Designing Cisco Enterprise Networks (ENSLD) Exam Practice Test
Are you preparing for the Cisco ENSLD 300-420 exam and seeking a trusted, thorough, and expertly curated study resource? Look no further. The Designing Cisco Enterprise Networks (ENSLD) Practice Test from Exam Sage offers the comprehensive, up-to-date content you need to master the exam objectives and succeed on test day.
What Is the ENSLD 300-420 Exam?
The ENSLD (300-420) exam is a core requirement for achieving the CCNP Enterprise certification. It tests your ability to design scalable, secure, and reliable enterprise networks. Candidates must demonstrate advanced knowledge in topics such as enterprise architecture, routing protocols, network services, SD-Access, SD-WAN, security, and network assurance.
This certification exam validates your ability to translate business needs into technical solutions—an essential skill for senior-level network engineers, architects, and IT consultants.
What You Will Learn with This Practice Exam
Our expertly crafted ENSLD practice test is more than just a quiz. It’s a learning experience that will help you:
Master the design principles for enterprise network architecture
Understand how to design campus and WAN networks using Cisco technologies
Develop skills in designing network services, QoS, multicast, and VPNs
Build confidence in configuring SD-WAN, SD-Access, and network automation
Gain hands-on insight into security and high availability designs
Identify and avoid common design pitfalls that Cisco engineers encounter in real-world deployments
Each question is accompanied by detailed explanations, ensuring that you don’t just memorize answers—you understand the concepts behind them.
Key Topics Covered
The ENSLD practice exam from Exam Sage covers every critical domain outlined in Cisco’s official exam blueprint, including:
Advanced Enterprise Network Design
Campus Network Design (Layer 2 & 3)
WAN and Branch Network Design
Network Services Design (NAT, QoS, multicast)
Security Design Principles
SD-WAN Architecture and Design
Software-Defined Access (SD-Access)
Overlay Management Protocol (OMP)
IPv6 Design and Deployment Considerations
Network Assurance with Cisco DNA Center
Every question is written to reflect the complexity and format of the real Cisco 300-420 exam, providing an authentic testing experience.
Why Choose Exam Sage for ENSLD Preparation?
At Exam Sage, we specialize in creating high-quality, exam-focused practice tests designed to support students, professionals, and certification candidates. When you choose our ENSLD practice exam, you get:
✅ Updated Questions – Based on the latest Cisco exam objectives
✅ Detailed Explanations – Learn why each answer is right or wrong
✅ Exam-Like Format – Get familiar with the structure and pressure of real testing
✅ Instant Access – Study at your pace, anytime, anywhere
Whether you’re pursuing CCNP Enterprise or enhancing your design expertise, this ENSLD practice exam from Exam Sage will help you approach your certification journey with clarity and confidence.
Start Preparing Today
Don’t leave your exam success to chance. Invest in your future with the most effective study resource available for the Cisco ENSLD 300-420 Exam. Our practice test is a trusted companion on your path to Cisco certification.
Sample Questions and Answers
1. Which design consideration is most critical when selecting a routing protocol for a large-scale enterprise network?
A. CPU usage on core routers
B. Type of cabling used in the LAN
C. Scalability of the protocol
D. Use of VLANs in the access layer
Answer: C. Scalability of the protocol
Explanation: For large-scale networks, the chosen routing protocol must support scalability, efficient convergence, and hierarchical designs. Protocols like OSPF and BGP are commonly used due to their ability to scale efficiently.
2. What is the primary reason for implementing a hierarchical network design model?
A. Reduces the number of VLANs
B. Minimizes the number of routing protocols
C. Simplifies network troubleshooting and scalability
D. Increases flatness and broadcast domains
Answer: C. Simplifies network troubleshooting and scalability
Explanation: A hierarchical design improves scalability, manageability, and fault isolation by organizing the network into layers: access, distribution, and core.
