Cisco 700-240 Exam Questions 2025

Cisco 700-240: What It’s Really About

The Cisco 700-240 Environmental Sustainability Overview exam signals a shift in how Cisco views its certifications. This isn’t about configuring devices or solving technical faults. It’s about understanding the environmental footprint of IT systems and learning how those systems can be optimized in ways that support broader sustainability goals. Cisco is taking a clear stance by introducing this certification, and it’s a strong signal that sustainability is now a core business priority.

This certification focuses on concepts rather than command-line usage. What makes it especially valuable is how it connects eco-conscious thinking with operational awareness. You learn about energy efficiency in infrastructure, product lifecycle thinking, and the environmental impact of network design. Cisco builds the course in a way that connects theory to what’s actually happening in companies today where budgets, ESG targets, and long-term planning all intersect.

Who This Certification Can Actually Help

This cert isn’t just for tech experts. It’s intentionally open to professionals from different areas. People in operations, project management, compliance, or corporate responsibility roles are well suited to benefit from this material. You don’t need deep technical expertise, and that makes the certification more approachable for those coming from non-engineering tracks.

For individuals already in IT, the credential acts as a bridge between technical skills and organizational goals. Those involved in vendor selection, capacity planning, or data center efficiency will find a lot of overlap with their day-to-day challenges. This kind of certification helps professionals speak the language of both tech and sustainability, a crossover that’s becoming increasingly important.

What You Actually Learn That’s Useful

This cert doesn’t drown you in abstract frameworks. It focuses on practical ideas that align with what companies need to address in real-world environments. By the end of the course, candidates are expected to understand how:

• IT infrastructure contributes to energy usage

• A circular economy works in technology environments

• Companies incur environmental and reputational costs through poor sustainability choices

• To apply carbon measurement basics

• Cisco’s tools and initiatives support green IT efforts

These are high-impact areas that align with how companies are now setting ESG goals and reducing waste. You won’t be memorizing commands. Instead, you’ll be analyzing scenarios and making judgment calls based on sustainability principles.

The Real-World Demand for This Knowledge

Environmental knowledge used to be optional in IT. That’s not the case anymore. With regulatory pressures, carbon reporting requirements, and growing public expectations, companies are expected to show accountability. This means even entry-level tech professionals are now being asked to understand their role in reducing consumption and minimizing waste.

From cloud usage audits to reducing e-waste in office hardware, every tech decision is being reviewed through an environmental lens. Professionals with this kind of cert show that they’re not just good at their jobs they’re aware of their responsibilities to broader social and environmental outcomes.

Is This One of the Harder Cisco Exams?

In terms of complexity, the 700-240 isn’t as technical as CCNA or CCNP, but it has its own kind of challenge. Cisco uses scenario-based questions that require deeper thought. This means you’ll often be asked to choose between multiple seemingly correct options. The difficulty comes from the subtle differences in phrasing, rather than from technical problem-solving.

If you’ve never studied environmental topics before, you’ll need time to absorb the terminology. However, the structure is clear, and the total number of questions is moderate. Most candidates agree it’s manageable, but it’s definitely not something you want to walk into without preparation.

Some Roles That Can Actually Use This Cert

The following table provides a snapshot of common roles and how this certification enhances them:

These are only a few examples. Roles in procurement, vendor relations, risk analysis, and others can also benefit from the knowledge gained through this cert.

What’s the Salary Uplift Like?

While it’s not a major compensation booster on its own, this cert adds solid weight to your professional story. Hiring managers looking for someone with both technical exposure and a sense of strategic awareness will see this as a plus. It’s especially powerful when combined with project roles or leadership responsibilities.

Professionals with this cert often find themselves included in cross-functional teams or pulled into new initiatives. That’s where the real value shows up visibility, influence, and access to broader project scopes.

Inside the Cisco 700-240 Exam Format

How Cisco Has Structured the Test

The exam is relatively short by Cisco standards. It typically takes 60 to 75 minutes, with an estimated 45 to 55 multiple-choice questions. The testing environment can be remote or in person, and candidates must adhere to standard ID and proctoring requirements.

There are no lab or configuration elements. The content is conceptual, and all questions are centered around real-world scenarios. Time pressure is reasonable, but some questions may require careful reading.

What the Syllabus Covers, In Simple Terms

The core topics are clear-cut and practical. Here’s a breakdown of the focus areas:

• Environmental impact of IT operations

• Best practices for sustainable networking

• Power efficiency and responsible data center infrastructure

• Understanding the product lifecycle

• Overview of corporate environmental strategy

• Tools and reporting mechanisms supported by Cisco

Each of these areas connects back to business-level decision making, which makes the knowledge valuable across teams.

Why This Exam Stands Out from the Rest

This exam diverges from Cisco’s usual format. Instead of focusing on protocols or device setups, it teaches how to reason through problems from a sustainability angle. This is especially appealing to professionals who may not have deep config skills but are involved in IT planning, project management, or strategy.

It’s also different in tone. The questions are softer, but they require high awareness and logical thinking. For people looking to round out a more technical certification path, it adds a strategic edge.

What Study Paths Actually Work

Preparation depends heavily on how you like to learn. Since official books are limited, many candidates rely on a mix of sources. Here’s a simple overview:

Recommended Study Materials:

• Cisco’s environmental whitepapers

• Training sessions or webinars on green IT

• Articles focused on circular economy in IT

• Internal sustainability reports from Cisco and similar tech firms

• Publicly available ESG compliance frameworks

Creating summary notes and reflecting on how these ideas apply to real tech environments often helps more than trying to memorize terms.

How Long to Prepare? Depends How You Learn

Here’s a general guide based on learner types:

Those with prior exposure to sustainability topics tend to move faster. New learners may need to build a foundational vocabulary before starting scenario practice.

What Trips Most People Up

People don’t usually fail this exam because they’re unprepared. They fail because they don’t know how to interpret Cisco’s language in a sustainability context. Questions can be subtle, with two or three answers that sound acceptable.

The key is in understanding how Cisco prioritizes sustainability principles, like the reuse of materials, energy efficiency in edge computing, or the long-term costs of poor hardware planning. These nuances are what trip people up not complex configs or protocols.