Cisco Certified Technician Routing & Switching (RSTECH) Exam Guide
Cisco Certified Technician Routing and Switching (CCT Routing & Switching) was designed for technicians who support Cisco routers, switches, cabling, interfaces, and operating environments in onsite or hands-on service work. The associated 100-490 RSTECH exam validated practical knowledge of networking fundamentals, Cisco equipment, Cisco IOS operation, and service tasks. The important scheduling decision has changed: Cisco lists 100-490 RSTECH as retired, with 800-150 FLDTEC as its replacement. Use this guide to understand the former exam’s scope, decide whether its material supports your goals, and choose the correct current certification path.
Can you still schedule the RSTECH exam?
No. The 100-490 RSTECH exam is retired and is no longer available for certification or recertification. Cisco’s retired-exam listing identifies 800-150 FLDTEC as its replacement exam, so a new candidate should not plan a booking around RSTECH. Start by checking Cisco’s current certification and exam information before purchasing training or setting a study timetable.
Cisco’s CCT Routing & Switching exam-topics page records February 9, 2025 as the last date to test for 100-490 RSTECH. That date is historical, not a future scheduling opportunity. Cisco also states that retired exams are no longer available for certification or recertification, although certifications based on retired exams remain valid until their individual expiration dates.
This distinction matters for two different readers. A person who already holds CCT Routing & Switching should verify the individual expiration date of that certification and review Cisco’s recertification route. A person who has not yet earned it should investigate the current CCT Field Technician program and the 800-150 FLDTEC exam instead of treating old RSTECH registration information as current.
The official retired-exam page is the best final check because exam availability can change independently of third-party pages. Do not infer that a practice-test listing, archived course page, or search result represents an open Cisco registration option.
What work was RSTECH intended to support?
RSTECH focused on onsite support and maintenance of Cisco routers, switches, and their operating environments. Its practical center was not advanced network design; it was recognizing equipment, connecting to it correctly, operating basic Cisco IOS tools, and carrying out service and troubleshooting tasks in a controlled way.
The associated Cisco course covered identification of router and switch models, accessories, cabling, and interfaces. It also addressed Cisco IOS operating modes and use of the Cisco command-line interface to connect to and service products. Those themes point to a technician who must turn a physical or operational symptom into a sensible first diagnostic step.
The course objectives included hardware break/fix, software and configuration backup and restoration, software upgrades and downgrades, connection-type and cable recognition, and basic Layer 1 and Layer 2 troubleshooting. In practical terms, preparation needed to connect physical evidence with software evidence: a wrong cable, an inactive interface, a missing configuration, and an IOS problem require different checks.
The exam therefore suited learners building a foundation for field support, depot repair, or junior network-device service responsibilities. It was not evidence of mastery of every Cisco routing protocol, enterprise architecture, or complex incident scenario. Keep the intended technician role in view when deciding how much depth to pursue.
Which knowledge areas were tested?
The RSTECH blueprint grouped content into general networking knowledge, Cisco equipment and related hardware, Cisco IOS software operation, and service-related knowledge. A useful study plan should preserve those four boundaries while also connecting them through realistic service workflows.
General networking knowledge included the OSI and TCP/IP models, switches, routers, wireless access points, Layer 2 technologies, cabling, IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, FTP, TFTP, PING, Telnet, and SSH. Study these as tools for diagnosis rather than as isolated vocabulary. For example, identify which layer a symptom suggests, then choose a connection method or test that could confirm it.
The equipment section required identification of Cisco products, product markings and model numbers, transceiver modules, and product serial-number locations. This is a recognition task with operational consequences. A technician needs to distinguish a device or module before selecting documentation, replacement hardware, a cable, or a maintenance procedure.
Cisco IOS operation covered the working environment in which a technician connects to and services a device. The course specifically included IOS operating modes and CLI use. Service-related preparation should then bring together backup and restoration, upgrades and downgrades, break/fix work, and basic Layer 1 and Layer 2 troubleshooting.
The public exam-topics material does not provide a percentage breakdown in the supplied research. Do not assign unofficial weights to these domains or compare unlabeled percentages from third-party summaries. Instead, use the four named areas as a coverage checklist and prioritize any topic where you cannot explain the next safe technician action.
What exam format and delivery details are documented?
