CCT Routing & Switching Exam Guide: What the Retired RSTECH Credential Means Now
CCT Routing & Switching validated practical support skills for technicians working with Cisco routers, switches, cabling, interfaces, and IOS command-line operation. It served candidates preparing for onsite maintenance rather than advanced network design. The key decision today is whether you are researching the former 100-490 RSTECH exam for an existing credential or choosing Cisco’s replacement path. This guide separates the retired exam’s skills from the current CCT Field Technician route, then gives you a focused way to prepare without relying on unauthorized question material.
Can you still take the CCT Routing & Switching exam?
No. Cisco’s former 100-490 RSTECH exam is retired. The final date to take it was February 9, 2025, and Cisco states that retired exams are no longer available for certifying or recertifying. The replacement listed by Cisco is 800-150 FLDTEC, which leads to the current CCT Field Technician certification.
If you are searching for CCT Routing & Switching because an employer, résumé, or older study plan names it, check the exact requirement before booking anything. A preparation product labelled “RSTECH” may describe the former exam’s objectives, but it cannot make a candidate newly certified through that retired exam.
Cisco also says certifications based on retired exams remain valid until each holder’s individual expiration date. That distinction matters: an existing holder may still have a valid credential, while a new candidate cannot use 100-490 RSTECH for certification or recertification.
The current route to investigate
Cisco states that CCT Field Technician replaced the former CCT Collaboration, CCT Data Center, and CCT Routing & Switching certifications. Cisco made 800-150 FLDTEC available starting February 10, 2025, and requires passing it to earn CCT Field Technician.
The current exam covers onsite replacement across routing, switching, data center, UCS, and collaboration platforms. That is broader than the former routing-and-switching focus, so do not assume that a study plan built only around routers, switches, and IOS will cover the current exam completely.
What did CCT Routing & Switching validate?
The former credential focused on onsite support and maintenance of Cisco routers, switches, and operating environments. Its emphasis was technician work: recognize equipment and connection components, understand the device’s operating context, and use the Cisco CLI to connect to and service products.
Cisco’s former topic description identifies four practical capability areas: identifying router and switch models, accessories, cabling, and interfaces; understanding Cisco IOS operating modes; and using the Cisco CLI to connect to and service products. Treat those capabilities as the core of any historical RSTECH study plan.
This was not presented as an advanced architecture or network-design certification. A useful preparation question is therefore not “Can I recite every command?” but “Can I identify the relevant hardware or connection, determine the device’s operating mode, and take the appropriate support action?” That question keeps study aligned with the technician role.
Hardware recognition and physical connections
Begin with the physical layer of the technician task. Your study should connect device identification with the service decision that follows: what the component is, where it connects, and which cable, interface, or accessory is relevant.
Use labelled diagrams, equipment photographs, and an inventory-style notebook to review router and switch models, interfaces, accessories, and cabling. For each item, record its name, visual clues, connection purpose, and the mistake a technician could make when selecting or attaching it.
Do not turn this into a catalogue of isolated product names. Practise identifying an item from a short description or image and explaining what information you would verify before servicing it. That approach is more useful than memorizing an unconnected list.
IOS operating modes and CLI work
The former exam required understanding Cisco IOS operating modes and using the Cisco CLI to connect to and service products. Your practice should therefore cover the relationship between the prompt, the current mode, and the task you are trying to perform.
Build a small command map rather than memorizing commands alphabetically. Organize entries by purpose: reaching the device, recognizing the current context, moving between operating modes, checking status, and carrying out a support action. Add the expected prompt or mode beside each entry where that is part of your learning material.
When practising, say what you expect to learn before entering a command. Then compare the result with your expectation and record why the next action follows. This creates a diagnostic habit and reduces blind command repetition.
Who should use the former RSTECH material?
Former RSTECH material is most useful to candidates studying the historical certification, technicians reviewing foundational Cisco support concepts, and existing credential holders who want to revisit the skills behind their qualification. It is not a current exam-registration path for a new CCT Routing & Switching credential.
The audience implied by the former objectives is an entry-level or developing field technician who needs practical familiarity with Cisco equipment and operating environments. You do not need to present yourself as a network architect to benefit from the material; you do need to know where your hands-on gaps are.
If your employer specifically asks for CCT Routing & Switching, ask whether the request refers to a still-valid legacy credential or whether it actually means the current CCT Field Technician certification. Record the exam code in writing. “CCT” alone is not precise enough for a scheduling decision.
A quick fit check before studying
Choose the former RSTECH study path only when you are documenting, reviewing, or mapping an existing requirement. Choose the current FLDTEC research path when you need a new Cisco technician certification.
You are ready to move from general reading into practical preparation when you can identify the physical components you are studying, explain the relevant IOS context, and describe a logical CLI support sequence without depending on an answer key.
If those statements are not yet true, start with device and interface terminology before attempting timed practice. If they are true for routing and switching but your target is FLDTEC, broaden your plan to the additional platforms named by Cisco.
What were the former exam logistics?
Cisco described 100-490 RSTECH as a closed-book exam lasting 90 minutes with 60–70 questions, and outside reference materials were prohibited. Those details describe the former exam only; they do not create a way to schedule it now.
