Quiz

CCENT Practice Quiz 5

Test foundational Cisco CCENT networking knowledge with 10 untimed multiple-choice questions covering IPv4, switching, routing, IOS, protocols, and troubleshooting.

This CCENT practice quiz assesses entry-level Cisco networking knowledge. It contains 10 multiple-choice questions covering the OSI and TCP/IP models, IPv4 addressing, subnetting, Ethernet switching, routing, Cisco IOS, network services, and troubleshooting.

Quiz purpose and instructions

• The quiz has 10 multiple-choice questions.
• It is untimed. Work through each question at your own pace.
• Choose one best answer for each question. Record your choices as A, B, C, or D.
• When you finish, submit your answers by comparing them with the answer review below.
• Retakes are permitted. For a useful retake, first study the explanations for questions you missed, then attempt the quiz again without looking at the answers.
• Your score is the number of correct answers out of 10. Each question is worth one point; a percentage can be calculated as correct answers × 10.

CCENT Practice Quiz 5

Question 1: Models, layers, and encapsulation

Which statement best describes encapsulation when a host sends data through a network?

1. A. Each lower layer removes the header added by the layer above it before transmission.
2. B. Each protocol layer can add its own control information as data moves down the stack.
3. C. A switch changes an IPv4 packet into a DNS query.
4. D. The receiving host sends all data directly to the physical layer without headers.

Your answer: ______

Question 2: IPv4 subnetting

A host has the address 192.168.10.67/26. Which option gives the correct network address, broadcast address, and usable host range?

1. Network 192.168.10.0, broadcast 192.168.10.63, hosts 192.168.10.1–62
2. Network 192.168.10.64, broadcast 192.168.10.127, hosts 192.168.10.65–126
3. Network 192.168.10.67, broadcast 192.168.10.68, hosts 192.168.10.69–126
4. Network 192.168.10.0, broadcast 192.168.10.255, hosts 192.168.10.1–254

Your answer: ______

Question 3: Switch forwarding

A switch receives an Ethernet frame. The destination MAC address is already present in the switch's MAC address table and is associated with a different port from the incoming port. What should the switch do?

1. Forward the frame only through the port associated with that destination MAC address.
2. Flood the frame out every port, including the incoming port.
3. Discard the frame because switches cannot use MAC addresses.
4. Send the frame to the default gateway before forwarding it.

Your answer: ______

Question 4: Default gateway and routing

Host A is in network 192.168.1.0/24, and Host B is in network 192.168.2.0/24. Which device does Host A normally use to reach Host B?

1. The local switch, because switches route between IPv4 networks.
2. The DNS server, because DNS forwards all remote traffic.
3. The configured default gateway, which is normally a router interface on Host A's local network.
4. The broadcast address of Host A's subnet.

Your answer: ______

Question 5: Cisco IOS access

Which Cisco IOS command is most appropriate for viewing interface IP addresses and whether interfaces are administratively and operationally up?

1. show ip interface brief
2. show mac address-table
3. show ip route
4. copy running-config startup-config

Your answer: ______

Question 6: Network services

Which protocol maps an IPv4 address to a MAC address on a local Ethernet network?

1. DNS
2. DHCP
3. ARP
4. ICMP

Your answer: ______

Question 7: Routing table selection

A router has these routes:

C 10.1.0.0/16 is directly connected
S 10.1.20.0/24 via 192.0.2.2
S* 0.0.0.0/0 via 192.0.2.1

Which route is selected for a packet destined for 10.1.20.45?

1. The default route because it matches every destination.
2. The connected 10.1.0.0/16 route because it appears first.
3. The static 10.1.20.0/24 route because it is the most specific matching route.
4. No route, because a router cannot use static routes for private addresses.

Your answer: ______

Question 8: Access methods and transport protocols

Which statement correctly compares SSH and Telnet?

1. SSH encrypts the management session, while Telnet sends the session in plaintext.
2. Telnet encrypts passwords, while SSH is intended only for file transfers.
3. Both protocols provide identical security because they use the same encryption method.
4. SSH works only through a console cable, while Telnet works only through a switch port.

Your answer: ______

Question 9: Basic troubleshooting

A host can communicate with devices on its local subnet but cannot reach a remote network. What is the most appropriate first host-side check?

