CompTIA Network+

Network+ performance-based questions: what they are and how to practise them

Network+ PBQs typically involve configuration and diagnosis: placing devices in a topology, matching ports and protocols, or ordering the steps to isolate a fault. They reward candidates who have actually looked at a network rather than only read about one.

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What the exam is measuring

Why these questions exist

The recurring theme is whether you can reason about a topology you have not seen before. Knowing that a default gateway exists is recall; working out that traffic fails because the gateway sits in a different subnet is what the PBQs are for.

On the real exam these appear as performance-based questions (PBQs). Multiple-choice (single and multiple response) plus performance-based questions (PBQs)

  • Sketch the topology on the provided board before touching the interface. Most Network+ PBQ errors are orientation errors, not knowledge errors.
  • Work protocol by protocol rather than device by device. The question usually turns on one layer, and identifying which one collapses the problem.
  • Watch the port and protocol pairings. They are the single most common matching task and the easiest marks to lose to carelessness.

Try three questions. Understand every answer.

Original English practice examples, with answers and explanations available here. No account required. These are independent teaching examples, not official exam questions or exam dumps.

Question 1 of 3 · Network architecture and protocols

Small packets cross a VPN, but larger packets fail. A capture shows that fragmentation is blocked, while the physical links remain healthy. Which investigation best targets the size-dependent failure?

Answer and explanation

Best answer: Path MTU and tunnel overhead

Tunnel overhead reduces available packet size. Examine the path MTU and the handling of packets that exceed it before changing unrelated services.

Why the other choices fit less well

DNS caching, application timeout, and DHCP lease duration do not explain a verified packet-size boundary across the tunnel.

IETF: path MTU discovery

Question 2 of 3 · Networking concepts

Which address belongs to an RFC 1918 private IPv4 range and requires an appropriate gateway or translation arrangement to communicate with the public internet?

Answer and explanation

Best answer: 172.20.14.8

172.20.14.8 lies within 172.16.0.0/12, one of the RFC 1918 private ranges. Private addresses are not globally unique public internet addresses.

Why the other choices fit less well

172.32.14.8 is outside 172.16.0.0–172.31.255.255. 192.169.1.8 is outside 192.168.0.0/16, and 11.0.0.8 is outside 10.0.0.0/8.

IETF: private IPv4 address allocation

Question 3 of 3 · Network troubleshooting

One client cannot resolve an internal hostname. It reaches the service by IP, while another client resolves the same name. Which comparison is most useful first?

Answer and explanation

Best answer: The clients’ configured DNS resolvers and their answers

Compare the resolver configuration and query results on the working and failing clients. This tests the observed name-resolution difference without disrupting a reachable service.

Why the other choices fit less well

Display resolution, window size and keyboard layout do not explain the different DNS responses. Broader infrastructure changes would need additional evidence.

Microsoft: test DNS queries with nslookup

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What you get here

How we practise them

Our Network+ bank contains 31 PBQ-style exercises in two formats: matching tasks, where you pair each requirement to the capability that satisfies it, and ordering tasks, where you sequence the steps of a procedure. Each one carries the same full explanation as the multiple-choice questions, covering why the correct arrangement is right and why the plausible alternative is not.

These train the reasoning the exam tests — sequence, placement, and matching — rather than reproducing a vendor's simulation interface. Nothing here recreates the exam environment itself, and no practice product legitimately can.

See where you stand on Network+

20 free questions, no card required. Your domain scores show which areas need work before you book the exam.

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CompTIA Network+ practice questions · All six certifications · How CertSprint works

Practice with perspective

Learn the decision behind the answer.

Work through the scenario, identify the evidence that matters, then compare your reasoning with the explanation. Use domain scores to choose your next study session. A practice percentage is a learning signal, not a prediction or an official exam score.

The newest practice set is available in eight languages. Earlier exercises may appear in English. These are original independent practice scenarios, not official exam questions.