100+ Free Cisco 300-540 SPCNI Practice Questions
Pass your Cisco SPCNI: Designing and Implementing Cisco Service Provider Cloud Network Infrastructure (300-540) exam on the first try — instant access, no signup required.
Within the ETSI NFV MANO architectural framework, which component is directly responsible for the lifecycle management of an individual VNF instance, including instantiation, scaling, and termination?
Key Facts: Cisco 300-540 SPCNI Exam
90 min
Exam Time
Cisco SPCNI exam profile
US$300
Exam Fee
Cisco SPCNI exam profile
55-65
Question Count
Cisco concentration-exam guidance
25%
Largest Domains
Virtualized Architecture and Cloud Interconnect
3 years
Certification Validity
Cisco professional-level recertification policy
Pearson VUE
Delivery (in-person or OnVUE)
Cisco exam scheduling
The 300-540 SPCNI is a 90-minute Cisco concentration exam delivered through Pearson VUE/OnVUE for US$300. Five domains are weighted Virtualized Architecture 25%, Cloud Interconnect 25%, High Availability 20%, Security 15%, and Service Assurance & Optimization 15%. Passing 300-540 satisfies one of the concentration requirements toward CCNP Service Provider when paired with the 350-501 SPCOR core exam, and the certification is valid for three years.
Sample Cisco 300-540 SPCNI Practice Questions
Try these sample questions to test your Cisco 300-540 SPCNI exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.
1Within the ETSI NFV MANO architectural framework, which component is directly responsible for the lifecycle management of an individual VNF instance, including instantiation, scaling, and termination?
2A service provider wants to migrate a stateful firewall VNF from a virtual machine deployment to a containerized form factor without changing its core function. Which term best describes the new packaging?
3Which Cisco product provides model-driven service orchestration across multi-vendor physical and virtual devices using YANG service models and NETCONF transactions?
4An OpenStack-based VIM is selected for a service provider NFVI. Which OpenStack project most directly maps to the VIM compute virtualization function in the ETSI MANO model?
5Why is Kubernetes commonly used as the orchestrator for CNFs in modern service provider clouds?
6Which Cisco platform delivers closed-loop automation for service provider networks by combining intent-based provisioning, real-time telemetry, and remediation workflows?
7When designing service chaining in an NFV environment, which technique is commonly used to steer traffic between VNFs without requiring each VNF to participate in routing decisions?
8Which Cisco platform brings SD-WAN capabilities to service providers offering managed connectivity services to enterprises across multiple transports?
9In Kubernetes-based CNF deployments, which CNI plugin is widely used in service provider environments because it leverages BGP to advertise pod prefixes into the underlay?
10What is the primary purpose of the NFVI in the ETSI NFV reference architecture?
About the Cisco 300-540 SPCNI Exam
The Cisco 300-540 SPCNI exam is a CCNP Service Provider concentration exam that validates your ability to design and implement service provider cloud network infrastructure. It covers virtualized architectures (NFV, CNFs, NSO, OpenStack, Kubernetes), cloud interconnect with hyperscalers, high availability across the SP backbone, infrastructure security, and service assurance with model-driven telemetry, segment routing, and EVPN.
Assessment
Approximately 55-65 multiple-choice and multi-select items per Cisco's published exam profile
Time Limit
90 minutes
Passing Score
Cisco does not publish a fixed cut score; community guidance places it near 825/1000 on the scaled scale
Exam Fee
US$300 (Cisco / Pearson VUE)
Cisco 300-540 SPCNI Exam Content Outline
Virtualized Architecture
NFV with VNFs and CNFs, ETSI MANO with NFVO/VNFM/VIM, Cisco NSO, OpenStack-based VIMs, Kubernetes for CNFs, Cisco Crosswork Network Automation, Catalyst SD-WAN for SP, container networking, service chaining, and virtual routers.
Cloud Interconnect
Hyperscaler peering with AWS, Azure, and GCP, IXP fabrics, BGP route filtering, RPKI ROA-based origin validation, MANRS, transit and peering relationships, MPLS L3VPN extended to cloud, Direct Connect/ExpressRoute/Cloud Interconnect, and multi-cloud and hybrid topologies.
High Availability
Anycast services, BFD, NSF/SSO, ISSU on IOS XR, vPC and Multi-chassis EtherChannel, dual-homing and EVPN multihoming, sub-second IGP convergence, fast-reroute, L3 redundancy with HSRP/VRRP/GLBP, and resilient design patterns.
Security
Infrastructure ACLs, control plane policing (CoPP), routing-protocol authentication with HMAC-SHA and TCP-AO, BGP TTL Security (GTSM), prefix hijack protection, RPKI ROV, RTBH and Flowspec for DDoS mitigation, and infrastructure hardening best practices.
Service Assurance & Optimization
Model-driven telemetry over gNMI/gRPC, Crosswork Health Insights and ThousandEyes, optical-layer monitoring on coherent transponders, Segment Routing (SR-MPLS and SRv6) with SR-TE policies and ODN, BGP-LU, EVPN, NETCONF/YANG automation, and IOS XR commit/rollback.
How to Pass the Cisco 300-540 SPCNI Exam
What You Need to Know
- Passing score: Cisco does not publish a fixed cut score; community guidance places it near 825/1000 on the scaled scale
- Assessment: Approximately 55-65 multiple-choice and multi-select items per Cisco's published exam profile
- Time limit: 90 minutes
- Exam fee: US$300
Keys to Passing
- Complete 500+ practice questions
- Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
- Focus on highest-weighted sections
- Use our AI tutor for tough concepts
Cisco 300-540 SPCNI Study Tips from Top Performers
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the Cisco 300-540 SPCNI exam and what does it cost?
The 300-540 SPCNI exam is 90 minutes long and is delivered through Pearson VUE in person or via OnVUE online proctoring. The standard list price is US$300, and Cisco publishes the exam profile and the live exam topics on its learning network.
How many questions are on 300-540 and what is the passing score?
Cisco's exam profile typically describes 55 to 65 items per concentration exam, including multiple-choice and multi-select questions. Cisco does not publish a fixed pass mark, but community guidance places it near 825 on Cisco's 1000-point scaled scale, so plan to be comfortably above 80 percent on practice.
How does 300-540 fit into the CCNP Service Provider track?
The 300-540 SPCNI is one of the concentration exams under the CCNP Service Provider certification. Passing the 350-501 SPCOR core exam plus any one concentration exam such as 300-540 grants the CCNP Service Provider, and the SPCNI exam alone grants a Cisco Specialist credential focused on SP cloud network infrastructure.
Which domains carry the most weight on the 300-540 blueprint?
Virtualized Architecture and Cloud Interconnect tie for the largest blueprint share at 25 percent each. High Availability accounts for 20 percent, while Security and Service Assurance & Optimization each contribute 15 percent. RAM your study time toward NFV/MANO, NSO, hyperscaler peering, RPKI, and MPLS-to-cloud integration first.
How long is the certification valid?
Cisco professional-level certifications, including CCNP Service Provider and the underlying Specialist credentials, are valid for three years. You can recertify by passing eligible exams or by earning Continuing Education credits through Cisco's CE program before your expiration date.