800-150 Supporting Cisco Devices for Field Technicians Exam Topics and Questions

This topic sets the floor for everything that follows. Before you can replace a device or recover a password, you need to read a network correctly, and that means knowing how traffic actually moves from one host to another, how addresses get assigned, and which Cisco platform belongs in which role. At 17%, it carries real weight, and the range of sub-topics means a gap in any one area can cost you marks.

– Devices, topologies, and the wireless layer

Local area networks are the starting point: know the difference between a collision domain and a broadcast domain, and why that distinction shapes switch placement. Wireless topology questions turn on the difference between autonomous and lightweight access point architectures. In a lightweight WLAN, the access point offloads control-plane decisions to a wireless LAN controller, which changes how you interpret a fault: the AP itself may be healthy while the WLC is the problem. Getting that causality right is what separates a correct field diagnosis from a wasted site visit.

– The host-to-host model and data encapsulation

The OSI model and the TCP/IP stack are tested together, not in isolation. The examinable edge is knowing which layer is responsible for which function when something breaks, and how encapsulation at each layer adds a header that the peer layer on the far side strips. Data encapsulation and de-encapsulation questions often appear as fault-isolation scenarios: a frame reaches Layer 2 but not Layer 3, or a segment arrives but the application never sees it. Knowing the boundary between each layer tells you where to look. The TCP/IP stack compresses the OSI model, so you also need to map between the two without hesitation.

– Physical cabling and Layer 1 standards

Ethernet media standards pin down which cable type is valid for which speed and distance. UTP cabling questions cover category ratings, connector types (RJ-45 being the obvious one), and the difference between straight-through and crossover pinouts. Fiber optic cabling questions distinguish single-mode from multimode, and connector form factors (LC, SC, ST) appear in scenario questions where you must select a replacement. The practical angle matters here: a field technician who cannot identify the right connector on-site fails the job before the software question ever comes up.

– Switching, IP addressing, and routing

Layer 2 switching questions focus on MAC address learning, the forwarding table, and how VLANs segment broadcast domains. IP addressing is the most calculation-heavy area of this topic. You need to derive a host range, broadcast address, and subnet mask from a given prefix length without hesitation. The flat versus subnetted topology distinction matters because it determines default gateway placement. Layer 3 routing questions cover path determination logic, the role of the routing table, and how ARP maps an IP address to a MAC address at the boundary between Layer 2 and Layer 3. IPv6 addressing appears alongside IPv4, so confirm you can read a compressed IPv6 address correctly.

– Cisco infrastructure, data center, and collaboration platforms

The campus three-layer model (core, distribution, access) gives you a mental map for placing every Cisco switch and router. Catalyst and Meraki access switches sit at the access layer, but their management models differ: Meraki is cloud-managed, which changes the replacement workflow. Edge and aggregation routers (Catalyst edge platforms, ASR, NCS) handle WAN handoffs and service provider interconnects. Branch routers (Catalyst edge and ISR) serve smaller sites. Knowing where each platform sits prevents you from misidentifying a device during a replacement task. The data center section adds Nexus switches and Multilayer Director Switches for storage networking. UCS servers and Cisco collaboration devices round out the hardware landscape: you do not need deep configuration knowledge here, but you must place each device in its correct architectural role.

How Networking Foundations is tested

At 17% of the exam, this topic produces more items than any other except Cisco Hardware Replacement. Expect a mix of recall and application. Recall items ask you to name the OSI layer responsible for a given function, or identify which cable standard applies to a given distance. Application items give you a network address and prefix length and ask you to derive something from it: a valid host range, the subnet mask, or whether two addresses are on the same subnet. Those items reward candidates who have drilled subnetting to the point where they do not need to count on their fingers under time pressure.

Scenario items place you in a fault-isolation role. A device is unreachable and you must identify the layer where the failure is occurring. Items reward methodical layer-by-layer reasoning rather than jumping straight to a software fix. Candidates lose marks by confusing lightweight and autonomous WLAN architectures, by misreading a subnet boundary, or by placing a Cisco platform in the wrong architectural tier. The Cisco-specific device section is often underestimated: the platform names overlap, and a question that distinguishes an ASR from an NCS from an ISR can trip up anyone who has not reviewed the product families deliberately.

Where Networking Foundations tests what you know about how networks are built, this topic tests what you can actually do at a device. The 15% weight reflects the fact that field technicians spend most of their time on exactly these tasks: connecting to a device, reading its state, recovering access when something has gone wrong, and handing the work off cleanly. A shaky grasp of IOS commands or console access procedure will cost you marks that are straightforward to earn.

