Practice ACLs Questions Now
Start a timed practice session focusing on Access Control Lists topics from the CCNA question bank.
Start CCNA Practice Quiz →CCNA ACLs Question Bank (3 Questions)
Browse all 3 practice questions covering Access Control Lists for the CCNA certification exam. Each question includes the full answer and a detailed explanation to help you understand the concepts.
- Question 1Security Fundamentals
Where should an extended ACL be placed for optimal efficiency?
Show Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: BExplanation:Extended ACLs should be placed close to the source to prevent unwanted traffic from traversing the network. Standard ACLs go close to the destination.
- Question 2Security Fundamentals
What is the difference between a standard and extended ACL on Cisco IOS?
Show Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: BExplanation:Standard ACLs: match source IP only, placed close to destination. Extended ACLs: match source/destination IP, protocol (TCP/UDP/ICMP), source/destination port numbers — much more granular. Extended ACLs should be placed close to the source to save bandwidth.
- Question 3Security Fundamentals
An administrator configures a standard ACL. Which criteria can a standard ACL match on?
Show Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: AExplanation:Standard ACLs (numbered 1-99, 1300-1999) filter traffic based only on the source IP address. Extended ACLs (numbered 100-199, 2000-2699) can match on source/destination IP, protocol, and port numbers. Standard ACLs should be placed close to the destination; extended ACLs close to the source.
Key ACLs Concepts for CCNA
CCNA ACLs Exam Tips
Access Control Lists questions in CCNA are typically scenario-based. Focus on service-level decision making aligned to official exam objectives. Priority concepts: acl, access list, wildcard mask, permit, deny, standard acl.
What CCNA Expects
- Anchor your answer in select the most practical, secure, and scalable answer for the stated scenario.
- ACLs scenarios for CCNA are frequently mapped to Domain 5 (15%), so read the objective carefully before picking controls or architecture.
- Expect multi-service scenarios where ACLs interacts with IAM, networking, storage, or observability patterns rather than appearing as an isolated service question.
- When two options are both technically valid, prefer the choice that best aligns with the exam's operational scope (Associate) and managed-service best practices.
High-Value ACLs Concepts
- Know the core ACLs building blocks cold: acl, access list, wildcard mask, permit.
- Review the edge-case features and limits for deny, standard acl; these details are commonly used to differentiate answer choices.
- Practice service-integration reasoning: how ACLs pairs with Security Fundamentals, NAT, Routing in real deployment patterns.
- For CCNA, explain why the chosen ACLs design meets reliability, security, and cost expectations better than the alternatives.
Common CCNA Traps
- Watch for answers that partially solve the requirement but miss operational constraints.
- Questions in Security Fundamentals often include distractors that look correct for ACLs but violate least-privilege, durability, or availability requirements.
- Avoid picking options purely by feature name; validate data path, failure handling, and governance impact before answering.
- If the prompt hints at automation or repeatability, eliminate manual-only operational answers first.
Fast Review Checklist
- Can you compare at least two ACLs implementation paths and justify which one best fits the scenario?
- Can you map the chosen answer back to Security Fundamentals (15%) outcomes for CCNA?
- Can you explain security and access boundaries for ACLs without relying on default-open assumptions?
- Can you describe how ACLs integrates with Security Fundamentals and NAT during failure, scaling, and monitoring events?