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PCNSE Practice Test

At pcnsepracticetest.com, we offer expertly designed Palo Alto PCNSE practice test to help you gain the confidence and knowledge needed to pass the Palo Alto certified network security engineer exam on your first attempt. Our PCNSE exam questions are tailored to reflect the real exam experience, covering all critical topics such as firewall configuration, security policies, VPNs, threat prevention, and more.


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1. Exam-Aligned Questions: Our PCNSE practice exam is based on the latest exam objectives, ensuring you’re prepared for what’s on the actual exam.
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Palo Alto PCNSE Practice Exam Questions



Question # 1

A customer wants to enhance the protection provided by their Palo Alto Networks NGFW deployment to cover public-facing company-owned domains from misconfigurations that point records to third-party sources. Which two actions should the network administrator perform to achieve this goal? (Choose two)
A. Verify the NGFWs have the Advanced DNS Security and Advanced Threat Prevention licenses installed and validated
B. Create or update a Vulnerability Protection profile to the DNS Policies / DNS Zone Misconfiguration section, then add the domains to be protected
C. Verify the NGFWs have the Advanced DNS Security and Advanced URL Filtering licenses installed and validated
D. Create or update an Anti-Spyware profile, go to the DNS Policies / DNS Zone Misconfiguration section, then add the domains to be protected


A. Verify the NGFWs have the Advanced DNS Security and Advanced Threat Prevention licenses installed and validated
D. Create or update an Anti-Spyware profile, go to the DNS Policies / DNS Zone Misconfiguration section, then add the domains to be protected
Explanation:
To protect public-facing company-owned domains from DNS misconfigurations—such as CNAME, MX, or NS records pointing to expired or third-party domains—the Palo Alto Networks NGFW must leverage Advanced DNS Security, introduced in PAN-OS 11.2.

Here’s what’s required:
✅ A. Licensing Validation
The firewall must have Advanced DNS Security and Advanced Threat Prevention licenses installed and active.
These licenses enable real-time inspection and protection against DNS hijacking and misconfiguration attacks.
✅ D. Anti-Spyware Profile Configuration
DNS Zone Misconfiguration protection is configured within an Anti-Spyware profile, not Vulnerability Protection. Navigate to Objects > Security Profiles > Anti-Spyware, then go to the DNS Policies tab.
Under DNS Zone Misconfiguration, add the public-facing domains to be monitored.
Attach this profile to relevant Security Policy rules to enforce protection.

❌ Why the Other Options Are Incorrect:
B. Vulnerability Protection profile
→ DNS misconfiguration detection is not part of Vulnerability Protection. It belongs in Anti-Spyware.
C. Advanced URL Filtering license
→ Not required for DNS Zone Misconfiguration protection. URL Filtering handles web traffic, not DNS records.

📚 Reference:
Enable Advanced DNS Security – Palo Alto Networks
Let me know if you’d like help crafting a DNS protection policy or simulating a misconfiguration detection scenario.




Question # 2

Given the following configuration, which route is used for destination 10 10 0 4?
A. Route 2
B. Route 3
C. Route 1
D. Route 4


A. Route 2
Explanation:

1: List the configured routes
From the screenshot, I can summarize the important parts:
Route 1
Destination: 10.10.0.0/24
Next-hop: 192.168.1.2
Metric: 30
Route 2
Destination: 10.10.0.0/24
Next-hop: 192.168.1.2
Metric: 20
Route 3
Destination: 0.0.0.0/0 (default route)
Next-hop: 10.10.20.1
Metric: 5
Route 4
Destination: 10.10.1.0/25
Next-hop: 192.168.1.2
Metric: 10

2: Match destination 10.10.0.4
IP 10.10.0.4 falls into 10.10.0.0/24.
It does not fall into 10.10.1.0/25.
So only Route 1 and Route 2 are candidates.
Route 3 (default) would only apply if no more specific route existed.
Route 4 is irrelevant (different subnet).

3: Apply route selection rules
Rule: The firewall chooses the longest prefix match (most specific route).
Both Route 1 and Route 2 have the same prefix length (/24).
Next tie-breaker: metric. The lower metric wins.
Route 1 = metric 30, Route 2 = metric 20.
✅ So Route 2 wins.




