You can see it againUnder pressure people bring back shapes and positions long after the wording has gone.
Picture superiority · Shepard 1967, Standing 1973
F5F5 Certified Administrator, BIG-IP
The F5 BIG-IP Administration Control Plane Administration exam validates your ability to perform day-to-day operations and basic deployment, management, security, and support of BIG-IP in various application environments. It focuses on control plane tasks such as managing high availability pairs, authentication, system services, and UCS archives. Earning this certification demonstrates your competence in administering BIG-IP systems.
Exam formatMultiple choice
Duration30 minutes
DeliveryPearson VUE, Certiverse
Passing score245
Free questions661
Content last reviewed 30 July 2026 · Up to date
The certification
What F5CAB4 proves, and what it asks of you
What this certification covers, who it is written for, and what the exam itself looks like on the day.
10domains
38objectives
182concepts
US$50 Online; US$65 Test Centerexam fee
What it is
What this certification is
What it validates, who it is written for, and the experience it assumes.
About this certification
The F5 BIG-IP Administration Control Plane Administration exam (F5CAB4) is designed to test the knowledge, skills, and abilities of candidates in performing day-to-day operations and basic deployment, management, security, and support of BIG-IP in various application environments after it has been installed, configured, and implemented. It also demonstrates an understanding of BIG-IP Administration for Data Plane and Control Plane.
The minimally qualified candidate (MQC) has a basic understanding of how to install, configure, and upgrade BIG-IP. They can apply procedural concepts to manage the state of a high availability pair, identify management connectivity configurations and current device status, list log files for events and hardware issues, create and restore UCS archives, and explain authentication methods, system services, and config sync. They can also determine device upgrade eligibility and interpret service status.
Who it’s for
This certification is for network administrators and engineers who are responsible for the day-to-day operation, management, and support of F5 BIG-IP systems. It is ideal for those who have a basic understanding of installing, configuring, and upgrading BIG-IP and who want to validate their skills in control plane administration. Candidates should be comfortable with tasks such as managing high availability pairs, configuring authentication, and performing system backups and restores. This certification is a stepping stone for those pursuing higher-level F5 certifications.
Recommended experience
F5 recommends that candidates have a basic understanding of BIG-IP installation, configuration, and upgrade procedures, as well as familiarity with the control plane concepts covered in the exam. Basic understanding of BIG-IP installation, configuration, and upgrade; Experience with managing high availability pairs; Knowledge of authentication methods and system services; Familiarity with UCS archives and log files
The syllabus
What you’ll learn
Every domain and objective F5 measures, with the weight they carry on the exam.
The official F5 exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
Apply procedural concepts required to manage the state of a high availability pair
- Execute force to standby procedure
- Report current active/standby failover state
- Execute force to offline procedure
- Show device trust status
Identify management connectivity configurations
- Identify the configured management-IP address
- Interpret port lockdown settings to Self-IP
- Show remote connectivity to the BIG-IP Management interface
- Explain management IP connectivity issue
- Identify HTTP/SSH access list to management-IP address
Identify and report current device status
- Interpret the LCD panel warning messages
- Use the dashboard to gauge the current running status of the system
- Review the Network Map in order to determine the status of objects
- Interpret current systems status via GUI or TMSH
- Interpret high availability and device trust status
List which log files could be used to find events and/or hardware issues
- Identify use of /var/log/ltm, var/log/secure, /var/log/audit
- Identify severity log level of an event
- Identify event from a log message
Apply procedural concepts required to create, manage, and restore a UCS archive
- Execute UCS backup procedure
- Execute UCS restore procedure
- Summarize the use case of a UCS backup
- Explain proper long-term storage of UCS backup file
- Explain the contents of the UCS file (private keys)
Explain authentication methods
- Explain how to create a user
- Explain how to modify user properties
- Explain options for remote authentication provider
- Explain use of groups using remote authentication provider
Identify configured system services
- Identify configured system services
Explain config sync
- Demonstrate config sync procedure
- Report errors which occur during config sync
- Explain when a config sync is necessary
- Show config sync status
- Compare configuration timestamp
Given a scenario, determine device upgrade eligibility
- Determine when to upgrade software
- Determine when to upgrade platform
- Determine steps to minimize upgrade downtime
Given a scenario, interpret Service status
- Compare active vs inactive ADC elements
- Infer services for given netstat output
- Determine whether a service is listening on a given port based on netstat output
On the day
The exam itself
Everything F5 publishes about sitting it, and nothing we inferred.