The documented 100-490 RSTECH format was a 90-minute, closed-book exam with 60–70 questions and no outside reference materials. Those details describe the retired exam, not the replacement 800-150 FLDTEC exam. Candidates using this page for historical preparation should not transfer RSTECH timing or question information to the current exam without checking Cisco’s current documentation.
Because the exam was closed book, preparation needed to build recognition and decision speed before test day. Looking up a command during study is useful for learning, but it does not replace remembering what the command or connection method is intended to establish. Create short recall prompts after each study session and answer them without documentation.
The supplied official material does not establish a current RSTECH registration method, fee, language list, score requirement, or available delivery location. Those details should be omitted from planning rather than filled with estimates. Since the exam is retired, the immediate delivery decision is to stop searching for a booking and confirm the current successor information through Cisco.
Cisco’s announcement stated that the newer CCT Field Technician exam would launch through Pearson VUE, but that announcement concerns the successor program. Treat it as background to the transition, not as a complete current booking instruction for every candidate.
How should you assess your starting point?
Begin with a task-based diagnostic, not a broad confidence rating. List whether you can identify common Cisco device markings, explain a switch-versus-router role, recognize a likely cable or interface issue, describe IOS operating modes, and choose a sensible first check for a basic Layer 1 or Layer 2 fault.
Separate recognition gaps from execution gaps. You may recognize TFTP in a glossary but still be unable to explain when a configuration backup or restoration workflow would be appropriate. Likewise, knowing that SSH is a remote-access method is different from understanding why a technician would use it instead of a console connection during service work.
Use four columns in a simple worksheet: networking, equipment, IOS, and service. For each topic, record what you can explain from memory, what you can demonstrate in a lab or simulation, and what remains unclear. This exposes an important difference between reading an exam topic and being ready to apply it.
A sensible decision rule is to study fundamentals first when you cannot explain the relationship between a symptom and a layer. Move to equipment identification when physical components are unfamiliar. Move to IOS and service workflows when you understand the network concepts but cannot organize a safe backup, connection, or troubleshooting sequence.
Do not use a dump score as your readiness measure. Memorized answers do not establish that you can identify a model, select the correct interface, preserve a configuration, or isolate a basic fault. Use official topics and task explanations as the basis for your diagnostic.
What should you study first?
Study the physical and networking foundation before memorizing command syntax. Start with device roles, interfaces, cabling, Layer 1 versus Layer 2 symptoms, addressing, and the purpose of common diagnostic and transfer tools. This order gives later IOS and service procedures a reason, which makes them easier to recall and less likely to be applied mechanically.
First, map the OSI and TCP/IP models to technician observations. A disconnected cable, an interface that is down, a switching problem, and an addressing problem do not begin with the same check. The goal is not to recite layers; it is to use layer boundaries to narrow a fault.
Next, review switches, routers, wireless access points, and Layer 2 technologies. Add IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, then the roles of PING, Telnet, SSH, FTP, and TFTP. For each item, write one sentence answering: what does it connect to, what information does it provide, and what could make it fail?
Then learn the equipment recognition material. Practice reading product markings and model numbers, identifying transceiver modules, locating serial-number information, and matching interfaces to their connection purpose. If you have access to legitimate product documentation or lab hardware, compare labels and interface shapes directly; if not, use Cisco’s authorized learning material rather than unverified image collections.
Only after that foundation should you concentrate on IOS operating modes and CLI workflows. Your notes should distinguish entering a device, identifying its state, checking a condition, preserving configuration information, and changing software or configuration. Keep observation commands separate from commands that modify a device.
How do you practise IOS and service workflows safely?
Practise each workflow as a sequence with a purpose: establish access, identify the device, inspect the condition, preserve relevant information, perform the approved action, and verify the result. This approach is more useful than collecting disconnected commands and reduces the risk of treating a configuration change or software operation as a first diagnostic step.
The course objectives named Tera Term, PuTTY, TFTP and FTP servers, USB storage, a loopback plug, and Windows for basic Cisco software configuration and tools. Use those items as a checklist of workflow concepts. You need to understand what role each tool or medium plays, what kind of connection or transfer it supports, and what evidence confirms that the task worked.
For backup and restoration study, write two separate procedures rather than one combined note. A backup is about preserving a usable copy before service activity; restoration is about recovering an intended configuration or software state. Include verification questions such as whether the correct device was selected, whether the transfer completed, and whether the resulting state is the expected one.
For upgrades and downgrades, focus on preparation and verification. Identify the target device and software, confirm that the selected image or procedure is appropriate, preserve required information, and define how you would verify the result. Do not rehearse destructive actions on production equipment or download untrusted software merely to create a practice scenario.
