Free HPE Network Campus Access Professional Architect Exam Practice Questions

Sample Practice Questions

Try these 10 sample questions from the HPE Network Campus Access Professional Architect Exam practice bank. Each includes the answer and explanation. Continue with the interactive practice above to review the full question set.

1. 1During discovery for a campus access redesign, an architect learns that the customer has a team authorized to accept the security controls. How should that team be represented in stakeholder identification?

   1. A.As a decision-authority stakeholder whose security concerns must be capturedCorrect answer: A
   2. B.As an implementation supplier responsible for selecting the access switches
   3. C.As an operational user group represented solely by endpoint traffic measurements
   4. D.As a project sponsor whose approval replaces the security requirements

   Explanation: NIST includes stakeholders representing “acceptance, and similar organizations with specific security-relevant decision-making authority and responsibilities.” The team's acceptance authority makes A correct. B assigns a supplier role not stated in the scenario. C loses the team's decision authority by substituting traffic measurements for its requirements. D incorrectly turns approval into a replacement for requirements.

   Reference: NIST SP 800-160 Volume 1 Revision 1 — Engineering Trustworthy Secure Systems — Appendix H.2.3, SN-1.1 Note 2, printed page 118

2. 2A design requires redundant Layer 2 uplinks from an access switch to two separate aggregation switches using MC-LAG. Which HPE Aruba Networking redundancy capability should the aggregation pair support?

   1. A.VSXCorrect answer: A
   2. B.VSF
   3. C.VRRP
   4. D.Single-chassis LACP

   Explanation: HPE states: “Use HPE Aruba Networking CX switches that support Virtual Switching Extension (VSX) redundancy to allow access switches and other devices to connect over a redundant, MC-LAG Layer 2 connection.” VSX enables the specified MC-LAG connection to separate aggregation devices. VSF is stacking, VRRP supplies first-hop gateway redundancy, and single-chassis LACP does not supply the required multi-chassis pair.

   Reference: HPE Aruba Networking Campus Design — LAN Topologies — Collapsed Core Layer

3. 3A technical proposal names the selected campus components but does not explain how to realize the design. What additional level of documentation is required?

   1. A.A stakeholder problem statement describing the desired outcomes
   2. B.An executive summary describing the business benefits
   3. C.A system design specification explaining element-level realizationCorrect answer: C
   4. D.A commercial quotation listing the selected components

   Explanation: The source states: “The purpose of the Design Definition process is to provide sufficient data and information about the system and its elements to realize the solution in accordance with the system requirements and architecture.” The missing information is realization detail at system and element level. A problem statement, executive summary and quotation have other purposes and do not supply that design specification.

   Reference: NIST SP 800-160v1r1 — Engineering Trustworthy Secure Systems — Appendix H.5, printed page 125

4. 4A supplier's campus proposal includes attractive features but omits one mandatory security criterion in the customer's solicitation. Which response is appropriate?

   1. A.Treat the extra features as automatically compensating for the omission
   2. B.Revise the response to satisfy the solicitation's security criteriaCorrect answer: B
   3. C.Use the supplier's standard configuration as the acceptance baseline instead
   4. D.Defer identifying the omitted criterion until after contract signature

   Explanation: NIST states: “Prepare a response that satisfies the security criteria in the solicitation.” Additional features do not replace a mandatory criterion. The response must address that criterion rather than substituting a vendor baseline or deferring it.

   Reference: NIST SP 800-160v1r1 — Engineering Trustworthy Secure Systems — Appendix K.2.3, SP-2.2, printed page 177

5. 5The network operations lead initially reports no security concerns about a proposed campus architecture, but the architect suspects that operational concerns have not been articulated. What discovery action is supported by secure systems engineering guidance?

   1. A.Treat the absence of stated concerns as agreement with the proposed design
   2. B.Discuss intended operations with the lead to make implicit concerns explicitCorrect answer: B
   3. C.Replace the lead's input with the security product vendor's default configuration
   4. D.Record the lead only after the implementation team has completed installation

   Explanation: NIST states that some stakeholder concerns “are initially implicit, not necessarily known, and must be made explicit through discourse.” B elicits the missing concerns. A mistakes silence for agreement; C substitutes vendor choices for stakeholder discovery; D delays identification until after the concerns should have informed design.