The practical implication for historical preparation is that recognition and reasoning had to be available without consulting notes during the attempt. Use notes during learning, but progressively remove them during review so you can identify hardware, interpret IOS context, and choose a support action independently.
Do not carry the former logistics into a current FLDTEC booking. Cisco lists 800-150 FLDTEC at US$200 with a 120-minute duration, and says current CCT exams are proctored in a secure environment online or at testing centers. Confirm the official booking page before paying because exam arrangements can change.
How results and delivery affect your plan
Cisco says current CCT exams are graded pass/fail and results are usually available online within 48 hours. Current exams are delivered in a secure proctored environment online or at testing centers. These statements apply to the current CCT exam information, not to a promise that the retired RSTECH exam can be booked.
For a current FLDTEC decision, verify the exam code, fee, duration, delivery choice, identification rules, and any system or appointment requirements on Cisco’s official pages. Treat a third-party listing as a study reference, not as the authority for registration.
For historical RSTECH research, do not spend preparation time trying to solve an unavailable scheduling problem. First establish whether you need evidence about a prior certification, an employer equivalency, or the current replacement.
How should you prepare for the former skill set?
Use a sequence that moves from recognition to interpretation and then to action. Start with physical equipment and connections, add IOS operating modes, practise CLI navigation and service tasks, and finish with mixed scenarios that require you to choose the next step.
A short course can provide orientation, but it should not be your entire preparation method. Cisco’s former RSTECH course overview listed e-learning duration as equivalent to 6–7 classroom hours and listed no prerequisite for the former course. That is course information, not a guarantee that a candidate will be ready after the same amount of study.
Use official topic information as the boundary of your plan, then build practice around the decisions a field technician must make. Keep a list of uncertain terms and commands. Review that list at the start of each session and remove an item only when you can explain it and apply it.
Phase one: establish the equipment map
Create a one-page map of the devices, interfaces, accessories, and cabling covered by your learning sources. The purpose is not artistic presentation; it is to expose gaps quickly and give every physical item a functional context.
For each item, answer four questions: What is it? How would I recognize it? What does it connect to? What service or troubleshooting decision depends on identifying it correctly? If you cannot answer the last question, mark the item for a second pass.
Use comparison tables carefully. Compare items only when the comparison has a practical purpose, such as distinguishing an interface or cable type. Avoid memorizing visual differences without connecting them to installation or service work.
Phase two: organize IOS by task
Next, group IOS concepts around technician actions. Practise establishing access, identifying the current operating mode, moving to the mode required for a task, checking device information, and interpreting the response before proceeding.
Write short scenarios instead of copying command lists. For example, a scenario can ask you to determine what context the device is in, identify the information needed, and state the next command category. Keep the scenario generic and use authorised lab or simulator resources rather than attempting to reproduce live exam content.
Review errors by category. A wrong answer may come from confusing a mode, misreading a prompt, selecting the wrong information command, or skipping a verification step. The correction should name the cause, not merely display the answer.
Phase three: practise complete support sequences
Once individual skills are stable, combine them. A complete exercise should begin with an equipment or connection clue, require you to determine the relevant IOS context, and end with a justified CLI action or verification step.
Use a written checklist for each exercise: identify the component, establish the device context, select the information to gather, perform the permitted action, and verify the result. This checklist is a learning aid, not a claim about an official question format.
If your environment permits hands-on practice, use equipment or a legitimate simulator and reset it between exercises. If it does not, work from diagrams and documented command output, clearly separating what you know from what you would verify on a real device.
What should a practical study roadmap look like?
A workable roadmap has four stages and a decision point at the end of each stage. First establish the target credential, then build the hardware vocabulary, then practise IOS and CLI reasoning, and finally test mixed support scenarios. If the target is FLDTEC, insert a scope review for data center, UCS, and collaboration coverage rather than stopping at routing and switching.
The roadmap below is deliberately activity-based. It does not assume a particular amount of prior experience, and it does not treat a course completion or a practice score as proof of readiness. Adjust the pace when your error log shows that a stage is not stable.
Stage one: confirm the target
Write down the credential name, exam code, and the reason you need it. If the code is 100-490 RSTECH, record that Cisco retired it and that its final testing date was February 9, 2025. If you need a current credential, investigate 800-150 FLDTEC instead.
Read the relevant Cisco certification and retirement information before buying a course or booking an exam. This prevents the common mistake of preparing for a historical blueprint when the employer actually expects the replacement certification.
Output for this stage: one sentence identifying whether you are reviewing the former RSTECH skills or preparing for the current Field Technician route.
Stage two: build the physical vocabulary
Study router and switch identification, accessories, cabling, and interfaces as connected service topics. Use a recognition sheet and revisit it until you can explain the purpose of each entry without copying a definition.
Create deliberate contrasts between items that are easy to confuse. Include the clue that separates them and the service consequence of choosing incorrectly. Keep unknowns visible instead of hiding them in a large completed glossary.
Output for this stage: a checked equipment map and a short list of physical topics requiring more work.
