Exam Layout and Design

Some exam questions require you to select a single answer, whereas others ask you to select multiple correct answers. The following multiple-choice question requires you to select a single correct answer. Following the question is a brief summary of each potential answer and why it is either right or wrong.

Question 1

What is the key piece of information on which routing decisions are based? A. Source Network layer address B. Destination Network layer address C. Source MAC address D. Destination MAC address

A1:

Answer B is correct. The destination Network layer, or layer 3, address is the protocol-specific address to which this piece of data is to be delivered. The source Network layer address is the originating host and plays no role in getting the information to the destination; therefore, answer A is incorrect. The source and destination MAC addresses are necessary for getting the data to the router or to the next hop address, but they are not used in pathing decisions; therefore, answers C and D are incorrect.

This sample question format corresponds closely to the Cisco certification exam format ”the only difference on the exam is that answer keys do not follow questions; too bad. To select an answer, position the cursor over the radio button next to the answer, and then click the mouse button to select the answer.

Now let us examine a question that requires choosing multiple answers. This type of question provides check boxes rather than radio buttons for marking all appropriate selections.

Question 2	Which of the following services exist at the Application layer of the TCP/IP model? [Choose the three best answers] A. SMTP B. FTP C. ICMP D. ARP E. TFTP
A1:	Answers A, B, and E are correct. SMTP, FTP, and TFTP all exist at the Application layer of the TCP/IP model. Answer C is incorrect because ICMP exists at the Internet layer of the TCP/IP model. Answer D is incorrect because ARP exists at the Network Interface layer of the TCP/IP model.

For this type of question, more than one answer is required. These particular questions are scored as wrong unless all of the required selections are chosen . In other words, a partially correct answer does not result in partial credit when the test is scored. For Question 2, you have to select the corresponding check boxes next to items A, B, and E to obtain credit for a correct answer. These types of questions can be tricky and involves some process of elimination .

These two basic types of questions can appear in many forms; they constitute the foundation on which the entire Cisco certification exam questions rest. More complex questions include so-called exhibits , which are usually network scenarios, screen shots of output from the router, or diagrams. For some of these questions, you will be asked to make a selection by clicking on a check box or radio button on the screenshot itself. For others, you will be expected to use the information displayed therein to guide your answer to the question. Familiarity with the underlying utility is your key to choosing the correct answers.

Other questions involving exhibits use charts or network diagrams to help document a workplace scenario that you will be asked to troubleshoot or configure. Careful attention to such exhibits is the key to success. Be prepared to toggle frequently between the exhibit and the question as you work.