NodnDomain 123%
Networking concepts
The map of how traffic moves, and the addresses it uses.
- OSI layers and appliances
- Ports, protocols, and traffic types
- IPv4 classes, private ranges, and subnetting
- Cloud, SDN, VXLAN, and IPv6 transition
Study guide · Exam overview
CompTIA Network+: what N10-009 expects
The format, passing score, and five published domains of CompTIA Network+ N10-009, plus what changed from the retired N10-008 exam.
Exam version notice: This overview follows CompTIA Network+ exam objectives version 4.0 for N10-009, reviewed in October 2026. CompTIA calls that version Network+ V9. It launched on June 20, 2024. The exam allows a maximum of 90 questions in 90 minutes, and CompTIA publishes a passing score of 720 on a scale of 100 to 900. The English N10-008 exam retired in December 2024. Items tagged Extra are useful context the N10-009 objective list does not name. Confirm the exam code, fee, and objectives with CompTIA before you register.
What Network+ covers
CompTIA Network+ is the vendor-neutral certification for people who connect wired and wireless devices, keep documentation current, configure common services, and troubleshoot performance and availability. N10-009 checks whether you can place a device on the right OSI layer, choose an address and a route, explain a VLAN or wireless setting, and follow a troubleshooting order. It is not a design-architect exam, and it does not ask you to memorize one vendor's command syntax beyond the basic show and host commands in the objectives.
Who it is for
- Support technicians who already install PCs and now own the network path
- Junior network administrators and network operations staff
- Candidates who want a shared vocabulary before a vendor routing exam
What the exam verifies
- Which layer, port, or address explains a symptom
- How a route, VLAN, or wireless choice is made
- Which check comes next, and which tool answers it
Exam format
Figures below come from the N10-009 objectives version 4.0 and CompTIA's Network+ pages reviewed in October 2026.
| Specification | N10-009 (Network+ V9) |
|---|---|
| Level | Foundational networking. No prior certification is required. CompTIA recommends A+ and 9 to 12 months in a junior network role. |
| Length of test | 90 minutes. |
| Question types | Multiple choice and performance-based questions. The stem says how many answers to choose. |
| Number of questions | Maximum of 90. |
| Passing score | 720 on a scale of 100 to 900. CompTIA does not publish the raw-score conversion. |
| Objectives | Version 4.0. Five domains. Example lists in the objectives are not exhaustive. |
| Languages | English, German, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish. Confirm availability with CompTIA. |
| Exam price | Confirm the current voucher price with CompTIA. Regional pricing changes. |
| Validity | Three years from the pass date. Confirm renewal options with CompTIA. |
| Later version | CompTIA usually retires an exam about three years after launch. The public page estimates 2027 for N10-009. Confirm before you book. |
N10-008 and N10-009
Book N10-009. Use this table only to see what moved when the previous exam retired.
| N10-009 domain | N10-008 weight | N10-009 weight |
|---|---|---|
| Networking Concepts (was Networking Fundamentals) | 24% | 23% |
| Network Implementation (was Network Implementations) | 19% | 20% |
| Network Operations | 16% | 19% |
| Network Security | 19% | 14% |
| Network Troubleshooting | 22% | 24% |
Both exams used a maximum of 90 questions, 90 minutes, and a passing score of 720 on the 100 to 900 scale. The content shift is the reason to study the new objectives rather than an N10-008 book.
- More operations and troubleshooting. Documentation, monitoring, disaster recovery, and the troubleshooting method carry more of the score.
- Less standalone security weight. Attacks and hardening remain, but they are 14 percent rather than 19. Deeper control theory belongs on Security+.
- Modern networks CompTIA called out for N10-009. SDN and SD-WAN, infrastructure as code, VXLAN, zero trust, SASE and SSE, and physical rooms such as the IDF and MDF.
A certification earned on N10-008 stays valid for three years from the pass date. It does not let you skip N10-009 if you still need to sit the exam.
Published domains
CompTIA publishes these N10-009 weights. The 200 practice questions use the same share.
- 1. Networking Concepts23%
- 2. Network Implementation20%
- 3. Network Operations19%
- 4. Network Security14%
- 5. Network Troubleshooting24%
Domain 220%
Network implementation
How you build the path: routes, VLANs, wireless, and the room the gear sits in.
- Static and dynamic routing, NAT, and FHRP
- VLANs, 802.1Q, and spanning tree
- Channels, WPA2, WPA3, and AP types
- IDF, MDF, power, and environment
Domain 319%
Network operations
How the network is documented, watched, and recovered.
- Diagrams, IPAM, and change control
- SNMP, flow data, and port mirroring
- RPO, RTO, and site types
- DHCP, DNS, VPN, and management paths
Domain 414%
Network security
The attacks a network technician is expected to name, and the controls that limit them.
- CIA, RADIUS, TACACS+, and 802.1X
- Spoofing, poisoning, and rogue services
- Hardening, ACLs, and screened subnets
Domain 524%
Network troubleshooting
The largest domain. Symptoms, the method, and the tool that fits.
