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100+ Free Aruba Switching Professional Practice Questions

Pass your HPE Aruba Networking Certified Professional - Switching (HPE7-A08) exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.

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What is the correct AOS-CX CLI command to configure a static route that specifies a different VRF as the egress for the next hop (static route leaking)?

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: Aruba Switching Professional Exam

75

Exam Questions

HPE7-A08 datacard

65%

Passing Score

About 49 of 75 correct

120 min

Time Limit

Pearson VUE proctored

$350/$195

Exam Fee

Standard / retake

3 yrs

Validity

From issue date

4 domains

Coverage

Install/Configure 33% top weight

The HPE Aruba Networking Certified Professional - Switching (HPE7-A08) is a professional-level certification delivered through Pearson VUE. The exam is 75 single-choice and multiple-choice questions in 120 minutes with a 65% passing score. Fees are $350 standard or $195 for retakes. Install and Configure is the heaviest domain at 33%, followed by Troubleshoot at 27%, Manage/Maintain/Optimize/Monitor at 22%, and Implementation Planning at 18%. Valid for 3 years.

Sample Aruba Switching Professional Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your Aruba Switching Professional exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A network engineer is planning a campus wired solution for a customer who requires high availability at the aggregation layer. The customer wants a solution that provides active-active forwarding at Layer 2 while maintaining independent control planes. Which HPE Aruba technology should be recommended?
A.Backplane stacking
B.VRRP with MSTP
C.Virtual Switching Extension (VSX)
D.Front-panel stacking
Explanation: VSX (Virtual Switching Extension) is HPE Aruba's high-availability solution for aggregation and core switches. It provides active-active forwarding at Layer 2 with independent control planes, unlike stacking which merges control planes. VSX is supported on AOS-CX 6400, 8320, and 8325 series switches.
2When creating an implementation plan for a wired network solution, which step should be completed first after gathering customer requirements?
A.Configure VLANs and routing on the switches
B.Deploy NAE agents for monitoring
C.Configure QoS policies on all interfaces
D.Select the appropriate switch models based on port density and throughput needs
Explanation: After gathering requirements, selecting the appropriate switch models based on factors like port density, throughput, PoE budget, and feature support is the foundational step. This ensures the hardware can meet the design requirements before any configuration or deployment begins.
3A customer requires switches for a campus core that support 100GbE uplinks, VSX, and built-in REST API automation. Which HPE Aruba CX switch series is most appropriate for this role?
A.CX 6400 series
B.CX 6200 series
C.CX 6300 series
D.CX 8320 series
Explanation: The CX 6400 series is a modular switch that supports 100GbE connectivity, VSX for high availability, and built-in REST APIs for automation. It is designed for core and aggregation deployments in campus networks. The CX 6200 and 6300 are access-layer switches, and the CX 8320 tops out at 40GbE.
4In AOS-CX, what is the purpose of the Virtual Output Queuing (VOQ) architecture?
A.It prevents head-of-line blocking by buffering traffic at ingress ports on a per-egress basis
B.It eliminates the need for QoS configuration on switch ports
C.It provides a separate management plane for each queue
D.It enables automatic load balancing across all switch ports
Explanation: Virtual Output Queuing (VOQ) is a key AOS-CX architecture feature that prevents head-of-line blocking. Instead of buffering packets only at the egress port, VOQ buffers packets at the ingress port with separate queues for each possible egress port. This ensures that congestion on one egress port does not affect traffic destined for other ports.
5A network engineer needs to provision an AOS-CX switch using HPE Aruba Networking Central. What is the first step required to bring the switch under Central management?
A.Configure a static IP address on the management interface
B.Ensure the switch has network connectivity and can reach Aruba Central
C.Assign a license to the switch through the CLI
D.Create a full configuration backup before provisioning
Explanation: For a switch to be provisioned through Aruba Central, it must first have network connectivity to reach the Aruba Central cloud service. This is the prerequisite before any Central-based provisioning, configuration push, or management can occur.
6Which command is used to enable IGMP snooping on a specific VLAN in AOS-CX?
A.ip igmp enable (in global configuration mode)
B.ip igmp snooping enable (in VLAN configuration mode)
C.ip multicast snooping (in interface configuration mode)
D.enable igmp-snooping vlan <vlan-id> (in exec mode)
Explanation: In AOS-CX, IGMP snooping is enabled per VLAN using 'ip igmp snooping enable' in VLAN configuration mode. This allows the switch to inspect IGMP messages and build a multicast group membership table, ensuring multicast traffic is forwarded only to ports with interested receivers.
7An engineer is configuring MSTP on an AOS-CX switch. How many MST instances can be created in a single MST region?
A.16
B.8
C.32
D.64
Explanation: AOS-CX supports up to 16 MST instances within a single MST region. MSTP allows multiple VLANs to be mapped to different spanning tree instances, providing load balancing across redundant links while maintaining a loop-free Layer 2 topology.
8When configuring a VSX pair, which component provides the out-of-band heartbeat between the two switches to detect a split-brain scenario when the ISL link fails?
A.VSX keepalive link
B.VSX LAG
C.OSPF hello interval
D.VRRP advertisement
Explanation: The VSX keepalive link is a dedicated out-of-band connection (can be a physical port or routed through an upstream network) that provides heartbeat detection between VSX peers. When the ISL fails, the keepalive link determines whether the peer is still alive, preventing split-brain scenarios. It is configured in a dedicated VRF, typically named 'KA'.
9In AOS-CX, what command verifies the current VSX ISL state on a switch?
A.show vsx status
B.show vsx isl
C.show running-config vsx
D.show spanning-tree vsx
Explanation: 'show vsx isl' displays the ISL (Inter-Switch Link) state between VSX peers, including the state values such as WAITING_FOR_PEER, PEER_ESTABLISHED, SPLIT_SYSTEM_PRIMARY, and SYNC_PRIMARY. This is the primary command for verifying VSX inter-switch connectivity.
10An engineer is configuring LACP on AOS-CX. What is the maximum number of active links supported in a single LAG?
A.4
B.16
C.8
D.32
Explanation: AOS-CX supports up to 8 active links per LAG when using LACP. Additional links can be configured as standby (up to 8 more for a total of 16 member ports), but only 8 can be active simultaneously in a single LAG.

