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Exam Information
Official specifications published by Cisco
Exam Format
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Skills this practice test covers
- Prioritize a ticket queue against service level agreements and record each step in the ticket.
- Protect parts from electrostatic discharge (ESD) while installing RAM, drives and expansion cards.
- Diagnose boot, display and power faults, and decide when a part needs replacing.
- Troubleshoot network connections with ipconfig, ping and other diagnostic commands.
- Fix common Windows, macOS, iOS and Android problems with each system's own tools.
- Recognize phishing and social engineering, and handle confidential data by company policy.
Explore related topics
100-140 exam content
6 domains · 18 topics · 120 of 123 questions sorted by domain
IT Support Job Tasks and Responsibilities14 questions
This domain covers the help desk side of the job. Candidates manage a ticket queue and their own time against service level agreements, document incidents and knowledge base articles, and follow a step-by-step problem-solving process.
Skills tested
- Choose between first-in-first-out and priority-based handling for a ticket queue.
- Write a ticket that a colleague can follow, with the problem, the steps taken and the result.
- Turn a solved problem into a searchable knowledge base article.
- Work a problem from identifying it and a theory of probable cause to the fix and its check.
Questions by topic
- Documentation7
- Problem-Solving Process7
Hardware Issues25 questions
This domain is hands-on work with computer parts. Candidates follow safety and ESD rules, read device information with tools such as Device Manager, identify ports and cables, install or upgrade parts, and troubleshoot hardware faults.
Skills tested
- Use anti-static wrist straps and mats when handling components.
- Identify display ports such as HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI and VGA, and the cable each needs.
- Install RAM, storage devices, expansion cards and power supplies, then configure the new hardware.
- Trace boot, display, power and peripheral faults to the part that failed.
Questions by topic
- Safety Procedures6
- Hardware Troubleshooting16
- Peripheral Connectivity3
Connectivity and Resource Access Issues23 questions
This domain is about connecting users to what they need. Candidates fix file share, printer and permission problems, set up peripherals and drivers, check IP, DHCP, DNS, wireless and Ethernet settings, and read diagnostic command output.
Skills tested
- Map a network drive and fix an access denied error on a file share.
- Add a network printer and install or update its driver.
- Recognize an automatic private IP address (APIPA) as a sign that DHCP failed.
- Run ping, ipconfig or ifconfig and tracert or traceroute, and read their output.
Questions by topic
- Network Connectivity Fundamentals8
- Diagnostic Command Usage11
- Peripheral Connectivity3
- Virtualization and Cloud Terminology1
Operating System and Application Issues26 questions
This domain covers software problems on computers and mobile devices. Candidates troubleshoot Windows and macOS settings, updates and accounts, support iOS and Android, explain virtualization and cloud terms, and repair applications.
Skills tested
- Use System Restore, Windows updates and display settings to fix common Windows problems.
- Use Disk Utility, Time Machine and System Preferences to fix common macOS problems.
- Explain mobile device management, and fix common iOS and Android issues.
- Explain virtual machines, hypervisor types and cloud service models such as IaaS.
- Fix application installation, compatibility and crash problems.
Questions by topic
- Virtualization and Cloud Terminology7
- macOS Troubleshooting7
- Windows OS Troubleshooting5
- Mobile Device Support7
Common Threats and Preventions21 questions
This domain is the security awareness side of support. Candidates recognize malware and phishing, spot social engineering such as baiting and dumpster diving, and follow company rules on passwords, acceptable use and personal data.
Skills tested
- Recognize the signs of malware and phishing on a user's device.
- Identify social engineering tricks such as baiting and dumpster diving.
- Apply password and acceptable use policies, and BYOD rules for personal devices used at work.
- Handle personally identifiable information (PII) and other confidential data by company policy.
Questions by topic
- Social Engineering Awareness7
- Company Policy and Confidentiality Guidelines7
- Security Threat Identification7
Job Tools11 questions
This domain covers the tools a support technician uses each day. Candidates work with remote access software and VPN connections, research problems in knowledge bases, use AI tools with care, and keep records in ticketing systems.
Skills tested
- Connect to a user's computer with remote access software, and keep the session secure.
- Research an unfamiliar error in knowledge bases and documentation, then verify the fix.
- Check an AI tool's suggested solution before applying it, and know the tool's limits.
Questions by topic
- Remote Access Software6
- AI and Knowledge Base Utilization5
Requirements
- No formal prerequisites: anyone can book the exam.
- Recommended: an understanding of computer hardware and software, and basic networking concepts.
- Recommended: experience with both Windows and macOS.
- Recommended: six to twelve months of support work, which helps but is not required.
About the 100-140 exam
Cisco's 100-140 exam covers the daily work of IT support. Passing it earns the Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support certification. It suits help desk technicians, desktop support staff, students and career changers. The exam spans ticket and time management, documentation, hardware and connectivity faults, operating system and application problems, security threats and the tools of the job. Cisco also expects professional communication with users, although it does not test it as separate objectives.
