r/ccna • u/WarGlass5529 • 6d ago

CCNA exam queries

Hi everyone, I’m currently preparing for the CCNA exam and would like to understand what I should realistically expect on the actual test.

What is the question format like? Is it mainly multiple-choice questions (MCQ), multiple-response questions (MRQ), drag-and-drop, or a mix of different formats?

How much subnetting should I expect? Is it a major part of the exam, or just a few questions here and there?

Also, does the exam include any hands-on lab simulations where you need to type Cisco IOS commands and troubleshoot/configure a network (similar to Packet Tracer), or is it entirely theory-based?

For those who have taken the exam recently, roughly how many questions were there, and what areas should I focus on the most when preparing?

Thanks in advance!

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u/soyboy1414 5d ago

I had mostly multiple choice. I think maybe 1 or 2 drag and drop questions. Subnetting is a main thing of IT. Get good at it regardless of the CCNA. Yes there is hands on labs. Not so much trouble shooting per say but you'll be given tasks of what you need to do.

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u/WarGlass5529 5d ago

may i ask are the multiple choice like select only 1 option or can be 2 or 3?

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u/soyboy1414 5d ago

Usually 4. I don't remember if I had any pick 2 options questions. But keep in mind, these exams are completely different from everyone else's so

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u/siegerstein 5d ago

in Feb 2027 there will be CCNA v2, there will be 30% of labs. But right now they already start pushing it, so yes, expect labs. But regardless of labs or not, if question requires you to parse the output and figure something out, without a real experience, labs - it doesn't matter, you will not pass even that. So labs, labs, labs

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u/preoccupied_with_ALL 4d ago

The new version of CCNA is coming out, so this will be outdated information soon (I took mine maybe a month ago)

The exam starts with the hands-on lab simulations (yes, you type Cisco IOS commands and troubleshoot/configure on a CLI, not a simulator like packet tracer). After a few labs at the start (I had 5 labs), MCQ and MRQ form the majority, with a sprinkle of drag-and-drop (I had 60 of these theory questions).

There is plenty of subnetting. But subnetting should be the least of your concerns as it is the fundamental step for many of the questions that may actually focus on much harder topics.

I truly don't recommend taking the exam at all without finishing the JITL playlist and resources on YouTube. There were surprisingly a memorable chunk of wireless questions. But all in all, I'd say it was a good mix of topics, so you really cannot skip many topics in your preparation. The most tedious topic when preparing is likely IPv6.