Cisco 300-620 DCACI ACI Implementation Practice Exam
Cover the full 300-620 v1.1 blueprint — ACI fabric infrastructure, packet forwarding, external network connectivity, integrations, ACI management, and ACI Anywhere — with objective-mapped questions, immediate feedback in Learn mode, and full timed simulation in Exam mode.
Start 24-hour free trial →300-620 exam at a glance
- Vendor
- Cisco
- Exam code
- 300-620 (DCACI)
- Full name
- Implementing Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure
- Level
- Professional
- Blueprint
- v1.1
- Duration
- 90 minutes
- Role in CCNP
- CCNP Data Center concentration exam — pair with the DCCOR 350-601 core to earn CCNP Data Center
- Also earns
- Cisco Certified Specialist – Data Center ACI Implementation
- Domains
- Six, with published weights (see below); they sum to 100%
- Prerequisites
- None formally required; hands-on experience with Nexus 9000 in ACI mode is strongly recommended
- Delivery
- Pearson VUE; test center or online proctored
- Scoring
- Scaled score; Cisco does not publish a fixed public cut score. Confirm on Cisco’s page
Sources: Cisco — DCACI (300-620) exam page · Cisco — official DCACI v1.1 exam topics (PDF). Verify current details with Cisco before scheduling.
About the Cisco 300-620 DCACI exam
The 300-620 DCACI exam validates the skills to implement Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) — configuring, implementing, and managing Cisco Nexus 9000 switches in ACI mode. It is a Professional-level exam covering the APIC controller, the logical policy model (tenants, VRFs, bridge domains, EPGs, contracts), fabric forwarding, external connectivity, integrations, and management. For how certification exams work generally, see the certification study guides in our Learning Hub.
DCACI is a CCNP Data Center concentration exam. To earn CCNP Data Center you pass two exams: the DCCOR 350-601 core (Implementing and Operating Cisco Data Center Core Technologies) plus one concentration — DCACI being the ACI-implementation option. Passing DCACI on its own also earns the Cisco Certified Specialist – Data Center ACI Implementation credential. Cisco has since added a newer AI-focused concentration, DCAI (300-640), to the Data Center lineup; related design and troubleshooting concentrations include DCID design (300-610) and DCIT troubleshooting (300-615).
Every PowerKram practice question maps to one of the six weighted domains and links to Cisco’s own exam material, so a weak spot becomes a specific study step rather than a guess.
300-620 exam domains and weights (v1.1)
Cisco publishes six weighted domains for the 300-620 exam, and they sum to 100%. There is no single dominant domain — three areas tie for the largest share at 20% each (ACI Fabric Infrastructure, External Network Connectivity, and ACI Management), so spread your preparation rather than betting on one topic. Confirm the current weights on Cisco’s exam topics before scheduling.
APIC cluster and fabric initialization and discovery, spine/leaf topology, access policies (interface, switch, VLAN pools, domains, AAEPs), and fabric-level configuration of the Nexus 9000 fabric in ACI mode.
Endpoint learning, bridge-domain knobs (unicast routing, Layer 2 unknown hardware proxy vs flood, ARP flooding), and how the fabric forwards unicast, multicast, and broadcast traffic.
L2Out and L3Out design and implementation, routed connectivity to external networks (OSPF, BGP), external EPGs, contracts to outside networks, and transit routing through the fabric.
VMM domain integration (e.g. VMware vCenter/DVS), resolution and deployment immediacy, and integrating the fabric with virtualization and Layer 4–7 service devices.
In-band and out-of-band management, RBAC and security domains, firmware management, configuration backup/snapshots and rollback, and fault, audit, and health monitoring in the APIC.
Extending policy beyond a single fabric — Multi-Pod, Multi-Site (and the older Remote Leaf) architectures used to stretch ACI across pods, sites, and locations.
Source: Cisco — official DCACI v1.1 (300-620) exam topics (PDF). Weights are Cisco’s and sum to 100%. Verify the current edition before scheduling.
Who the 300-620 exam is for
DCACI is aimed at engineers who deploy and operate Cisco ACI fabrics:
- Data-center and network engineers implementing Nexus 9000 in ACI mode — fabric build, policy model, and external connectivity.
- ACI implementation and migration engineers moving from standalone NX-OS to ACI, or extending policy with Multi-Pod/Multi-Site.
- CCNP Data Center candidates choosing the ACI concentration alongside the DCCOR 350-601 core.
- Specialists pursuing the Cisco Certified Specialist – Data Center ACI Implementation credential.
Pair this ACI concentration with design via DCID (300-610) or troubleshooting via DCIT (300-615). If you’re building networking foundations first, start with CCNA (200-301). For where ACI and data-center skills lead, see the network and infrastructure career paths in our Career Hub.
