BICSI DCDC study plan
BICSI DCDC · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Data Center Design and Project Requirements & Data Center Site and Space Planning
Map every design-input category (availability, capacity, growth, redundancy, budget) to the decisions it drives downstream
Compare the four Uptime Institute tier topologies and state the redundancy each requires at power, cooling, and cabling paths
Convert a sample client brief into a written requirements baseline with measurable acceptance criteria
Sketch a conceptual floor plan that separates white space, support space, and circulation while respecting egress clearances
Your checkpoint
A two-page requirements baseline document plus a labeled conceptual floor plan for a hypothetical 500 kW data hall
Data Center Site and Space Planning & Data Center Power and Electrical Systems
Evaluate candidate sites against flood, seismic, utility-feed, and fiber-route risk criteria
Size a white-space footprint from rack counts, aisle widths, and hot/cold aisle geometry
Trace power from utility service through transformers, switchgear, UPS, PDU, and rack PDU
Distinguish the roles of the UPS, the static transfer switch, and the generator in ride-through and long-outage scenarios
Your checkpoint
A site-selection scoring matrix comparing three candidate locations across at least eight weighted criteria
Data Center Power and Electrical Systems
Compute load in kW and kVA and convert between them using power factor
Calculate UPS runtime and generator sizing for a stated load profile with N+1 redundancy
Explain grounding, bonding, and separately derived system requirements for a data hall
Identify the failure modes and single points of failure in a 2N versus N+1 distribution topology
Your checkpoint
A one-line electrical diagram with a load schedule showing N+1 sizing calculations and identified single points of failure
Data Center Cooling and Mechanical Systems
Convert rack heat load into required airflow using the sensible heat equation
Compare air-cooled, in-row, rear-door, and liquid-cooling approaches by density range and efficiency
Explain economizer modes, psychrometric limits, and the ASHRAE recommended versus allowable envelopes
Diagnose common airflow faults such as bypass, recirculation, and hot spots using containment and CFD concepts
Your checkpoint
A cooling design brief for a 12 kW per-rack hall with calculated airflow, selected cooling architecture, and a containment strategy
Data Center Cabling and Telecommunications Infrastructure
Select fiber types and connector polish styles against distance, bandwidth, and application requirements
Apply structured cabling hierarchy from entrance room through MDA, HDA, and EDA to the rack
Specify copper categories and bundling practices that control alien crosstalk at higher speeds
Plan pathways and spaces that keep power and data separation and preserve bend-radius limits
Your checkpoint
A cabling topology diagram with a media selection table justifying each link by speed, distance, and redundancy
Data Center Operations, Security, and Commissioning & Data Center Cabling and Telecommunications Infrastructure
Sequence the five commissioning levels from factory to integrated systems testing
Draft acceptance test criteria for power, cooling, and cabling subsystems
Outline physical security layers, access control, and visitor management for a data hall
Build a preventive maintenance calendar covering UPS batteries, generators, filters, and IR scans
Your checkpoint
A commissioning script with pass/fail criteria for one power train and one cooling loop, plus an annual maintenance calendar
Data Center Design and Project Requirements & Data Center Power and Electrical Systems & Data Center Cooling and Mechanical Systems
Integrate design, power, and cooling knowledge by reworking the week 1 baseline for higher density and redundancy
Recompute power and cooling capacity after the density increase and document the trade-offs
Identify which domain concepts remain weakest and target them with focused review
Your checkpoint
A revised integrated design package with updated load, cooling, and redundancy calculations and a written trade-off analysis
Data Center Site and Space Planning & Data Center Cabling and Telecommunications Infrastructure & Data Center Operations, Security, and Commissioning
Complete two full-length timed practice exams and log every miss by domain
Review missed items in site planning, cabling, and operations until each can be explained from first principles
Recite the key formulas, standards references, and tier definitions from memory
Confirm exam-day logistics, reference materials, and time-per-question pacing
Your checkpoint
A scored practice-exam log with a remediation note for every missed question and a one-page formula and standards cheat sheet
Milestones
Week 2: Can explain tier topology differences and justify a site choice without notes
Week 4: Scores at least 70 percent on a self-made 30-question quiz covering power and cooling calculations
Week 6: Can describe the full commissioning sequence and name acceptance tests for each subsystem from memory
Week 8: Scores 80 percent or higher on two timed practice exams with no domain below 70 percent