Dell Networking Associate (D-NWG-FN-23)

It is a proctored multiple-choice exam that includes both single-answer and multiple-response items. Some questions describe a scenario and ask you to pick the best design or the next troubleshooting step. Dell publishes the authoritative format, delivery options, and any language availability on its certification site, so check there before booking.

Dell does not publish a fixed count in advance, and the number of items and the time allowance can change between deliveries. Your appointment confirmation shows the allotted time. Treat the blueprint domains as your study map rather than guessing a question count, and budget time per item so you can flag and revisit harder scenario questions.

It is an associate-level exam: breadth matters more than depth. Candidates with hands-on switch experience usually find Layer 2 and Layer 3 items straightforward, while portfolio positioning and fabric terminology trip people up. The hardest items are usually multiple-response questions where partial credit is not given, so read each option independently.

Pricing and the passing scaled score are set by Dell Technologies and vary by region and currency. They are not fixed facts you should rely on from a third party. Check the official Dell certification page or your Pearson VUE appointment flow for the current fee and score report details before you register.

Retake rules, waiting periods, and any fees are defined by Dell and its testing partner, and they can differ from other vendor programs. Look up the current retake policy on the official certification site before scheduling a second attempt, and use your score report's domain breakdown to target the weakest areas first.

Start with networking fundamentals, then Ethernet switching and Layer 2, because most other domains assume that vocabulary. Move to IP routing and Layer 3, then security and access control. Add virtualization and fabric concepts, then management and automation. Finish with troubleshooting and high availability, which rewards synthesis. Keep the portfolio domain as light reading throughout.

No, but hands-on practice matters. A virtual lab or a couple of used switches lets you build VLANs, trunks, spanning tree topologies, link aggregation groups, static routes, and ACLs, then break them deliberately. Reading configuration guides without touching a CLI leaves you weak on the diagnostic reasoning that scenario questions reward.

The usual cause is treating them like single-answer items: picking the first plausible option and moving on. Each statement must be judged true or false on its own, and a distractor is often true in general but wrong for the stated platform or topology. Slow down, restate the scenario's constraints, and eliminate options that assume a feature the design does not use.

Validity periods and recertification requirements are set by Dell and have changed over time, so verify the current policy on the official site. The associate credential is generally a stepping stone toward professional-level Dell networking certifications, which assume the same fundamentals plus deeper design and configuration knowledge.