– Getting into a device and reading what it tells you

The boot-up process question is not just about what happens in sequence; it is about what each stage means when something fails to complete. Knowing where IOS loads from, what the configuration register controls, and what output to expect at each stage lets you diagnose a boot failure from the console. Common IOS commands are tested by recognition and by outcome: given a command, what does it display, and given a symptom, which command surfaces the relevant information. Capturing device status means knowing which show commands produce which output, and being able to read that output to confirm whether a port, interface, or neighbour relationship is in the state you expect.

– Physical access, remote access, and file management

Confirming physical layer connectivity is a practical skill: link lights, interface counters, and cable checks all appear as scenario inputs. Console port connection questions cover the cable type, the terminal emulator settings (baud rate in particular), and what to do when the session does not come up. Remote access over a network brings in common Windows tools for tasks like SSH sessions and file transfers, which are tested in the context of a technician working from a laptop at a customer site. File management tools cover the IOS file system, the use of TFTP and USB for image and configuration transfers, and the commands that list, copy, and verify files. Knowing which tool is appropriate for which transfer scenario is the examinable point.

– Recovery, replacement, and asset identification

Password recovery is one of the highest-value procedural sequences on this topic. The steps differ between platform families, and the exam tests whether you know the correct sequence for a given device type rather than a generic outline. Device replacement tools cover the physical and logical steps needed to swap hardware with minimal disruption. Locating serial numbers on Cisco devices is a short sub-topic but it appears in scenarios tied to RMA and support contract verification, where the wrong serial number delays the whole replacement process. Treat it as a task with a real consequence, not a trivia item.

How Common Service Tasks and Tools is tested

At 15%, this topic generates a solid block of items, and most of them are procedural rather than conceptual. Items reward knowing the right sequence of steps, not just the individual actions. A password recovery question, for example, is not answered by naming the configuration register value in isolation; it is answered by placing that value in the correct position within the full recovery procedure.

The trap in this topic is confusing the procedure for one platform with the procedure for another. IOS, IOS-XE, and NX-OS each have their own recovery sequences, and an item that specifies a platform is testing exactly that distinction. Candidates also lose marks on console access items by misremembering terminal settings, particularly baud rate, or by selecting a remote access method that requires network reachability when the scenario has already told you the device is unreachable.

Items on IOS commands reward precision. Knowing that a command exists is not enough; you need to know what its output looks like and which field in that output answers the question being asked. Practise reading show command output, not just issuing the commands.

After working through service tasks and tools, the next area to get right is how Cisco software itself is structured, licensed, and maintained. At 10%, this topic is smaller than the previous two, but the sub-topics are tightly scoped and the exam rewards precision. Bundle mode versus install mode is a distinction that determines how an upgrade goes wrong and how you recover it. Licensing affects what a device can legally run. Getting either wrong on a real job has consequences, and the exam reflects that.

How Cisco Software is tested

Items in this topic are mostly scenario-based rather than definitional. A question will describe a device state (for example, a failed upgrade or a feature that is unexpectedly unavailable) and ask you to identify the cause or the next step. Items reward knowing the operational difference between bundle and install modes, not just their names. In install mode, packages are managed individually and a rollback is cleaner; in bundle mode, the entire image is loaded as a single file. Knowing which mode a device is in from its directory listing is the practical skill being tested.

Licensing questions focus on which model applies to a given platform and what happens when a license is missing or expired. The exam does not go deep into Smart Licensing mechanics, but you need to know the difference between right-to-use, evaluation, and permanent licenses at a functional level.

Image management items test the file transfer procedure: which protocol to use, what command syntax achieves the transfer, and how to verify the image after transfer. Candidates lose marks by confusing the install and bundle mode commands, or by selecting a recovery step that applies to the wrong mode. Configuration file management is a short but precise sub-topic: know how to back up, restore, and verify a running configuration.

Cisco's collaboration portfolio sits in its own architectural layer, and field technicians encounter it whenever they are replacing an IP phone, a video endpoint, or the call controller behind them. At 10%, this topic shares weight with Cisco Software and UCS, but the subject matter is distinct: you are mapping a set of devices and services to the workflows that connect people, not packets. The key skill is placing each component in the right layer of the architecture before you touch anything.

– Infrastructure components and endpoints

Infrastructure devices, network endpoints, and collaboration endpoints form three distinct categories, and the exam tests whether you can tell them apart in a scenario. An IP phone is a collaboration endpoint, but it sits on a network endpoint (a switch port) and depends on infrastructure devices (routers, switches, firewalls) for connectivity. A question that describes a symptom at the phone level may have its root cause in any of those three layers. Knowing which layer owns which function is the foundation for every other sub-topic in this section.

