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100+ Free Cisco 300-745 SDSI Practice Questions

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A security architect must design a secure CI/CD pipeline. Which practice ensures that only trusted code reaches production?

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: Cisco 300-745 SDSI Exam

~60

Approximate Question Count

Cisco SDSI v1.0 exam description

90 min

Time Limit

Cisco SDSI v1.0 exam description

$300

Exam Fee (USD)

Cisco / Pearson VUE pricing

30/25/30/15

Domain Weightings

Infrastructure / Applications / Risk+Events / AI+Automation+DevSecOps

3 yrs

Certification Validity

CCNP Security concentration

Pearson VUE

Test Delivery

In-person or online proctored

Cisco 300-745 SDSI v1.0 is a 90-minute, ~60-question CCNP Security concentration exam costing $300 USD through Pearson VUE. The blueprint weights Secure Infrastructure 30%, Applications 25%, Risk/Events/Requirements 30%, and AI/Automation/DevSecOps 15%. This is a design-focused exam (not implementation) covering security architecture decisions for endpoints, identity (MFA/passwordless), hybrid workers, IoT, SaaS, cloud-native apps, microsegmentation, SOC workflows, threat intelligence, and DevSecOps pipeline integration. Passing earns the Cisco Certified Specialist - Designing Cisco Security Infrastructure badge.

Sample Cisco 300-745 SDSI Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your Cisco 300-745 SDSI exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A security architect is designing a zero trust network access solution for a hybrid workforce. Which Cisco solution serves as the policy decision point for enforcing access based on identity, device posture, and context?
A.Cisco Umbrella
B.Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)
C.Cisco Secure Firewall
D.Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense
Explanation: Cisco ISE functions as the policy decision point in a zero trust architecture by evaluating user identity, device posture, and contextual signals before granting access. It enforces dynamic policies through enforcement points using mechanisms like dACLs, VLAN assignments, and Security Group Tags.
2An organization must protect a publicly facing web application from SQL injection and cross-site scripting attacks. Which firewall type is most appropriate for this specific requirement?
A.Next-generation firewall (NGFW)
B.Traditional stateful firewall
C.Web Application Firewall (WAF)
D.Host-based firewall
Explanation: A Web Application Firewall (WAF) is specifically designed to inspect HTTP/HTTPS traffic at Layer 7 and protect web applications from application-layer attacks such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities.
3A company with 50 branch offices needs to securely connect remote sites to headquarters and cloud applications while optimizing traffic across multiple WAN links. Which tunneling technology is the best design choice?
A.Static IPsec site-to-site VPN tunnels
B.GRE tunnels over MPLS
C.Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN
D.DMVPN Phase 1
Explanation: Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN dynamically manages multiple WAN connections, provides application-aware routing, and includes built-in IPsec encryption. It optimizes traffic across broadband, LTE, and MPLS links while providing centralized policy management.
4A security architect must select a solution to provide phishing-resistant authentication for an organization moving to a zero trust model. Which approach best meets this requirement?
A.SMS-based one-time passwords (OTP)
B.Cisco Duo passwordless authentication with FIDO2 security keys
C.Complex password policies with 16-character minimums
D.Knowledge-based authentication questions
Explanation: Cisco Duo passwordless authentication with FIDO2 security keys provides phishing-resistant authentication because FIDO2 uses public-key cryptography where the private key never leaves the device and is bound to a specific domain, making it immune to phishing.
5An enterprise is designing a SASE architecture. Which combination of Cisco solutions provides both Security Service Edge (SSE) and SD-WAN capabilities in an integrated framework?
A.Cisco ISE and Cisco Secure Firewall
B.Cisco Secure Access and Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN
C.Cisco Secure Email and Cisco Umbrella
D.Cisco XDR and Cisco Talos
Explanation: Cisco SASE architecture combines Cisco Secure Access (providing SSE capabilities including ZTNA, SWG, CASB, and FWaaS) with Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN for intelligent WAN connectivity.
6A security team must implement continuous trust verification for remote workers accessing SaaS applications. Which design principle ensures that trust is evaluated throughout the session rather than only at login?
A.Single sign-on with session tokens valid for 24 hours
B.Perimeter-based firewall rules at the corporate gateway
C.Adaptive policy enforcement using device posture checks and behavioral signals
D.VPN concentrator with split tunneling disabled
Explanation: Adaptive policy enforcement continuously evaluates device posture, user behavior, location, and risk signals throughout a session, not just at initial authentication. This aligns with zero trust principles where trust is continually verified.
7An organization needs to block business email compromise (BEC) attacks that use impersonation of executives to request wire transfers. Which email security capability is most effective against this attack vector?
A.Attachment sandboxing
B.Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC)
C.AI-driven identity and intent analysis with executive impersonation detection
D.Anti-spam content filtering
Explanation: AI-driven identity and intent analysis targets BEC attacks by examining semantic content, detecting executive impersonation patterns, analyzing writing style anomalies, and identifying fraudulent payment requests.
8A security architect must select a firewall deployment model for a multi-cloud environment with workloads in AWS, Azure, and on-premises data centers. Which approach provides consistent policy enforcement across all environments?
A.Deploy separate vendor-specific firewalls in each cloud environment
B.Use cloud-native security groups exclusively
C.Cisco Hybrid Mesh Firewall with Security Cloud Control
D.Host-based firewalls on every virtual machine
Explanation: Cisco Hybrid Mesh Firewall with Security Cloud Control provides centralized management across on-premises, public cloud, and edge environments with consistent intent-based policy enforcement.
9An organization wants to implement DNS-layer security as a first line of defense for users both on and off the corporate network. Which Cisco solution provides this capability?
A.Cisco ISE
B.Cisco Secure Endpoint
C.Cisco Umbrella
D.Cisco Secure Email Threat Defense
Explanation: Cisco Umbrella provides DNS-layer security that blocks connections to malicious domains, phishing sites, and command-and-control infrastructure before a connection is made, protecting users regardless of location.
10A company needs to securely connect a small branch office with 10 users to the corporate network over broadband internet with minimal configuration overhead. Which approach is most appropriate?
A.Site-to-site IPsec VPN with manual key exchange
B.Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN with automated provisioning
C.MPLS private circuit
D.GRE tunnel without encryption
Explanation: Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN provides automated provisioning with zero-touch deployment, built-in IPsec encryption, and centralized policy management, reducing configuration overhead compared to traditional IPsec VPNs.

