CCNA 2026/2027 Switching Exam Prep:
135 Practice Questions with Answers for
VLAN, STP, EtherChannel, and Network
Security
Description:
Master CCNA switching concepts with 135 exam-style practice questions covering VLANs,
STP, EtherChannel, VTP, and security features. Updated for 2026/2027 CCNA
curriculum with detailed explanations for every answer.
Download the complete exam paper now and ace your Cisco certification with confidence.
, CCNA Switching Practice Exam 2026/2027
SECTION A: MAC ADDRESS TABLE OPERATIONS
Question 1
How are entries populated into the MAC address table of a switch?
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 ingress port
C. Through manual configuration only, as dynamic learning is deprecated
D. By examining the IP header and mapping it to the appropriate VLAN
Answer: B
Explanation: Switches build their MAC address tables through a process called dynamic
learning. When a frame arrives on a switch port, the switch examines the source MAC
address and associates it with the ingress port. This allows the switch to build a mapping of
which MAC addresses are reachable through which ports. The switch then uses this
information to make intelligent forwarding decisions for subsequent frames, only flooding
frames when the destination MAC address is unknown.
Question 2
Once a MAC address has been dynamically learned by a switch, and the switch ceases to see
frames from that MAC address, what is the default aging period before the entry is purged
from the MAC address table?
A. 60 seconds
B. 300 seconds
C. 600 seconds
D. The entry remains indefinitely until manually cleared
Answer: B
Explanation: The default aging time for dynamically learned MAC addresses on Cisco
switches is 300 seconds. This timer ensures that the MAC address table remains current and
does not retain stale entries. If a device becomes disconnected or moves to another location,
the aging mechanism ensures that the table is updated appropriately.
,Question 3
A switch receives a frame with a destination MAC address that is not present in its MAC
address table. What action will the switch take?
A. Forward the frame only to the port from which it was received
B. Drop the frame and generate an ICMP destination unreachable message
C. Flood the frame out of all ports except the receiving port
D. Store the frame in a buffer until the MAC address is learned
Answer: C
Explanation: When a switch receives a frame destined for an unknown MAC address, it
performs a flood operation. The frame is forwarded out of all ports except the one on which it
was received. This ensures that the frame reaches its intended destination even though the
switch does not know the specific location of that destination device.
Question 4
Which of the following are valid entry types that can exist within a MAC address table?
A. Static
B. Dynamic
C. Permanent
D. Secure
Answer: A, B
Explanation: The MAC address table contains two primary entry types: static and dynamic
entries. Static entries are manually configured by network administrators and persist across
switch reboots. Dynamic entries are automatically learned through the observation of
incoming frame source MAC addresses.
Question 5
What mechanism does a switch use to store MAC address table entries in a manner that
allows for high-speed lookups using partial matches?
A. Content-Addressable Memory (CAM)
B. Ternary Content-Addressable Memory (TCAM)
, C. Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM)
D. Flash memory
Answer: B
Explanation: Ternary Content-Addressable Memory (TCAM) enables high-speed lookups
using partial pattern matching. Unlike regular CAM which provides exact matches, TCAM
allows for three states: 0, 1, and X (don't care). This ternary capability makes TCAM ideal for
applications requiring partial pattern matching, such as routing table lookups and access
control list processing.
Question 6
What is the structure of entries stored in TCAM memory?
A. Key-value pairs
B. Value-Mask-Result triplets
C. Hash tables with collision resolution
D. Linked lists with pointer references
Answer: B
Explanation: TCAM entries are stored as Value-Mask-Result (VMR) triplets. The Value
component holds the actual data being matched. The Mask component indicates which bits
are significant for the match, with binary 1 indicating "care" and binary 0 indicating "don't
care." The Result component specifies the action to be taken when a match occurs.
SECTION B: SWITCH DATABASE MANAGEMENT
Question 7
What is the primary function of the Switching Database Manager (SDM) in Cisco switches?
