The answer is the change management request. This document is the correct choice because it formalizes the entire configuration change process, requiring you to document the scope, risk assessment, rollback plan, and obtain formal approval from stakeholders before touching the core switch. On the CompTIA Network+ N10-009 exam, this tests your understanding of operational best practices and ITIL frameworks, often appearing in scenario-based questions where a technician wants to skip paperwork for a quick fix. A common trap is confusing a change management request with a simple work order or a network diagram, but remember that only the request enforces a formal approval chain to prevent unauthorized modifications. Memory tip: think “C-A-R” for Change, Approval, Rollback—if your plan lacks any of these three, you haven’t prepared a proper change management request.
N10-009 Network Operations Practice Question
This N10-009 practice question tests your understanding of network operations. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A network administrator plans to make a configuration change on a core switch during a maintenance window. According to best practices, which document should the administrator prepare and have approved before making the change?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Correct. A change management request is the formal document that details the planned change, its purpose, impact, testing, and rollback plan. It requires approval before implementation.
B
B) Network diagram
Why wrong: Incorrect. A network diagram is a reference document but not a procedural step that requires approval before making a change.
C
C) Incident report
Why wrong: Incorrect. An incident report is created after an issue has occurred, not before a planned change.
D
D) Backup configuration
Why wrong: Incorrect. While having a backup configuration is important, it does not replace the need for a change management request to document and approve the change.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
A) Change management request
A change management request is the correct document because it formalizes the proposed configuration change, including the scope, risk assessment, rollback plan, and approval chain. This ensures that all stakeholders review and authorize the change before implementation, reducing the risk of unintended network outages or security gaps. Best practices from ITIL and Cisco's own change management guidelines mandate this process for any production network device modification.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
A) Change management request
Why this is correct
Correct. A change management request is the formal document that details the planned change, its purpose, impact, testing, and rollback plan. It requires approval before implementation.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
B) Network diagram
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. A network diagram is a reference document but not a procedural step that requires approval before making a change.
✗
C) Incident report
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. An incident report is created after an issue has occurred, not before a planned change.
✗
D) Backup configuration
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. While having a backup configuration is important, it does not replace the need for a change management request to document and approve the change.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between operational documents (diagrams, reports) and procedural documents (change requests), trapping candidates who confuse a supporting artifact with the required approval document.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, a change management request typically includes a detailed implementation plan with specific CLI commands (e.g., 'spanning-tree vlan 10 priority 4096'), a back-out procedure (e.g., reloading a saved config via 'copy startup-config running-config'), and a risk assessment. In real-world scenarios, failing to get approval can lead to cascading failures—for example, changing a VTP domain without coordination might cause a VLAN database mismatch across the network, triggering STP reconvergence and temporary loops.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the N10-009 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this N10-009 question in full detail.
Network Operations — This question tests Network Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: A) Change management request — A change management request is the correct document because it formalizes the proposed configuration change, including the scope, risk assessment, rollback plan, and approval chain. This ensures that all stakeholders review and authorize the change before implementation, reducing the risk of unintended network outages or security gaps. Best practices from ITIL and Cisco's own change management guidelines mandate this process for any production network device modification.
What should I do if I get this N10-009 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A network administrator scheduled a change window to upgrade the firmware on a core switch. During the upgrade, the switch fails to boot properly. The administrator needs to restore the switch to its previous operational state. Which of the following should the administrator have done before the upgrade to facilitate a successful rollback?
hard
A.Notified all users of the maintenance window.
✓ B.Backed up the current configuration and firmware image.
C.Disconnected all redundant links.
D.Set the switch to boot from an alternative image.
Why B: Option B is correct because backing up both the current configuration and the firmware image ensures that the administrator can restore the switch to its exact previous operational state if the upgrade fails. Without a backup of the firmware image, the switch may not have a valid bootable image to revert to, even if the configuration is saved. This is a fundamental prerequisite for any firmware upgrade rollback plan.
Variation 2. A network administrator is implementing a change management process. Which of the following is the PRIMARY benefit of following this process?
easy
A.It reduces the cost of implementing new hardware
B.It ensures that all network changes are automated
✓ C.It minimizes the impact of changes on network operations and reduces errors
D.It documents the network topology for future reference
Why C: The primary benefit of a change management process is to minimize the impact of changes on network operations and reduce errors. By requiring documented planning, approval, and rollback procedures, change management ensures that modifications are reviewed and tested before implementation, which directly reduces the risk of misconfigurations and unplanned outages.
Variation 3. A network administrator needs to maintain a record of all configuration changes made to network switches, including the date, time, and the administrator who made the change. Which document should be used for this purpose?
easy
A.Network topology diagram
B.Baseline configuration report
✓ C.Change management log
D.Incident report
Why C: A change management log is the correct document because it is specifically designed to record configuration changes, including the date, time, and the administrator responsible. This log provides an audit trail for network devices, ensuring compliance and facilitating troubleshooting by tracking who made what change and when.
Variation 4. A network administrator needs to ensure that all changes to network devices are properly reviewed, approved, and tracked. Which process should the administrator implement?
easy
✓ A.Change management
B.Incident management
C.Problem management
D.Asset management
Why A: Change management is the formal process for requesting, reviewing, approving, implementing, and documenting changes to network devices. It ensures that all modifications are authorized, tracked, and have a rollback plan, which directly meets the requirement for review, approval, and tracking.
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Question Discussion
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