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CCST IT Support
The Cisco Certified Support Technician IT Support exam validates foundational skills in hardware, operating systems, networking basics, endpoint support, troubleshooting, and professional ethics, preparing candidates for entry‑level help desk roles.
Who Should Take This
It is designed for recent graduates, career changers, or junior technicians with up to six months of help‑desk experience who seek a recognized credential. These learners aim to demonstrate competence in core IT support tasks and advance toward professional IT service roles.
What's Covered
1
All domains in the Cisco Certified Support Technician IT Support (100-140) exam: Hardware and Operating Systems
2
, Networking Concepts
3
, Endpoint Device and Application Support
4
, Troubleshooting Methodology
5
, and IT Support Ethics
What's Included in AccelaStudy® AI
Course Outline
60 learning goals
1
Domain 1: Hardware and Operating Systems
4 topics
Identify computer hardware components and their functions
- Identify internal computer hardware components including CPU, RAM, motherboard, storage drives (HDD, SSD, NVMe), power supply, and expansion cards and describe the function of each in system operation.
- Identify common peripheral devices and connection interfaces including USB (2.0, 3.0, Type-C), DisplayPort, HDMI, Thunderbolt, and Bluetooth and describe their bandwidth and use cases.
- Describe the boot process sequence including POST, BIOS/UEFI initialization, boot device selection, bootloader execution, and operating system kernel loading.
- Compare storage technologies including magnetic HDD, SATA SSD, NVMe SSD, and eMMC by evaluating speed, capacity, cost, form factor, and reliability for different endpoint use cases.
Understand operating system concepts and management
- Identify major operating systems including Windows 10/11, macOS, Linux distributions (Ubuntu, CentOS), Chrome OS, iOS, and Android and describe the primary characteristics and target use cases of each.
- Describe file system types including NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, ext4, and APFS and explain their features such as journaling, permissions, maximum file sizes, and cross-platform compatibility.
- Apply basic command-line operations in Windows (cmd, PowerShell) and Linux (bash) to navigate directories, manage files, view processes, and check system information.
- Configure user accounts and permissions in Windows and Linux including creating local accounts, setting passwords, assigning group memberships, and managing file and folder permissions.
- Describe the purpose of Task Manager (Windows), Activity Monitor (macOS), and top/htop (Linux) for monitoring CPU, memory, disk, and network utilization and identifying resource-intensive processes.
Understand virtualization and cloud basics
- Describe desktop virtualization concepts including hypervisor types (Type 1 and Type 2), virtual machine creation, snapshot management, and the benefits of virtualization for testing and isolation.
- Identify cloud service models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) and deployment models (public, private, hybrid) and describe common cloud applications used in enterprise IT environments.
Understand OS installation and upgrade procedures
- Describe operating system installation methods including clean install, upgrade, and imaging using USB boot media, network boot (PXE), and deployment tools for enterprise environments.
- Apply disk partitioning and formatting procedures including creating partitions, selecting file systems, and configuring dual-boot environments for Windows and Linux installations.
- Describe driver installation and management including locating device drivers, verifying driver compatibility, updating drivers through Device Manager (Windows) and package managers (Linux).
2
Domain 2: Networking Concepts
3 topics
Understand basic networking for IT support
- Identify basic networking components including routers, switches, access points, modems, and cables and describe the role of each device in providing network connectivity to endpoints.
- Describe basic IP addressing concepts including IPv4 address format, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS server settings required for configuring endpoint network connectivity.
- Describe how DHCP automatically assigns IP configuration to endpoints and explain the difference between dynamic and static IP address assignment for workstation and server scenarios.
- Describe DNS name resolution at a user level and explain how endpoints use DNS to access websites, applications, and network resources by translating domain names to IP addresses.
Understand wireless and connectivity for IT support
- Configure wireless network connections on endpoints including selecting SSIDs, entering authentication credentials, managing saved networks, and verifying successful wireless association.