3. In an enterprise campus design, which layer is responsible for routing between VLANs?
A. Access layer
B. Distribution layer
C. Core layer
D. WAN edge layer
Answer: B. Distribution layer
Explanation: The distribution layer aggregates traffic from the access layer and performs inter-VLAN routing and policy implementation.
4. What is the main benefit of using route summarization in enterprise networks?
A. Provides faster encryption for IPsec tunnels
B. Simplifies routing tables and improves convergence
C. Increases the number of multicast groups
D. Improves TCP three-way handshake speed
Answer: B. Simplifies routing tables and improves convergence
Explanation: Route summarization reduces the size of routing tables and minimizes the number of routing updates, improving convergence times.
5. Which technology should be used to ensure fast Layer 3 convergence in an OSPF design?
A. Route filtering
B. OSPF stub areas
C. Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD)
D. Static routing
Answer: C. Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD)
Explanation: BFD provides fast failure detection for routing protocols like OSPF, ensuring quicker convergence.
6. What is the benefit of using dual-homed WAN design in an enterprise network?
A. Reduces packet size
B. Improves single point of failure at the LAN
C. Increases fault tolerance and redundancy
D. Eliminates need for routing protocols
Answer: C. Increases fault tolerance and redundancy
Explanation: Dual-homed WAN designs provide path redundancy in case one uplink or provider fails.
7. What is the function of an MPLS Layer 3 VPN in enterprise networks?
A. Segregates VLANs in a LAN
B. Provides secure remote access
C. Enables logical separation of routing instances over a shared infrastructure
D. Encrypts all data with SSL
Answer: C. Enables logical separation of routing instances over a shared infrastructure
Explanation: MPLS L3 VPNs allow multiple customers or departments to use the same physical network infrastructure while maintaining separate routing tables.
8. Which feature enhances convergence in an EIGRP network during a topology change?
A. Route redistribution
B. Feasible successors
C. AS-path prepending
D. Route summarization
Answer: B. Feasible successors
Explanation: Feasible successors are backup routes that can be used immediately if the primary route fails, reducing convergence time.
9. In SD-Access, what is the role of the Control Plane Node?
A. Routes internet traffic
B. Maintains endpoint ID-to-location mapping
C. Manages wireless AP connections
D. Enforces QoS policies
Answer: B. Maintains endpoint ID-to-location mapping
Explanation: The Control Plane Node in Cisco SD-Access, typically using LISP, maps endpoint identity to location (IP-to-fabric location binding).
10. What is the main design consideration when deploying BGP as the enterprise edge protocol?
A. Low CPU usage
B. Load balancing over multiple LAN links
C. Policy-based routing capabilities and scalability
D. High-speed switching performance
Answer: C. Policy-based routing capabilities and scalability
Explanation: BGP is highly scalable and allows granular routing policy control, making it ideal for enterprise edge deployments.
11. What tool can be used to define and enforce segmentation in a Cisco SD-Access network?
A. VLAN
B. VRF
C. Access Control List
D. Scalable Group Tags (SGTs)
Answer: D. Scalable Group Tags (SGTs)
Explanation: SGTs are part of Cisco TrustSec and SD-Access, enabling policy-based segmentation without relying on IP addresses.
12. In a network with multiple OSPF areas, which area should be designed as a transit area?
A. Backbone area (Area 0)
B. NSSA area
C. Stub area
D. Totally stubby area
Answer: A. Backbone area (Area 0)
Explanation: OSPF requires all inter-area routing to traverse the backbone area, making it the transit area for inter-area traffic.
13. When designing a wireless network, which design aspect improves roaming between access points?
A. Assigning different SSIDs to each AP
B. Disabling 802.11k/v/r
C. Enabling fast secure roaming protocols
D. Using different IP subnets for each AP
Answer: C. Enabling fast secure roaming protocols
Explanation: Protocols like 802.11k, 802.11v, and 802.11r enable fast and seamless roaming for wireless clients.
