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% (about 21 questions on a 90-item form).
- Domain 2.0, Network Implementation: 20% (about 18 questions).
- Domain 3.0, Network Operations: 19% (about 17 questions).
- Domain 4.0, Network Security: 14% (about 13 questions).
- Domain 5.0, Network Troubleshooting: 24% (about 21 questions).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.