Packet Tracer has the ability to create four different types of files. These file types are used for different purposes and include: .pka, .pkt, .pksz, and .pkz.

The .pka file type is a Packet Tracer Activity file and is the file type you will experience most often. Think of the “a” in .pka as meaning “activity.” A Packet Tracer Activity has an instructions window. The activity is usually scored as well. This file type contains two networks: an initial network and an answer network. The initial network opens when you launch the activity. The answer network runs in the background and can be used to provide scoring and feedback to learners as they complete the activity. Learners do not have access to the answer network in a .pka file.

The Packet Tracer Activity instructions window provides the procedures required to complete the activity, assignment, or assessment. The instructions window can also display completion percentage to track how much of the activity has been successfully completed. The Check Results feature can be enabled to provide feedback.

The .pkt file type is created when a simulated network is built in Packet Tracer and saved. The .pkt file can also have graphic background images embedded within it. However, .pkt files have no instructions window or activity scoring.

The .pksz file type is specific to Packet Tracer Tutored Activities (PTTA). These files bundle a .pka file, media assets, and a scripting file for the hinting system. These activities provide support, in the form of contextualized hints, for students who are working on completing the activity.

You will see Save As PKZ... in the File menu. This file type was previously used to embed images and other files in a Packet Tracer file. However, images are now embedded directly within a regular .pkt or .pka file by default. Therefore, consider .pkz as a deprecated file type.