Palo Alto Networks PCNSE: Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer

Last checked October 22, 2026 against the official Palo Alto Networks exam page.

1. Question 1Security Policies

   In what order does the PAN-OS firewall evaluate security policy rules?

   1. AFrom the bottom of the rule base upwards, applying the last rule that matches the traffic in the list
   2. BFrom the top of the rule base downwards, applying the first rule whose criteria match the traffic
   3. CAlphabetically by rule name, applying the first rule whose name matches the application of the traffic
   4. DRandomly, so that rule order does not matter for the outcome of any traffic flow in the network at all
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   Correct answer: B

   PAN-OS evaluates security rules from top to bottom and applies the first match. The other orders are not how the rule base is evaluated.

2. Question 2Interfaces, Zones and Routing

   What is a security zone on a PAN-OS firewall?

   1. AA subnet reserved for management traffic only, which the data plane is not allowed to use at all
   2. BA physical cable that connects the firewall to the internet service provider's network at the edge
   3. CA logical grouping of interfaces that policies use to decide where traffic enters and leaves
   4. DA list of approved domain names that the firewall uses to filter web browsing for all users in the network
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   Correct answer: C

   A zone is a logical grouping of interfaces that policies reference. It is not a cable, a management subnet or a domain list.

3. Question 3App-ID, User-ID and Content-ID

   What does User-ID add to a PAN-OS security policy?

   1. AIt identifies the application inside the traffic regardless of the port used by the session
   2. BIt maps IP addresses to user identities so that policies can match on users and groups
   3. CIt scans the content of files for malware using signatures stored on the firewall's local disk
   4. DIt translates the user's address to a public address so that the user can reach the internet
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   Correct answer: B

   User-ID maps IP addresses to users and groups for policy matching. Application identification is App-ID, content scanning is Content-ID, and address translation is NAT.

4. Question 4Troubleshooting

   Which PAN-OS CLI command shows the session table entries that match a filter?

   1. Ashow session all filter, which lists the sessions that match the filter criteria
   2. Bshow system info, which displays the model and software version of the firewall without any session details
   3. Cshow interface all, which lists the interfaces and their states but shows no sessions in the table at all
   4. Dshow admins, which lists the administrator accounts that are configured on the device for the team
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   Correct answer: A

   show session all filter lists matching sessions. System info, interface and administrator commands show different information.

5. Question 5Firewall Deployment and Management

   Which PAN-OS management interface is used to configure the firewall through its web console?

   1. AThe management interface, which is reached by HTTPS to the firewall's management address
   2. BThe first data interface, which carries the user traffic and can also serve the administrator's web console
   3. CA serial console used only during the first boot, with no web access to the management interface afterwards
   4. DThe HA control link, which is reserved for synchronising the configuration between the two firewall peers
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   Correct answer: A

   The management interface serves the web console over HTTPS. Data interfaces, a boot-only console and the HA link are not used for routine web administration.