Appendix A. Exam Topics Reference Table

This appendix serves as a practical roadmap for CCNA preparation, mapping every official exam topic to the corresponding chapters in the book and highlighting each domain’s weight on the exam. It advises reading the book sequentially on the first pass, then using the cross-reference as a targeted study aid to close knowledge gaps. Because Cisco can make minor adjustments to the blueprint, the reader is encouraged to confirm the latest topics from Cisco’s official resources and certification roadmap, and to use this appendix as a living checklist alongside those updates.

The coverage begins with Network Fundamentals (20%), tying device roles and functions—such as routers, Layer 2/3 switches, next-generation firewalls/IPS, access points, controllers, endpoints, servers, and PoE—to the book’s foundational material. It summarizes topology architectures (two-tier, three-tier, spine-leaf, WAN, SOHO, on‑premises and cloud), cabling and interface characteristics, and common interface issues. Core IP knowledge includes TCP versus UDP, IPv4 addressing and subnetting, private addressing rationale, IPv6 addressing and types (including EUI‑64), and verifying client IP parameters across operating systems. The section also introduces wireless principles (channels, SSIDs, RF, encryption), virtualization constructs (server virtualization, containers, VRFs), and essential switching behavior (MAC learning/aging, frame switching and flooding, MAC tables).

Subsequent domains detail hands-on campus networking and beyond. Network Access (20%) covers VLANs across multiple switches, trunks and 802.1Q, discovery protocols, EtherChannel (LACP), Rapid PVST+ concepts, and wireless architectures, components, management access, and GUI-based WLAN configuration. IP Connectivity (25%) explains routing-table interpretation, default forwarding logic (longest match, administrative distance, metrics), static routing (default, network, host, floating) for IPv4/IPv6, single-area OSPFv2 (neighbors, network types, DR/BDR, router ID), and first-hop redundancy. IP Services (10%) addresses NAT, NTP, DHCP and DNS roles, SNMP, syslog, DHCP relay, QoS per-hop behaviors, SSH, and TFTP/FTP. Security Fundamentals (15%) spans threats and mitigations, security program elements, local access control, password policies and multifactor options, VPN models, ACLs, Layer 2 protections (DHCP snooping, dynamic ARP inspection, port security), AAA, and wireless security. Automation and Programmability (10%) introduces the impact of automation, controller-based versus traditional networking, SDN building blocks (overlay/underlay/fabric, control/data-plane separation, northbound/southbound APIs), Cisco DNA Center workflows, REST API characteristics, configuration management tools, and interpreting JSON—equipping candidates to align study efforts with both the exam blueprint and modern network operations.

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