CWNP CWAP-403 Exam Overview:
| Certification Vendor: | CWNP |
| Exam Name: | CWNP Certified Wireless Analysis Professional (CWAP-403) |
| Exam Number: | CWAP-403 |
| Certificate Validity Period: | 3 years |
| Available Languages: | English |
| Real Exam Qty: | 60 |
| Related Certifications: | CWNA CWDP CWSP |
| Exam Format: | Multiple choice, Multiple response |
| Exam Price: | $349 USD |
| Exam Duration: | 90 minutes |
| Passing Score: | 70% |
| Recommended Training: | CWNP Official Training |
| Exam Registration: | Pearson VUE Registration CWNP Certification Page |
| Sample Questions: | CWNP CWAP-403 Sample Questions |
| Exam Way: | Pearson VUE testing centers and online proctored exam |
| Pre Condition: | Recommended: CWNA certification or equivalent foundational wireless networking knowledge |
| Official Syllabus URL: | https://www.cwnp.com/certifications/cwap/ |
Test Domains
CWAP-403 topics have been developed based on a JTA (Job Task Analysis), which involved experts and professionals in wireless networking. Thus, the topics and the domains represent how important the content is for acing the official test. The areas that you'll come across on the exam day are captured as follows:
- PHY Layers & Technologies
This topic is about understanding and describing the functions as well as the PLCP sub-layers, applying the knowledge of PHY technologies that include PHY headers, training fields, preambles, data rates, and frame aggregations to captured data, and identifying as well as using PHY information as availed in pseudo-headers within protocol analyzers. More domains are focused on recognizing the limits related to protocol analyzers during the capture of PHY information that includes NULL data packets as well as PHY headers and using proper capture devices depending on the knowledge of PHY types.
- WLAN Medium Access
The last tested domain delves into the understanding of 802.11 contention algorithms and knowledge of their impact on WLANs. This concerns DCF (Distributed Coordination Function), EDCA (Enhanced Distributed Channel Access), and WMM (Wi-Fi Multimedia). It also touches on the analysis of QoS configuration as well as operations. Also, it further discusses the verification of QoS parameters within capture files and ensures an end-to-end implementation of QoS.
- MAC Sub-Layer & Functions
This part includes the understanding of frame encapsulation in addition to frame aggression. It also includes identifying and using MAC information within captured data to carry out analysis, which will be looking further at management, control as well as data frames, MAC Frame Format, 802.11 Management Frame Formats, Data & QoS Data Frame Formats, and 802.11 Control Frame Formats. Another portion looks at validating the configuration of BSS through analysis of the protocol. This covers country code, supported rates, minimum basic rate, WMM settings, beacon intervals, HT & VHT operations, primary channel, and more. There is also the part on identifying and analyzing CRC error and retransmitted frames.
- Spectrum Analysis
Such an area includes explaining data for RF spectrum and understanding commonly available views within spectrum analysis, analyzing spectrum captures for the purpose of identifying relevant issues and information concerning RF, analyzing captures for spectrum for the purpose of identifying varied device signatures, and centralizing solutions for spectrum analysis.
- Protocol Analysis
This concerns detailing 802.11 frames with the use of proper methods as well as locations, analyzing what the 802.11 frame has captured to allow the discovery of problems and finding of solutions, and understanding as well as applying common capture parameters for the configuration that are available within protocol analysis. Other aspects are utilizing additional tools used for capturing 802.11 frames with the intention of analyzing, troubleshooting, and ensuring the usage of proper troubleshooting methods with all types of analysis.
- 802.11 Frame Exchanges
The first part of such a segment regards capturing, understanding, and analyzing BSS discovery in addition to joining frame exchanges. This further looks at BSS discovery, 802.11 authentication as well as association, 802.1X/EAP exchanges, four-way handshake, group key exchange, neighbour discovery, and more. The second scope is centered on analyzing roaming behavior as well as resolving roaming challenges. It's all about of where to find excessive roaming, sticky clients, and channel aggregation aimed at roaming analysis. The third section is about analyzing frame exchanges for data. It captures data frames in addition to acknowledgement frames, RTS/CTS and QoS data frame exchanges, and block acknowledgement exchanges. The fourth aspect of this topic concerns analyzing transmission methods that are specific to HT/VHT. Particularly, this looks into Transmit Beamforming (TxBF), MIMO, and MU-MIMO. In addition, you'll know all you need about the frame aggregation (A-MPDU and A-MSDU). The fifth and final thing is about analyzing behavior and resolving problems that relate to operations within the MAC layer. This goes further into operations for Power Save, load balancing, band steering, and protection mechanisms.