Question # 3

A firewall administrator is configuring an IPSec tunnel between Site A and Site B. The Site A firewall uses a DHCP assigned address on the outside interface of the firewall, and the Site B firewall uses a static IP address assigned to the outside interface of the firewall.
However, the use of dynamic peering is not working.
Refer to the two sets of configuration settings provided. Which two changes will allow the configurations to work? (Choose two.)
Site A configuration:
A. Enable NAT Traversal on Site B firewall
B. Configure Local Identification on Site firewall
C. Disable passive mode on Site A firewall
D. Match IKE version on both firewalls.


A. Enable NAT Traversal on Site B firewall
D. Match IKE version on both firewalls.
Explanation:
When configuring a VPN tunnel with a dynamic peer, specific settings must be matched on both sides of the connection to ensure successful negotiation.

A. Enable NAT Traversal on Site B firewall: NAT traversal (NAT-T) is essential when one or both endpoints have a dynamic public IP address and might be behind a NAT device. The Site A firewall uses a DHCP-assigned address, which means its address can change. If the Site B firewall is behind a NAT device or if the connection passes through one, enabling NAT-T ensures that the VPN packets can correctly traverse the NAT boundary. Without this, the connection will likely fail.
D. Match IKE version on both firewalls: The IKE Gateway configuration for Site A shows IKEv1 only mode. For a successful tunnel, the remote peer (Site B) must also be configured to use IKEv1. If Site B is set to IKEv2 or a different mode, the IKE negotiation will fail. Matching the IKE version is a fundamental requirement for any IPSec tunnel setup.

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect
B. Configure Local Identification on Site A firewall:
The provided image of the Site A configuration already shows that the Local Identification is configured as FQDN (email address) with the value user@acme.com. No change is needed for this setting.
C. Disable passive mode on Site A firewall:
The "Passive Mode" option on the Site A configuration is currently disabled (unchecked). Passive mode would cause the firewall to only listen for incoming connections and not initiate the connection itself. Since Site A has a dynamic IP address, it must be the initiator of the tunnel, so disabling passive mode is the correct setting. Therefore, this option does not require a change.




Question # 4


Based on the screenshots above, and with no configuration inside the Template Stack itself, what access will the device permit on its Management port?
A. The firewall will allow HTTP Telnet, HTTPS, SSH, and Ping from IP addresses defined as $permitted-subnet-1.
B. The firewall will allow HTTP Telnet, HTTPS, SSH, and Ping from IP addresses defined as $permitted-subnet-2.
C. The firewall will allow HTTP, Telnet, SNMP, HTTPS, SSH and Ping from IP addresses defined as $permitted-subnet-1 and $permitted-subnet-2.
D. The firewall will allow HTTP, Telnet, HTTPS, SSH, and Ping from IP addresses defined as $permitted-subnet-1 and $permitted-subnet-2.


B. The firewall will allow HTTP Telnet, HTTPS, SSH, and Ping from IP addresses defined as $permitted-subnet-2.
Explanation:

Key Observations from the Screenshot:
1.Administrative Management Services:
Enabled Services: HTTP, HTTPS, Telnet, SSH (explicitly listed).
Disabled Services: No mention of SNMP (though it appears under Network Services, it is not enabled for management access).
2.Permitted IP Addresses:
Only $permitted-subnet-2 is configured under PERMITTED IP ADDRESSES.
$permitted-subnet-1 is not listed, so it is not allowed.
3.Network Services:
Ping is enabled (under Network Services), but SNMP and others are separate from management access controls.

Why Not Other Options?
AIncorrectly includes $permitted-subnet-1, which is not configured.
CIncorrectly includes SNMP (not enabled for management) and $permitted-subnet-1.
DIncorrectly includes $permitted-subnet-1, which is absent.

Access Summary:
Allowed Protocols: HTTP, Telnet, HTTPS, SSH, Ping.
Permitted Source IPs: Only $permitted-subnet-2.

Reference:
Palo Alto Management Interface Documentation:
"Permitted IP addresses restrict management access to explicitly defined subnets."




Question # 5

What should an engineer consider when setting up the DNS proxy for web proxy?
A. A secondary DNS server in the DNS proxy is optional, and configuration commit to the firewall will succeed with only one DNS server.
B. A maximum of two FQDNs can be mapped to an IP address in the static entries for DNS proxy.
C. DNS timeout for web proxy can be configured manually, and it should be set to the highest value possible
D. Adjust the UDP queries for the DNS proxy to allow both DNS servers to be tried within 20 seconds.