About the Cisco 300-745 SDSI Exam

The Cisco 300-745 SDSI (Designing Cisco Security Infrastructure v1.0) is a 90-minute CCNP Security concentration exam covering security architecture design. Candidates demonstrate competence in designing secure infrastructure (endpoint, identity, email, VPN, firewall architecture), application security (cloud-native, containers, microsegmentation), risk management and SOC design (incident handling, threat intelligence, compliance), and emerging technologies (AI/ML, automation, DevSecOps). Passing earns the Cisco Certified Specialist - Designing Cisco Security Infrastructure badge.

Assessment

Approximately 55-65 multiple-choice and multiple-response questions covering Secure Infrastructure (30%), Applications (25%), Risk, Events, and Requirements (30%), and AI, Automation, and DevSecOps (15%)

Time Limit

90 minutes

Passing Score

Variable cut score (commonly cited 750-825/1000); Cisco does not publish the exact value

Exam Fee

$300 USD (Cisco / Pearson VUE)

Cisco 300-745 SDSI Exam Content Outline

30%

Secure Infrastructure

Endpoint and client security approaches (on-network, off-network, remote); identity solutions (MFA, passwordless, continuous trust, identity intelligence); email threat mitigation (phishing, ransomware, BEC, spoofing); security architecture modification for hybrid workers, IoT, SaaS, and multi-cloud; VPN and tunneling solution selection (SD-WAN, IPsec, MPLS, GRE, DMVPN); infrastructure management and control plane security; firewall feature and architecture selection (traditional, NGFW, WAF, IPS/IDS, distributed, eBPF, host-based)

25%

Applications

Security solution selection for applications (firewalls, SSL offloading/decryption, DLP, endpoint); cloud-native application security design (microservices, containers, serverless); segmentation and microsegmentation strategies; emerging technology design impacts (generative AI, machine learning, quantum computing)

30%

Risk, Events, and Requirements

SOC incident handling and incident response tool integration; risk mitigation design modifications; threat intelligence integration into security architecture; security monitoring and visibility design; compliance-driven architecture requirements; vulnerability management in design

15%

AI, Automation, and DevSecOps

AI/ML applications in security operations and threat detection; security automation design and orchestration (SOAR); DevSecOps pipeline integration; secure software development lifecycle (SSDLC); infrastructure as code security; API security design

How to Pass the Cisco 300-745 SDSI Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Variable cut score (commonly cited 750-825/1000); Cisco does not publish the exact value
  • Assessment: Approximately 55-65 multiple-choice and multiple-response questions covering Secure Infrastructure (30%), Applications (25%), Risk, Events, and Requirements (30%), and AI, Automation, and DevSecOps (15%)
  • Time limit: 90 minutes
  • Exam fee: $300 USD

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 300-745 SDSI Study Tips from Top Performers

1This is a DESIGN exam — focus on selecting the RIGHT solution for a given scenario, not on CLI configuration commands
2Know when to recommend each firewall type: traditional vs NGFW vs WAF vs distributed firewall vs eBPF-based
3Understand identity design: when to use MFA vs passwordless vs continuous trust vs identity intelligence
4Study microsegmentation strategies for containers, VMs, and bare-metal workloads in multi-cloud environments
5Learn the NIST incident response framework and how to architect SOC workflows with SIEM, SOAR, and threat intelligence
6Understand how generative AI impacts security architecture — both as a defensive tool and as an attack surface

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Cisco 300-745 SDSI exam?

The 300-745 SDSI (Designing Cisco Security Infrastructure v1.0) is a 90-minute CCNP Security concentration exam. It focuses on security architecture design — not implementation — covering secure infrastructure, application security, risk/events/requirements, and AI/automation/DevSecOps. Passing earns the Cisco Certified Specialist - Designing Cisco Security Infrastructure badge.

How much does the 300-745 SDSI exam cost?

The exam costs $300 USD per attempt at Pearson VUE testing centers or via online proctoring.

What makes SDSI different from other CCNP Security exams?

SDSI is a design-focused exam that tests your ability to select and architect security solutions, not implement them. It covers broader architectural decisions across infrastructure, applications, risk management, and emerging technologies including AI and DevSecOps — unlike other concentration exams that focus on specific product implementation.

What topics does the SDSI 300-745 exam cover?

The blueprint covers Secure Infrastructure (30%), Applications (25%), Risk, Events, and Requirements (30%), and AI, Automation, and DevSecOps (15%). Topics include endpoint security design, identity architecture, VPN/tunneling selection, firewall architecture, cloud-native security, microsegmentation, SOC design, threat intelligence, and DevSecOps integration.