CCNA Practice Exam Questions and Correct
Answers (Verified Answers) Plus Rationales
2026 Q&A | Instant Download Pdf
1. Which layer of the OSI model is responsible for logical addressing
and routing?
A. Physical
B. Data Link
C. Network
D. Transport
Rationale: The Network layer (Layer 3) is responsible for logical
addressing (IP addresses) and routing packets across networks.
2. Which protocol is used to securely manage network devices over
an encrypted connection?
A. Telnet
B. FTP
C. SSH
D. HTTP
,Rationale: SSH (Secure Shell) encrypts network management sessions,
unlike Telnet, which transmits data in plaintext.
3. What is the purpose of a VLAN?
A. To increase IP address availability
B. To segment a network logically
C. To connect different networks
D. To encrypt network traffic
Rationale: VLANs allow logical segmentation of a network, improving
performance and security without changing physical topology.
4. Which command displays the routing table on a Cisco router?
A. show ip interface
B. show ip route
C. show running-config
D. show interfaces
Rationale: show ip route displays all known routes, directly connected
networks, and routing protocol information.
5. What is the purpose of ARP in a network?
A. Encrypt IP packets
B. Map IP addresses to MAC addresses
C. Assign IP addresses automatically
D. Segment network traffic
,Rationale: ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) maps a known IP
address to its corresponding MAC address for Layer 2 delivery.
6. Which type of IPv6 address is automatically configured on all IPv6-
enabled interfaces?
A. Global Unicast
B. Link-Local
C. Both A and B
D. Multicast
Rationale: IPv6 automatically assigns a link-local address to every
interface, and global unicast addresses are configured either manually
or via SLAAC.
7. What is the default administrative distance of OSPF?
A. 90
B. 100
C. 110
D. 120
Rationale: OSPF has a default administrative distance of 110, which
determines its trustworthiness relative to other routing protocols.
8. Which WAN technology uses virtual circuits and is connection-
oriented?
A. Frame Relay
, B. MPLS
C. Ethernet
D. DSL
Rationale: MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) is connection-
oriented and can establish virtual circuits for traffic forwarding.
9. Which protocol is used to assign IP addresses dynamically to
hosts?
A. DNS
B. DHCP
C. ICMP
D. ARP
Rationale: DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) dynamically
assigns IP addresses and other configuration information to hosts.
10. Which switching method checks the destination MAC
address after receiving the entire frame?
A. Cut-through
B. Store-and-forward
C. Fragment-free
D. Fast-forward
Answers (Verified Answers) Plus Rationales
2026 Q&A | Instant Download Pdf
1. Which layer of the OSI model is responsible for logical addressing
and routing?
A. Physical
B. Data Link
C. Network
D. Transport
Rationale: The Network layer (Layer 3) is responsible for logical
addressing (IP addresses) and routing packets across networks.
2. Which protocol is used to securely manage network devices over
an encrypted connection?
A. Telnet
B. FTP
C. SSH
D. HTTP
,Rationale: SSH (Secure Shell) encrypts network management sessions,
unlike Telnet, which transmits data in plaintext.
3. What is the purpose of a VLAN?
A. To increase IP address availability
B. To segment a network logically
C. To connect different networks
D. To encrypt network traffic
Rationale: VLANs allow logical segmentation of a network, improving
performance and security without changing physical topology.
4. Which command displays the routing table on a Cisco router?
A. show ip interface
B. show ip route
C. show running-config
D. show interfaces
Rationale: show ip route displays all known routes, directly connected
networks, and routing protocol information.
5. What is the purpose of ARP in a network?
A. Encrypt IP packets
B. Map IP addresses to MAC addresses
C. Assign IP addresses automatically
D. Segment network traffic
,Rationale: ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) maps a known IP
address to its corresponding MAC address for Layer 2 delivery.
6. Which type of IPv6 address is automatically configured on all IPv6-
enabled interfaces?
A. Global Unicast
B. Link-Local
C. Both A and B
D. Multicast
Rationale: IPv6 automatically assigns a link-local address to every
interface, and global unicast addresses are configured either manually
or via SLAAC.
7. What is the default administrative distance of OSPF?
A. 90
B. 100
C. 110
D. 120
Rationale: OSPF has a default administrative distance of 110, which
determines its trustworthiness relative to other routing protocols.
8. Which WAN technology uses virtual circuits and is connection-
oriented?
A. Frame Relay
, B. MPLS
C. Ethernet
D. DSL
Rationale: MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) is connection-
oriented and can establish virtual circuits for traffic forwarding.
9. Which protocol is used to assign IP addresses dynamically to
hosts?
A. DNS
B. DHCP
C. ICMP
D. ARP
Rationale: DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) dynamically
assigns IP addresses and other configuration information to hosts.
10. Which switching method checks the destination MAC
address after receiving the entire frame?
A. Cut-through
B. Store-and-forward
C. Fragment-free
D. Fast-forward