14. What is a benefit of using a leaf-spine topology in enterprise data center design?
A. Reduces bandwidth utilization
B. Simplifies cable management
C. Provides predictable latency and non-blocking bandwidth
D. Increases reliance on spanning tree
Answer: C. Provides predictable latency and non-blocking bandwidth
Explanation: Leaf-spine architecture offers high-speed east-west traffic handling and minimizes latency.
15. Which of the following technologies supports zero-touch provisioning in enterprise networks?
A. EIGRP
B. PnP (Plug and Play)
C. HSRP
D. NAT
Answer: B. PnP (Plug and Play)
Explanation: Cisco PnP allows devices to be provisioned and configured automatically with minimal manual intervention.
16. What is the main reason to use Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) in an enterprise network?
A. To create VLANs on Layer 2 switches
B. To reduce the MTU of packets
C. To segment routing tables and create isolated networks
D. To enable multicast routing
Answer: C. To segment routing tables and create isolated networks
Explanation: VRF allows multiple instances of a routing table to coexist on the same router, enabling traffic isolation.
17. What advantage does IPv6 bring in large enterprise designs compared to IPv4?
A. Higher TCP throughput
B. Smaller headers for faster transmission
C. Larger address space and simpler subnetting
D. Elimination of multicast protocols
Answer: C. Larger address space and simpler subnetting
Explanation: IPv6 offers a vast address space and simpler route summarization, aiding large-scale network deployments.
18. In designing a WAN with high availability, what should be included to ensure link redundancy?
A. Loopback interface
B. Secondary static route
C. Multiple service providers or circuits
D. VLAN hopping
Answer: C. Multiple service providers or circuits
Explanation: Utilizing diverse WAN connections ensures continued connectivity during service outages.
19. Which protocol does Cisco SD-WAN use for control plane communication?
A. IPsec
B. BGP
C. OMP (Overlay Management Protocol)
D. EIGRP
Answer: C. OMP (Overlay Management Protocol)
Explanation: OMP is a control plane protocol used in Cisco SD-WAN to exchange routing, policy, and security information between vSmart controllers and edge devices.
20. What is the role of BGP communities in enterprise design?
A. Encrypt data packets
B. Define administrative domains
C. Tag routes for routing policy decisions
D. Assign IPv6 prefixes
Answer: C. Tag routes for routing policy decisions
Explanation: BGP communities allow tagging of routes to enforce routing decisions like preference or redistribution policies.
21. Which of the following is a benefit of Software Defined Access (SD-Access)?
A. Flat Layer 2 topology
B. Centralized policy enforcement and automation
C. Elimination of routing
D. Increased need for STP tuning
Answer: B. Centralized policy enforcement and automation
Explanation: SD-Access centralizes policy and automates network provisioning through Cisco DNA Center.
22. What is a key benefit of using PIM Sparse Mode in multicast routing?
A. Efficient use of bandwidth by building multicast trees only when needed
B. Broadcasts multicast to all routers
C. Doesn’t require a Rendezvous Point
D. Ignores RPF checks
Answer: A. Efficient use of bandwidth by building multicast trees only when needed
Explanation: PIM-Sparse Mode uses shared trees initiated by join requests, reducing unnecessary multicast traffic.
23. Which WAN topology offers the highest redundancy?
A. Star
B. Mesh
C. Ring
D. Point-to-point
Answer: B. Mesh
Explanation: Mesh topology provides multiple paths between all nodes, offering the highest level of redundancy.
24. What is used to detect loops in BGP?
A. Time-to-live
B. AS-path attribute
C. Metric comparison
D. Route tag
Answer: B. AS-path attribute
Explanation: The AS-path attribute in BGP lists the autonomous systems the route has passed through, helping to prevent loops.
25. Which design component enhances cloud application performance in a Cisco SD-WAN environment?
A. Static routing
B. Application-aware routing
C. VPN tunneling only
D. ICMP redirect
Answer: B. Application-aware routing
Explanation: SD-WAN uses application-aware routing to dynamically select the best path for each application.
