Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Practice Exam

What command is required to exit back to privileged EXEC mode from configuration mode?

1. exit

2. logout

3. end

4. disable

The correct answer is: end

To return to privileged EXEC mode from configuration mode, the appropriate command to use is "end." Entering this command terminates configuration mode and takes you back to privileged EXEC mode, where you can run commands that require higher privileges. The "end" command is commonly used as it provides a quick way to exit the configuration context without making any additional changes or having to navigate through different configuration levels. This command is particularly useful when you have multiple configuration levels, such as when you are in interface or router configuration. The other commands serve different purposes. For instance, "exit" is often used to leave a specific sub-configuration mode, but it can also drop you back to the global configuration level rather than directly to privileged EXEC. The "logout" command is typically used to terminate a session and disconnect from the device altogether, and "disable" is intended to exit from privileged EXEC mode into user EXEC mode, not to return to privileged EXEC from configuration mode. Thus, "end" is the most suitable command for going back to privileged EXEC mode.