About the Aruba Switching Professional Exam

The HPE Aruba Networking Certified Professional - Switching (HPE7-A08) validates professional-level knowledge of Aruba wired network switching. The exam covers implementation planning, advanced AOS-CX installation and configuration (including VSX, VSF, routing, and security), wired network troubleshooting, and ongoing management, optimization, and monitoring with Aruba Central.

Assessment

75 single-choice and multiple-choice questions covering Implementation Planning, Install/Configure, Troubleshooting, and Manage/Maintain/Optimize/Monitor

Time Limit

120 minutes

Passing Score

65%

Exam Fee

$350 / $195 (HPE / Pearson VUE)

Aruba Switching Professional Exam Content Outline

18%

Create the Implementation Plan

Requirements analysis, design review and validation, deployment planning, migration strategies, and implementation documentation for wired networks.

33%

Install and Configure the Wired Network Solution

Advanced AOS-CX configuration including VSX deployment, VSF stacking, VLAN architecture, OSPF/BGP routing, security policies, QoS, and Aruba Central integration.

27%

Troubleshoot the Wired Network Solution

Systematic troubleshooting of VSX split-brain, VSF member failures, spanning tree issues, routing problems, LAG/LACP failures, and performance degradation.

22%

Manage, Maintain, Optimize, and Monitor

Aruba Central wired network management, firmware lifecycle management, performance optimization, capacity planning, and monitoring/alerting configuration.

How to Pass the Aruba Switching Professional Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 65%
  • Assessment: 75 single-choice and multiple-choice questions covering Implementation Planning, Install/Configure, Troubleshooting, and Manage/Maintain/Optimize/Monitor
  • Time limit: 120 minutes
  • Exam fee: $350 / $195

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

Aruba Switching Professional Study Tips from Top Performers

1Focus the majority of your study on Install and Configure (33%) - master VSX deployment, VSF stacking, advanced VLAN architecture, OSPF/BGP routing, and Aruba Central integration
2Build systematic troubleshooting skills (27%) - practice diagnosing VSX split-brain scenarios, VSF member failures, spanning tree issues, and performance degradation using AOS-CX show commands
3Take the 5-day Implementing AOS-CX Switching (ICXS, Rev. 24.31) course for structured learning with hands-on labs covering all four exam domains
4Study implementation planning methodology (18%) including requirements gathering, design validation, and deployment documentation - this is often underprepared
5Master Aruba Central wired network management features including configuration templates, firmware management, monitoring dashboards, and alerting for the 22% Manage/Maintain domain
6Practice with AOS-CX CLI extensively - the exam tests specific commands and their output for both configuration and troubleshooting scenarios

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the HPE7-A08 Aruba Switching Professional exam?

The HPE7-A08 is the proctored exam for the HPE Aruba Networking Certified Professional - Switching credential. It validates professional-level knowledge of Aruba wired network implementation, advanced AOS-CX configuration (VSX, VSF, routing, security), troubleshooting, and management.

How many questions are on the HPE7-A08 exam and how long is it?

The HPE7-A08 contains 75 single-choice and multiple-choice questions with a 120-minute time limit. The passing score is 65%, meaning you need approximately 49 of 75 correct answers to pass.

What topics carry the most weight on HPE7-A08?

Install and Configure the Wired Network Solution is the largest domain at 33%, followed by Troubleshoot at 27%, Manage/Maintain/Optimize/Monitor at 22%, and Create the Implementation Plan at 18%. Focus your study on hands-on AOS-CX configuration and troubleshooting.

How much does the HPE7-A08 exam cost?

The HPE7-A08 exam costs $350 USD for a standard attempt and $195 USD for retakes. It is delivered through Pearson VUE at test centers or via online proctoring.

What experience is recommended for HPE7-A08?

HPE recommends at least 2 years of hands-on switching experience and an HPE Aruba Associate-level certification. The 5-day Implementing AOS-CX Switching (ICXS, Rev. 24.31) instructor-led course is the recommended training.

How does HPE7-A08 differ from HPE7-A09 (Expert Switching)?

HPE7-A08 (Professional) covers implementation, configuration, troubleshooting, and management at a professional level. HPE7-A09 (Expert Written) tests the same domains at a deeper expert level with more complex scenario-based questions. The ACX-S expert track requires both HPE7-A09 (written) and HPE4-A53 (practical lab).

How long is the Aruba Switching Professional certification valid?

The credential is valid for 3 years from the issue date. To renew, candidates must pass the current Switching Professional exam or a higher-level HPE Aruba credential before expiration.