Prerequisites
No mandatory prerequisites — this certification has no required predecessor exam or credential.
Exam codeF5CAB4
CertificationF5 Certified Administrator, BIG-IP
Exam formatMultiple choice
Duration30 minutes
Passing score245
DeliveryPearson VUE, Certiverse
LanguagesEnglish
PricingUS$50 Online; US$65 Test Center
After you pass
Where this credential goes next
The path F5 lays out, how the credential is kept, and where to book.
Step-by-step path to F5 Certified Administrator, BIG-IP
Credential earnedF5 Certified Administrator, BIG-IP Certification Lifecycle status
This certification is currently active and available. F5 maintains this certification to validate current skills and industry relevance.
Exam status: ActiveMaintained by F5
Exam registration
Register for the exam through Pearson VUE, Certiverse, F5’s authorized testing partner.
Schedule your examVisit the official F5 certification page for exam policies and requirements.
View the official pageYour coach
And when you are serious, your coach Pip takes over
Your coach in the app reads what you have answered with the book closed and tells you one thing to do tonight. It will not count an answer you gave with the page open, and it will tell you when you are not ready.
See how the coach worksBefore you book
Questions people ask
How does the F5CAB4 exam relate to other BIG-IP Administrator exams?
The F5CAB4 exam is part of the F5 Certified Administrator, BIG-IP certification. It focuses on control plane administration, while other exams may cover data plane or other specializations.
Do I need to pass a lower-level F5 certification before taking F5CAB4?
No, there are no mandatory prerequisites for this exam. However, F5 recommends having a basic understanding of BIG-IP installation, configuration, and upgrade.
What are the retake policies for the F5CAB4 exam?
After failing the exam, you must wait 15 days for the first retake, 30 days for the second, 45 days for the third, one year for the fourth, and 90 days for the fifth or more. Your retake count resets only by passing the exam.
Is there a hands-on or lab component in the F5CAB4 exam?
The exam is proctored and may include scenario-based questions, but there is no separate hands-on lab component mentioned in the official materials.
What job roles does the F5 Certified Administrator, BIG-IP credential map to?
This credential is designed for network administrators and engineers who manage and support F5 BIG-IP systems in application delivery environments.
Can I recertify by passing a different F5 exam?
F5 does not publish a renewal model for this certification, so it is unclear if passing another exam would renew it. Check the F5 certification page for updates.
Information freshness · Content last reviewed on 2026-07-30 Up to date
Practice free questions 661 questions, free, no account needed.
The curriculum
The whole exam, mapped and written
Every domain, every objective, and every concept F5 measures — each one written out.
10domains
38objectives
182concepts
147free pages
The domains, and what sits inside them
Every objective below is a page you can open and practise now, without an account.
The official F5 exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
1Apply procedural concepts required to manage the state of a high availability pair62 questions
2Identify management connectivity configurations83 questions
Identify the configured management-IP address3 concepts · 3 pagesOpen →Interpret port lockdown settings to Self-IP6 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Show remote connectivity to the BIG-IP Management interface4 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Explain management IP connectivity issue6 concepts · 3 pagesOpen →Identify HTTP/SSH access list to management-IP address4 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →
3Identify and report current device status78 questions
Interpret the LCD panel warning messages3 concepts · 2 pagesOpen →Use the dashboard to gauge the current running status of the system6 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Review the Network Map in order to determine the status of objects4 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Interpret current systems status via GUI or TMSH3 concepts · 2 pagesOpen →Interpret high availability and device trust status5 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →
4List which log files could be used to find events and/or hardware issues31 questions
5Apply procedural concepts required to create, manage, and restore a UCS archive98 questions
Execute UCS backup procedure7 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Execute UCS restore procedure4 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Summarize the use case of a UCS backup3 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Explain proper long-term storage of UCS backup file7 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Explain the contents of the UCS file (private keys)4 concepts · 3 pagesOpen →
6Explain authentication methods85 questions
7Identify configured system services11 questions
8Explain config sync90 questions
Demonstrate config sync procedure5 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Report errors which occur during config sync4 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Explain when a config sync is necessary5 concepts · 3 pagesOpen →Show config sync status5 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Compare configuration timestamp5 concepts · 3 pagesOpen →
9Given a scenario, determine device upgrade eligibility61 questions
Not a table of contents
Every line on this map already opens
In front of every objective the practice pages are already there, free and without an account. This is one objective, opened.
