CompTIA Network+ Exam Objectives (N10-009): Domains and Weights

The five N10-009 domains at official weight

CompTIA fixes the domain weighting for the current Network+ exam (N10-009). The weights below are the official percentages, and the question-count column shows roughly how many of a 90-item form fall into each domain when you apply that weighting.

Domain 1.0: Networking Concepts (23%)

The foundation the other four domains build on. It covers the OSI and TCP/IP models, ports and protocols, traffic types, cabling and connectors, topologies and architectures, IPv4 and IPv6 addressing and subnetting, and cloud, software-defined networking, and virtualization concepts. This is where subnetting math and port-to-protocol matching live, and both show up again inside the troubleshooting domain.

At 23% it is nearly a quarter of the exam and it is load-bearing for everything else. Lock the OSI-layer mapping and subnetting early: if either is shaky, the other domains read harder than they should.

• 1.1 Explain concepts related to the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model. 48 practice questions in our bank.
• 1.2 Compare and contrast networking appliances, applications, and functions. 57 practice questions in our bank.
• 1.3 Summarize cloud concepts and connectivity options. 52 practice questions in our bank.
• 1.4 Explain common networking ports, protocols, services, and traffic types. 85 practice questions in our bank.
• 1.5 Compare and contrast transmission media and transceivers. 81 practice questions in our bank.
• 1.6 Compare and contrast network topologies, architectures, and types. 43 practice questions in our bank.
• 1.7 Given a scenario, use appropriate IPv4 network addressing. 67 practice questions in our bank.
• 1.8 Summarize evolving use cases for modern network environments. 48 practice questions in our bank.
• Domain 1.0 total: 481 questions across 8 objectives.

Domain 2.0: Network Implementation (20%)

Where design decisions meet a working network. It covers routing and switching features such as VLANs, trunking, spanning tree, and port aggregation, wireless standards and deployment including Wi-Fi 6 and 6E, and the physical installation of network devices and appliances. The questions lean toward "configure this to achieve that," so it rewards applied reasoning over recall.

At 20% it is a fifth of the exam, and it carries a heavy share of scenario-style items. Practice reading a short requirement and picking the configuration, standard, or physical choice that fits the stated constraint.

• 2.1 Explain characteristics of routing technologies. 116 practice questions in our bank.
• 2.2 Given a scenario, configure switching technologies and features. 106 practice questions in our bank.
• 2.3 Given a scenario, select and configure wireless devices and technologies. 134 practice questions in our bank.
• 2.4 Explain important factors of physical installations. 89 practice questions in our bank.
• Domain 2.0 total: 445 questions across 4 objectives.

Domain 3.0: Network Operations (19%)

The day-to-day running of a network. It covers documentation and lifecycle management, monitoring with SNMP, flow data, and logs, disaster recovery and high availability, organizational and change processes, and basic network automation. Less about configuration and more about process, signal choice, and judgment.

At 19% it is a real slice of the exam and easy to underweight. Learn which monitoring signal answers which question and know the change and lifecycle vocabulary the same way you learned the addressing rules.

• 3.1 Explain the purpose of organizational processes and procedures. 120 practice questions in our bank.
• 3.2 Given a scenario, use network monitoring technologies. 86 practice questions in our bank.
• 3.3 Explain disaster recovery (DR) concepts. 60 practice questions in our bank.
• 3.4 Given a scenario, implement IPv4 and IPv6 network services. 119 practice questions in our bank.
• 3.5 Compare and contrast network access and management methods. 43 practice questions in our bank.
• Domain 3.0 total: 428 questions across 5 objectives.

Domain 4.0: Network Security (14%)

The lightest domain by count. It covers logical and physical security concepts, zero trust and SASE, common attack types such as on-path, spoofing, and denial of service, network hardening, remote access and VPN, and access control. It is enough security to run a network safely without the depth of a dedicated security track.

At 14% it is the smallest slice, so do not over-invest, but do learn to recognize attack types by their symptoms and to pick the correct hardening or access-control step. The framing is current: zero trust, segmentation, and least privilege.

• 4.1 Explain the importance of basic network security concepts. 134 practice questions in our bank.
• 4.2 Summarize various types of attacks and their impact to the network. 111 practice questions in our bank.
• 4.3 Given a scenario, apply network security features, defense techniques, and solutions. 105 practice questions in our bank.
• Domain 4.0 total: 350 questions across 3 objectives.

Domain 5.0: Network Troubleshooting (24%)

The single heaviest domain. It covers the structured troubleshooting methodology, diagnosing cable and physical-layer faults, addressing and routing problems, wireless issues, and choosing the correct software or hardware diagnostic tool. This is where applied reasoning is tested hardest and where the most scenario items concentrate.

At 24% it is nearly a quarter of every form. Know the methodology steps cold, in order, and drill tool choice: ping, traceroute, nslookup or dig, ipconfig or ifconfig, a cable tester, a tone generator, a protocol analyzer, and a Wi-Fi analyzer. Most misses here come from picking the eventual fix instead of the correct next step.

• 5.1 Explain the troubleshooting methodology. 52 practice questions in our bank.
• 5.2 Given a scenario, troubleshoot common cabling and physical interface issues. 100 practice questions in our bank.
• 5.3 Given a scenario, troubleshoot common issues with network services. 86 practice questions in our bank.
• 5.4 Given a scenario, troubleshoot common performance issues. 96 practice questions in our bank.
• 5.5 Given a scenario, use the appropriate tool or protocol to solve networking issues. 140 practice questions in our bank.
• Domain 5.0 total: 474 questions across 5 objectives.

How the weighting should shape your study plan

Study in weight order. Network Troubleshooting and Networking Concepts together account for nearly half the exam, so they earn the most points per hour. Network Implementation and Network Operations are the next tier. Network Security is lightest by count and can be studied last, though it should not be skipped.

Scoring is weighted: harder items count for more and there is no minimum you must hit in any single domain, so a strong domain can offset a weaker one. The smart move is to protect your points in the two heavy domains rather than chasing perfection in a light one.

The fastest way to see where you actually stand is a timed diagnostic that reports your score by domain. That turns this weighting map into a personal priority list instead of a generic one.