26. Which design approach helps in achieving network segmentation in data centers?
A. EtherChannel
B. Overlay networks using VXLAN
C. Static routes
D. VRRP
Answer: B. Overlay networks using VXLAN
Explanation: VXLAN allows network segmentation over Layer 3 using tunneling, often deployed in modern data centers.
27. Which attribute is considered when designing for high availability in core layer?
A. Use of access control lists
B. Dual power supplies and redundant paths
C. Application firewall placement
D. Maximum STP timers
Answer: B. Dual power supplies and redundant paths
Explanation: Core devices must be resilient, using hardware redundancy and multiple uplinks to ensure uptime.
28. What is the main purpose of using HSRP in enterprise network design?
A. Load balancing
B. Route filtering
C. Gateway redundancy
D. VLAN tagging
Answer: C. Gateway redundancy
Explanation: HSRP provides redundancy for default gateways in case the active router fails.
29. Why is QoS important in enterprise network design?
A. It reduces power consumption
B. It improves convergence time
C. It prioritizes critical traffic such as voice and video
D. It decreases routing table size
Answer: C. It prioritizes critical traffic such as voice and video
Explanation: QoS ensures latency-sensitive traffic like VoIP and video are given priority during congestion.
30. Which technology allows end-to-end encryption over the public Internet in SD-WAN?
A. GRE
B. VRF
C. IPsec tunnels
D. MPLS labels
Answer: C. IPsec tunnels
Explanation: Cisco SD-WAN uses IPsec to encrypt traffic over public links, ensuring security and integrity.
31. Which technology enables optimal routing decisions for multiple WAN transports in an SD-WAN deployment?
A. MPLS TE
B. DMVPN
C. Application-Aware Routing
D. VSS
Answer: C. Application-Aware Routing
Explanation: Application-Aware Routing evaluates real-time path metrics such as delay, jitter, and loss to steer traffic based on SLA requirements across multiple WAN links.
32. In a hierarchical network design, which layer is responsible for enforcing policies and access control?
A. Access
B. Core
C. Distribution
D. Spine
Answer: C. Distribution
Explanation: The distribution layer acts as a boundary between access and core, enforcing policies such as filtering, security, and routing decisions.
33. What is a primary benefit of a spine-leaf topology in large data center designs?
A. Simplified VLAN configuration
B. Reduction in the number of access switches
C. Predictable, low-latency east-west traffic paths
D. Use of STP for redundancy
Answer: C. Predictable, low-latency east-west traffic paths
Explanation: In spine-leaf, every leaf switch connects to every spine switch, ensuring consistent performance and low latency between any two endpoints.
34. What protocol does Cisco SD-Access use to provide microsegmentation and security?
A. VXLAN
B. LISP
C. TrustSec
D. OSPFv3
Answer: C. TrustSec
Explanation: Cisco TrustSec uses Security Group Tags (SGTs) to provide policy-based segmentation and access control across the network.
35. What is a key design principle of Cisco SDA Fabric?
A. Use of BGP as the only routing protocol
B. Decentralized control plane
C. Overlay network using VXLAN
D. Layer 3 switching at the access layer is not supported
Answer: C. Overlay network using VXLAN
Explanation: SDA Fabric uses VXLAN as an overlay to transport user data and maintain segmentation across the fabric.
36. Which mechanism is used in BGP to prevent routing loops in MPLS Layer 3 VPNs?
A. BGP Local Preference
B. Route Distinguisher
C. AS_PATH
D. Route Target
Answer: C. AS_PATH
Explanation: BGP uses the AS_PATH attribute to detect and prevent routing loops by checking the list of ASes a route has traversed.
37. When designing a network using OSPF, which feature allows better scalability in large environments?
A. LSA Type 4
B. Stub areas
C. Route summarization
D. Virtual links
Answer: C. Route summarization
Explanation: Summarization reduces the number of LSAs exchanged between areas, improving OSPF scalability and convergence.
