Steps

Reference ANSI/TIA-568.3-E, which defines two fiber test tiers.
Perform Tier 1 (Basic) testing with an OLTS on every fiber link — it measures end-to-end attenuation/insertion loss, length, and polarity, and TIA treats Tier 1 as required for certification.
Set a reference (per the applicable reference-jumper method) before running OLTS loss measurements, and use the correct wavelengths for the fiber type (multimode vs single-mode).
Add Tier 2 (Extended) OTDR testing when per-event detail is needed — splice loss, connector reflectance, optical return loss, or fault location for troubleshooting — since TIA lists Tier 2 as optional, not a certification substitute.
Do not submit OTDR traces alone as a certification deliverable; TIA and IEC do not recognize OTDR by itself as valid proof of link performance for certification purposes.

Known gotchas

OTDR loss readings near connectors and on short links are notoriously inaccurate due to dead zones — don't use OTDR numbers alone to pass/fail a short link's attenuation spec.
Confirm and document which reference-jumper method was used for the OLTS test, since it changes the measured loss and must be recorded for the result to be reproducible.

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Choose OLTS (Tier 1) vs OTDR (Tier 2) fiber testing correctly

Steps

Known gotchas

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