Stage three: practise operating modes and CLI decisions
Organize IOS practice by operating mode and technician task. Begin with interpreting the prompt or context, then move to selecting the information or service action that fits the situation.
After each exercise, write the reasoning in one or two sentences. If the result is unexpected, diagnose whether the issue was the mode, command purpose, syntax, or interpretation of output. Repeat the exercise later without looking at the solution.
Output for this stage: a command-and-context reference sheet that you can explain, not merely recognize.
Stage four: combine and review
Use mixed scenarios that start with a physical clue and finish with a CLI or service decision. Alternate recognition exercises with hands-on or output-based tasks so that neither memorization nor command entry becomes an isolated skill.
At the end of each session, sort errors into knowledge gaps, careless reading, mode confusion, and incomplete verification. Give the next session a specific correction task. “Study more” is too vague to guide an efficient review.
Output for this stage: an error log showing which objectives are stable and which still require targeted practice.
Stage five: make the scheduling decision
For the former RSTECH exam, there is no current scheduling decision because the exam is retired. For FLDTEC, compare your preparation with the broader current scope before choosing a date, then confirm Cisco’s current delivery and registration details.
Do not schedule solely because a practice set feels familiar. Schedule only after you can work through unfamiliarly worded, authorised practice scenarios and explain the underlying decision. Familiar answer patterns can conceal weak understanding.
Output for this stage: a confirmed current exam code, an official registration source, and a final review list limited to identifiable gaps.
Which study mistakes waste the most time?
The most damaging mistakes are targeting the wrong exam, treating a retired blueprint as current, memorizing command strings without understanding operating modes, and using unauthorised question material as a substitute for skill development. Correct these before adding more resources.
A reliable preparation plan should make the reason for every activity visible. If a flashcard, lab exercise, or practice question does not improve equipment recognition, IOS understanding, CLI reasoning, or the current FLDTEC scope, question its place in the plan.
Mistake: ignoring the exam-code change
Searching for “CCT Routing & Switching” can produce older material because the former credential remains relevant to historical records. The remedy is simple: anchor every registration conversation and study purchase to an exam code.
Cisco lists 800-150 FLDTEC as the replacement for retired 100-490 RSTECH and the former CCT Routing & Switching certification. That replacement has a broader platform scope, so an old RSTECH-only outline is not enough evidence for current readiness.
Mistake: learning commands without context
A command list may help recall, but it does not show whether you know the operating mode, the information you need, or how to interpret the output. Practise commands inside a defined technician task and state why the command is appropriate.
When reviewing an error, ask what the device context was and what evidence should have been gathered first. This turns a syntax correction into a transferable diagnostic lesson.
Mistake: relying on dumps or leaked questions
Unauthorised exam content is not a dependable preparation method and cannot replace knowledge of equipment, IOS modes, or CLI service work. Memorizing reported answers also creates a risk of misunderstanding the underlying task.
Use official topic information, legitimate training, lab work, and original practice exercises. The goal is to solve a new support scenario from the relevant evidence, not to recognize a copied question.
Mistake: confusing a course with readiness
Cisco’s former course overview gave a course-duration reference and no prerequisite, but neither fact says that every learner will be ready after completing the course. Treat training as an organized starting point.
After each learning module, require yourself to perform an application task: identify a component, explain a connection, interpret an IOS context, or select and justify a CLI action. Study time becomes more meaningful when it produces observable evidence of understanding.
How can you use Cisco sources and third-party material responsibly?
Use Cisco’s certification, exam, retirement, and topic pages to settle status, scope, and official logistics. Use third-party material only to explain concepts or provide additional practice, and check that it does not silently present retired RSTECH details as current FLDTEC requirements.
For a current booking, the Cisco certification and exam pages take priority over catalogue listings. For historical research, the former RSTECH topic page and course overview are useful records, but their exam details must remain labelled as former information.
A source-checking routine
First verify the exam code. Second verify whether Cisco currently lists the exam as available or retired. Third compare the stated scope with the official current certification page. Fourth confirm delivery, fee, duration, and result information directly before scheduling.
Keep a two-column note: “historical RSTECH” and “current FLDTEC.” Put every fact in the correct column. This prevents the former 90-minute, 60–70-question description from being mistakenly applied to the current exam, whose Cisco listing gives a 120-minute duration.
What to do next
If you need the former credential for a record, save the Cisco retirement information and ask the requesting organization how it handles an existing certification. If you need a new credential, start with the current CCT Field Technician requirements and its 800-150 FLDTEC exam.
Then create the first version of your study map: hardware and connections, IOS modes, CLI service tasks, and—when preparing for FLDTEC—the additional current platform areas named by Cisco. Review the map weekly and replace broad goals with specific correction tasks.
Conclusion
CCT Routing & Switching is now a historical Cisco certification path, not an exam you can newly schedule. Its former RSTECH objectives still provide a useful foundation for understanding technician work with Cisco hardware, connections, IOS modes, and CLI service tasks, but the current replacement is 800-150 FLDTEC and covers a wider platform range. Confirm the credential and exam code first, use Cisco sources for status and logistics, and build preparation around practical decisions rather than memorized answer patterns. That sequence keeps your study investment aligned with the certification you actually need.
