- What the Credential Actually Is
- Who Issues It and Who Delivers It
- Exam Format at a Glance
- The Five Content Areas
- What This Credential Is Not
- Who the Exam Is Built For
- Cost, Vouchers and Registration
- Scoring, Validity and Renewal
- Career and Salary Context
- Sequencing Your Preparation
- Frequently Asked Questions
- ITS-N here means Information Technology Specialist - Networking, a Pearson credential issued through Certiport, not any similarly abbreviated certification.
- The exam runs 35-45 questions in 50 minutes, computer-based and proctored, with a passing score of 700 on a 1-1000 scale.
- Five domains: Networking Fundamentals, Network Infrastructures, Network Hardware, Protocols and Services, and Troubleshooting.
- The US retail voucher with retake is USD 133; the original voucher expires one year after purchase.
What the Credential Actually Is
Information Technology Specialist - Networking is an entry-level certification that validates foundational skills in small-to-medium business networking. It sits in Pearson's IT Specialist program and measures whether a candidate can reason about how networks are built, how traffic is addressed and named, what hardware moves it, and how to diagnose problems when something stops working.
If you have searched for terms like "IT Specialist Networking certification," "ITS Networking," or "Certiport Networking exam," you have landed on the right credential. Our site uses the shorthand ITS-N as a project label for it. That label is a site identifier, not an official exam code, so when you register or search for a voucher, use the full provider title: IT Specialist - Networking.
Several other certifications are abbreviated with the same letters elsewhere on the web. Everything in this article refers only to the Pearson/Certiport networking exam. For a quick terminology refresher, see our short explainers on what ITS-N stands for and the meaning of ITS-N.
Who Issues It and Who Delivers It
The governing body is Pearson. Certiport, a Pearson VUE business, administers the program and issues the credential. Delivery happens through Certiport Authorized Testing Centers (CATCs), and Pearson VUE also offers test-center and OnVUE (online proctored) delivery. The practical consequence is that your voucher should match the delivery channel you plan to use. Confirm that before you purchase, because a voucher bought for one channel is not automatically the right choice for another.
Exam Format at a Glance
The published exam form contains 35 to 45 questions with a standard exam time of 50 minutes, excluding administrative appointment activities such as check-in and tutorial screens. Pearson publishes a range rather than a fixed total, and it does not publish a scored versus unscored split, so be skeptical of any site that claims a precise number for either.
| Attribute | IT Specialist - Networking |
|---|---|
| Question count | 35-45 (published range) |
| Exam time | 50 minutes, excluding administrative activities |
| Delivery | Computer-based, proctored |
| Passing score | 700 on a 1-1000 scaled score |
| Question style shown in tutorial | Multiple choice, with review/navigation and answer changes before submission |
| Degree requirement | None |
The official tutorial illustrates multiple-choice items and shows that you can review and change answers before submitting. Because the form is short, each question carries real weight, and the time budget works out to a little over a minute per item at the top of the range. That is comfortable for recall questions and tight for scenario items that ask you to interpret command output or pick the right fix. For a candid read on difficulty, see How Hard Is the ITS-N Exam?
The Five Content Areas
The exam objectives come from Pearson's official 3-page objectives document for Networking (copyright 2025). The five headings below are the official ones, including the plural "Network Infrastructures" and the combined "Protocols and Services." Pearson does not publish percentage weights per heading, and the number of subtopics under a heading is not a proxy for how many questions it contributes. The study priorities below are editorial judgment, not exam weighting. For a deeper walkthrough, read the complete guide to all five content areas.
Domain 1: Networking Fundamentals
The conceptual bedrock: what a network is, how devices communicate, and the vocabulary every other domain assumes.
- Network types, topologies and how they affect reliability and cost
- IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, including IPv6 notation and shorthand rules
- The purpose of subnetting and how a mask separates network from host
- Virtualization concepts as they apply to networked systems
Domain 2: Network Infrastructures
How networks are assembled for a small-to-medium business, from the wired and wireless environment through the services layered on top.
- Wired and wireless network design considerations
- How infrastructure components connect and where they sit in a topology
- How virtualized resources fit into a physical network
Domain 3: Network Hardware
The devices and media that carry traffic, and the judgment to choose the right one for a given scenario.
- The role of switches, routers, access points and similar devices
- Cabling and connectors, and when each medium is appropriate
- Wireless hardware and how it differs from wired equivalents
Domain 4: Protocols and Services
Probably the densest area in practice, because it combines protocols, ports and the services that make a network usable.
- DNS and name resolution, including the purpose of common record types
- DHCP and how clients obtain addressing automatically
- NAT and why private addresses reach the internet
- Common protocols and their well-known port numbers
Domain 5: Troubleshooting
Applied reasoning: given symptoms and tool output, identify the cause. The outline covers diagnostic tools on both Windows and Linux.
- Command-line diagnostics on Windows and their Linux counterparts
- Reading output to separate addressing, name-resolution and connectivity faults
- Wired and wireless troubleshooting approaches
What This Credential Is Not
Search results mix several networking credentials together, and candidates regularly study from the wrong objectives. This exam is the Pearson Networking credential. It is not Network Security, Cisco CCST Networking, CCNA, CompTIA Network+, or Microsoft MTA 98-366. Domain lists, question counts, fees and scoring differ across those programs, so never borrow a study outline from one and assume it transfers.
| Credential | Relationship to this exam |
|---|---|
| IT Specialist - Networking | The subject of this article; Pearson/Certiport |
| Cisco CCST Networking | Separate Cisco credential with its own objectives |
| CompTIA Network+ | Separate vendor credential; do not reuse its domains |
| Microsoft MTA 98-366 | Legacy exam; not interchangeable with the current objectives |
| IT Specialist - Network Security | Different Pearson exam covering a different subject |
The safest habit is to download the official objectives PDF and treat it as the single source of truth for scope. Our one-page cheat sheet is built from those same objectives.