Execute force to standby procedure5 pagesOpen →
Free in front of it
21 questions on this objective, five to a page. Every range above is a real page, open now, with no account.
Reading the map is not the same as knowing the ground
The curriculum tells you what is on the exam. Proving you know it is a different job — and it is the one the closed-book run does.
Free questions
661 questions. No account, no card.
The whole bank is open. 5 questions to a page, every answer explained, and a discussion thread on each one.
661questions
147pages
38objectives
Freealways
Browse by domain
Every objective, and every page range, is a link — so you can pick up exactly where you left off.
1Apply procedural concepts required to manage the state of a high availability pair62 questions
2Identify management connectivity configurations83 questions
3Identify and report current device status78 questions
4List which log files could be used to find events and/or hardware issues31 questions
5Apply procedural concepts required to create, manage, and restore a UCS archive98 questions
6Explain authentication methods85 questions
7Identify configured system services11 questions
8Explain config sync90 questions
9Given a scenario, determine device upgrade eligibility61 questions
10Given a scenario, interpret Service status62 questions
What a practice page gives you
1Five to a page
Short enough to finish, long enough to matter.
2Every answer explained
Not only which one is right — why the others are wrong.
3A discussion on each
Ask, answer, and vote. Every question has its own thread.
A question, and the idea behind it
Every question comes from a concept
These are not trivia. Each one is written against a concept in the book, so when you get one wrong there is somewhere to go and find out why.
The visual book
See it once. Carry it into the exam.
The pages shown here come from our AI-900 book — an example of how each concept is written in plain language and, where the idea needs one, drawn as a full page you can take in at a glance.
182concepts
661free questions
Why a picture, and not another paragraph
Three reasons, and each one is a real finding rather than a slogan.
You can see it againThe whole idea at onceWhere it starts, what happens in the middle, what comes out, and the mistake to avoid.
Multimedia principle · MayerThe look-alikes sit togetherThe pairs the exam tests are drawn side by side, so the difference is seen, not told.
Dual coding · PaivioWhat one page is made of
You are never asked to read a poster here — only to see how one is built. After that, every other page is legible at a glance.
1A numbered strip on top
The idea as a sequence, followed with a finger before a word is read.
2Panels for the parts
What it is, how the machine learns it, when it is the right tool.
3The trap, framed
The distinction the exam tests, given its own box instead of buried in prose.
4One line at the bottom
The sentence to carry into the exam room.
Open book, on purpose
Answer it with the picture beside you
This is the part that teaches. The illustration and the written explanation stay where they are while you work, so a scenario stops being a memory test and becomes something you can simply look at.
It teaches · it does not count
A smartphone uses AI to unlock when the owner looks at the camera. Which AI capability is being used?
AImage classification
BFacial recognition
COptical character recognition
DObject detection
Look at the five steps. Detect finds a face, align straightens it, encode turns it into numbers, search compares it with a stored face, and decide answers one question: is this the same person? Classification would only say “a face”. Detection would only draw a box. Neither decides whose.
Then the page shuts, and it starts counting
The same questions come back with the book closed — that run is the one that counts. After it, your coach picks one thing for tonight, sized to the time you have, and brings pages back before you lose them.
Testing effect · Roediger & Karpicke 2006 · spacing effect · Cepeda et al. 2006
Official resources
Straight from F5
Where the exam is defined, scheduled and scored.
2official links
182concepts mapped
The source
F5’s own pages
We link to them rather than repeat them, so nothing here goes stale behind them.
Checked against the source
Every objective on the official F5 outline already has questions here
We build from the official skills outline, not from a summary of it — 38 objectives, 182 concepts written under them, and free questions against every one. When F5 changes the outline, this page changes with it.
38objectives on the outline→182concepts written→661free questions
An official page tells you what will be asked. It cannot tell you what you will get right.
That is the only question worth answering the night before, and no link answers it. You answer it by taking the questions with the book closed, and seeing what comes back.