CCNA Exam Questions: 10 Examples And How You Should Be Preparing

Have you already decided to enter the complex world of computer networking?   If so, then congratulations!  You just took the first step towards earning your CCNA certification.  The next step, preparing for the CCNA exam, can be a bit overwhelming and confusing .  Should you take a private class or study on your own?  Which types of books should you purchase?  How many questions are on the exam?  These are all great questions, and they will all be addressed throughout this article.  Also included are some basic CCNA exam questions that you may come across on the actual test.

Preparing For The Exam

When you are getting ready to take any type of exam, it is important that you are well prepared.  The CCNA exam is no walk in the park, but I’m sure you are well aware of that.  But don’t stress about it just yet, as we have some helpful tips that should help guide you into the right direction and make life easier on you when preparing for the exam.

Know What To Expect

Think of it as a battle between you and the CCNA exam.  Would you go into war against someone without studying your opponent first?  The same way of thinking should be used when taking this exam.

As of now, you are given 90 minutes to complete the exam.  It generally consists of 50 multiple choice questions and 3 lab questions, but other test takers from all around the world have reported different exam structures.  You must take the test at a certified test center.  The test is completed all on the computer and you are always being monitored by someone.  Most of these places do not allow cell phones inside the premises and you must bring multiple forms of identification, such as a driver’s license or credit card.

Check the Cisco website to determine what topics will be covered on the exam, as they are constantly adding new material.  The last update included IPv6, FHRP, GLBP,  password recovery just to name a few.  With that said, you should still plan on studying everything in the text books.  Just because the topic isn’t listed on their general guidelines, doesn’t mean you won’t necessarily see it on the exam.

Studying Materials

There are a lot of options you can go with when it comes to CCNA books, courses, websites and workshops.  So which route should you go for?  Technically, the best option is to sign up for a private workshop or classroom specifically for passing the CCNA exam.  However, these classes can cost you thousands of dollars.

For that reason, most people go with the self-studying method, and fortunately there’s a lot of useful material out there.  I would recommend getting the CCNA Routing and Switching Study Guide by Todd Lammle, which you can buy for less than $40.  If you get a used copy, you can get it for even cheaper.

But wait, you will need more than just that for studying material.  Udemy currently offers a wide range of online courses that are designed specifically towards passing the CCNA exam.  For example, the  CCNA Video Mentor course is a great introduction to networking, teaching you about LANs, IP addressing, subnetting and WAN.  Sometimes only reading textbooks makes it hard to grasp the full concept of what you are learning.  These video lectures should help give you a better understanding, plus it’s at the convenience of being right on your computer.

Another useful resource to have is the internet.  There are blogs and forums all over that consist of people just like you, either studying for the exam or recently just passed.  You can find a lot of helpful information about the exam, whether it’s the type of questions asked, how difficult the labs were, or if there are any new concepts added.  Take full advantage of what the internet has to offer.

And speaking of the internet, you will probably notice that there are a lot of “braindumps” for the CCNA exam.  Also referred to as “dumps”, they are questions and answers taken directly from the copyrighted exams.  There are usually hundreds of questions within these dumps.  Some people will just try to remember the questions and answers and hope to pass the exam, but that’s not the best approach. For one, the validity of the questions and answers is up in the air.  Plus, you will not be learning anything except how to memorize.  Plus, when you are interviewing for a job as a network engineer and they ask you questions about the OSI model or subnetting, chances are that you will not be getting a call back.  In other words, as tempted as you may be to use them, stay away from the braindumps at all costs.

Start Studying Now

The CCNA exam isn’t your typical college history exam.  Be sure to start studying months in advance before you actually take the test.  One luxury of the exam is that you can schedule to take it whenever you like.  You should still set a target date of when you want to register for it, and give yourself at least a couple months to prepare for it.  If you try to wait until the last month or even last few weeks to study everything, you will probably not pass.

I would suggest trying to read a chapter a day if you are self-studying.  Also, make sure you are studying consistently, otherwise you may not remember what you just learned in the last section.  Some of the concepts and vocabulary will be difficult to retain, especially when you get into all the different types of protocols.  Keep your mind constantly thinking so you will retain the information.

10 Sample CCNA Exam Questions

1. How do you display information about IPX routing update packets, if you can use “debug IP igrp transaction” or “debug IP igrp events” to monitor IP igrp traffic?
A. Debug ipx events
B. Debug ipx transaction
C. Debug routing
D. Debug ipx routing activity

Answer : D

2. Which info does the show vlan command display?
A. Ports that are configured as trunks
B. VMPS server configuration parameters
C. Names of the VLANs and the ports that are assigned to the VLANs
D. VTP domain parameters

Answer: C
3. What are the default settings if the “ipx delay number” command allows an administrator to change the default settings?
A. For LAN interfaces, six ticks; for WAN interfaces, one tick
B. For LAN interfaces, one tick; for WAN interfaces, six ticks
C. For LAN interfaces, zero ticks; for WAN interfaces, five ticks
D. For LAN interfaces, five ticks; for WAN interfaces, zero Ticks

Answer : B
4. Which subnet mask would be suitable for a Class C address employed for 9 LANs, every single with 12 hosts?
A. 255.255.255.252
B. 255.255.255.240
C. 255.255.255.224
D .255.255.255.

Answer : B

5. Novell’s GNS protocol is used to Get Nearest Server. The respective server then responds if there is a server on the local network. Otherwise, the Cisco router has to be configured to forward the GNS SAP. But, Cisco routers do not forward the SAPs so as to prevent the network from being flooded. How can you service the advertisements to other networks?

A. By broadcasting the service number assigned by the router.
B. Cisco routers filter out all SAPs.
C. By having a SAP table built by every router that is forwarded every 60 seconds.
D. SAPs aren’t necessary with Cisco routers.

Answer :C
6. IP addresses are represented by:
A. 16-bit decimal numbers
B. 32-bit binary numbers
C. 8 sets of 4-bit decimal numbers
D. 8-bit binary numbersj

Answer: B
7. Name three benefits of IPv6. Choose 3.
A. Decreased reliance on multicast
B. Elimination of broadcast behavior
C.. Enhanced DHCP usage
D. Increased security features
E. IP address autoconfiguration

Answer : B, D, E
8. What is the loopback address used in IPv6? Choose 2.
A. 0:0:0:0:0:0:0:1
B. 1:1:1:1:1:1:1:1
C. 1::
D. ::1

Answer : A, D
9. Which of the following is an IOS command that can be used to increase the security of unused switch ports?
A. Port security
B. Mac-secure
C. Firewall
D. Shutdown

Answer: D
10. Which of the following protocols is an example of an exterior gateway protocol?
A. BGP
B. RIP
C. EIGRP
D. OSPF

Answer: A

Other Useful CCNA Courses
Check out CCNA Labs and Lectures if you want to gain some experience with lab questions.  Since the old CCNA 640-802 exam was recently replaced with  CCNA 200-120, you may want to use this updated course.  The content already contains the added subject matter such as troubleshooting routers and switches, IPv6 routing, and DHCP.

So what are you waiting for?  Get out there and start hitting the books! And remember to get a good night’s sleep and eat a good meal the day of the exam.