In this post, I will summarize my CWAP (Certified Wireless Analysis Professional) notes.

Like other CWNP exams, the CWAP exam requires a passing score of 70%. The exam objectives and their respective weights are shown below for CWAP-405, the latest as of Sep 2026.

1. Protocol Analysis (15%)
2. Spectrum Analysis (10%)
3. PHY Layers & Technologies (10%)
4. MAC Sublayer & Functions (25%)
5. WLAN Medium Access (10%)
6. 802.11 Frame Exchanges (30%)

Here are some of the topics that have been added to the blueprint in the past 12 years (since I did my exam in 2014)

1.0 Protocol Analysis
– Capture Wi-Fi frames
* Mastering Wi-Fi Packet Captures
* Wi-Fi PCAP with MacOS
* Wi-Fi PCAP with Windows
* Wi-Fi PCAP with WLANPi
* Wi-Fi PCAP with Ekahau
* Wi-Fi PCAP with Sniffer AP
* Wi-Fi PCAP with Meraki
* Wi-Fi PCAP with Mist
* Wi-Fi PCAP with Ubiquiti
* Wi-Fi PCAP with Cisco 9800

– Protocol Analyzers
* Get RockstarWiFi Wireshark Profile
* lswifi: Powerful CLI Analysis for Wi-Fi
* Cisco Wi-Fi Hawk

2. Spectrum Analysis
– Understand Spectrum Analysis
– Analyze Spectrum
* Invisible Threat : Non-Wi-Fi Interferers
* Wi-Fi Killers- YouTube Playlist

3.1 PHY Layers
– VHT (Wi-Fi 5)
– HE (Wi-Fi 6/6E)
* Understanding 6 GHz AP Modes
* 6 GHz Device Classes

– EHT(Wi-Fi7)
* Wi-Fi 7 Overview
* Wi-Fi 7 Beacon Frame
* Wi-Fi 7 MLO Overview
* Wi-Fi 7 Multi-Link Association
* Wi-Fi 7 How to Verify MLO
* Wi-Fi 7 eMLSR in Action
* Wi-Fi 7 Preamble Puncture

6.1 WLAN Discovery, Association
– BSS Discovery in 6GHz
* 6 GHz AP Discovery – Part 1
* 6 GHz AP Discovery – Part 2
* 6 GHz AP Discovery – Part 3
* 6 GHz AP Discovery – Part 4
* 6 GHz AP Discovery – Part 5
* MBSSID
– WPA3 Personal (SAE)
* WPA3-SAE
* WPA3-SAE Transition mode
* Why is WPA3 Adoption so slow?
* WPA3-Personal Deployment Options
– WPA3 Enterprise
* Enterprise Security – AKM Overview
* WPA3-Enterprise
– Enhanced Open (OWE) – Part 1 & Part 2
– Fast Transition (FT or 802.11r) – Refer to CWSP Notes
– Hotspot 2.0


6.4 MIMO & OFDMA

Bonus:
* Wi-Fi Quiz Challenge
* How to download IEEE 802.11-2024 for free
* What’s in my Wi-Fi 7 Home Lab?

*** My 2014 CWAP notes remain relevant for most CWAP-405 topics****
Below are my blog posts related to the CWAP exam I took in 2014, together with the corresponding chapter numbers from the official CWAP study book at that time.

CH1 – 802.11 Overview
– 802.11 Overview

CH2 – 802.11 PHY Layer Format
– PLCP Protocol Data Unit (PPDU)
– 2.4GHz & 5GHz  Communication
– PHY (FHSS, DSSS, OFDM, HR-DSS, ERP, HT)

CH3 – 802.11 MAC Frame Format
– MAC Header : Frame Control
– MAC Header : Addresses
– MAC Header : QoS Control
– MAC Header : Duration/ID
– MAC Header : Sequence Control

CH4 – Management Frames
– 802.11 Mgmt Frame Types
– 802.11 Mgmt : Beacon
– 802.11 Mgmt : Probe Req/Res
– 802.11 Mgmt : Association Req/Res
– 802.11 Mgmt : Reassociation Req/Res
– 802.11 Mgmt : Authentication Frame
– 802.11 Deauthentication & Disassociation
– 802.11 Mgmt : Action Frames
– 802.11 Mgmt : Channel Switch Announcement
– 802.11 Mgmt :  Radio Measurement Request & Report
– 802.11 Mgmt :  TPC Request & Report
– 802.11 Mgmt : Admission Control

CH5 – Control Frames
– 802.11 Control Frame Types
– 802.11 Ctrl : RTS/CTS
– 802.11 Block Ack
– 802.11 Ctrl : PS-Poll
– 802.11 Protection Mechanism

CH6 – Data Frames
– 802.11 Data Frame Types
– 802.11 Data: Frame Aggregation
– 802.11 Data Frame Address Fields
– 802.11 Data Frame Fragmentation
– 802.11 Dynamic Rate Selection

CH7 – Medium Contention
– 802.11 Medium Contention

CH8 – Power Management
– 802.11 Power Management

CH9 – 802.11 Security
– Open & Shared Key Authentication
– Encryption Method -TKIP
– Encryption Method -CCMP-AES
– RSN Information Element
– 802.1X EAP Basics
– EAP-PEAP
– 4-Way Handshake
– 802.11r Key Hierarchy
– 802.11r FT Assocition
– 802.11r Over-the-Air FT
– 802.11r Over-the-DS FT

CH10 – 802.11n HT Analysis
– 802.11n Introduction
– HT Frame Control
– HT Capabilities Information Element
– HT Operations Information Element

CH11 – Spectrum Analysis
– Spectrum Analysis

CH12 – Protocol Analyzer Operation
– Protocol Analysis

References
1. CWAP Official Study Guide
2. IEEE 802.11-2012
3. CWAP Study Notes : WifiNigel
3. CWNE Study Room
4. CWDP & CWAP Forum

Update @ 5th Nov 2014
I passed CWAP exam on my 2nd attempt. It was a very tough exam & you have to have very clear understanding of each of those frame types & functionality of each of them. There will be lots of information to remember.

I hope I have done a reasonable job to make these CWAP blog posts to help you in your CWNP journey as well. Make use of all these material & one day become a TRUE wireless expert by learning these fundamentals. Enjoy your wireless studies.

You can learn more from failure than success, so do no worry about if you could not pass this exam first time🙂 See below, I think I still have learning opportunity in this CWAP.