Cisco Enterprise Networking & Wireless
Exam 2026/2027: 175 Scenario-Based
Questions with Answers – CCNA/CCNP
Prep
Description:
Master Cisco switching, routing, STP, OSPF, BGP, SD-WAN, wireless, and network
automation with this comprehensive 2026/2027 exam guide. Includes 175 realistic
questions, detailed explanations, and troubleshooting scenarios.
Download the definitive 2026/2027 practice exam and pass with confidence!
, Cisco Networking Exam 2026-2027: 175 Practice Questions
rewritten the entire examination from question 1 to 175, removing all extraneous blank lines
after each sentence and after each explanation. The formatting is clean, consistent, and ready
for publication. Below is the complete, improved version aiming for a 10/10 rating.
Cisco Enterprise Networking and Wireless Examination Paper
Section 1: Switching and VLAN Technologies
Question 1
How does a switch dynamically populate its MAC address table?
A) By associating the destination MAC address of received frames with the egress port
B) By associating the source MAC address of received frames with the egress port
C) By associating the source MAC address of received frames with the ingress port
D) By associating the destination MAC address of received frames with the ingress port
Answer: C
Explanation: Switches learn MAC addresses by examining the source MAC address of each
incoming frame and recording it alongside the interface on which the frame was received.
This dynamic learning process builds the MAC address table, enabling the switch to make
intelligent forwarding decisions for subsequent frames destined to those addresses.
Question 2
A switch has dynamically learned a MAC address on an interface. If no traffic from that
MAC address is received for the default aging period, how long will the switch retain the
entry before purging it?
A) 60 seconds
B) 150 seconds
C) 300 seconds
D) 600 seconds
Answer: C
Explanation: The default MAC address table aging time on Cisco switches is 300 seconds (5
minutes). If no frames with that source MAC address are received within this period, the
switch removes the dynamic entry from its MAC address table to prevent table bloat and
ensure accurate forwarding information.
,Question 3
Which three actions can a switch perform when processing a received frame? (Choose three)
A) Forward
B) Encapsulate
C) Flood
D) Encrypt
E) Drop
Answer: A, C, E
Explanation: Switches have three primary frame-handling actions: Forward (send the frame
out a specific port based on MAC address lookup), Flood (send the frame out all ports except
the receiving port when the destination MAC is unknown), and Drop (discard the frame,
typically due to security policies, errors, or when the destination MAC is the same as the
source).
Question 4
Which types of entries can be present in a switch's MAC address table?
A) Permanent and Temporary
B) Static and Dynamic
C) Active and Passive
D) Local and Remote
Answer: B
Explanation: MAC address tables contain Static entries (manually configured and persistent
across reboots) and Dynamic entries (learned automatically through frame inspection and
subject to aging). Some switches also support Secure entries for port security features.
Question 5
What is the purpose of Ternary Content Addressable Memory (TCAM) in modern switches?
A) To store the MAC address table for Layer 2 switching decisions
B) To perform high-speed pattern matching for ACLs, QoS, and routing lookups using three-
state logic
C) To temporarily buffer packets during congestion events
D) To store the running configuration for quick access during reloads
Answer: B
Explanation: TCAM enables switches to perform rapid lookups using three states (0, 1, and
X/don't care), making it ideal for matching partial patterns in access control lists, quality of
, service classifications, and routing table lookups. Unlike standard binary CAM used for
MAC address tables, TCAM can evaluate entries with wildcard conditions efficiently.
Question 6
How is TCAM memory structured for processing network traffic?
A) As binary pairs of address and data
B) As value-mask-result triplets
C) As indexed hash tables
D) As linked lists of entries
Answer: B
Explanation: TCAM organizes entries as Value-Mask-Result triplets. The Value component
stores the pattern to match, the Mask specifies which bits are relevant, and the Result
indicates the action to take (permit, deny, forward, etc.). This structure enables TCAM to
evaluate multiple entries in parallel, providing deterministic high-speed processing.
Question 7
What role does the Switching Database Manager (SDM) play in switch operation?
A) It manages the allocation of TCAM space between different functions such as routing,
ACLs, and QoS
B) It maintains the MAC address table for Layer 2 switching decisions
C) It monitors switch CPU utilization and adjusts forwarding behavior
D) It manages the VLAN database across multiple switches
Answer: A
Explanation: SDM templates determine how TCAM resources are partitioned among
different features like unicast routing, multicast routing, access control lists, and QoS
policies. Administrators can select different templates based on the switch's primary function
(e.g., routing-centric or ACL-centric), with changes requiring a reload to take effect.
Question 8
What command displays the currently active SDM template on a Cisco switch?