Operating system and hardware questions are the largest groups in the PlanetCert practice test. Connectivity comes next, and diagnostic commands are at its center. The explanations follow the troubleshooting order, from identifying the problem and a theory of probable cause to the fix, the check and the ticket notes. Study Mode suits the port and cable questions, and Flashcard Mode helps with cloud terms and threat names. Brainy AI Assistant can explain what an ipconfig result shows, or how to answer a user who reports a phishing email.
How to earn the certification
- Earns
- Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT SupportEntry
CCST IT Support is valid for five years, and passing another CCST exam or a higher-level Cisco exam renews it.
- After
- 200-301 Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
Cisco's associate-level networking exam, a common next step for support staff who move into network roles.
- 200-201 CCNA Cybersecurity (CyberOps Associate)
The associate-level exam for security operations work, such as monitoring and incident analysis.
- 200-901 CCNA Automation (DevNet Associate)
The associate-level exam for network automation and software development skills.
- 200-301 Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
How to prepare for 100-140
- 1
Rebuild a spare computer by hand
Wear an anti-static strap, then remove and refit the RAM, a drive and an expansion card. Name each port and cable on the way, because the hardware domain asks for them by name.
- 2
Talk through the troubleshooting order
Take one real fault, such as a printer that will not print, and say each step aloud from identifying the problem to documenting the fix. Then write the ticket so that a colleague could pick it up tomorrow.
- 3
Read every diagnostic command's output
Run ipconfig, ping and tracert on a working connection, then again with the cable unplugged. Diagnostic commands get the most attention among the practice test's connectivity questions.
- 4
Fix one problem on each system
Solve one small issue on Windows, macOS, iOS and Android, using tools such as System Restore and Disk Utility. The operating system domain moves between all four.
- 5
Close with Timed Mode and threat drills
Take the 100-140 practice test in Timed Mode, then review the threat questions in Flashcard Mode. Ask Brainy AI Assistant how to explain a phishing warning to a user in plain words.
Start a timed 100-140run
Cisco's IT Support Specialist career path on Cisco Networking Academy prepares for this exam, and Cisco Press publishes the official cert guide for CCST IT Support.
Who 100-140 is for
- Help desk technicians and desktop support staff in their first IT role.
- Students who want a recognized entry-level credential before their first IT job.
- People changing careers who want a first role in IT support.
- Support staff who plan to continue to CCNA or another associate-level Cisco exam.
Typical job titles: Help desk technician · Desktop support technician · IT support specialist · Computer support specialist · IT end user support
100-140 glossary
18 terms from the exam objectives and the vendor's official material, each defined in a sentence.
- APIPA
- Automatic Private IP Addressing: a 169.254.x.x address that a computer gives itself when no DHCP server answers.
- Baiting
- A social engineering trick that leaves an infected USB drive or a tempting download for a victim to use.
- BIOS/UEFI
- The firmware that starts a computer, checks its hardware and hands control to the operating system.
- Device Manager
- The Windows tool that lists hardware devices, shows their driver status and lets a technician update or roll back drivers.
- Disk Utility
- The macOS app for checking, repairing, erasing and formatting drives; its First Aid function checks a disk for errors.
- Dumpster diving
- Searching through thrown-away papers and devices for passwords or confidential data.
- Electrostatic discharge (ESD)
- A sudden flow of static electricity that can damage components; anti-static wrist straps and mats prevent it.
- Hypervisor
- Software that runs virtual machines, either directly on the hardware or on top of an operating system.
- IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
- A cloud service model in which a provider rents out servers, storage and networks that the customer manages.
- ipconfig
- A Windows command that shows a computer's IP address, subnet mask, default gateway and DNS settings.
- Knowledge Base Articles
- Written, searchable solutions to known problems, so that the next technician can fix the same issue faster.
- Mobile Device Management (MDM)
- Software that lets an organization enroll, configure, secure and wipe phones and tablets from one place.
- Phishing
- A fake message that tries to trick a user into clicking a link, opening a file or giving away a password.
- PII
- Personally identifiable information: data such as a name, an ID number or an address that can identify a person.
- Queue Management
- Sorting and assigning incoming tickets so that urgent issues come first and nothing waits too long.
- Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
- Agreed targets for how fast the help desk must respond to and resolve each type of ticket.
- System Restore
- A Windows feature that returns system files and settings to an earlier restore point without changing personal files.
- Time Machine
- The backup tool built into macOS, which keeps copies of files over time on an external drive.
Related practice tests
- 300-535Automating and Programming Cisco Service Provider Solutions (SPAUTO)
- 200-901CCNA Automation (DevNet Associate)
- 200-201CCNA Cybersecurity (CyberOps Associate)
- 200-301Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
- 300-420Designing Cisco Enterprise Networks (ENSLD)