- Apply basic connectivity testing using ping to verify network reachability and use ipconfig/ifconfig to view current IP configuration on Windows, macOS, and Linux endpoints.
- Describe VPN client usage for secure remote access including connecting to a corporate VPN, understanding split versus full tunnel modes, and troubleshooting basic VPN connection failures.
- Diagnose common endpoint connectivity problems including incorrect IP configuration, DNS failures, default gateway issues, and wireless authentication errors using systematic troubleshooting steps.
Understand network sharing and services
- Describe network file sharing protocols including SMB/CIFS for Windows file sharing and NFS for Linux file sharing and explain how each protocol provides access to shared folders and resources.
- Describe cloud storage and synchronization services including OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, and iCloud and explain how they integrate with desktop operating systems for file backup and sharing.
- Describe the purpose of proxy servers and content filtering in enterprise environments and explain how they control internet access, cache content, and enforce acceptable use policies.
3
Domain 3: Endpoint Device and Application Support
5 topics
Support endpoint device configuration and management
- Configure printer setup including driver installation, network printer discovery, print queue management, and resolving common print failures such as spooler errors and paper jams.
- Configure email client applications including setting up POP3, IMAP, and SMTP server settings, SSL/TLS encryption, and troubleshooting common authentication and connectivity errors.
- Describe shared folder and mapped drive configuration including setting NTFS and share permissions, mapping network drives, and troubleshooting access denied and connectivity errors.
- Configure display settings including resolution, refresh rate, multi-monitor setup, and display output selection for external monitors and projectors in meeting room and workspace environments.
Support application installation and management
- Apply software installation procedures including downloading from trusted sources, running installers, configuring installation options, and verifying successful installation on Windows, macOS, and Linux systems.
- Describe software update and patch management for endpoints including Windows Update, macOS Software Update, Linux package managers (apt, yum), and the importance of keeping software current.
- Diagnose common application issues including crashes, freezes, compatibility problems, missing dependencies, and insufficient permissions by analyzing error messages and system logs.
Support web browsers and collaboration tools
- Configure web browser settings including proxy configuration, certificate management, cache and cookie management, pop-up blocking, and extension installation for enterprise environments.
- Describe collaboration platform support including video conferencing setup (Webex, Teams, Zoom), audio/video device configuration, screen sharing, and troubleshooting common meeting connectivity issues.
- Diagnose common browser issues including certificate errors, connectivity failures, plugin compatibility, slow performance, and redirects by clearing cache, resetting settings, and checking proxy configuration.
Understand data backup and recovery for endpoints
- Describe backup methods for endpoints including local backups, cloud backups, system image creation, and file-level backup and explain the difference between full, incremental, and differential approaches.
- Apply data recovery procedures including restoring files from backup, using system restore points (Windows), Time Machine (macOS), and performing bare-metal recovery from system images.
Support mobile devices and accessories
- Configure mobile device email and calendar synchronization including Exchange ActiveSync, IMAP, and CardDAV/CalDAV settings for iOS and Android devices in enterprise environments.
- Describe mobile device management (MDM) concepts including device enrollment, policy enforcement, remote lock and wipe, application management, and BYOD versus corporate-owned device models.
4
Domain 4: Troubleshooting Methodology
4 topics
Apply structured troubleshooting processes
- Describe the structured troubleshooting methodology including identifying the problem, establishing a theory, testing the theory, implementing the solution, verifying functionality, and documenting findings.
- Apply effective information gathering techniques including asking open-ended questions, reproducing the problem, reviewing error messages, checking recent changes, and consulting knowledge base articles.
- Describe escalation procedures including identifying when to escalate, providing complete documentation to the next tier, and maintaining communication with the end user during the escalation process.
Diagnose common hardware and OS problems
- Diagnose common hardware failures including boot failures, blue screen errors, overheating, storage drive failures, RAM errors, and power supply issues by interpreting symptoms and diagnostic tool output.
