The Cisco 100-490 RSTECH exam is necessary for obtaining the Cisco Certified Technician (CCT) Routing and Switching certificate. It helps the examinees validate their skills in offering onsite support and maintain Cisco routers, operating settings, and switches.

Target Audience for 100-490 Test

The individuals who decide to take the 100-490 exam are interested in leveraging their skills in configuring remote servers, managing network fundamentals, or troubleshooting basic Layer 1 and Layer 2. Additionally, they want to consolidate their ability to immediately recognize connection endpoints. Besides, the test-takers want to increase their self-confidence when they need to manage Cisco systems and devices. Lastly, such an exam targets the specialists who want to gain the CCT Routing and Switching designation and already work as field engineers or in other related positions.

Details of 100-490 Evaluation

All in all, the Cisco 100-490 certification exam includes 60 to 70 questions that validate the candidates' skills in routing and switching related topics. In addition, its duration is 90 minutes, and the applicants can take the test both in English or Japanese. Additionally, takers will need to pay a registration fee of $125, however, extra taxes might apply depending on the country chosen by the candidate to take the actual test. To add more, the examinees can take the 100-490 evaluation in person as Cisco offers them the opportunity to take the official test in their secure testing centers. All they have to do is check the nearest test center from their location and schedule the in-person test. At the same time, another option would be to take the exam online. This choice is more convenient and comfortable as it doesn’t require the candidates to go to any testing center. Finally, the registration process must be finalized on the Pearson VUE platform. The test-takers should follow the instructions that appear on the screen, confirm the payment of the enrollment fee, and schedule the final evaluation according to their preferences.

Topics Tested in 100-490 Exam

The candidates who decide to take the main Cisco 100-490 exam should demonstrate that they developed a solid knowledge on the following topics:

• Developing general networking knowledge and becoming proficient in using the TCP/IP and OSI models;
• Becoming familiar with using the Cisco equipment hardware and being able to quickly manage and deploy Cisco Transceiver Modules and other related equipment;
• Understanding how the Cisco IOS software operation elements work and how to configure files to a switch or router;
• Locating & using service-related knowledge and becoming skilled in establishing a physical connection between different hardware and software elements.

Viable Preparation Materials

The candidates who want to pass the actual 100-490 exam from the first attempt should focus on organizing their training schedule. The starting point should be going through the test blueprint to understand its key objectives. Once they have a clear view of what’s expected from their side, the candidates can enroll in the available training classes and read the books available on Amazon for the tested topics. Below, you can find some relevant examples:

• Cisco Certified Technician Supporting Cisco Routing and Switching Network Devices (RSTECH) v3.0

  This is the official course provided by the vendor for the 100-490 exam. In particular, it is an e-learning class which is equivalent to 6 to 7 hours of classroom training. The specialists who enroll in this class will learn how to use the fundamental Cisco software tools. For example, they will become skilled at using USB storage, Tera Term, Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server, Putty, and other loopback components. Also, the course-takers will gain confidence in using network fundamentals and Cisco products. Then, the individuals who want to pass the Cisco 100-490 test will benefit from this course by learning how to recognize the connection requirements for cables as well as performing basic troubleshooting for Layer 1 and Layer 2 infrastructure. Finally, the specialists who want to get certified don’t have to meet any prerequisites to enroll in this online class.

• CCT/CCNA Routing and Switching All-in-One Exam Guides (Exams 100-490 & 200-301) by Glen E. Clarke and Richard Deal

  This book is available on Amazon in both hardcover and Kindle formats. The examinees can buy it for a price of $29.95 in case they prefer the online version or $31.53 for the printed format. This guide, in particular, helps the readers consolidate their knowledge for the CCT Routing and Switching & CCNA designations. Apart from going through the topics tested in the 100-490 and 200-301 exams, such a book helps the applicants improve their knowledge of networks and routing as well as switching topics. What is more, the guide includes various practice test items that follow the exam syllabus and help them understand how it is structured thanks to the realistic inquiries and in-depth explanations for each answer. Additionally, the test-takers will benefit from video training sessions provided by one of the authors. Finally, this preparation material includes a PDF that includes 47 lab exercises and a glossary with the most important terms included in the final test.

• Cisco Certified Technician (CCT) by Saransh Paliwal

  This guide from Amazon helps the specialists learn how to repair, diagnose, and replace any critical Cisco system devices and networking issues. Also, thanks to this book, the applicants will learn how to work on the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) so that they can quickly identify and resolve any incidents. Additionally, a manual like this focuses on two important exams that validate the candidates’ ability to become a Cisco certified technician. Therefore, when they go through the chapters included in this training material, the test-takers will learn how to support Cisco Data Center networking alongside routing and switching devices. So, thanks to this resource, the applicants will go through the topics included in the 010-151 and 100-490 exams. To recap, such a book offers a detailed review of the skills and competencies that the test-takers need to develop if they want to get the passing score in their tests from the first attempt.

Conclusion

As we already mentioned above, the starting point for the candidates who want to pass the Cisco 100-490 exam from the initial trial should be reviewing the test blueprint. It helps them understand the exam structure and difficulty level. Once they’ve done an objective self-assessment, the applicants should start augmenting their skills with the help of the online class offered by the vendor and books available on Amazon.