CWNA Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield CWNA facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. When assessing WLAN quality in a healthcare environment, which coverage threshold is commonly recommended for voice-grade Wi-Fi calling? → Minimum –67 dBm RSSI with SNR ≥ 25 dB
2. What is the purpose of the RTS/CTS mechanism in 802.11? → Mitigate the hidden node problem
3. What is the term for the loss of signal strength as it travels through free space without any obstacles? → Free-space path loss
4. A wireless engineer is designing coverage for a warehouse with metal shelving. Which propagation phenomenon is most likely to cause dead zones behind shelves? → Absorption and reflection by metal causing RF shadowing
5. A department manager complains that Wi-Fi is slow only during lunch hours. What is the BEST first communication step for the WLAN administrator? → Acknowledge the issue and schedule a site survey during the reported time window
6. What is the role of the Distribution System (DS) in an 802.11 BSS infrastructure network? → To connect multiple BSSs and provide access to external networks
7. Which 802.11 QoS amendment introduced Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) to prioritize traffic by access category? → 802.11e
8. During a wireless risk assessment, what does the term 'threat vector' specifically describe? → The path or method an attacker uses to gain unauthorized access
9. When calculating a link budget, which term describes the total signal loss between the transmitter output and receiver input excluding antenna gain? → Free-space path loss
10. When documenting a wireless network change for stakeholders, which element is MOST important to include? → The business justification, scope, risk assessment, and rollback plan
11. What is the maximum channel bandwidth introduced by 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) in the 5 GHz band? → 160 MHz
12. What is the minimum channel availability check (CAC) time required before a Wi-Fi device can transmit on a DFS channel? → 60 seconds
13. What does the term 'BSS Coloring' in 802.11ax help accomplish? → Reduces co-channel interference by tagging frames from different BSSs
14. What does 'guard interval' refer to in OFDM-based 802.11 transmissions? → A time gap between OFDM symbols to prevent inter-symbol interference
15. What is a risk mitigation strategy in Wireless Network Administrator practice? → Implementing controls that reduce the likelihood or impact of identified risks
16. Which term describes the condition where two APs use the same channel and their coverage areas overlap, causing performance degradation? → Co-channel interference
17. Which WPA3 feature provides forward secrecy, protecting past session traffic even if the passphrase is later compromised? → SAE (Simultaneous Authentication of Equals)
18. Which IEEE standard defines the CAPWAP (Control and Provisioning of Wireless Access Points) protocol used for AP-controller communication? → RFC 5415
19. Which communication channel is MOST appropriate for distributing scheduled WLAN maintenance notifications to all building occupants? → A broadcast email or intranet announcement sent at least 48 hours in advance
20. What role does active listening play in Wireless Network Administrator practice? → It ensures accurate understanding, demonstrates respect, and improves outcomes
21. Which antenna type radiates power equally in all directions in the horizontal plane and is commonly used for general indoor coverage? → Dipole/omnidirectional
22. Under FCC Part 15.407, low-power indoor (LPI) devices in the 6 GHz band are restricted to what maximum EIRP? → 30 dBm (1 W)
23. In the context of CWNA, what is the primary role of the Distribution System (DS) in a wireless infrastructure network? → Connecting APs to each other and to the wired LAN backbone
24. What maximum EIRP does FCC Part 15.247 permit for point-to-point 2.4 GHz links using a directional antenna? → 4 W (36 dBm)
25. Which Wi-Fi generation introduced OFDMA to improve multi-user efficiency in dense environments? → Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
26. What is the main advantage of the 5 GHz band over the 2.4 GHz band for enterprise WLAN design? → More non-overlapping channels available and significantly less RF congestion
27. Which QoS access category (AC) should be used for voice traffic in WMM to achieve the lowest latency? → AC_VO (Voice)
28. Which 5 GHz UNII sub-band is shared with Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) and requires the strictest DFS parameters? → UNII-2C (5.47–5.725 GHz)
29. Which statement best describes how 802.11k (Radio Resource Management) benefits wireless clients? → It provides clients with neighbor AP reports to reduce active scanning time
30. A CWNA professional sends a post-site-survey report to a client. Which section is MOST important for non-technical stakeholders? → Executive summary with findings, business impact, and recommended actions