Cisco CCNP Collaboration CLACC (300‑815) Practice Exams
About the Cisco 300-815 CLACC exam
Exam at a glance
Professional tier. CCNP Collaboration Concentration. 55-65 questions, 90 minutes, scaled passing score, $300 USD. Valid 3 years; Continuing Education (CE) credits accepted for recertification.
Domain weighting
- Signaling and Media Protocols — 10%
- Session Border Controller and Voice Gateway Technologies — 30%
- Advanced Call Control — 25%
- Supplemental Features and Security — 20%
- Remote Connectivity and Business to Business Solutions — 15%
Source: Cisco Learning Network — CLACC Exam Topics.
Core products tested
- CUCM — Cisco Unified Communications Manager 12.x / 14.x as the primary call agent.
- CUBE — Cisco Unified Border Element on IOS XE for SIP trunking and ITSP interconnect.
- SRST / Enhanced SRST — branch survivability when WAN to CUCM fails.
- Cisco Jabber — soft client mobility, EMCC, Single Number Reach integration.
- Legacy gateways — MGCP, H.323, SCCP migration paths to SIP.
Prerequisites
No formal prereqs, but Cisco strongly recommends passing 350-801 CLCOR first — CLCOR is the required Core for the CCNP Collaboration certification, while 300-815 alone earns a Cisco Specialist credential. Hands-on experience with CUCM dial plans, SIP, and mobility features expected (most candidates have 2-5 years in unified communications).
Why take this certification
- Voice / collab specialist track. CLACC is the deepest call-control exam in Cisco's collaboration portfolio. Pair it with CLCOR for full CCNP Collaboration certification — a recognized credential for UC engineers, voice architects, and contact-center designers.
- Competitive salary. Cisco-certified collaboration engineers earn an average of $108,000-$125,000 USD per year in the United States (source: PayScale, 2026), with senior unified-communications architects reaching $140,000-$160,000.
- SIP and CUBE expertise. The exam doubles as practical training for SIP normalization, SBC engineering, and ITSP migrations — high-value skills as enterprises sunset legacy TDM and PRI circuits.
- Stepping stone to CCIE Collaboration. 300-815 maps directly onto the CCIE Collaboration written / lab call-control objectives, making it a natural progression toward the highest-tier Cisco voice credential.
What you'll learn in the 300-815 CLACC exam
CLACC is the deep-dive into Cisco call control. Questions are scenario-driven — most stems describe a CUCM cluster, SIP trunk, or branch deployment with constraints (codec, bandwidth, partition reachability, regulatory) and ask which configuration solves it. Expect heavy CLI / CUCM Administration screen recognition.
SIP, SDP, and signaling
- SIP fundamentals: request methods (INVITE, REGISTER, REFER, NOTIFY, UPDATE), response codes (1xx-6xx), SIP dialog state, the role of Via / Record-Route / Contact headers.
- SDP and media: codec negotiation, m-lines and a-lines, early media handling, comfort noise, DTMF transport (RFC 2833 vs SIP INFO vs in-band).
- Header manipulation: SIP normalization Lua scripts on CUCM trunks, SIP profile-level header pass-through, CUBE SIP-Profiles + voice-class sip header-passing.
- Line-side vs trunk-side: phone-to-CUCM (line-side SIP, expects REGISTER) versus CUCM-to-CUCM or CUCM-to-CUBE (trunk-side SIP, no registration). Different troubleshooting fingerprints.
CUCM call routing
- Route patterns — wildcards (X, !, [], @), digit manipulation (discard digits, called/calling party transformations, external phone-number masks).
- Route lists and route groups — ordered failover across multiple gateways, top-down vs circular distribution.
- Partitions and Calling Search Spaces (CSS) — class-of-service enforcement, line CSS vs device CSS, the CSS evaluation order (line first, then device).
- Time-of-day routing — time periods, time schedules, partition assignments for after-hours dial plans.
- Globalized dial plan — +E.164 numbering, called/calling party normalization, localized dialing transformations per device pool.
