- A
A) Change management request
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.
Question 312 of 520
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.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
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.
When this WOULD be correct
When a question asks which document is most useful for understanding the current network layout before planning a new device installation or troubleshooting a connectivity issue, a network diagram would be the correct answer.
- ✗
C) Incident report
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. An incident report is created after an issue has occurred, not before a planned change.
When this WOULD be correct
A network administrator discovers a security breach and needs to document the details, impact, and response actions. In this scenario, an incident report would be the correct document to prepare and submit.
- ✗
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.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct for a question like: 'A network administrator is about to apply a critical firmware update to a core switch. Which document should the administrator ensure is available to restore the switch to its previous state if the update fails?'
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The N10-009 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓A) Change management requestCorrect answer▾
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.
✗B) Network diagramWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A network diagram is a visual representation of the network topology, not a procedural document for approving changes. Best practices require a change management request to document, review, and authorize configuration changes before implementation.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
When a question asks which document is most useful for understanding the current network layout before planning a new device installation or troubleshooting a connectivity issue, a network diagram would be the correct answer.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think a network diagram is necessary to plan the change, but the question specifically asks for the document to be prepared and approved before making the change, which is the change management request.
✗C) Incident reportWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
An incident report documents an event that has already occurred, not a planned change. The question asks for a document to be prepared and approved before making a change, which is the purpose of a change management request.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A network administrator discovers a security breach and needs to document the details, impact, and response actions. In this scenario, an incident report would be the correct document to prepare and submit.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse incident reports with change management because both involve documentation and approval processes, but incident reports are reactive (after an event) while change management is proactive (before a change).
✗D) Backup configurationWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The question asks for the document to prepare and have approved before making a change, which is a change management request. A backup configuration is a safety measure but not a document that requires approval prior to the change.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct for a question like: 'A network administrator is about to apply a critical firmware update to a core switch. Which document should the administrator ensure is available to restore the switch to its previous state if the update fails?'
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that having a backup configuration is a necessary preparatory step before any change, and they might confuse 'preparing' a document with 'having a backup ready' as a best practice.
Analysis generated from the official N10-009blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The N10-009 exam 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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Network Operations — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this N10-009 question test?
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
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This N10-009 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the N10-009 exam.
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