For break/fix work, practise explaining the evidence you would collect before replacing a component. A loopback plug, a known-good cable, interface status, product markings, and serial-number information can each answer a different question. The aim is disciplined isolation, not swapping parts until a symptom disappears.
How can you build a practical troubleshooting sequence?
Use a bottom-up sequence for basic faults unless the evidence points elsewhere: confirm power and physical connection, inspect the interface and cable, check link or status information, verify the relevant Layer 2 behavior, then examine addressing or higher-level access. Record what each check proves and what it does not prove.
Start with the physical path. Confirm that the cable type, connector, transceiver, and interface are appropriate, seated, and free of obvious damage. Check the device and port indicators where available, but do not treat an indicator alone as proof that end-to-end communication is healthy.
Move to Layer 2 questions after the physical path is plausible. Consider whether the correct switch port and connection are involved and whether the observed behavior is consistent with a local switching problem. Keep the scope narrow: identify the smallest failed segment before changing settings across the device.
Use PING and addressing knowledge only after you understand what path and interface you are testing. A failed PING can reflect several causes, so interpret it with interface, cable, addressing, and local connectivity evidence. Similarly, successful local connectivity does not automatically prove that every remote service is available.
Document the result in operational language. Instead of writing “network issue,” write that the suspected connection used the wrong cable type, that an interface lacked expected link evidence, or that the physical path was confirmed and the next check moved to Layer 2. This habit improves both exam reasoning and real service handoffs.
What mistakes make RSTECH preparation inefficient?
The most costly mistake is preparing for an exam that cannot be scheduled. Confirm retirement status first, then decide whether you need historical RSTECH knowledge for an existing certification or current FLDTEC information for a new certification. That single check prevents time and money being spent on obsolete registration advice.
Another mistake is treating the course outline as a list of terms. Knowing the names of IOS modes, transfer protocols, or modules is weaker than being able to connect each item to a technician task. Convert every topic into a small decision: identify, connect, inspect, preserve, repair, upgrade, restore, or verify.
Do not over-focus on advanced networking at the expense of field basics. The documented scope included models, equipment, cabling, addressing, tools, hardware service, IOS operation, and basic Layer 1 and Layer 2 troubleshooting. A study plan that spends all its time on complex design scenarios can leave the actual technician workflow underdeveloped.
Avoid confusing access methods. Console access, Telnet, SSH, FTP, and TFTP do not serve identical purposes. Write down whether each item is a management connection, a file-transfer mechanism, or a diagnostic tool, and identify the conditions that affect its use.
Do not memorise product images or serial-number locations from an unattributed question bank. Product families and hardware details require reliable references. Use official Cisco course material and exam topics, and verify current information when the goal has moved to the successor certification.
Finally, do not treat a practice result as proof of competence if you cannot explain why an answer is correct. Review the underlying domain and perform a related task or explanation from memory.
What is a workable study roadmap?
A four-stage roadmap works well for the former RSTECH scope: establish the network foundation, learn Cisco equipment, practise IOS and service workflows, and finish with integrated troubleshooting. Keep the sequence flexible, but do not skip the diagnostic stage. Since RSTECH is retired, use this roadmap for historical knowledge, existing-certification context, or transferable technician fundamentals—not as a promise of access to the old exam.
Stage one: foundation. Review OSI and TCP/IP models, device roles, Layer 2 technologies, cabling, IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, and the purpose of PING, Telnet, SSH, FTP, and TFTP. At the end of the stage, explain how a physical symptom differs from an addressing or remote-access symptom.
Stage two: equipment recognition. Build a reference sheet for Cisco product identification, markings, model numbers, interfaces, accessories, transceiver modules, and serial-number locations. Test yourself by looking at an item or an authorized illustration and stating what it is, what information you would record, and what connection or service decision depends on that identification.
Stage three: IOS and service. Practise recognizing operating modes and using the CLI to connect and service products. Work through backup and restoration, software upgrade and downgrade planning, connection-type recognition, and basic tool use. Separate read-only inspection from changes, and include verification after every simulated operation.
Stage four: integration. Given a short fault description, identify the likely domain, list the least disruptive checks, choose the appropriate tool or connection, and state what result would cause you to continue or stop. Add a hardware identification step when the scenario involves a replacement, module, interface, or serial record.