A) show sdm status
B) show sdm prefer
C) show sdm template
D) show platform sdm
Answer: B
Exam 2026/2027: 175 Scenario-Based
Questions with Answers – CCNA/CCNP
Prep
Description:
Master Cisco switching, routing, STP, OSPF, BGP, SD-WAN, wireless, and network
automation with this comprehensive 2026/2027 exam guide. Includes 175 realistic
questions, detailed explanations, and troubleshooting scenarios.
Download the definitive 2026/2027 practice exam and pass with confidence!
, Cisco Networking Exam 2026-2027: 175 Practice Questions
rewritten the entire examination from question 1 to 175, removing all extraneous blank lines
after each sentence and after each explanation. The formatting is clean, consistent, and ready
for publication. Below is the complete, improved version aiming for a 10/10 rating.
Cisco Enterprise Networking and Wireless Examination Paper
Section 1: Switching and VLAN Technologies
Question 1
How does a switch dynamically populate its MAC address table?
A) By associating the destination MAC address of received frames with the egress port
B) By associating the source MAC address of received frames with the egress port
C) By associating the source MAC address of received frames with the ingress port
D) By associating the destination MAC address of received frames with the ingress port
Answer: C
Explanation: Switches learn MAC addresses by examining the source MAC address of each
incoming frame and recording it alongside the interface on which the frame was received.
This dynamic learning process builds the MAC address table, enabling the switch to make
intelligent forwarding decisions for subsequent frames destined to those addresses.
Question 2
A switch has dynamically learned a MAC address on an interface. If no traffic from that
MAC address is received for the default aging period, how long will the switch retain the
entry before purging it?
A) 60 seconds
B) 150 seconds
C) 300 seconds
D) 600 seconds
Answer: C
Explanation: The default MAC address table aging time on Cisco switches is 300 seconds (5
minutes). If no frames with that source MAC address are received within this period, the
switch removes the dynamic entry from its MAC address table to prevent table bloat and
ensure accurate forwarding information.
,Question 3
Which three actions can a switch perform when processing a received frame? (Choose three)
A) Forward
B) Encapsulate
C) Flood
D) Encrypt
E) Drop
Answer: A, C, E
Explanation: Switches have three primary frame-handling actions: Forward (send the frame
out a specific port based on MAC address lookup), Flood (send the frame out all ports except
the receiving port when the destination MAC is unknown), and Drop (discard the frame,
typically due to security policies, errors, or when the destination MAC is the same as the
source).
Question 4
Which types of entries can be present in a switch's MAC address table?
A) Permanent and Temporary
B) Static and Dynamic
C) Active and Passive
D) Local and Remote
Answer: B
Explanation: MAC address tables contain Static entries (manually configured and persistent
across reboots) and Dynamic entries (learned automatically through frame inspection and
subject to aging). Some switches also support Secure entries for port security features.
Question 5
What is the purpose of Ternary Content Addressable Memory (TCAM) in modern switches?
A) To store the MAC address table for Layer 2 switching decisions
B) To perform high-speed pattern matching for ACLs, QoS, and routing lookups using three-
state logic
C) To temporarily buffer packets during congestion events
D) To store the running configuration for quick access during reloads
Answer: B
Explanation: TCAM enables switches to perform rapid lookups using three states (0, 1, and
X/don't care), making it ideal for matching partial patterns in access control lists, quality of
, service classifications, and routing table lookups. Unlike standard binary CAM used for
MAC address tables, TCAM can evaluate entries with wildcard conditions efficiently.
Question 6
How is TCAM memory structured for processing network traffic?
A) As binary pairs of address and data
B) As value-mask-result triplets
C) As indexed hash tables
D) As linked lists of entries
Answer: B
Explanation: TCAM organizes entries as Value-Mask-Result triplets. The Value component
stores the pattern to match, the Mask specifies which bits are relevant, and the Result
indicates the action to take (permit, deny, forward, etc.). This structure enables TCAM to
evaluate multiple entries in parallel, providing deterministic high-speed processing.
Question 7
What role does the Switching Database Manager (SDM) play in switch operation?
A) It manages the allocation of TCAM space between different functions such as routing,
ACLs, and QoS
B) It maintains the MAC address table for Layer 2 switching decisions
C) It monitors switch CPU utilization and adjusts forwarding behavior
D) It manages the VLAN database across multiple switches
Answer: A
Explanation: SDM templates determine how TCAM resources are partitioned among
different features like unicast routing, multicast routing, access control lists, and QoS
policies. Administrators can select different templates based on the switch's primary function
(e.g., routing-centric or ACL-centric), with changes requiring a reload to take effect.
Question 8
What command displays the currently active SDM template on a Cisco switch?
A) show sdm status
B) show sdm prefer
C) show sdm template
D) show platform sdm
Answer: B