Who the Exam Is Built For
There is no bachelor's degree requirement and no formal prerequisite certification. Instead, Pearson describes a candidate profile: someone with small-to-medium business networking knowledge, hands-on Windows and Linux experience, and working familiarity with TCP/IP, name resolution, network services, topologies and wired/wireless troubleshooting. The guidance is at least 150 hours of instruction or hands-on networking experience.
Treat that 150 hours as a preparation baseline, not a test duration and not a gate you must prove. It simply tells you the depth Pearson has in mind. Students in IT courses, career changers building a home lab, and help-desk staff moving toward network support all fit the profile. For a fuller treatment of eligibility, see ITS-N Requirements.
Cost, Vouchers and Registration
The US individual retail price for the IT Specialist Exam Voucher + Retake is USD 133. That figure is specific to this voucher product at US retail; it is not an exam-only price and does not necessarily apply to every channel or country. Some CATCs charge additional proctoring fees.
- Original voucher validity: one year from purchase.
- Retake code: if you fail, you receive a retake code that must be used within 60 days of the failure.
- Channel matching: buy the voucher that fits your selected delivery option (CATC, Pearson VUE test center or OnVUE).
- Thrive online CATC service: a separately sold service for ages 18 and up that requires an active voucher. Its conditions apply to that service only and should not be assumed for school testing generally or for OnVUE.
Because the retake code has a 60-day clock, it pays to schedule your first attempt only when your practice results are stable, and to plan a quick review cycle in case you need the second try. A full breakdown lives in ITS-N Certification Cost, and scheduling mechanics are covered in ITS-N Exam Dates.
Scoring, Validity and Renewal
The passing score is 700 on a 1-1000 scaled score. That is a scaled figure, not a raw 70 percent requirement, and it is not a candidate pass rate. Scaled scoring exists so that results remain comparable across different exam forms, which is why you cannot convert 700 into a specific number of correct answers. Details are in ITS-N Passing Score. Be wary of any site quoting a pass rate as fact; the data conversation is covered honestly in ITS-N Pass Rate.
Career and Salary Context
This is a foundation credential, so think of it as evidence of baseline competence rather than a guarantee of a job. The relevant occupation for context is computer network support specialist. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a May 2025 median annual wage of USD 76,220 for that occupation. That number describes the whole occupation. It is not a certification-specific salary, not an entry-level offer, and not a demonstrated pay premium for holding this credential.
Roles where the knowledge applies include help desk and desktop support, junior network support, and small-business IT administration, and employers typically care just as much about hands-on ability as about the credential itself. If you are weighing the investment, read ITS-N Salary Guide, ITS-N Jobs and Is the ITS-N Certification Worth It? for a balanced view.
Sequencing Your Preparation
Rather than a generic schedule, sequence by dependency. Addressing underpins everything, so it comes first; troubleshooting synthesizes everything, so it comes last. Adjust the timing to your own experience.
Networking Fundamentals
- Practice IPv4 and IPv6 notation until shorthand is automatic
- Learn what subnetting is for before memorizing any math
Network Infrastructures and Network Hardware
- Map topologies and match devices and media to scenarios
- Set up a small virtual lab to see virtualization in action
Protocols and Services
- Build a table of protocols, services and port numbers
- Practice DNS record purposes and DHCP/NAT behavior
Troubleshooting and timed practice
- Run paired Windows and Linux diagnostics and explain each result
- Take timed sets sized to the 50-minute limit
Official CertPREP practice powered by GMetrix offers training and testing modes. Practice banks are typically larger than the 35-45 question live form, and their timers and sizes are not live-exam specifications, so use them for coverage and speed rather than as a prediction of your exact score. For more structure, follow the ITS-N Study Guide, and when you are ready to test yourself, try the free ITS-N practice tests.
Key Takeaway
Study from the official objectives PDF, practice commands on both Windows and Linux, and use practice questions to find weak domains rather than to memorize answers. The live form is short, so breadth and accuracy beat last-minute cramming.
Frequently Asked Questions
It refers to Information Technology Specialist - Networking, the Pearson credential issued through Certiport. It is not the Network Security exam, Cisco CCST Networking, CompTIA Network+ or Microsoft MTA 98-366. See What Is ITS-N Certification? for related explainers.
The published range is 35-45 questions with a standard exam time of 50 minutes, excluding administrative appointment activities. Pearson does not publish a fixed total or a scored/unscored split.
You need 700 on a 1-1000 scaled score. This is not a raw 70 percent and not a pass-rate statistic, so it cannot be converted into a fixed number of correct answers.
The US individual retail IT Specialist Exam Voucher + Retake is USD 133, with possible extra proctoring fees at some CATCs. The original voucher expires one year after purchase, and the retake code issued after a failure must be used within 60 days.
Awards earned on or after June 18, 2025 expire after five years, and you renew by buying a voucher and passing the current exam. Earlier awards remain non-expiring.