At the end, perform a gap review against the four blueprint areas. If one area remains mostly theoretical, postpone any certification decision and close that gap first. For a current credential, switch the review to Cisco’s 800-150 FLDTEC topics rather than assuming the old roadmap is complete.
How should you use Cisco’s course material?
The Cisco RSTECH course is useful as a scope and vocabulary reference, but it should not be mistaken for current registration information. Cisco stated that the course had no prerequisite and listed the e-learning course as equivalent to 6–7 hours of classroom instruction. Treat that as the documented course description, not as a guaranteed amount of study time needed to become ready.
Use the course objectives to create practical checkpoints. Can you identify a router or switch model and its interfaces? Can you explain the operating modes involved in a basic CLI session? Can you distinguish a configuration backup from restoration? Can you recognize connection types and cables? Can you describe a basic Layer 1 or Layer 2 troubleshooting path?
Cisco’s later announcement states that the FLDTEC learning path replaced the RSTECH training. It also describes the newer path as covering hardware identification, cabling, configuration backup and restoration, and software upgrades and downgrades in addition to material from the earlier offerings. That overlap may make old RSTECH knowledge useful, but it does not make the old course a substitute for reviewing current FLDTEC requirements.
When a course activity requires tools such as PuTTY, Tera Term, a transfer server, USB storage, or a loopback plug, focus on the purpose and controls around the activity. Work only with equipment and software you are authorized to use. A lab should teach repeatable service behavior, not encourage experimentation on a live device.
Should you choose RSTECH material or FLDTEC preparation?
Choose FLDTEC preparation if your goal is to earn a current Cisco Certified Technician credential. Cisco describes 800-150 FLDTEC as the replacement for 100-490 RSTECH, and the updated CCT Field Technician program merged the former Collaboration, Data Center, and Routing and Switching certifications. Confirm the current exam topics and registration details before committing to a course.
Choose historical RSTECH material when you are reviewing an existing CCT Routing & Switching certification, studying a legacy training record, or building transferable familiarity with Cisco field-support tasks. In that case, the material remains useful for understanding device identification, IOS access, cabling, backup and restoration, and basic troubleshooting, but the retired exam itself is not an available target.
Do not assume that the two exams have identical scope, format, or preparation requirements. Cisco’s announcement describes FLDTEC as a broader, consolidated program with updated legacy topics and new Cisco products. It also states that the new exam is a single exam with a 120-minute duration, whereas the supplied RSTECH exam-topics document describes the retired RSTECH exam as 90 minutes and 60–70 questions. These are separate exam facts and should not be merged.
Existing certification holders should check the expiration and recertification implications directly with Cisco. Cisco states that holders can continue to use current certifications until they expire but will need to take 800-150 FLDTEC for recertification. This is a certification-management decision, not a reason for a new candidate to search for an RSTECH appointment.
What should you do next?
First, classify your objective: earn a current credential, understand legacy RSTECH material, or manage an existing CCT Routing & Switching certification. Then use Cisco’s official exam-status and certification pages to confirm the applicable route. This prevents a technically accurate historical guide from becoming an incorrect booking plan.
If you need the current route, open Cisco’s information for 800-150 FLDTEC and compare its official topics with your experience. If you need legacy knowledge, download the RSTECH exam-topics document and the associated course outline, then turn the four blueprint areas into a gap checklist. Keep the documents’ dates and status visible in your notes.
Next, complete a short diagnostic without reference material: identify the purpose of the main network devices, classify a few symptoms by layer, explain the role of common access and transfer tools, and outline a backup or troubleshooting workflow. Study the weakest domain first, then revisit it after practical exercises.
Finally, schedule a review checkpoint rather than an RSTECH exam appointment. At that checkpoint, confirm that you can explain each answer, identify hardware and connections accurately, and describe verification after service activity. If the goal is current certification, make the final decision using Cisco’s current FLDTEC information—not archived RSTECH listings or unverified practice-question claims.
Conclusion
RSTECH remains a useful reference for the technician fundamentals Cisco associated with CCT Routing & Switching, but it is not a current exam target. The documented scope emphasized networking basics, Cisco hardware identification, IOS operation, service procedures, and basic Layer 1 and Layer 2 troubleshooting. Use those areas to organize legacy study or strengthen practical skills, then move current certification planning to Cisco’s 800-150 FLDTEC replacement information. Verify status, topics, and delivery details at Cisco before making a registration or recertification decision.