A. A secondary DNS server in the DNS proxy is optional, and configuration commit to the firewall will succeed with only one DNS server.
Explanation:
When configuring DNS Proxy for Explicit Proxy (web proxy), the firewall allows you to specify primary and secondary DNS servers. However, the configuration validation only requires a primary DNS server to be defined. The commit operation will succeed with just one DNS server configured.

Why the other options are incorrect:
B. A maximum of two FQDNs can be mapped to an IP address in the static entries for DNS proxy:
This is false. There is no hard-coded limit on the number of FQDNs that can be mapped to a single IP address in the static entries of the DNS proxy configuration.
C. DNS timeout for web proxy can be configured manually, and it should be set to the highest value possible:
This is incorrect and not a best practice. The DNS timeout value should be set appropriately based on network conditions. Setting it to an excessively high value could cause unnecessary delays in DNS resolution and degrade user experience.
D. Adjust the UDP queries for the DNS proxy to allow both DNS servers to be tried within 20 seconds:
This is misleading. The default behavior of the DNS proxy is to query the primary server first, and if no response is received within the configured timeout (default is 2 seconds), it will try the secondary server. The total time for both attempts is not fixed at 20 seconds; it depends on the configured timeout and number of retries.

Reference:
Palo Alto Networks Administrator Guide:
The "DNS Proxy" section confirms that while multiple DNS servers can be configured for redundancy, only one is required for a valid configuration.
PCNSE Exam Blueprint (Domain 2:
Deployment and Configuration): Understanding DNS proxy configuration for explicit proxy deployments is a key objective within the blueprint.




Question # 6

What type of NAT is required to configure transparent proxy?
A. Source translation with Dynamic IP and Port
B. Destination translation with Static IP
C. Source translation with Static IP
D. Destination translation with Dynamic IP


D. Destination translation with Dynamic IP
Explanation:

To configure transparent proxy on a Palo Alto Networks firewall, the required NAT type is:
Destination translation with Dynamic IP This NAT configuration allows the firewall to:
Intercept outbound traffic transparently
Redirect it to the proxy engine (typically hosted on a loopback interface)
Rewrite the destination IP dynamically while preserving session integrity
This setup is essential for inline transparent proxy deployments, where the client is unaware of the proxy and no explicit configuration (like PAC files) is used.

Authoritative Source:
Palo Alto Networks – Configure Transparent Proxy
Ace4Sure – Transparent Proxy NAT Type




Question # 7

What does the User-ID agent use to find login and logout events in syslog messages?
A. Syslog Server profile
B. Authentication log
C. Syslog Parse profile
D. Log Forwarding profile


C. Syslog Parse profile
Explanation:

Why This Option?
1.User-ID Agent Syslog Processing:
The User-ID agent monitors syslog messages (e.g., from Active Directory, VPN servers) to extract login/logout events.
To interpret these events, it uses a Syslog Parse Profile, which defines:
Patterns (regex) to match syslog messages.
Fields to extract (e.g., username, IP address).
2.Configuration:
Profiles are configured under:
Device > User Identification > User-ID Agents > [Agent] > Syslog Parse Profile.
Predefined profiles exist for common sources (e.g., Cisco ASA, Windows Security Logs).

Why Not Other Options?
A.Syslog Server profile is for receiving syslog, not parsing.
B.Authentication log is a log type, not a parsing tool.
D.Log Forwarding profile sends logs, doesn’t parse them.

Reference:
Palo Alto User-ID Agent Guide:
"Syslog Parse Profiles map raw syslog messages to IP-user mappings for User-ID."



How to Pass PCNSE Exam?

PCNSE certification validates your expertise in designing, deploying, configuring, and managing Palo Alto Networks firewalls and Panorama, making it essential to thoroughly understand both the concepts and practical applications.

Official PCNSE Study Guide is an excellent resource to help you prepare effectively. Consider enrolling in official training courses like the Firewall Essentials: Configuration and Management (EDU-210) or Panorama: Managing Firewalls at Scale (EDU-220). Setting up a lab environment using Palo Alto firewalls, either physical or virtual, allows you to practice configuring and managing the platform in real-world scenarios. Focus on key tasks such as configuring security policies, NAT, VPNs, and high availability, as well as implementing App-ID, Content-ID, and User-ID.

Our PCNSE practice test help you identify areas where you need improvement and familiarize you with the exam format and question types. Engaging with the Palo Alto Networks community through forums like the LIVE Community or Reddit can also provide valuable insights and tips from others who have taken the Palo Alto certified network security engineer exam.