What this 300-620 practice exam delivers
Learn mode
Get the correct answer, the explanation, and a direct link to Cisco’s exam material each question maps to — immediately after each question. Ideal for the ACI policy model, where small config choices change forwarding behavior.
Exam mode
Timed, full-length simulation spanning all six domains at the real 90-minute pace — so test day feels familiar.
Source-linked explanations
Every answer links to Cisco’s own DCACI exam material, so you can verify each ACI implementation choice against the source.
Score by weighted domain
Results break down across the six weighted domains so you can see whether it’s fabric, forwarding, external connectivity, integrations, management, or ACI Anywhere that needs more work.
Sample 300-620 practice questions
Ten free questions across the 300-620 weighted domains, with full explanations and source links to Cisco’s exam material. The complete bank is available with the 24-hour trial.
Which component is the central policy controller of a Cisco ACI fabric?
- The APIC (Application Policy Infrastructure Controller) cluster
- A single spine switch
- The vCenter server
- The DHCP relay
Show answer & explanation
Correct: A. The APIC cluster is the central policy controller and management plane of an ACI fabric — it defines and pushes policy but is not in the data path. Fabric operation continues even if the APIC cluster is temporarily unavailable.
Why not the others: a spine (B) forwards traffic and holds the mapping database but isn’t the policy controller; vCenter (C) is integrated via a VMM domain but doesn’t control the fabric; the DHCP relay (D) is a service, not the controller.
Source: Cisco — DCACI: ACI fabric infrastructure → Further reading: PowerKram — DCID (300-610) →In the ACI access-policy chain, which object ties a VLAN pool and a domain to the interfaces where they will be used?
- A tenant
- An Attachable Access Entity Profile (AAEP)
- A contract
- A service graph
Show answer & explanation
Correct: B. The AAEP binds domains (and their associated VLAN pools) to interface policy groups, connecting the fabric-access configuration to the physical/virtual ports — a core step in ACI fabric bring-up.
Why not the others: a tenant (A) is a logical policy container, not an access-policy binder; a contract (C) governs EPG-to-EPG communication; a service graph (D) inserts L4–7 services.
Source: Cisco — DCACI: access policies → Further reading: PowerKram — DCIT (300-615) →Enabling “unicast routing” on a bridge domain, along with a subnet, primarily enables what?
- Wireless roaming
- Routing of Layer 3 traffic for endpoints in that bridge domain (the fabric acts as the default gateway)
- Automatic firmware upgrades
- Disabling of all contracts
Show answer & explanation
Correct: B. Turning on unicast routing (with a configured subnet/gateway) lets the bridge domain route Layer 3 traffic, with the fabric providing a pervasive anycast default gateway for endpoints in that BD.
Why not the others: ACI doesn’t do wireless roaming (A); firmware upgrades (C) are a management function; contracts (D) are unaffected by the routing knob.
Source: Cisco — DCACI: packet forwarding & bridge domains → Further reading: PowerKram — CCNA (200-301) →Two EPGs in the same tenant need to communicate. By default (with a VRF enforced), what is required to permit that traffic?
- Nothing — EPGs communicate freely by default
- A firmware upgrade
- A contract between the EPGs (provider/consumer) permitting the traffic
- A separate physical cable between them
Show answer & explanation
Correct: C. In an enforced VRF, ACI’s allow-list model blocks inter-EPG traffic until a contract is applied — one EPG provides and the other consumes a contract that specifies the permitted filters.
Why not the others: EPGs don’t talk freely under an enforced VRF (A); firmware (B) and physical cabling (D) are irrelevant to the policy permit.
Source: Cisco — DCACI: contracts & EPGs →Which ACI construct provides routed (Layer 3) connectivity between the fabric and an external network?
- An L3Out
- A VLAN pool
- A firmware policy
- A snapshot
Show answer & explanation
Correct: A. An L3Out defines routed external connectivity — the routing protocol (OSPF, BGP, EIGRP, or static), the border-leaf interfaces, and the external EPG that classifies outside traffic for contracts. It’s the standard way ACI talks Layer 3 to the outside.
Why not the others: a VLAN pool (B) is an access-policy resource; a firmware policy (C) and a snapshot (D) are management functions, not external routing.
Source: Cisco — DCACI: external network connectivity (L3Out) →In an L3Out, which object classifies external subnets so contracts can be applied to outside traffic?
- The chassis serial number
- The console cable
- The external EPG (with subnet scope such as “External Subnets for the External EPG”)
- The NTP server
Show answer & explanation
Correct: C. The external EPG (L3ext) classifies outside subnets into an EPG so contracts can govern their communication with internal EPGs; the subnet scope flags (e.g. “External Subnets for the External EPG”) control that classification and route import/export.
