at Fully Modulated,we're normally going to talk

(00:52):
about transmitters, towers,codecs, call letters, but today
we're pivoting just a bit totalk about something that might
not have blinking lights butwill definitely level up your
career.
We're talking about thosecertifications because if you're
in broadcast, whether RF, it,audio or any systems in between,

(01:15):
you know SBE certificationisn't just alphabet soup.
It's a legit way to show you'reserious, knowledgeable and
ready for more.
And now the good news is theSociety of Broadcast Engineers
has done something we've allbeen waiting for.
The cert preview practice examsare finally online.

(01:37):
No more installers, no moreWindows compatibility drama.
All you got to do is open a webbrowser and study wherever you
are.
So let's dive in what thismeans, why it matters and how it
fits into the bigger evolutionof how we train our broadcast
engineers in the 21st century.

(01:58):
The SBE's cert preview practiceexams, which help engineers prep
for certification tests, arenow fully web-based.
This is huge, because for yearsthese practice exams were kind
of a hassle.
You had to buy and install themlocally, which meant you better
hope you had a compatiblemachine or you were spending

(02:21):
half your study timetroubleshooting instead of
reviewing theory.
And if you moved around betweenwork, home and the transmitter
site, good luck.
Accessing your study materialon the fly Now you just need a
device with a web browser.
That's it.
Log in, pick your cert area andget to work.

(02:41):
Instant grading, randomquestions, retake as many times
as you want.
It's everything we wanted fromthe old system, minus all the
headaches.
And, let's be honest, the oldsystem worked, but it wasn't
exactly modern.
It was like using dial-up wheneveryone else had broadband.
This shift shows SBE islistening.

(03:04):
It knows that engineers todayaren't chained to a single
desktop.
We're mobile, we're flexible,we're working on projects at
multiple sites, sometimes acrossstates, and our study tools
have to kind of match thatlifestyle.
Cert Preview now supports ahuge list of certifications,

(03:24):
everything from entry level toadvanced specialist tracks.
So whether you're just breakinginto the field or you've got 20
years under your belt and wantthat CBRE or CSRE, the tools are
there, from CBT and CBNT toCBTE, cste, cbre, csre, even

(03:52):
specialist certs like 8, vsb andAM Directional Cert Preview has
you covered?
This is especially helpful forengineers who had to cross train
.
These days, you're rarely justan RF person or just an IT
person.
The industry needs multipleskilled pros and these certs

(04:13):
help you demonstrate you've gotthat range.
Picture this you're applying fora chief engineer gig at a,
let's say, a mid-market station.
You've got the chops, thehands-on experience, the late
nights spent fixing STL links inthe snowstorm.
But the hiring manager says doyou have a CSRE?
If you've already been usingCertPreview to drill down on

(04:37):
your weak spots, you're not justnodding, you're emailing them
the PDF copy of your cert thatvery next morning.
So here's the prompt what certsare you eyeing this year and
what's stopping you from goingafter it?
Text me your answer.
The link is in the episodedescription.

(04:58):
This upgrade to cert previewisn't just for convenience.
It reflects a bigger industrytrend.
Engineers need on-demand,mobile friendly training Period
full stop.
We're not in the era ofthree-ring binders and night
classes anymore.
Today's broadcast workflowsdemand engineers who are
constantly adapting, learningand leveling up, and they need

(05:21):
the ability to do that duringthe odd hours and from anywhere.
You're on a 3 am transmittershift and want to review.
Maybe let's say impedancetheory between logs?
Do it?
Waiting at the airport, betweensite visits?
Knock out 15 questions.
That's the new normal.

(05:41):
According to the 2024 BroadcastEngineering Trends Report, 61%
of engineers now say they preferweb-based training tools to
traditional options likein-person classes or locally
installed software.
Let it sink in.
Six out of 10.
Six out of 10 engineers wantflexible, browser-based learning

(06:04):
and, honestly, that number isprobably going to continue the
rise.
We expect our automationsystems to be web-based our
routers, our monitors, so whynot our study tools as well?
This isn't just about studying.
It's about how we value time.
Engineers don't have a lot oftime lying around between site

(06:26):
calls, maintenance windows andemergency backups.
If you're going to study, ithas to fit into the weird little
cracks in our schedules.
Cert preview going online meansyou don't need to fight the tool
, you just open it and focus onthe content.
That's a win for me.
Ralph Hogan, chair of the SBEcertification committee, put it

(06:46):
nicely when he said quote.
The web-based version is asignificant advancement over the
previous installed applications, and it all started with paper
sample test unquote.
And that's the thing.
Cert Preview has come a longway, from printed packets to
CD-ROMs, to Windows-onlysoftware and now finally,
finally, to the cloud.

(07:07):
This is the SBE catching up tohow we actually live and learn
today.
So here's your big takeawayCertPreview isn't just a tool,
it's a signal.
A signal that broadcastengineering is adapting, that
professional development is moreaccessible and you don't have

(07:28):
to put off getting certifiedjust because the old tools were
a pain.
This matters for the future ofour industry, because the more
accessible we make training, thestronger and more diverse our
engineering teams become.
So if you've been sitting onthe fence about getting
certified, get off the fence.
Certpreview is cheaper thanmost textbooks and way more

(07:52):
flexible than any seminar, andnow it fits right in your pocket
.
That's it for today's episodeof Fully Modulated.
We covered a major move by theSBE.
Certpreview is now fullyweb-based, making it easier than
ever to prep, pass and level upyour engineering career if
certification is on your radar,or even just something on your

(08:16):
wish list.
Head over to the showdescription.
We've got links to the certpreview portal, pricing and more
, and if you've already taken acert recently, text me what
helped you.
I'd love to feature somelistener tips in a future
episode.
Until next time.