– On-premises collaboration deployments

On-premises collaboration centres on Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) as the call controller. Items here test your understanding of how call signaling and media flow relate to each other: signaling sets up the call, media carries the voice or video, and they often take different paths through the network. A scenario where audio works but video does not, or where calls connect but drop after a few seconds, is a call signaling and media flow question in disguise. CUCM's role as the registration point for endpoints is the architectural fact that makes most on-premises troubleshooting scenarios make sense.

– Video infrastructure and cloud collaboration

Video endpoints introduce additional management components: Telepresence Management Suite handles scheduling and device management for room systems, while Cisco Meeting Server and Meeting Management handle the conferencing bridge and its administration. These are not interchangeable, and an item that asks which component handles a specific function tests exactly that distinction.

On the cloud side, Webex Meetings, Webex Teams, Webex Calling, and Control Hub each serve a different function within the Cisco cloud collaboration stack. Control Hub is the administrative plane; Webex Calling replaces the on-premises PSTN gateway and CUCM for cloud-delivered calling. Cisco hosted collaboration solutions extend on-premises features into a service-provider-hosted model. The exam tests whether you can place each service in its correct role, not whether you can configure any of them.

How Cisco infrastructure and Collaboration Architecture is tested

Items in this topic are mostly identification and placement questions. Given a described deployment or a described symptom, you select which component is responsible or which component needs to be replaced. The trap is the overlap between on-premises and cloud components: Webex Calling and CUCM both deliver calling services, but their architectures are fundamentally different, and an item that specifies one context is testing whether you apply the right mental model.

Video infrastructure items reward knowing the boundary between Telepresence Management Suite and Cisco Meeting Server. Candidates who treat them as interchangeable lose marks on any item that asks which one handles a specific administrative or conferencing function.

Call signaling and media flow items reward understanding that these are separate paths. A scenario where connectivity appears normal but calls fail is often a signaling issue; a scenario where calls connect but quality is poor is often a media path issue. Items in this topic do not require deep configuration knowledge, but they do require you to have a clear architectural picture of how the components relate to each other before you read the scenario.

At 38%, this topic is the exam. Nothing else comes close in weight, and the sub-topic list reflects that: it spans safety, the replacement procedure for more than a dozen distinct platform families, NX-OS software configuration, and collaboration endpoint specifics. A candidate who is strong everywhere else but weak here will not pass. The flip side is that a candidate who prepares this topic thoroughly has already secured a large portion of their score before the first question appears.

– Safety and environmental protocols

Safe work zone and ESD discharge are not background reading. The exam tests them as procedural requirements with specific correct actions. ESD questions focus on when to use a wrist strap, when to use an ESD mat, and what happens to components when ESD precautions are skipped. Safe work zone items cover the physical environment: rack stability, power isolation, and the sequence of steps before you open a chassis. These items appear early in replacement scenarios and reward candidates who treat safety as the first step, not an afterthought.

– Replacing campus, branch, and edge platforms

The replacement procedure for Catalyst switches, Catalyst edge platforms, Meraki switches, ISR routers, and ASR routers shares a common structure but differs in the details that matter: how configuration is backed up, how the replacement unit is staged, and how the device is returned to service. Meraki switches are cloud-managed, so the replacement workflow involves the Meraki dashboard rather than a console cable and IOS commands. ISR and ASR routers differ in their role (branch versus aggregation) and in their hardware architecture, which affects which modules are hot-swappable and which require a full chassis swap. Cisco 8000 series and NCS series platforms appear in service provider and carrier contexts; know their placement before you read a replacement scenario involving them.

– Data center and UCS hardware replacement

Nexus switches, MDS switches, and UCS infrastructure components each have their own replacement considerations. MDS directors handle storage networking (Fibre Channel), so a replacement scenario involving them is a SAN event, not a LAN event. UCS splits across three server form factors: B-series (blade), C-series (rack), and X-series (composable), plus E-series (integrated into ISR routers). Each has a different physical replacement procedure, and the exam tests whether you can match the procedure to the platform. UCS infrastructure components (fabric interconnects, I/O modules) are not servers, and replacing them has network-level consequences that the replacement procedure must account for. Cisco Secure Firewall replacement adds a security policy consideration: the replacement unit must carry the correct configuration before it goes into production.

– NX-OS software configuration

NX-OS is not IOS, and the exam tests that distinction directly. Supported platforms, operating modes, and CLI commands all differ from the IOS equivalents. NX-OS supports a modular design where features are loaded as packages, which affects both the boot process and the recovery procedure. ACI boot mode is distinct from standard NX-OS boot mode, and an item that specifies an ACI fabric is testing a different set of procedures from one that specifies a standalone Nexus switch. Password recovery in NX-OS follows its own sequence, separate from the IOS configuration-register method. Candidates who apply IOS recovery logic to an NX-OS scenario will select the wrong steps.