SIP trunking + CUBE
- CUCM to ITSP via CUBE — Cisco Unified Border Element as the demarcation SBC: dial-peer matching (incoming + outgoing), voice-class codec, voice-class sip options-keepalive.
- CUCM to Expressway — mobile and remote access (MRA) trunk patterns, secure profiles.
- Survivability — SRST / Enhanced SRST configuration, automated dial-peer creation, MGCP fallback to H.323 when CUCM is unreachable.
- SIP normalization scripts — Lua-based message manipulation on CUCM trunks for ITSP interop (P-Asserted-Identity insertion, Diversion header normalization, codec stripping).
- URI dialing — alphanumeric URI patterns (user@cluster.example.com), directory URIs on phones, intercluster URI calling.
Mobility services
- Extension Mobility (EM) — single-cluster device profile login, EM service URL, default device profile vs user device profile.
- Extension Mobility Cross Cluster (EMCC) — multi-cluster login via intercluster SIP trunks, geolocations, EMCC remote cluster service.
- Unified Mobility / Mobile Connect (Single Number Reach) — remote destination profiles, ring schedules, mid-call DTMF transfer (handoff between desk phone and mobile).
- Cisco Jabber — softphone / deskphone control modes, on-premises vs MRA registration, Jabber configuration files.
Call Admission Control
- Locations-based CAC — static bandwidth pools per location, intra-location vs inter-location accounting.
- Regions — codec policy enforcement (G.711, G.722, Opus, iSAC), audio bit-rate caps per region pair.
- RSVP-enabled locations — dynamic CAC with RSVP agents on Cisco routers, RSVP policy decisions.
- Enhanced Locations CAC — topology-aware path bandwidth tracking across links and locations.
How the practice exams help
Each free question and every premium exam mirrors the scenario-style format Cisco uses — a deployment description, configuration snippet, or troubleshooting log, then four to six plausible options. Detailed explanations cover not just the right answer but why the distractors fail (which is half the exam-day skill — recognizing that a route pattern matches but the partition is wrong, or a SIP trunk security profile mismatches the registration mode).
How to prepare for the 300-815 exam
A successful CLACC preparation strategy combines theoretical study, hands-on CUCM lab work, and exam simulation. Recommended approach:
- Study the exam blueprint (1-2 weeks). Download the official CLACC 300-815 exam topics and map your existing experience against each subdomain. Identify weak areas — for most candidates, that's CUBE, SIP normalization scripts, and EMCC.
- Hands-on labs (6-8 weeks). CLACC is configuration-heavy. Build a CUCM 14 cluster (single-node is fine for most labs), pair it with CUBE on a CSR1000v / Cat8000v, and add SRST on a branch router. Cisco dCloud hosts free pre-built collaboration labs (search for "Collaboration 14" or "CUCM Dial Plan") — they're the closest you'll get to production-like topology without buying licenses. Practice every dial-plan pattern (partitions, CSS evaluation order), every mobility feature (EM login, EMCC trunks, Mobile Connect), and every CUBE config (dial-peers, SIP-profiles, voice-class codec).
- Cisco Press study guide (2-3 weeks). Read the official Cisco Press CLACC 300-815 study guide cover-to-cover. The diagrams and configuration walk-throughs match exam-question style closely.
- Practice exams (1-2 weeks). Take timed practice tests to identify weak areas. Detailed explanations on every answer option help you learn the reasoning, not just memorize answers. Aim for consistent 85%+ scores before scheduling your exam.
Recommended timeline
12-16 weeks of focused study (8-12 hours per week) for engineers with 2+ years of CUCM experience. Newcomers to Cisco voice should pass 350-801 CLCOR first and budget 20-24 weeks total.
Official resources
Bookmark the official Cisco Learning Network CLACC page for the canonical exam topics list. The CUCM product documentation and the CUBE configuration guide are the authoritative references for the exam — read the SIP, dial plan, and mobility chapters end-to-end.
Frequently asked questions
Are these actual exam questions?
