Build Your CCNA Study Tracker!

As we examine the content of the latest CCENT and CCNA exams from Cisco, we cannot leave out the accelerated exam version! Enjoy this easy to copy and paste format of the official exam objectives. Remember to consider building your study tracker now. For example, enter the blueprint below into a spreadsheet or similar software in order to make a study checklist.

Consider rating yourself on each item. I like to use a 1 to 5 scale. For example, 1 means I have never heard of that technology. 2 indicates I have heard of it before. 3 means that I could describe it. 4 indicates that I could configure it if necessary, while 5 means I could also troubleshoot the technology!  Note that in this exam, not all areas require you to both configure and troubleshoot.

There are many topics you really only need to take to level 3 in order to be ready. Read the examine blueprint topics vey carefully. Notice that topics where you must “configure” or “verify” or “troubleshoot” spell out clearly. Topics listed with verbs like “describe” are very often theory only type questions, or at the very least, do not feature simulation style questions.

1.0 Network Fundamentals (15% of your exam questions will come from this section)

1.1 Compare and contrast OSI and TCP/IP models
1.2 Compare and contrast TCP and UDP protocols
1.3 Describe the impact of infrastructure components in an enterprise network
1.3.a Firewalls
1.3.b Access points
1.3.c Wireless controllers
1.4 Describe the effects of cloud resources on enterprise network architecture
1.4.a Traffic path to internal and external cloud services
1.4.b Virtual services
1.4.c Basic virtual network infrastructure
1.5 Compare and contrast collapsed core and three-tier architectures
1.6 Compare and contrast network topologies
1.6.a Star
1.6.b Mesh
1.6.c Hybrid
1.7 Select the appropriate cabling type based on implementation requirements
1.8 Apply troubleshooting methodologies to resolve problems
1.8.a Perform and document fault isolation
1.8.b Resolve or escalate
1.8.c Verify and monitor resolution
1.9 Configure, verify, and troubleshoot IPv4 addressing and subnetting
1.10 Compare and contrast IPv4 address types
1.10.a Unicast
1.10.b Broadcast
1.10.c Multicast
1.11 Describe the need for private IPv4 addressing
1.12 Identify the appropriate IPv6 addressing scheme to satisfy addressing requirements in a LAN/WAN environment
1.13 Configure, verify, and troubleshoot IPv6 addressing
1.14 Configure and verify IPv6 Stateless Address Auto Configuration
1.15 Compare and contrast IPv6 address types
1.15.a Global unicast
1.15.b Unique local
1.15.c Link local
1.15.d Multicast
1.15.e Modified EUI 64
1.15.f Autoconfiguration
1.15.g Anycast

2.0 LAN Switching Technologies (21% of your exam questions will come from this section)

2.1 Describe and verify switching concepts
2.1.a MAC learning and aging
2.1.b Frame switching
2.1.c Frame flooding
2.1.d MAC address table
2.2 Interpret Ethernet frame format
2.3 Troubleshoot interface and cable issues (collisions, errors, duplex, speed)
2.4 Configure, verify, and troubleshoot VLANs (normal/extended range) spanning multiple switches
2.4.a Access ports (data and voice)
2.4.b Default VLAN
2.5 Configure, verify, and troubleshoot interswitch connectivity
2.5.a Trunk ports
2.5.b Add and remove VLANs on a trunk
2.5.c DTP, VTP (v1&v2), and 802.1Q
2.5.d Native VLAN
2.6 Configure, verify, and troubleshoot STP protocols
2.6.a STP mode (PVST+ and RPVST+)
2.6.b STP root bridge selection
2.7 Configure, verify and troubleshoot STP related optional features
2.7.a PortFast
2.7.b BPDU guard
2.8 Configure and verify Layer 2 protocols
2.8.a Cisco Discovery Protocol
2.8.b LLDP
2.9 Configure, verify, and troubleshoot (Layer 2/Layer 3) EtherChannel
2.9.a Static
2.9.b PAGP
2.9.c LACP
2.10 Describe the benefits of switch stacking and chassis aggregation