CWNP CWAP-403 Exam Topics:
| Section | Objectives |
|---|---|
Protocol Analysis - 15% | |
| Capture 802.11 frames using the appropriate methods and locations | - Install monitor mode drivers |
| Analyze 802.11 frame captures to discover problems and find solutions | - Use appropriate display filters to view relevant frames and packets - Use colorization to highlight important frames and packets - Configure and display columns for analysis purposes - View frame and packet decodes and understand the information shown and apply it to the analysis process - Use multiple adapters and channel aggregation to view captures from multiple channels - Implement protocol analyzer decryption procedures - View and use captures statistical information for analysis - Use expert mode for analysis - View and understand peer maps as they relate to communications analysis |
| Understand and apply the common capture configuration parameters available in protocol analysis tools | - Save to disk - Packet slicing - Event triggers - Buffer options - Channels and channel widths - Capture filters - Channel scanning and dwell time |
| Utilize additional tools that capture 802.11 frames for the purposes of analysis and troubleshooting | - WLAN scanners and discovery tools - Protocol capture visualization and analysis tools - Centralized monitoring, alerting and forensic tools |
| Ensure appropriate troubleshooting methods are used with all analysis types | - Define the problem - Determine the scale of the problem - Identify probably causes - Capture and analyze the data - Observe the problem - Choose appropriate remediation steps - Document the problem and resolution |
Spectrum Analysis - 15% | |
| Capture RF spectrum data and understand the common views available in spectrum analyzers | - Install, configure and use spectrum analysis software and hardware
- Capture RF spectrum data using handheld, laptop-based and infrastructure spectrum capture solutions - Understand and use spectrum analyzer views
|
| Analyze spectrum captures to identify relevant RF information and issues | - Determine the RF noise floor in an environment - Determine Signal-to-Noise Ration (SNR) for a given signal - Locate and identify sources of RF interference - Identify RF channel utilization - Analyze a non-Wi-Fi transmitter and its impact on WLAN communications - Overlapping and non-overlapping adjacent channel interference - Poor performing or faulty radios |
| Analyze spectrum captures to identify various device signatures | - Identify frequency hopping devices
- Identify non-802.11 devices based on RF behaviors and signatures
|
| Centralized spectrum analysis solutions | - AP-based spectrum analysis |
PHY Layers and Technologies - 10% | |
| Understand and describe the functions and the PLCP and PMD sublayers | |
| Apply the understanding of PHY technologies (including PHY headers, preambles, training fields, frame aggregation and data rates) to captured data | - DSSS |
| Identify and use PHY information provided in pseudo-headers within protocol analyzers | - Pseudo-header formats
- Signal strength |
| Recognize the limits of protocol analyzers in capturing PHY information including NULL data packets and PHY headers | |
| Use appropriate capture devices based on an understanding of PHY types | - Supported PHYs - Supported spatial streams - Short Guard Interval (SGI) |
MAC Sublayer and Functions - 25% | |
| Understand frame encapsulation and frame aggregation | |
| Identify and use MAC information in captured data for analysis | - Management, control, and data frames
- 802.11 Management Frame Formats
- Data and QoS Data Frame Formats
|
| Validate BSS configuration through protocol analysis | - Country code - Minimum basic rate - Supported rates - Beacon intervals - WMM settings - RSN settings - HT and VHT operations - Channel width - Primary channel - Hidden or non-broadcast SSIDs |
| Identify and analyze CRC error frames and retransmitted frames | |
WLAN Medium Access - 10% | |
| Understand 802.11 contention algorithms in-depth and know how they impact WLANs | - Distributed Coordination Function (DCF)
- Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA)
- Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM)
|
| Analyze QoS configuration and operations | - Verify QoS parameters in capture files - Ensure QoS is implemented end-to-end |
802.11 Frame Exchanges - 25% | |
| Capture, understand, and analyze BSS discovery and joining frame exchanges | - BSS discovery |
| Analyze roaming behavior and resolve problems related to roaming | - Sticky clients - Excessive roaming - Channel aggregation for roaming analysis |
| Analyze data frame exchanges | - Data frames and acknowledgement frames - RTS/CTS data frame exchanges - QoS data frame exchanges - Block Acknowledgement exchanges |
| Analyze HT/VHT-specific transmission methods | - MIMO - Transmit Beamforming (TxBF) - MU-MIMO - Frame aggregation (A-MSDU and A-MPDU) |
| Analyze behavior and resolve problems related to MAC layer operations | - Power Save operations - Protection mechanisms - Load balancing - Band Steering |
Reference: https://www.cwnp.com/certifications/cwap
For more info visit:
CWAP-403 Exam Main Areas
Here are the exam main topic areas along with their weights:
- Protocol Analysis (15%);
- MAC Sub-Layer & Functions (25%);
- 802.11 Frame Exchanges (25%);
- WLAN Medium Access (10%).
- Spectrum Analysis (15%);
- PHY Layers & Technologies (10%);

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