CWS Cheat Sheet 2026

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

1. Which is a common wireless security risk? → Open network with no encryption
2. Multipath propagation in an indoor environment most commonly results in which condition? → Signal fading and intersymbol interference
3. What can reduce signal interference in Wi-Fi? → Change Wi-Fi channel
4. In the context of WLAN quality assurance, 'passive survey' differs from 'active survey' in that passive survey: → Captures beacon and probe frames without associating to any AP
5. What is a MAC address used for? → To identify devices on a network
6. How should an CWS professional handle unexpected results that differ from predictions? → Analyze factors, document findings, and adjust the approach based on what was learned
7. During a WLAN QC audit, you discover that several APs are operating on the same channel within range of each other. This condition is called: → Co-channel interference (CCI)
8. A hotel needs to isolate guest Wi-Fi traffic from the property management system on the same physical infrastructure. What is the best solution? → Use VLANs mapped to separate SSIDs for guest and management traffic
9. An 802.1X-secured WLAN is failing to authenticate users. The RADIUS server log shows 'unknown CA.' What is the MOST likely fix? → Install the correct CA certificate in the supplicant's trust store
10. Which 802.11 power-save mechanism does Wi-Fi 6 introduce to improve efficiency for IoT and battery-powered devices? → TWT (Target Wake Time)
11. A coffee shop deploys a single 2.4 GHz AP and customers report slow speeds during peak hours. What is the most likely root cause? → Co-channel interference from neighboring APs on the same channel
12. What is the relationship between antenna gain and beamwidth? → Higher gain produces a narrower beamwidth
13. What hardware feature allows a tri-radio access point to dedicate one radio exclusively to monitoring the RF environment? → Dedicated scanning radio
14. In free-space path loss calculations, doubling the distance between transmitter and receiver increases path loss by approximately how many dB? → 6 dB
15. What term describes the process by which an RF signal bounces off a flat, smooth surface such as a metal wall? → Reflection
16. A network uses 20 MHz channels in the 2.4 GHz band. How many non-overlapping channels are available in the US? → 3
17. Which 802.11 frame type is captured during a passive site survey to determine AP presence and basic BSS parameters? → Beacon frames
18. What is the advantage of conducting a predictive site survey using software tools before a physical survey? → It provides an estimated RF model to guide AP placement, saving time and cost
19. What causes interference in wireless networks? → Microwaves
20. When using a Wi-Fi analyzer app on a smartphone for a quick site survey, what is a significant limitation compared to a dedicated survey tool like Ekahau? → Smartphone apps cannot correlate signal measurements with floor plan locations
21. What is the primary competency framework for Certified Wireless Specialist professionals? → Structured competency standards defined by the certifying body
22. A site survey reveals -85 dBm RSSI at a client location. The noise floor is -95 dBm. What is the SNR, and is it sufficient for reliable 802.11ac connectivity? → SNR = 10 dB; marginal to insufficient for high MCS rates
23. Which tool is MOST useful for verifying that an 802.11 network is correctly transmitting on its configured channel and at the expected output power? → Spectrum analyzer
24. Which 802.11 feature allows an AP to dynamically switch channels to avoid radar interference in the 5 GHz band? → DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection)
25. An enterprise AP supports 4x4:4 MIMO. What does the last digit (4 after the colon) represent? → The number of spatial streams
26. Which type of wireless site survey is specifically designed to validate that a completed installation matches the approved RF design? → Validation (post-deployment) survey
27. What role does documentation play in Certified Wireless Specialist client communications? → It creates clear records of discussions, decisions, and agreements
28. A technician configures syslog on a wireless LAN controller to send event messages to an external server. What is the default UDP port used by syslog? → 514
29. Which frequency band is exclusively used by 802.11ad (WiGig) for very short-range, high-throughput communications? → 60 GHz
30. What does the acronym EIRP stand for in the context of wireless networking? → Effective Isotropic Radiated Power