CompTIA Network+ (N10-009) — Exam Objectives & Study Guide
The complete N10-009 exam objectives — all five domains and their weightings — plus single-best-answer practice questions and flashcards to study them.
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What is CompTIA Network+?
CompTIA Network+ is a vendor-neutral networking certification covering wired, wireless, and hybrid infrastructure: how to implement it, operate it, secure it, and troubleshoot it when something breaks. The current exam is N10-009 (V9), which launched June 20, 2024 and replaced the retired N10-008.
Network+ is a natural next step alongside or after CompTIA A+, and it is common groundwork before Security+, which assumes you already understand networking fundamentals. It is aimed at network technicians, junior network administrators, and NOC roles.
Network+ N10-009 exam overview
| Exam code | N10-009 (V9) |
|---|---|
| Questions | Up to 90 (multiple-choice + performance-based) |
| Time | 90 minutes |
| Passing score | 720 (scale 100–900) |
| Launched | June 20, 2024 (replaced N10-008) |
| Exam cost | Voucher paid to CompTIA — see official pricing (separate from CertStudio's prep price) |
Exam facts last verified: Sep 2026
CompTIA Network+ N10-009 exam objectives (all 5 domains)
The N10-009 objectives are grouped into five weighted domains, numbered 1.0 through 5.0. Here is the full breakdown with each domain's weighting and the topics it covers — and CertStudio's flashcards and practice questions are tagged to match.
Networking Concepts
OSI model layers; networking appliances (routers, switches, firewalls, IDS/IPS, load balancers, proxies, NAS/SAN); cloud concepts (NFV, VPC, security groups, deployment and service models); ports and protocols; traffic types; transmission media and connectors; network topologies; IPv4 addressing and subnetting.
Network Implementation
Routing technologies (static and dynamic — BGP, OSPF, EIGRP — NAT/PAT, FHRP, VIP, subinterfaces); switching technologies (VLANs, spanning tree, MTU and jumbo frames); wireless (channels, frequency, encryption, 802.1X, antennas, access points); physical installations, power, and environmental factors.
Network Operations
Documentation (physical/logical diagrams, rack diagrams, cable maps, IPAM, SLAs, wireless surveys); life-cycle management (EOL/EOS, decommissioning); change and configuration management; network monitoring (SNMP, flow data, packet capture, log aggregation, port mirroring); disaster recovery (RPO, RTO, MTTR, MTBF, cold/warm/hot sites); network services (DHCP, DNS, NTP, SLAAC, PTP, NTS); and secure access (VPN, SSH, console).
Network Security
Logical security (encryption, PKI, IAM, MFA, SSO, RADIUS, TACACS+, SAML, RBAC, least privilege, geofencing); physical security and deception (honeypots/honeynets); security terminology and the CIA triad; audits and compliance (PCI DSS, GDPR, data locality); network segmentation (IoT, OT/ICS/SCADA, guest, BYOD); attacks (DoS/DDoS, ARP/DNS poisoning, VLAN hopping, MAC flooding, evil twin, on-path, social engineering); and defenses (hardening, NAC, ACLs, screened subnet).
Network Troubleshooting
The CompTIA troubleshooting methodology; cabling and physical interface issues; network services issues (STP, VLAN assignment, routing tables, address pool exhaustion, incorrect gateway/IP/subnet mask); performance issues (congestion, latency, packet loss, wireless interference); and tools (protocol analyzers, command-line tools, cable testers, Wi-Fi analyzers).
Weightings are set by CompTIA's published N10-009 objectives. CertStudio's all-domains mock quiz samples questions in these same proportions so a practice exam mirrors the real weighting.
Sample CompTIA Network+ practice questions
Every N10-009 practice question is a single-best-answer scenario with an explanation that also says why the runner-up answers are wrong. Here are three real examples from the bank.
A workstation shows the address 169.254.14.7 and cannot reach anything beyond its own segment. What does this address indicate?
The 169.254.0.0/16 range is APIPA, self-assigned when a host gets no DHCP response, and it provides no default gateway — hence no connectivity beyond the local link. It is neither a routable public address nor the 127.0.0.0/8 loopback range, and its presence signals a DHCP failure rather than a deliberate static setup.
An administrator is assigning 2.4 GHz channels to three neighboring access points so none overlap. Which set should be used?
In the 2.4 GHz band the only three non-overlapping channels are 1, 6 and 11, because each 22 MHz channel needs five channels of separation. The other sets space the channels too closely, so their signals partially overlap and interfere.
A host has a valid IP and can reach other hosts on its own subnet but cannot reach anything on other networks. Which misconfiguration is the most likely cause?
Local traffic working while remote traffic fails is the classic signature of a wrong or missing default gateway — the router address needed to leave the subnet. A wrong DNS server would break name resolution but still allow IP connectivity off-subnet, and port/SSID issues would break local connectivity too.
What you get with CertStudio
Progress is tracked separately by domain, timed quizzes adapt as you improve, and a full-length 90-question mock mirrors the real N10-009 weighting. The real exam also includes performance-based questions where you configure or troubleshoot a simulated task — CertStudio's flashcards and quizzes build the underlying knowledge those PBQs test, but we don't simulate the lab interface itself.
Pricing
$25.99
one-time payment · 30 days of full access
No subscription, no auto-renew, and no card kept on file. One payment covers the full Network+ N10-009 flashcard and practice-question bank.
Create your account to get startedCompTIA Network+ FAQ
What are the CompTIA Network+ N10-009 exam objectives?
The N10-009 objectives are organized into five domains: 1.0 Networking Concepts (23%), 2.0 Network Implementation (20%), 3.0 Network Operations (19%), 4.0 Network Security (14%), and 5.0 Network Troubleshooting (24%). Troubleshooting and Networking Concepts together make up nearly half the exam.
How many questions are on the Network+ N10-009 exam?
Up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, mixing multiple-choice with performance-based questions (PBQs) that ask you to configure or troubleshoot in a simulated environment.
What's the passing score for Network+?
720 on a scale of 100 to 900. It is a scaled score, so it does not map directly to a percentage of questions answered correctly.
Are CertStudio Network+ practice questions available now?
Yes. CertStudio's Network+ practice questions and flashcards are live, covering all five N10-009 domains with single-best-answer scenarios and explanations. Create an account to start practicing for a one-time $25.99 — no subscription.
Should I take A+ or Network+ first?
A+ is the broader, more entry-level foundation (hardware, operating systems, support), and many people take it first. Network+ goes deeper on networking specifically. Neither is a formal prerequisite for the other, but A+ → Network+ is a common, logical order.
Is Network+ hard, and how long does it take to study?
Network+ is moderately challenging — it is broader and more concept-heavy than A+, with subnetting, routing, and a large troubleshooting domain. Many candidates study for roughly 4–8 weeks with consistent practice. Domain-tagged flashcards and practice questions help you focus on weak areas.
Is Network+ worth it?
Network+ is worth it if your role touches networking directly — network technician, junior network administrator, or NOC roles — or if you are building toward Security+, which assumes networking fundamentals. It proves vendor-neutral knowledge of routing, switching, wireless, and network operations.
Is this for N10-009 or the retired N10-008?
This guide targets the current N10-009 (V9) exam, which launched June 20, 2024. The previous N10-008 code is retired — study the N10-009 objectives.
Ready to start studying for CompTIA Network+?
118 flashcards, 189 practice questions, all five N10-009 domains, one-time payment.
Create your account to get startedJust getting started in IT? See our live CompTIA A+ guide. Deciding between them? Many people take A+ first, then Network+.
Related certifications: CompTIA Security+ (live) · ISC2 SSCP (coming soon)