A. Managing the allocation of VLAN database storage
B. Determining TCAM space allocation and utilization
C. Maintaining the MAC address table synchronization
D. Controlling spanning-tree protocol operations
Answer: B
Explanation: The Switching Database Manager (SDM) is a mechanism that manages TCAM
resources and determines how memory is allocated among various features. The SDM uses
135 Practice Questions with Answers for
VLAN, STP, EtherChannel, and Network
Security
Description:
Master CCNA switching concepts with 135 exam-style practice questions covering VLANs,
STP, EtherChannel, VTP, and security features. Updated for 2026/2027 CCNA
curriculum with detailed explanations for every answer.
Download the complete exam paper now and ace your Cisco certification with confidence.
, CCNA Switching Practice Exam 2026/2027
SECTION A: MAC ADDRESS TABLE OPERATIONS
Question 1
How are entries populated into the MAC address table of a switch?
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 ingress port
C. Through manual configuration only, as dynamic learning is deprecated
D. By examining the IP header and mapping it to the appropriate VLAN
Answer: B
Explanation: Switches build their MAC address tables through a process called dynamic
learning. When a frame arrives on a switch port, the switch examines the source MAC
address and associates it with the ingress port. This allows the switch to build a mapping of
which MAC addresses are reachable through which ports. The switch then uses this
information to make intelligent forwarding decisions for subsequent frames, only flooding
frames when the destination MAC address is unknown.
Question 2
Once a MAC address has been dynamically learned by a switch, and the switch ceases to see
frames from that MAC address, what is the default aging period before the entry is purged
from the MAC address table?
A. 60 seconds
B. 300 seconds
C. 600 seconds
D. The entry remains indefinitely until manually cleared
Answer: B
Explanation: The default aging time for dynamically learned MAC addresses on Cisco
switches is 300 seconds. This timer ensures that the MAC address table remains current and
does not retain stale entries. If a device becomes disconnected or moves to another location,
the aging mechanism ensures that the table is updated appropriately.
,Question 3
A switch receives a frame with a destination MAC address that is not present in its MAC
address table. What action will the switch take?
A. Forward the frame only to the port from which it was received
B. Drop the frame and generate an ICMP destination unreachable message
C. Flood the frame out of all ports except the receiving port
D. Store the frame in a buffer until the MAC address is learned
Answer: C
Explanation: When a switch receives a frame destined for an unknown MAC address, it
performs a flood operation. The frame is forwarded out of all ports except the one on which it
was received. This ensures that the frame reaches its intended destination even though the
switch does not know the specific location of that destination device.
Question 4
Which of the following are valid entry types that can exist within a MAC address table?
A. Static
B. Dynamic
C. Permanent
D. Secure
Answer: A, B
Explanation: The MAC address table contains two primary entry types: static and dynamic
entries. Static entries are manually configured by network administrators and persist across
switch reboots. Dynamic entries are automatically learned through the observation of
incoming frame source MAC addresses.
Question 5
What mechanism does a switch use to store MAC address table entries in a manner that
allows for high-speed lookups using partial matches?
A. Content-Addressable Memory (CAM)
B. Ternary Content-Addressable Memory (TCAM)
, C. Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM)
D. Flash memory
Answer: B
Explanation: Ternary Content-Addressable Memory (TCAM) enables high-speed lookups
using partial pattern matching. Unlike regular CAM which provides exact matches, TCAM
allows for three states: 0, 1, and X (don't care). This ternary capability makes TCAM ideal for
applications requiring partial pattern matching, such as routing table lookups and access
control list processing.
Question 6
What is the structure of entries stored in TCAM memory?
A. Key-value pairs
B. Value-Mask-Result triplets
C. Hash tables with collision resolution
D. Linked lists with pointer references
Answer: B
Explanation: TCAM entries are stored as Value-Mask-Result (VMR) triplets. The Value
component holds the actual data being matched. The Mask component indicates which bits
are significant for the match, with binary 1 indicating "care" and binary 0 indicating "don't
care." The Result component specifies the action to be taken when a match occurs.
SECTION B: SWITCH DATABASE MANAGEMENT
Question 7
What is the primary function of the Switching Database Manager (SDM) in Cisco switches?
A. Managing the allocation of VLAN database storage
B. Determining TCAM space allocation and utilization
C. Maintaining the MAC address table synchronization
D. Controlling spanning-tree protocol operations
Answer: B
Explanation: The Switching Database Manager (SDM) is a mechanism that manages TCAM
resources and determines how memory is allocated among various features. The SDM uses
