How to get CCNA certification

The Cisco CCNA is widely considered as the gold standard of IT networking industry certifications. This section outlines practical steps to become a Cisco Certified Network Associate

Learning objectives

Understand the market value of CCNA certification
Become familiar with the CCNA exam registration process
Describe a roadmap to prepare for the CCNA exam
Identify top free resources to help you prepare for the CCNA exam
Become familiar with Cisco's own CCNA resources

This section offers advice on how to get CCNA certification. This section outlines practical steps to become a Cisco Certified Network Associate. It offers tips and resources to help aspiring computer networking specialists pass their CCNA 200-301 exam (Implementing and Administering Cisco Networking Technologies). This section explains the market value of CCNA certification, explains the CCNA exam registration process, describes a roadmap to prepare for the CCNA exam, and identifies top free resources to help you prepare for the CCNA exam.

Topics covered in this section

What is CCNA certification?
How to get CCNA certification
7 steps x 7 weeks to become CCNA certified
How to study for the CCNA exam (6 steps)
Top 7 free resources for the CCNA exam
Cisco’s own study resources

What is CCNA certification?

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) is a technical certification issued by Cisco for early-career networking professionals. Cisco technology provides enterprise router and networking solutions to nearly 40% of the world.

CCNA (commonly, Cisco CCNA, the CCNA, and the Cisco CCNA) is the de facto starting point for a career in enterprise networking and IT. CCNA “proves you have what it takes to navigate the ever-changing landscape of IT.” CCNA “validates that you have the skills required to manage and optimize today’s most advanced networks.” CCNA verifies a mastery of “the essentials needed to launch a rewarding career as a networking professional” (Your career in networking begins with CCNA).

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) … validates that candidates know how a network fundamentally operates. That knowledge aligns with what a networking professional would have learned in their first year on the job.
CBT Nuggets Networking Certification Guide

The CCNA is a gem in the world of IT. But what it’s not is an “entry-level IT certification”. That would be something like CompTIA A+. The CCNA is a networking certification. It is specialized in that sense.

Cisco’s CCNA is widely regarded as the king of networking certifications and many successful IT careers have been built on its foundation. It’s one of those certs that can take you from setting up small office networks to working in shiny enterprise data centers and magnificent ISP backbone environments.
CBT Nuggets

CCNA is not an entry-level networking certification. That would be something like the retired CCENT (Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician) or the not retired CCT (Cisco Certified Technician) Routing and Switching.

The CCNA is an intermediate-to-advanced certification specialized in network administration of Cisco equipment. With some experience on the job and/or through taking the CCNP you qualify for network engineering job roles. Cisco is the dominant vendor in the networking space but by no means the only player. But there is enough networking theory and Unix/Linux in the CCNA curriculum that make it a good choice/investment even if you end up working for other vendors like Juniper, HPE, or Dell. Though if you know beforehand you’ll be working with Juniper gear, do JNCIA-Junos.

The CCNA is also a great foundation for those who want to pivot to cybersecurity. As a cybersecurity analyst you have to understand how data flow through the Internet and all the configuration errors that leave the network vulnerable to malicious attacks.

Having said that, some of the job roles for CCNA holders you might encounter in job postings include: Infrastructure Engineer, Network Analyst, Network Engineer, Junior Network Engineer, IT Specialist, Network Technician, Network Administrator, and Systems Administrator.

The 200-301 CCNA exam is the one exam required to earn the Cisco Certified Network Associate certification. This exam tests a candidate’s knowledge and skills related to network fundamentals, network access, IP connectivity, IP services, security fundamentals, and automation and programmability.

How to get CCNA certification

Before discussing a study approach and study resources for the CCNA exam, here is a brief discussion of the CCNA exam registration information.

There are no prerequisites and no mandatory courses or training required to take the exam. However, Cisco recommends that CCNA exam takers have “one or more years of experience implementing and administering Cisco solutions.”

The CCNA exam costs US$300 to take. The exam runs for 120 minutes and you can expect around 100-120 questions in the exam. The passing mark is around 80-85%. When taking the exam, you cannot go back to a question you skipped (remember to go through the tutorial in the beginning of the test). The exam is rumoured to have a 50% first-time pass rate, with some sources offering a much less optimistic estimate.

Cisco certification exams are administered worldwide through Cisco’s testing delivery partner, Pearson VUE. The CCNA exam can be taken in person or online. To register for an exam, first you need to create a Cisco profile on Cisco.com and a Cisco Certification candidate profile on the Certification Tracker portal. When ready to schedule your Cisco exam,

you may do so directly from the Cisco Certification Tracker tool using our Single-Sign-On process, or contact Pearson VUE, the authorized test delivery partner of Cisco, who will administer the exam in a secure, proctored environment. (Exam Registration Information)

To keep track of your exam history and certification status, login to your Certification Tracking System profile.