   Reference: NIST SP 800-160 Volume 1 Revision 1 — Engineering Trustworthy Secure Systems — Appendix H.2.3, SN-1.1 Note 1, printed page 118

6. 6An architect wants to simplify growth of the switch stack within a wiring closet. Which switch capability is specifically recommended for this purpose?

   1. A.VSX multi-chassis redundancy
   2. B.VSF stackingCorrect answer: B
   3. C.VRRP first-hop redundancy
   4. D.OSPF routed equal-cost paths

   Explanation: HPE states: “Use HPE Aruba Networking CX switches that support VSF stacking for simplified growth in the network closet.” VSF is the cited closet-stacking capability. VSX, VRRP and OSPF supply different redundancy mechanisms rather than the requested stack growth.

   Reference: HPE Aruba Networking Campus Design — LAN Topologies — Access Layer

7. 7A campus proposal connects the access-control system to an existing identity service. Which technical detail must be documented for that connection?

   1. A.The authentication exchange and its interface security constraintsCorrect answer: A
   2. B.The identity server's rack power and cooling allocation
   3. C.The identity server's hardware renewal schedule
   4. D.The identity server's capital depreciation profile

   Explanation: The source states: “Refine or define the security aspects of interfaces between system elements and with external entities.” The connection needs its interface security definition. The same server's facilities, renewal and financial profiles do not define that interface.

   Reference: NIST SP 800-160v1r1 — Engineering Trustworthy Secure Systems — Appendix H.5.3, DE-2.6, printed page 126

8. 8Before committing to a campus solution in response to a request, what must the supplier determine about the requested security capabilities?

   1. A.The security-relevant feasibility of the requested capabilitiesCorrect answer: A
   2. B.Only the commercial acceptability of the quoted unit prices
   3. C.Only the availability of named models in a price list
   4. D.Only the supplier's ability to meet the requested shipping date

   Explanation: The source states: “Evaluate a request for a product or service to determine the security-relevant feasibility and how to respond.” Security feasibility is the required assessment. Price, catalogue availability and shipping feasibility assess other aspects and do not establish that the security request can be met.

   Reference: NIST SP 800-160v1r1 — Engineering Trustworthy Secure Systems — Appendix K.2.3, SP-2.1, printed page 177

9. 9A campus security team requests tighter access restrictions while the operations team requests simpler access for maintenance. Both are relevant stakeholders. What should the architect's stakeholder-requirements strategy address?

   1. A.How to select the requirements of whichever team owns more network devices
   2. B.How to convert both preferences directly into separate approved designs
   3. C.How consensus on protection needs will be reached despite opposing interestsCorrect answer: C
   4. D.How to defer both teams' requirements until the selected hardware is installed

   Explanation: NIST says the strategy addresses “how consensus about protection needs and requirements is to be achieved among stakeholders with opposing interests.” C directly applies. Device ownership in A is not a stated authority rule; B treats unresolved preferences as approved designs; D bypasses requirements reconciliation before implementation.

   Reference: NIST SP 800-160 Volume 1 Revision 1 — Engineering Trustworthy Secure Systems — Appendix H.2.3, SN-1.2 Note, printed page 118

10. 10A campus requires access-port authentication and network configuration to follow the connecting user rather than a permanently assigned port function. Which design feature fits this requirement?

    1. A.Static VLAN assignment on each access port
    2. B.MAC authentication with a fixed port VLAN
    3. C.Colorless Ports with 802.1X dynamic configurationCorrect answer: C
    4. D.BPDU protection without user authentication

    Explanation: HPE states: “Enable HPE Aruba Networking Colorless Ports by configuring port policies to allow 802.1x dynamic authentication and network configuration.” Colorless Ports provides dynamic authentication and configuration. Fixed port/VLAN policies do not follow the user; BPDU protection handles spanning-tree control rather than user authentication.

    Reference: HPE Aruba Networking Campus Design — LAN Topologies — Access Layer, Colorless Ports