Cisco CCNA 200-301 v1.1 Exam Blueprint
Check Cisco CCNA v1.1 domain weights, task depth and exam-version dates, then map the official scope to independent practice.
Current exam: v1.1 is available through February 2, 2027. Testing later? Use CCNA v2.0 .
Official scope and study depth
Cisco identifies 200-301 v1.1 as a 120-minute exam. Its topic document gives domain weights and task verbs, but no fixed question count. Our public 100-question set is an editorial practice length, not a claim about the number of questions on your exam.
| Domain | Weight | Preparation focus |
|---|---|---|
| Network Fundamentals | 20% | Addressing, subnetting, interfaces, topologies, virtualization and wireless principles |
| Network Access | 20% | VLANs, trunks, CDP/LLDP, LACP, Rapid PVST+ and wireless access |
| IP Connectivity | 25% | Routing-table decisions, IPv4/IPv6 static routes, single-area OSPFv2 and FHRP purpose |
| IP Services | 10% | NAT, NTP, DHCP/DNS, SNMP, syslog, QoS, SSH and file transfer |
| Security Fundamentals | 15% | Access control, Layer 2 protections, VPN concepts, AAA and WLAN security |
| Automation and Programmability | 10% | Controller-based networking, APIs, JSON, AI/ML and configuration-management tools |
Read the verb before planning the lab
“Describe” and “compare” require you to distinguish purpose and behavior. “Configure and verify” requires more: select an appropriate configuration, recognize whether it took effect and reason about relevant output. For VLANs, static routes, single-area OSPFv2, access controls and other stated configuration tasks, pair written scenarios with hands-on work.
The blueprint includes controller-based networking, REST APIs, JSON, configuration-management capabilities and AI/ML concepts. It is broader than memorizing router commands, but it does not require treating every automation tool as a full programming course.
Turn the domains into evidence you can produce
Use the following as an editorial preparation map, not a replacement for Cisco’s complete topic list. A domain weight helps allocate revision time; the task verb determines what you need to demonstrate. Integrated cases can involve several domains at once.
Network Fundamentals: explain the host’s first decision
Take a host address, mask and destination, then decide whether the host sends locally or through its gateway. Calculate the network boundary rather than inferring it from the first three octets. Explain how the Ethernet destination differs from the IP destination for a remote packet.
Combine that with interface and media evidence: a cable problem, an addressing problem and an unavailable application can all be described as “no network.” Review IPv6 types and prefix behavior, wireless RF principles and virtualization roles alongside IPv4.
Useful preparation artifact: an addressing table and a packet-path drawing for two subnets. You should be able to change one mask and predict which ARP request or forwarding decision changes.
Network Access: follow a VLAN end to end
An access-port assignment, an allowed trunk VLAN and an STP forwarding state answer different questions. Build a path across two switches, inspect each boundary and explain why one VLAN could work while another fails on the same link. Add a compatible LACP bundle and verify membership.
For Rapid PVST+, interpret root and port roles in the shown topology. For wireless access, distinguish controller/AP roles, infrastructure connections and the client configuration required by the stated design. Do not let command-heavy switching revision displace WLAN concepts and the named GUI tasks.
Useful preparation artifact: a topology annotated with VLANs, trunk carriage, the STP root and the expected endpoint path, checked against discovery and show output.
IP Connectivity: distinguish a route from a working service
Predict next hops from an installed route table, keeping prefix length separate from route-source preference. Build IPv4 and IPv6 static-route cases, including a backup that competes for the same prefix. Prove the return path instead of testing only from a convenient router interface.
For single-area OSPFv2, examine neighbor state and learned prefixes separately. A missing neighbor and an omitted LAN advertisement are different faults. Describe first-hop redundancy in terms of the client’s gateway dependency.
Useful preparation artifact: a route-selection worksheet with several destinations, plus a lab showing adjacency, a remote route and a successful client test. This domain has the largest official weight, so give it repeated practice rather than one isolated reading session.
IP Services: identify which dependency failed
DHCP supplies configuration, DNS resolves names and NAT changes address information. Successful operation of one does not establish the others. Build a service chain in which the client obtains appropriate settings and reaches a named destination, then change one dependency at a time.
Use NTP, syslog and SNMP evidence to explain management and observability. Review the stated QoS and file-transfer concepts at the required depth, alongside the SSH and configuration tasks in the official list.
Useful preparation artifact: a service/evidence table showing a lease, a resolver result, a translation and a relevant management check. Explain what each proves and what remains untested.
Security Fundamentals: preserve both sides of a requirement
An ACL scenario often requires an allowed flow and a continued restriction. Evaluate entry order, direction and packet fields before selecting a command. A broad permit that restores access can still be wrong because it removes the restriction.
Review device access, AAA, Layer 2 protections, wireless security and VPN purposes through the boundary they protect. For example, restricting source MAC use and authenticating an administrator solve different problems.
Useful preparation artifact: a small allowed/prohibited traffic matrix with test results and an explanation of which rule matches each packet. Include a management-access check when the change could affect the operator.
Automation and Programmability: interpret the representation
Read structured data and API operations as carefully as CLI output. Identify JSON objects, arrays, Booleans and strings, and connect a request to its intended operation. Distinguish controller functions from the devices forwarding traffic.
Recognize configuration-management capabilities and relevant AI/ML uses without treating every tool mention as a requirement to build a full software system. A generated explanation or recommended command still needs to agree with the network’s actual state and constraints.
Useful preparation artifact: an annotated JSON response and a short comparison of the intended operation, returned status and remaining verification. Explain the data rather than merely recognizing the file extension.
Match a study activity to the verb
| Task depth | Productive activity | Weak substitute |
|---|---|---|
| Describe or explain | State purpose, behavior and a useful distinction | Memorize an expansion of the acronym only |
| Compare | Choose between alternatives under a stated condition | List features without applying them |
| Interpret | Derive a conclusion from unfamiliar output or a topology | Recognize the command name |
| Configure and verify | Build the intended state and inspect the result | Copy commands without checking their effect |
Use the study plan to schedule these artifacts and the scenario guide to practise evidence-based decisions. The Cheat Sheet supports recall after the underlying reasoning is secure.
Separate the next version
v2.0 starts February 3, 2027 and reorganizes the exam into five domains. Its explicit OSPFv3, expanded troubleshooting and AI operations tasks belong on the v2.0 checklist . Use the version associated with your test date rather than combining both lists into an undefined syllabus.
How this maps to practice
The public set follows the six domain percentages with 20, 20, 25, 10, 15 and 10 questions. That is a study allocation, not a prediction of your live exam. It includes written single-answer and Select TWO questions; this interaction mix is editorial and does not simulate Cisco’s hands-on task interface.
Treat the official topic document as the scope reference. Use question explanations to identify decisions that need another lab or a closer reading of Cisco documentation.
Scope checked September 13, 2026 against Cisco’s v1.1 exam topics and Cisco’s version-transition announcement .