38. What is the primary function of a Route Reflector in BGP?
A. Prevent loops in IBGP by filtering prefixes
B. Allow IBGP routers to exchange routes without full mesh
C. Provide ASBR reachability information
D. Automatically summarize routes
Answer: B. Allow IBGP routers to exchange routes without full mesh
Explanation: A Route Reflector reduces the need for full IBGP mesh by reflecting routes to IBGP peers.
39. Which technique allows separate customer routes to coexist in a single MPLS network?
A. LDP
B. VRF
C. RSVP
D. HSRP
Answer: B. VRF
Explanation: Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) enables multiple routing tables to exist on a single router, isolating customer traffic.
40. In a campus network, which protocol helps reduce unnecessary flooding and improves convergence?
A. EIGRP
B. STP
C. UDLD
D. RSTP
Answer: D. RSTP
Explanation: Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) offers faster convergence than STP and reduces flooding by quickly recalculating topology changes.
41. What component of Cisco SD-WAN architecture performs centralized policy enforcement and control plane functions?
A. vEdge
B. vBond
C. vSmart
D. vManage
Answer: C. vSmart
Explanation: The vSmart controller handles policy management and secure control plane communications between SD-WAN edge devices.
42. Which component in Cisco SD-Access manages device onboarding and group-based policies?
A. vSmart
B. Cisco ISE
C. DNAC
D. WLC
Answer: B. Cisco ISE
Explanation: Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) enforces access control, identity-based policies, and security group assignments.
43. What does the LISP protocol provide in Cisco SDA environments?
A. VLAN pruning
B. Overlay encapsulation
C. Location/ID separation
D. Time synchronization
Answer: C. Location/ID separation
Explanation: Locator/ID Separation Protocol (LISP) separates endpoint identifiers from routing locators, improving mobility and scalability.
44. Which two technologies are commonly used in WAN edge designs to achieve redundancy? (Choose two)
A. HSRP
B. BFD
C. OTV
D. Dual-homed circuits
E. PortFast
Answer: A. HSRP and D. Dual-homed circuits
Explanation: HSRP provides gateway redundancy, while dual-homed circuits offer physical path redundancy for WAN connections.
45. What is the benefit of using OSPF Stub or Totally Stubby areas in enterprise design?
A. Reduces area flooding
B. Reduces the number of external routes advertised
C. Enables BGP redistribution
D. Increases route learning time
Answer: B. Reduces the number of external routes advertised
Explanation: Stub areas limit the type of LSAs allowed, improving scalability by reducing the number of routes processed.
46. Which feature ensures deterministic routing behavior when equal-cost paths exist in EIGRP?
A. Feasible Successor
B. Split Horizon
C. Load Balancing
D. DUAL FSM
Answer: A. Feasible Successor
Explanation: A feasible successor is a backup path that meets specific criteria, ensuring fast failover and loop-free routing.
47. What is the recommended maximum diameter for an OSPF area in terms of router hops?
A. 10
B. 15
C. 50
D. Unlimited
Answer: A. 10
Explanation: Cisco recommends limiting an OSPF area to no more than 10 router hops for optimal performance and convergence.
48. What function does a Route Target serve in MPLS VPNs?
A. Distinguishes unique prefixes
B. Defines the next hop
C. Indicates route import/export policies
D. Provides BGP route filtering
Answer: C. Indicates route import/export policies
Explanation: Route Targets are BGP extended communities that define how routes are shared between VRFs in an MPLS VPN.
49. Which cloud design strategy improves availability across multiple regions?
A. Vertical scaling
B. Single availability zone deployment
C. Multi-region redundancy
D. Static routing
Answer: C. Multi-region redundancy
Explanation: Deploying services across multiple regions protects against regional outages and enhances high availability.
50. Which feature in Cisco DNA Center uses AI and machine learning for predictive insights?
A. Assurance
B. Configuration Archive
C. CLI Templates
D. SNMP Traps
Answer: A. Assurance
Explanation: Cisco DNA Assurance uses AI/ML to analyze network data, detect anomalies, and offer proactive recommendations.