Why not the others: the serial number (A), console cable (B), and NTP server (D) play no part in classifying external subnets.
Source: Cisco — DCACI: external EPGs & L3Out →When integrating ACI with VMware via a VMM domain, which setting controls when policy is actually programmed on a leaf as VMs come online?
- The rack unit height
- The SNMP community string only
- The cable color
- Resolution and deployment immediacy
Show answer & explanation
Correct: D. Resolution immediacy (pre-provision/immediate/on-demand) and deployment immediacy control when the VMM-integrated policy and contracts are resolved and pushed to the leaf — a key tuning point for scale and VM mobility.
Why not the others: rack height (A), the SNMP string alone (B), and cable color (C) don’t govern VMM policy programming.
Source: Cisco — DCACI: VMM integration → Further reading: PowerKram — DCIT (300-615) →An administrator wants to be able to roll the fabric configuration back to a known-good point before a change. Which ACI feature supports this?
- Turning the APIC off and on
- Relabeling the cables
- Increasing the fan speed
- Configuration snapshots (and export) in the APIC
Show answer & explanation
Correct: D. ACI configuration snapshots capture fabric/tenant state so you can compare and roll back to a known-good point; combined with scheduled exports, they’re the backbone of safe change management in the APIC.
Why not the others: power-cycling the APIC (A) doesn’t restore config; relabeling cables (B) and fan speed (C) are unrelated to configuration rollback.
Source: Cisco — DCACI: management, backup & snapshots → Further reading: PowerKram — DCID (300-610) →Which ACI mechanism restricts an administrator to managing only a specific subset of the fabric (for example, one tenant)?
- Increasing the MTU
- Security domains with RBAC (role-based access control)
- Disabling spanning tree
- A longer power cord
Show answer & explanation
Correct: B. ACI uses security domains together with RBAC roles/privileges to scope what an administrator can see and change — e.g. limiting a user to a single tenant or to interface-selector policies only.
Why not the others: MTU (A) is a forwarding parameter; spanning tree (C) isn’t how ACI scopes admin access; a power cord (D) is irrelevant.
Source: Cisco — DCACI: RBAC & security domains →Which ACI architecture connects multiple separate ACI fabrics, each with its own APIC cluster, under coordinated policy across sites?
- A single-leaf deployment
- A console-only setup
- ACI Multi-Site (with the Nexus Dashboard Orchestrator / Multi-Site Orchestrator)
- A standalone NX-OS switch
Show answer & explanation
Correct: C. ACI Multi-Site connects multiple fabrics — each with its own APIC cluster — under a single orchestration layer (Nexus Dashboard Orchestrator / Multi-Site Orchestrator) that pushes consistent, scoped policy across sites. This is core ACI Anywhere content.
Why not the others: a single-leaf deployment (A) and a standalone NX-OS switch (D) aren’t multi-fabric ACI; a console-only setup (B) isn’t an architecture.
Source: Cisco — DCACI: ACI Anywhere (Multi-Site) →Keep going: Learning & Career resources
DCACI is the ACI-implementation concentration in the CCNP Data Center track. Two PowerKram hubs back this exam.
Deep dive: the ACI policy model, the CCNP path, and study strategy
The ACI policy model in one pass
ACI is policy-driven: tenants contain VRFs and bridge domains; endpoints land in EPGs; contracts (provider/consumer) govern which EPGs may talk and on which filters; L3Outs and external EPGs bring in the outside world; and the APIC pushes it all onto a spine-leaf Nexus 9000 fabric. Understanding how these objects reference each other is more valuable than memorizing any single screen. See DCID (300-610) →
How DCACI fits CCNP Data Center
CCNP Data Center requires two exams: the DCCOR 350-601 core plus one concentration. DCACI is the ACI-implementation concentration; design (DCID 300-610) and troubleshooting (DCIT 300-615) are alternatives, and Cisco has added a newer AI-focused concentration, DCAI (300-640). Passing DCACI alone also earns Cisco Certified Specialist – Data Center ACI Implementation. See DCIT (300-615) →
Realistic study path
Because three domains tie at 20% (Fabric Infrastructure, External Network Connectivity, ACI Management), spread your time and get hands-on in a lab or simulator: build access policies end to end, wire an L3Out with OSPF or BGP, apply contracts between EPGs, integrate a VMM domain, and take snapshots. Finish with objective-mapped practice and at least one timed 90-minute run. Confirm the current blueprint on Cisco’s exam topics. See CCNA (200-301) →
Frequently asked questions
What does the 300-620 DCACI exam cover?
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