Cisco CCNA Exam Information

Exam Background

Cisco exams are computer based, run and administered by VUE. There are about 150 testing centres through the UK. There are two different CCNA certification exam approaches.

The Cisco CCNA exams are 90 minutes and between 40 to 50 questions. The number of questions varies depending on the how questions are answered – for more information read, inside the Cisco CCNA exam.

When the exam completes (any unanswered questions are automatically marked incorrect) you are advised at the end of the exam of either pass or fail and how you scored in different areas.

Cisco CCNA Exam Question Types

1. Multiple choice (MC)
2. Testlet
3. Drag-and-drop (DND)
4. Simulated lab (SIM)
5. Simlet

MULTIPLE-CHOICE format simply requires that you point and click a circle beside the correct answer(s). Cisco tells you how many answers you need to choose, and the testing software prevents you from choosing too many.

TESTLETS are questions with one general scenario and several multiple-choice questions about the overall scenario.

DRAG and DROP questions require you to click and hold, move a button or icon to another area, and release the mouse button to place the object somewhere else typically in a list. For some questions, to get the question correct, you might need to put a list of five things in the proper order.

SIM questions generally describe a problem, and your task is to configure one or more routers and switches to fix it. The exam then grades the question based on the configuration you changed or added. Interestingly, sim questions are the only questions (to date) for which Cisco has openly confirmed it gives partial credit for.

SIMLET questions may well be the most difficult style of question. Simlet questions also use a network simulator, but instead of having you answer by changing the configuration, the question includes one or more multiple-choice questions. The questions require that you use the simulator to examine a network’s current behavior, interpreting the output of any xxx show commands you can remember to answer the question. Whereas sim questions require you to troubleshoot problems related to a configuration, simlets require you to analyze both working networks and networks with problems, correlating show command output with your knowledge of networking theory and configuration commands.

Examples of CCNA exam questions and the testing interface can be found at www.cisco.com/go/prepcenter You will need to register to gain access

Booking Exams

To find your nearest testing centre or to book your exam go to www.vue.com/cisco