- The seven-step method
- Cable, interface, and PoE faults
- Address, VLAN, and wireless faults
- Host commands and switch show commands
Ideas to recognize
Learn the unmarked rows first. The same map is in the core notes and flashcards.
| Pair | How to separate them |
|---|---|
| TCP and UDP | TCP retransmits and keeps order. UDP does not. DNS lookups, DHCP, NTP, and SNMP queries use UDP. |
| Switch and router | A switch forwards by MAC address. A router forwards by IP network. |
| Private and APIPA | RFC 1918 ranges are assigned on purpose. 169.254.0.0/16 means DHCP failed. |
| NAT and PAT | NAT translates addresses. PAT also translates ports so many hosts share one public address. |
| Prefix and AD | The longest matching prefix wins. Administrative distance breaks a tie between sources of the same prefix. |
| Native VLAN and tagged VLAN | 802.1Q tags the others. The native VLAN rides untagged. A mismatch drops or leaks traffic. |
| WPA2 and WPA3 | WPA3 uses SAE. A 6 GHz network requires WPA3. A captured PSK handshake is the WPA2 failure mode. |
| RTO and RPO | RTO is downtime. RPO is how much data you can lose. |
| IDS and IPS | An IDS alerts. An IPS can block because it sits inline. |
| Port 465 Extra | Implicit SMTPS. The N10-009 port table prints SMTPS as 587. Learn 587 for this exam. |
How Network+ questions are written
Most items are multiple choice. Some ask you to choose two or three answers, and the stem says so. Performance-based items ask you to match a command to a job, place a VLAN or route, or put the troubleshooting method in order. Read FIRST, NEXT, and BEST as ordering words: the right tool at the wrong step is still wrong.
- One fact. Name the layer, port, mask, or record type.
- A short scene. A host can ping its subnet and nothing else, or a new phone received 169.254. Match the symptom to the fault.
- A decision. Identify the problem before you swap hardware. Check the cable and the address before you rebuild the routing protocol. Document after you verify, not instead of verifying.
CompTIA says the example lists in the objectives are not exhaustive. A question can use a technology that fits an objective even when the PDF did not print that product name. Do not expect a full vendor configuration lab.
How to plan your Network+ study
A practical sequence if ports, masks, and show commands still blur together.
Put every fact on a layer
Say which OSI layer owns the MAC address, the IP address, and the port. Then recite the N10-009 port table until 22, 53, 67/68, 443, and 3389 are automatic.
Subnet until the mask is a reflex
Know /24 through /30 host counts, the three RFC 1918 ranges, APIPA, and loopback. A wrong mask is a different fault from a wrong gateway.
Choose the route, then the VLAN
Longest prefix, then administrative distance, then metric. Separate NAT from PAT, and a tagged VLAN from the native VLAN. Say what spanning tree does when a loop appears.
Set the wireless and the room
Channels 1, 6, and 11 do not overlap. WPA3 and 6 GHz go together. Know autonomous versus lightweight, and which room is the MDF.
Operate name, address, and recovery
DHCP relay, A versus AAAA, split versus full tunnel, and in-band versus out-of-band. Then separate RTO from RPO and hot from cold.
Drill the method, then sit a timed exam
Say the seven troubleshooting steps out loud. Use the four flashcard decks until you answer before the card flips. Then take original questions and return to any domain under 75 percent. Use 90 minutes as the pace of the live exam. Treat the 100 to 900 estimate as a personal trend, not a prediction.
The NodnWebTools Network+ study path
The overview, core notes, flashcards, and practice exams are all published.
Overview
Exam format, the 720 passing score, five domain weights, and the N10-008 comparison.
Core Notes
Reference notes for layers, ports, routing, switching, wireless, services, and troubleshooting.
Flashcards & Memory Notes
40 recall cards in four decks, plus memory notes for ports, masks, and the troubleshooting order.
Practice Exams
200 original questions with custom exams, explanations, and an unofficial score on the 100-900 scale.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Network+ N10-009 exam?
CompTIA allows a maximum of 90 questions and 90 minutes. Questions are multiple choice and performance-based. Confirm the current details with CompTIA before you book.
What score do I need to pass Network+?
CompTIA publishes a passing score of 720 on a scale of 100 to 900 for N10-009. This site converts a practice percentage linearly onto that scale and labels the result unofficial, because CompTIA does not publish the real conversion.
Should I study N10-008 or N10-009?
Study N10-009. CompTIA launched it on June 20, 2024, and retired the English N10-008 exam in December 2024. A voucher bought for Network+ applies to the current exam, not the retired one.
Does Network+ expire?
Yes. CompTIA certifications are valid for three years from the date you pass. Renewal options change, so confirm the current policy with CompTIA.
Are there prerequisites for Network+?
No prior certification is required. CompTIA recommends the A+ certification and 9 to 12 months of hands-on experience in a junior network administrator or network support role.
Does this page include real CompTIA exam questions?
No. The practice questions on this site are original. They are not CompTIA exam items, and a practice score does not predict a result.
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