1. Replace the switch immediately.
2. Verify the host's default gateway configuration, then check the gateway and routing information.
3. Change the host's MAC address.
4. Disable DNS before checking IP connectivity.

Your answer: ______

Question 10: Protocol behavior

Which statement is correct?

1. DNS automatically assigns IP addresses, and DHCP resolves hostnames.
2. ICMP is commonly used by ping, TCP provides connection-oriented delivery, and UDP has lower overhead without TCP's delivery guarantees.
3. ARP identifies the complete path through several routers.
4. UDP retransmits lost data and establishes a three-way handshake before every exchange.

Your answer: ______

Answer review and scoring

Compare each recorded choice with the correct answer. Count one point for every match. The selected-answer column is where you write the answer you chose; the result is Correct or Review.

Score interpretation

• 9–10: Strong foundation. Continue with subnetting, routing-table interpretation, and IOS verification practice.
• 7–8: Good progress. Review the explanations for missed questions and repeat the quiz after practicing those topics.
• 5–6: Revisit the relevant fundamentals, especially IPv4 addressing, Layer 2 versus Layer 3 roles, and protocol purposes.
• 0–4: Study the core models, addressing, switching, routing, and troubleshooting sequence before retaking the quiz.

Core concepts covered by the quiz

OSI and TCP/IP models

The OSI model separates communication into seven conceptual layers: Physical, Data Link, Network, Transport, Session, Presentation, and Application. Ethernet frames operate at the Data Link layer, IP operates at the Network layer, and TCP or UDP operates at the Transport layer. The TCP/IP model groups these responsibilities into Link, Internet, Transport, and Application layers. Encapsulation adds headers as data moves down the sending stack; decapsulation removes them as data moves up the receiving stack.

IPv4 and subnetting

An IPv4 address contains 32 bits, commonly written as four decimal octets. A subnet mask, such as 255.255.255.192, or CIDR prefix, such as /26, separates network bits from host bits. The network address identifies the subnet, the broadcast address reaches all hosts in that subnet, and usable host addresses lie between them. A host compares its destination IP with its own network and mask to decide whether traffic is local or should be sent to the default gateway.

Ethernet switching

A switch learns the source MAC address of incoming Ethernet frames and records the address-to-port relationship in its MAC address table. It forwards known unicast frames, filters a frame when the destination is on the same incoming port, and floods unknown unicast or broadcast frames within the relevant VLAN. Learned entries age out so the table can adapt to changes. Each switch port is normally its own collision domain, while a VLAN is a broadcast domain unless routing separates it from another VLAN.

Routing and VLAN awareness

A router connects different IP networks and forwards packets according to the destination IP address and its routing table. Routes may be connected, static, learned dynamically, or a default route. The most specific matching route is preferred. A VLAN creates a separate Layer 2 broadcast domain; communication between VLANs requires a Layer 3 device such as a router or multilayer switch.

Common networking protocols reference

Cisco IOS command modes

Show commands inspect the operational state and configuration without changing the device. Useful checks include:

show ip interface brief
show interfaces
show ip route
show mac address-table

On an end host, ipconfig /all displays Windows addressing, gateway, DNS, and DHCP details. On Linux, ip addr displays interface addresses and status. Use ping to test reachability and traceroute to examine the path toward a remote destination.

Troubleshooting checklist

1. Start at the lower layers: check power, cable, link indicators, and interface status.
2. Verify the host address, subnet mask or prefix, default gateway, and DNS settings.
3. Check switch-port state, VLAN membership, and learned MAC entries with show mac address-table.
4. Test progressively: ping the local interface, the default gateway, a remote IP address, and then a hostname.
5. If an IP address works but a hostname fails, investigate DNS rather than basic routing.
6. On a router, use show ip route to verify the destination network, mask, next hop, and route source.
7. Use traceroute when you need to identify the hop where a remote path stops responding.

Recommended follow-up study

Use missed questions to choose your next topic. Missed Questions 1 or 10 indicate a need to review models and protocol roles. Missed Question 2 suggests more IPv4 and CIDR practice. Questions 3 and 4 point to switching, VLANs, and gateway decisions. Questions 5 and 8 indicate Cisco IOS access and management review. Questions 7 and 9 indicate routing-table analysis and layered troubleshooting practice.

• Review CCENT Quiz 4
• Continue to CCENT Quiz 6
• Practice with CCENT Quiz 1