No. All Nex Arc Cisco 300-815 CLACC practice questions are original content based on Cisco's published exam topics, official CUCM/CUBE documentation, and real-world voice engineering scenarios. We do not offer brain dumps, leaked questions, or actual exam content. Using or distributing real exam questions violates Cisco's certification agreement and can result in certification revocation under Cisco's Confidentiality Policy.
How many questions are on the 300-815 CLACC exam?
The Cisco 300-815 CLACC exam contains 55-65 questions delivered in 90 minutes. Question types include multiple choice (single or multiple response), drag-and-drop, simlets, and testlets covering CUCM configuration scenarios.
What's the 300-815 passing score?
Cisco does not publish a fixed passing score for the 300-815 CLACC exam. Scaled scores typically fall between 750 and 850 out of 1000, with the cut score adjusted per exam form via Cisco's psychometric process. Aim for consistent 85%+ on practice exams across all five domains before scheduling.
How do I access the full 300-815 CLACC practice exam?
Click the Buy Now button in the sidebar to purchase the complete Cisco 300-815 CLACC course. You get instant access to 12 full practice exams with detailed explanations on every option, covering all five exam domains, and lifetime access to updates.
What are the prerequisites for the 300-815 exam?
300-815 has no formal prerequisites, but Cisco strongly recommends passing 350-801 CLCOR (the CCNP Collaboration Core) first. CLCOR is required for the CCNP Collaboration certification — 300-815 alone earns you a Cisco Specialist credential. Practical experience with CUCM 12.x/14.x administration, SIP signaling, and dial plan engineering is essential. Most candidates have 2-5 years of unified communications experience before attempting CLACC.
How long is the CCNP Collaboration certification valid?
Cisco CCNP Collaboration is valid for three years from the date you pass your last required exam. Recertification options include passing any one Professional Concentration exam (like 300-815, 300-820, or 300-835), passing the CCNP Collaboration Core (350-801) again, passing any CCIE written/lab, or earning 80 Continuing Education (CE) credits through Cisco Learning Network's approved training catalog. The CE path lets you stay current without re-sitting an exam.
What's the exam cost and can I retake it if I fail?
The Cisco 300-815 CLACC exam costs $300 USD (plus applicable taxes), delivered through Pearson VUE at testing centers or via online proctoring. If you fail, Cisco enforces a 5-day waiting period before retake at full price. After a third failure, the wait extends to 180 days. There is no lifetime attempt limit, but each retake requires a new $300 payment. Cisco occasionally offers retake discount vouchers through Cisco Learning Partners.
Which Cisco products are most heavily tested on 300-815?
CLACC centers on Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) 12.x/14.x as the primary call agent, plus Cisco Unified Border Element (CUBE) running on IOS XE routers for SIP trunking. Expect deep coverage of SIP signaling and SDP, dial plan elements (route patterns, route lists, route groups, partitions, CSS), Globalized Dial Plan, Call Admission Control (locations, regions, RSVP), survivability (SRST, Enhanced SRST, MGCP fallback), mobility (Extension Mobility, EMCC, Mobile Connect / Single Number Reach), and SIP normalization scripts. Legacy MGCP, H.323, and SCCP support also appears in migration scenarios.
How does 300-815 differ from the older CIPTV2 (300-075) exam?
300-815 CLACC (introduced February 2020) consolidates topics from the retired CIPTV1/CIPTV2 exams and the older 300-075 with stronger emphasis on SIP-only deployments, CUBE as a session border controller, Extension Mobility Cross Cluster (EMCC), and modern mobility features (Single Number Reach, Mobile Connect, Jabber integration). H.323 and analog/PRI legacy coverage shrank substantially. CLACC is a CCNP Concentration exam (one of three under the CCNP Collaboration umbrella alongside 300-820 CLHCT and 300-835 CLAUTO) rather than a required core, giving you flexibility in which specialty you certify.
Can I retake the 300-815 exam if I fail?
Yes. Cisco allows retakes after a 5-day waiting period for your first two attempts. From the third attempt onward, the wait extends to 180 days. You pay the full $300 exam fee each time. There is no lifetime cap on total attempts.