- Diagnose common operating system problems including slow performance, failed updates, driver conflicts, service failures, and disk space exhaustion using built-in diagnostic tools and event logs.
- Diagnose common peripheral device problems including printer failures, USB device recognition issues, display problems, and audio output failures by checking drivers, connections, and device manager status.
Understand remote support tools and techniques
- Describe remote desktop and remote assistance tools including RDP, VNC, TeamViewer, and platform-specific tools and explain how they enable IT support technicians to troubleshoot endpoints remotely.
- Apply remote support best practices including obtaining user consent, explaining actions to the user, minimizing disruption, and verifying the issue is resolved before closing the remote session.
Use system diagnostic and recovery tools
- Apply Windows recovery tools including System Restore, Startup Repair, Safe Mode, Reset this PC, and Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) to recover from boot failures and system corruption.
- Apply disk management utilities including Disk Management (Windows), Disk Utility (macOS), and fdisk/gdisk (Linux) to partition drives, format volumes, and resolve storage capacity issues.
- Analyze Windows Event Viewer logs including System, Application, and Security log categories to identify error patterns, warning trends, and critical failures for troubleshooting endpoint issues.
5
Domain 5: IT Support Ethics and Professionalism
3 topics
Understand help desk operations and ticketing
- Describe ticketing system workflows including ticket creation, categorization, priority assignment, status tracking, assignment routing, resolution documentation, and ticket closure procedures.
- Describe service level agreement (SLA) concepts including response time targets, resolution time targets, priority levels, and how SLAs establish expectations between IT support and business stakeholders.
- Apply effective ticket documentation practices including recording symptoms, steps taken, solutions applied, and user communication to create a useful knowledge base for future issue resolution.
Understand customer communication and professionalism
- Describe professional communication techniques for IT support including active listening, using non-technical language with end users, managing expectations, and maintaining a positive and patient demeanor.
- Describe the importance of empathy, cultural sensitivity, and adapting communication style based on the user's technical proficiency level when providing IT support across diverse user populations.
- Analyze a customer interaction scenario to identify communication issues, determine the appropriate professional response, and recommend improvements to ensure customer satisfaction.
Understand IT ethics, privacy, and security awareness
- Describe ethical responsibilities of IT support professionals including data confidentiality, respecting user privacy, avoiding unauthorized access, and handling sensitive information appropriately.
- Describe basic security awareness practices including recognizing phishing emails, creating strong passwords, locking workstations, reporting security incidents, and following acceptable use policies.
- Describe environmental considerations in IT including proper electronic waste disposal, energy-efficient hardware selection, power management settings, and responsible recycling of components and consumables.
- Describe workplace safety practices for IT technicians including ESD prevention, proper lifting techniques, cable management for trip hazard avoidance, and electrical safety when handling computer components.
Scope
Included Topics
- All domains in the Cisco Certified Support Technician IT Support (100-140) exam: Hardware and Operating Systems (25%), Networking Concepts (20%), Endpoint Device and Application Support (25%), Troubleshooting Methodology (20%), and IT Support Ethics (10%).
- Foundational IT support knowledge including computer hardware components, operating system installation and configuration (Windows, macOS, Linux), file system management, user account management, and peripheral device setup.
- Basic networking concepts for IT support including IP addressing, connectivity testing, wireless configuration, browser troubleshooting, email client configuration, and remote access tools.
- Help desk operations including ticketing systems, service level agreements, customer communication, documentation, escalation procedures, and professional ethics in IT support.
Not Covered
- Enterprise server administration, Active Directory domain controller configuration, and group policy management beyond basic awareness.
- Advanced networking including routing protocols, VLAN configuration, firewall rule creation, and network security implementation covered in CCST Networking.
- Software development, scripting automation, and application programming beyond basic script execution and batch file operations.
- Data center operations, virtualization platform administration, and cloud infrastructure management beyond basic user-level interaction.
- Cybersecurity operations, incident response, and vulnerability management covered in the CCST Cybersecurity certification.
Official Exam Page
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