3.0 Routing Technologies (23% of your exam questions will come from this section)

3.1 Describe the routing concepts
3.1.a Packet handling along the path through a network
3.1.b Forwarding decision based on route lookup
3.1.c Frame rewrite
3.2 Interpret the components of a routing table
3.2.a Prefix
3.2.b Network mask
3.2.c Next hop
3.2.d Routing protocol code
3.2.e Administrative distance
3.2.f Metric
3.2.g Gateway of last resort
3.3 Describe how a routing table is populated by different routing information sources
3.3.a Admin distance
3.4 Configure, verify, and troubleshoot inter-VLAN routing
3.4.a Router on a stick
3.4.b SVI
3.5 Compare and contrast static routing and dynamic routing
3.6 Compare and contrast distance vector and link state routing protocols
3.7 Compare and contrast interior and exterior routing protocols
3.8 Configure, verify, and troubleshoot IPv4 and IPv6 static routing
3.8.a Default route
3.8.b Network route
3.8.c Host route
3.8.d Floating static
3.9 Configure, verify, and troubleshoot single area and multi-area OSPFv2 for IPv4 (excluding authentication, filtering, manual summarization, redistribution, stub, virtual-link, and LSAs)
3.10 Configure, verify, and troubleshoot single area and multi-area OSPFv3 for IPv6 (excluding authentication, filtering, manual summarization, redistribution, stub, virtual-link, and LSAs)
3.11 Configure, verify, and troubleshoot EIGRP for IPv4 (excluding authentication, filtering, manual summarization, redistribution, stub)
3.12 Configure, verify, and troubleshoot EIGRP for IPv6 (excluding authentication, filtering, manual summarization, redistribution, stub)
3.13 Configure, verify, and troubleshoot RIPv2 for IPv4 (excluding authentication, filtering, manual summarization, redistribution)
3.14 Troubleshoot basic Layer 3 end-to-end connectivity issues

4.0 WAN Technologies (10% of your exam questions will come from this section)

4.1 Configure and verify PPP and MLPPP on WAN interfaces using local authentication
4.2 Configure, verify, and troubleshoot PPPoE client-side interfaces using local authentication
4.3 Configure, verify, and troubleshoot GRE tunnel connectivity
4.4 Describe WAN topology options
4.4.a Point-to-point
4.4.b Hub and spoke
4.4.c Full mesh
4.4.d Single vs dual-homed
4.5 Describe WAN access connectivity options
4.5.a MPLS
4.5.b Metro Ethernet
4.5.c Broadband PPPoE
4.5.d Internet VPN (DMVPN, site-to-site VPN, client VPN)
4.6 Configure and verify single-homed branch connectivity using eBGP IPv4 (limited to peering and route advertisement using Network command only)
4.7 Describe basic QoS concepts
4.7.a Marking
4.7.b Device trust
4.7.c Prioritization
4.7.c. [i] Voice
4.7.c. [ii] Video
4.7.c. [iii] Data
4.7.d Shaping
4.7.e Policing
4.7.f Congestion management

5.0 Infrastructure Services (10% of your exam questions will come from this section)

5.1 Describe DNS lookup operation
5.2 Troubleshoot client connectivity issues involving DNS
5.3 Configure and verify DHCP on a router (excluding static reservations)
5.3.a Server
5.3.b Relay
5.3.c Client
5.3.d TFTP, DNS, and gateway options
5.4 Troubleshoot client- and router-based DHCP connectivity issues
5.5 Configure, verify, and troubleshoot basic HSRP
5.5.a Priority
5.5.b Preemption
5.5.c Version
5.6 Configure, verify, and troubleshoot inside source NAT
5.6.a Static
5.6.b Pool
5.6.c PAT
5.7 Configure and verify NTP operating in a client/server mode

6.0 Infrastructure Security (11% of your exam questions will come from this section)

6.1 Configure, verify, and troubleshoot port security
6.1.a Static
6.1.b Dynamic
6.1.c Sticky
6.1.d Max MAC addresses
6.1.e Violation actions
6.1.f Err-disable recovery
6.2 Describe common access layer threat mitigation techniques
6.2.a 802.1x
6.2.b DHCP snooping
6.2.c Nondefault native VLAN
6.3 Configure, verify, and troubleshoot IPv4 and IPv6 access list for traffic filtering
6.3.a Standard
6.3.b Extended
6.3.c Named
6.4 Verify ACLs using the APIC-EM Path Trace ACL analysis tool
6.5 Configure, verify, and troubleshoot basic device hardening
6.5.a Local authentication
6.5.b Secure password
6.5.c Access to device
6.5.c. [i] Source address
6.5.c. [ii] Telnet/SSH
6.5.d Login banner
6.6 Describe device security using AAA with TACACS+ and RADIUS

7.0 Infrastructure Management (10% of your exam questions will come from this section)

7.1 Configure and verify device-monitoring protocols
7.1.a SNMPv2
7.1.b SNMPv3
7.1.c Syslog
7.2 Troubleshoot network connectivity issues using ICMP echo-based IP SLA
7.3 Configure and verify device management
7.3.a Backup and restore device configuration
7.3.b Using Cisco Discovery Protocol or LLDP for device discovery
7.3.c Licensing
7.3.d Logging
7.3.e Timezone
7.3.f Loopback
7.4 Configure and verify initial device configuration
7.5 Perform device maintenance
7.5.a Cisco IOS upgrades and recovery (SCP, FTP, TFTP, and MD5 verify)
7.5.b Password recovery and configuration register
7.5.c File system management
7.6 Use Cisco IOS tools to troubleshoot and resolve problems
7.6.a Ping and traceroute with extended option
7.6.b Terminal monitor
7.6.c Log events
7.6.d Local SPAN
7.7 Describe network programmability in enterprise network architecture
7.7.a Function of a controller
7.7.b Separation of control plane and data plane
7.7.c Northbound and southbound APIs