– Collaboration endpoint replacement

IP phone and video endpoint replacement are the collaboration-side sub-topics in this topic. For IP phones, the replacement procedure involves physical swap, MAC address registration with CUCM, and confirming that the correct dial plan and device profile follow the replacement unit. Video endpoint replacement adds codec configuration and, in managed environments, re-registration with Telepresence Management Suite or Cisco Meeting Server. The exam tests the procedural sequence, not deep configuration. Know the steps in order, know which system needs to be updated after the physical swap, and know how to confirm the endpoint is operational before closing the job.

How Cisco Hardware Replacement is tested

With 38% of the exam sitting here, this topic drives your result more than any other. Items are almost entirely scenario-based: a device has failed, you have a replacement unit, and you must select the correct next step or identify the step that was skipped. Items reward knowing the platform-specific procedure rather than a generic replacement outline.

The most common trap is applying the procedure for one platform to a scenario describing a different one. A Meraki switch replacement and a Catalyst switch replacement look similar on the surface but diverge at the management step, and the exam exploits that divergence. NX-OS items catch candidates who default to IOS logic: the commands differ, the boot modes differ, and the recovery sequence differs.

Safety items reward treating ESD and safe work zone protocols as mandatory steps, not optional ones. Candidates who skip them in their mental model will select an answer that omits a required action.

UCS items require you to distinguish between server form factors and infrastructure components. Replacing a blade in a B-series chassis is a different procedure from replacing a fabric interconnect, and items are written to test exactly that boundary. Confirm your knowledge of each platform family before exam day.

Hardware Replacement covered the hands-on procedure for UCS and data center devices. This topic steps back and asks you to understand the architecture those devices live in. At 10%, it is the final block of the exam and it rewards candidates who can read a data center topology and place each component correctly, whether that means a Nexus switch in a specific role, a UCS fabric interconnect in a specific tier, or a hypervisor in a specific position in the virtualisation stack.

– Data center network devices and fabric

LAN and SAN fabric converge in modern data centers through Unified Fabric, which carries both Ethernet and Fibre Channel traffic over a single physical infrastructure. Cisco Nexus switches handle the Ethernet and FCoE side; MDS directors handle native Fibre Channel. UCS servers connect into this fabric through fabric interconnects, which are the architectural boundary between the compute layer and the network layer. Server deployment models (top-of-rack, end-of-row, and FEX-based) determine how physical cabling is organised and where the switching intelligence sits. An item that describes a cabling layout is often testing which deployment model it represents.

– Virtualisation and cloud in the data center

Virtual machines and hypervisors are tested at the architectural level, not the configuration level. You need to know that a hypervisor abstracts physical hardware into virtual machines, and that this abstraction changes how network connectivity is provisioned: a virtual switch inside the hypervisor handles traffic between VMs on the same host before it ever reaches a physical switch. Cloud computing questions focus on deployment models (public, private, hybrid) and delivery models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS). The exam tests whether you can match a described scenario to the correct model, not whether you can configure a cloud service.

– UCS architecture and placement

UCS devices appear in campus networks, edge locations, and data centers, and the exam tests whether you can place a given UCS component in the correct context. UCS components and connectivity questions focus on how fabric interconnects, I/O modules, and blade or rack servers connect to each other and to the broader network. The fabric interconnect is the management and data-plane hub for a UCS domain; understanding its role explains why replacing it has network-wide consequences. Connectivity between UCS components uses high-speed backplane or cable links depending on the form factor, and knowing which applies to which platform prevents misidentification in a scenario.

How Cisco UCS and Data Center Architecture is tested

At 10%, this topic closes the exam with a set of items that test architectural recognition rather than procedural recall. Items present a described data center environment and ask you to identify a component, a deployment model, or the consequence of a specific architectural choice. Items reward candidates who can read a topology description and map it to the correct model without needing to see a diagram.

The virtualisation sub-topic is where candidates most often lose marks. The distinction between deployment models (public, private, hybrid) and delivery models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) is tested directly, and conflating the two categories produces the wrong answer. An item that describes who owns the infrastructure is testing deployment model; an item that describes what the customer receives as a service is testing delivery model.

UCS placement items reward knowing that fabric interconnects are infrastructure, not servers, and that their position in the architecture determines what breaks when they are replaced or reconfigured. Candidates who prepared this topic only through the hardware replacement lens may know the replacement procedure but struggle to answer an architectural question about why the procedure has the steps it does.