Updated 1 Nov 2026 · 5 min read
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What the Cisco CCST Networking is and who it is for
The 100-150 CCST Networking exam is the one exam behind the Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Networking certification. Cisco says it validates skills and knowledge of entry-level networking concepts and topics, and shows how networks operate, including the devices, media and protocols that enable network communications. Cisco also calls it a first step toward CCNA certification.
Cisco aims the CCST certifications at late high school and post-secondary students, technical schools and entry-level IT, networking and cybersecurity professionals, and at people starting or moving into an IT career. For CCST Networking, Cisco names roles such as entry-level network technician and customer support technician.
There are no formal prerequisites, but Cisco says you should understand the exam topics before you sit any CCST exam. Cisco's training objectives for the exam include using a network diagram provided by an engineer to attach the right cables, checking network connectivity, and help desk practice such as ticketing, documentation and information gathering.
Cisco CCST Networking at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exam code | 100-150 CCST Networking |
| Questions | Not published. Cisco says the number of questions varies |
| Time allowed | 50 minutes |
| Passing score | Not published. Cisco does not publish passing scores for its exams |
| Exam fee | US$125 plus tax, or Cisco Learning Credits |
| Languages | English, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, French, Japanese and Portuguese |
| Where you sit it | Pearson VUE test centre or online proctored. Academies can also deliver it as Certiport Authorized Testing Centers |
| Certification valid for | Five years from the date you pass |
What is on the exam
Cisco sends the full CCST Networking exam topics by email when you sign up on the Cisco Learning Network, and its public pages do not give domain weights. The best public guide is Cisco's own training overview for the course that prepares you for the 100-150 exam. It lists its objectives without groups or weights. They are grouped into six areas below, and you should treat the areas as roughly equal.
Network concepts. The building blocks of a network, the difference between bandwidth and throughput, the network types (LAN, WAN, MAN, CAN, PAN and WLAN), cloud compared with on-premises applications and services, and common network applications and protocols.
Addressing. Private and public addresses, IPv4 addresses and subnet formats, and IPv6 addresses and prefix formats.
Endpoints and media. Cables and connectors used in local area networks, the differences between Wi-Fi, cellular and wired technologies, endpoint devices, and setting up and checking network connectivity on Windows, Linux, Mac OS, Android and Apple iOS.
Infrastructure. Reading the status lights on a Cisco device when an engineer asks you to, using a network diagram from an engineer to attach the right cables, identifying the ports on network devices, and basic routing and switching concepts.
Troubleshooting. Troubleshooting methods and help desk practice, including ticketing, documentation and information gathering. You also capture packets with Wireshark and save them to a file, run basic diagnostic commands and read the results, compare ways to access and collect data from network devices, and run basic show commands on a Cisco device.
Security. How firewalls filter traffic, foundational security concepts, and basic wireless security on a home router (WPAx).
Why people fail it
The CCST Networking is entry level, but 50 minutes is short and the topics are broad. Candidates who come from general IT support often know Windows networking well and lose marks on the Cisco side: status lights, port types, show commands and what a router does differently from a switch. Others know the theory from a course and have never run diagnostic commands or a Wireshark capture themselves, so questions that show command output catch them out.
Addressing is the other common gap. Private against public ranges, subnet masks in both dotted and slash notation, and the shape of an IPv6 address and prefix need to be automatic, because there is no time to work them out slowly. Finally, the help desk objectives look like common sense, so people skip them, yet ticketing, documentation and information gathering are named objectives.
A study plan that fits the exam
Five weeks suits most beginners. Cisco publishes no weights, so the plan gives each area similar time, with extra on addressing and troubleshooting because they need practice.
- Week 1: concepts and protocols. Network types, bandwidth against throughput, cloud against on-premises, and what common applications and protocols do. Take the free CCST Networking practice questions to see where you start.
- Week 2: addressing. Private and public ranges, IPv4 subnet masks in both notations, and IPv6 address and prefix formats. Drill until you can read them at a glance.
- Week 3: endpoints, media and infrastructure. Cable and connector types, Wi-Fi, cellular and wired, connectivity checks on each operating system, Cisco status lights and ports, and basic routing and switching.
- Week 4: troubleshooting and security. Run diagnostic commands and a Wireshark capture yourself, practise basic show commands on a Cisco device or simulator, write up a sample ticket, then cover firewalls, core security concepts and WPAx on a home router.
- Week 5: timed runs. Work through the 75 questions in the CCST Networking practice question pack in 50 minute sittings and read the explanation for every miss.
On exam day
You register through your Cisco certification candidate profile and choose the exam from the Cisco exams available through Pearson VUE, then sit it at a test centre or online with a proctor. At a test centre you may not bring anything into the exam room, including notes, watches and mobile phones. Candidates aged 13 to 17 can test with parental or legal guardian consent.
You have 50 minutes. When you finish, you see a score report straight away with your pass or fail status, and Cisco's score reports also show your performance by exam section, which is useful if you need a second attempt.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I fail the CCST Networking?
Cisco's retake policy for entry-level written exams is a wait of five calendar days, beginning the day after the failed attempt, before you can sit the same exam again.
How long does the certification last?
Five years from the date you pass. To recertify you pass any CCST, associate, professional or expert Cisco certification exam. Continuing Education credits do not count toward CCST recertification. Cisco notes that certifications earned before 15 July 2025 remain valid for life.
Where can I learn the material?
Cisco Networking Academy offers the Network Technician career path, which Cisco says prepares you for this certification. The self-paced online version is free and Cisco puts it at about 70 hours. Instructor-led classes are available through local academies.
Is the practice pack enough on its own?
No. It is practice, not a course. The 75 questions show you how Cisco asks about each area and explain why the wrong options are wrong, but they do not teach you to connect the right cable, read status lights or run a capture. Learn the material first, then use the questions to find your gaps and practise working against the clock.
When you are ready to test yourself properly, get the CCST Networking practice questions with full explanations.
Sources
The official pages the facts in this guide were checked against.
- cisco.com/site/us/en/learn/training-certifications/exams/ccst-networking.html
- cisco.com/site/us/en/learn/training-certifications/certifications/support-technician/exams-training.html
- cisco.com/site/us/en/learn/training-certifications/certifications/support-technician/faq.html
- cisco.com/site/us/en/learn/training-certifications/certifications/support-technician/index.html
- cisco.com/site/us/en/learn/training-certifications/exams/policies.html
- cisco.com/site/us/en/learn/training-certifications/exams/index.html
- learningnetwork.cisco.com/s/ccst-networking-exam-topics
- cisco.com/c/dam/en_us/training-events/training/courses/ccst-networking.pdf
- cisco.com/site/us/en/learn/training-certifications/certifications/recertification/index.html