The CWDP exam is taken by wireless engineers who already hold a current CWNA credential and want to show they can design WLANs. This page gives you the exam facts CWNP publishes, free practice sets grouped by topic, worked explanations of sample questions, and a study plan to use alongside the official material.
Numbers in brackets link to the official sources listed under Sources & last verified. Dates that have passed are removed automatically.
| Item | Detail | Source · Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Number of questions (CWDP-305) | 60 multiple-choice questions[1] | CWNP · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Time limit (CWDP-305) | 90 minutes[1] | CWNP · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Exam fee (CWDP-305) | $349.99 (USD)[1] | CWNP · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Retake policy | 10-day waiting period (weekends count)[2] | CWNP · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Validity | 3 years[1] | CWNP · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Renewal | Hold current CWNA + pass current CWDP exam[1] | CWNP · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Delivery (CWDP-305) | CWNP Remote Proctored Exam or Prometric test center[2] | CWNP · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Eligibility (CWDP-305) | Current, valid CWNA credential required[1] | CWNP · Oct 25, 2026 |
| Score release | CWNP receives results in 24–72 hours[2] | CWNP · Oct 25, 2026 |
According to CWNP, “you must hold a current and valid CWNA credential.”[1]
CWDP (Certified Wireless Design Professional) is a CWNP certification for people who plan and design wireless LANs. The current exam is CWDP-305. It has 60 multiple-choice questions and a time limit of 90 minutes. CWNP lists the fee as $349.99 (USD).
You can take the exam as a CWNP remote proctored exam or at a Prometric test center. CWNP offers remote proctoring for CWDP along with several of its other exams.
Eligibility is strict. You must hold a current and valid CWNA credential before the CWDP credential can be awarded.
After you sit the exam, CWNP asks you to allow a minimum of 24 to 72 hours for it to receive your results. It then sends a confirmation email. If you do not pass, there is a 10-day waiting period before you can retake the exam, and weekends count toward those days.
The CWDP certification is valid for 3 years. To recertify, you need a current CWNA credential and you must pass the current CWDP exam.
This page does not state a passing score or a list of official exam objectives, because we have not verified them. Check the CWDP page on cwnp.com for the current objectives, scoring details and any change to the fee or format before you book.
Prepare for the CWDP - Certified Wireless Design Professional exam with our free practice test modules. Each quiz covers key topics to help you pass on your first try.
These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.
Question: What minimum RSSI delta between the current AP and a candidate AP typically triggers a client roam decision?
Answer: B. 5 dB
Explanation:
The correct answer is 5 dB. Many clients wait until a candidate AP is clearly stronger than the current one before they roam. That margin stops a client from switching back and forth when two APs have similar signal levels.
2 dB is wrong because normal signal fluctuation is larger than that, so a client using it would roam constantly. 12 dB and 20 dB are wrong because they are too high. A client would hold on to a weak AP long after a better one was available, and users would see poor performance.
The rule to remember is that roaming thresholds are a compromise between stability and responsiveness. Client behaviour differs by vendor and driver, so a design should give overlapping coverage with a clear signal difference between neighbouring APs rather than rely on one exact trigger value.
Question: How should channel planning be approached in a multi-floor building to minimize co-channel interference?
Answer: A. Use a 3D channel reuse pattern ensuring the same channel is not used on adjacent APs vertically or horizontally
Explanation:
The correct answer is a 3D channel reuse pattern. Radio signals pass through floors and ceilings as well as walls, so an AP on one floor can interfere with APs above and below it, not only with its neighbours on the same floor.
Using the same channel on every floor is wrong because it stacks co-channel APs directly on top of each other and they compete for airtime. Using only channel 1 is wrong because every AP ends up sharing a single channel. Random assignment is wrong because it gives no control over which APs end up as neighbours, so conflicts appear by chance.
The rule to remember is that channel planning is a spatial problem in three dimensions. Check the neighbours of each AP in every direction, and use floor attenuation as part of the separation between APs that share a channel.
Question: Which environmental factor causes the most significant signal attenuation for outdoor 5 GHz links during adverse weather?
Answer: C. Wind causing antenna misalignment
Explanation:
The marked answer is wind causing antenna misalignment. High-gain directional antennas have narrow beams, so a small movement of a mast or mount can point the beam away from the far end and cut the received signal sharply.
Direct sunlight is wrong because it does not meaningfully weaken an RF signal, although heat can matter for equipment. Heavy rain causing rain fade above 10 GHz is wrong for this question because the link in the question runs at 5 GHz, below the frequencies where rain fade becomes the main concern. High humidity at ground level is wrong because it has little effect on a link at this frequency.
The rule to remember is to match the impairment to the frequency band in the question. For a narrow-beam link at 5 GHz, mechanical stability of the mount is the practical risk to check first.
Start with the CWDP page on cwnp.com and read the current exam objectives. Write down each topic in your own words and mark the ones where you could not explain the reasoning to a colleague. Your CWNA material is also useful here, since the CWDP exam builds on it.
Then use the practice sets to find gaps. Begin with the foundations: RF Fundamentals and Wireless Technologies and Wireless Network Design and Architecture. Move on to design-specific topics such as Channel Planning and RF Design, Antenna Design and Placement and Capacity Planning and High-Density Design.
After each set, read the explanation for every question you missed, then go back to the official material and find the section that covers it. Do not just memorise the answer. Work out why the other options fail.
Finish with Wireless Network Troubleshooting and mixed review of your weakest sets, timed so you get used to the 90-minute limit and 60 questions. Our questions are written by us and are not real exam questions, so use them to test understanding rather than to predict what will appear.
Yes. CWNP states that you must hold a current and valid CWNA credential for the CWDP certification. If your CWNA has lapsed, check with CWNP how to restore it before you book the CWDP exam. The CWNP certification page for CWDP has the current requirements.
CWNP lists the CWDP-305 exam as 60 multiple-choice questions with a duration of 90 minutes. Check the CWNP CWDP page before your exam date in case the format has changed since this page was written.
CWNP lists the cost as $349.99 (USD). Prices and taxes can change, so confirm the amount on the CWNP site at checkout. This site does not sell the exam and cannot offer discounts on it.
Yes. CWNP offers remote proctored exam services for CWDP, and you can also sit the exam at a Prometric test center. Read the CWNP FAQ for the technical and room requirements of remote proctoring before choosing it.
CWNP applies a 10-day waiting period before you can retake the exam, and weekends count toward those days. Use the time to review the topics where you lost marks, and book the retake only when your practice results are steady.
The CWDP certification is valid for 3 years. To recertify, you must hold a current CWNA credential and pass the current CWDP exam. Because the exam can change over time, check the CWNP site for the current version before you start preparing to renew.
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