Like all of Cisco’s certifications, the CCNA expires after three years. Your can recertify a CCNA before it expires by retaking the original exam, completing enough continuing education credits, or advancing to the next tier of Cisco certifications.

7 steps x 7 weeks to become CCNA certified

[This section was inspired by Network Engineer Academy trainer Jorge Armando Navarro. Jorge’s advice is more likely to work for someone who already has a year or so on the job network administration experience under their belt. For a complete novice, a good place to start is the “Networking Fundamentals” YouTube playlist by Ed Harmoush, a Network Engineer and YouTuber based in Seattle, WA, U.S. (Practical Networking). Some key concepts from Ed’s playlist in blog form: How data flow through the Internet.]

Commitment to pass the CCNA in 7 weeks (more or less): 15-20h/week (about 3h/day). Study daily rather than in big chunks or marathons.

Don’t buy or use books to study/prepare for the CCNA exam. Instead, follow this 7 steps x 7 weeks process.

Week 1 (or weeks 1-2): study the topics covered in CompTIA Network+ (how computers communicate, network devices, network security, cloud security, virtualization, etc.).

Do not sit for the CompTIA Network+ exam. Rather, study the syllabus material. You can use this free resource: Professor Messer’s CompTIA N10-008 Network+ Course (93 Videos – Total Running Time: 14h 12m).

Weeks 2-4: select two vendors that offer training for Cisco CCNA and go through the training video tutorials.

Study like this: go through 3-5 training videos then take the time (~10 minutes) to imagine you’re in an interview being asked 1-2 questions related to the 3-5 watched videos. Then take the time (~10 minutes) to teach someone (real or imagined) the watched material, in a conversational tone.

Week 5: research the topics you still need to understand – research real-world problems and their solutions regarding the topics. For example, on the topic of VLANs, research problems related to VLANs that an organization may encounter.

Week 6 (or 10 days ~25h): do nothing but labs (hands-on training). Make notes about how these labs can help you solve real-world problems. Think in terms of problems and solutions.

Week 7 (or the last 10 days): practice exam questions, the ones being asked in the CCNA exam.

If you want to use a book to prepare for the CCNA exam, get this one (priced at about US$50): CCNA 200-301 Official Cert Guide Library 1st Edition – by Wendell Odom.

How to study for the CCNA exam (6 steps)

(This section was inspired by ITProTV trainer Ronnie Wong.)

1. Download the exam objectives (exam blueprint or exam topics) from the official vendor (Cisco) website: The Cisco Learning Network: 200-301 CCNA Exam Topics.

2. Decide on/set an exam-taking date and take an assessment (a practice exam) of your current knowledge/skill level.

3. Devise a study plan: a daily study time (advisably, three study sessions per day with 15m breaks in between) and a specific number of topics (per session) to cover – as you work your way through the exam objectives.

4. Commit to the goals of each session.

5. Take another assessment at 50% of study.

6. Take a last assessment at 100% of study.

Remember, to prepare for the CCNA exam, you need to study the theoretical material, practice configuring and troubleshooting in a virtual lab, and practice exam questions. Expect to see the following types of questions in the exam: Multiple choice (single and multiple answers), Drag-and-drop, Fill-in-the-blank, Simulation, Testlet, and Simlet. Consult Infosec Institute’s link in the Key references section for more details about the nature of the exam.

Top 7 free resources for the CCNA exam

1. YouTube channels – in no particular order:

Keith Barker | Jeremy’s IT Lab | David Bombal

2. Cisco Packet Tracer

The Cisco Packet Tracer is a network simulation tool that allows you to design, build, and test your own network typologies. It allows you to interact with devices and configure them with the Cisco command line. One of the most valuable features is being able to see the protocols working in a visual simulation mode. This lets you see the protocol messages flowing throughout the network in real time.

3. Subnetting exercises

You may be asked things like, how many hosts are available on a given subnet? What is a broadcast address of a subnet? What is the first and last available IP address? Subnetting is a big part of networking and the CCNA exam. You might have to choose an appropriate IP range or interpret a routing table.

4. Cisco Documentation – Cisco has great documentation that go into details about particular protocols and technologies, e.g., documents on STP, RSTP, OSPF, HSRP, and infinitely more.

Support & Downloads (Cisco.com) | What’s New in Cisco Product Documentation (Cisco.com)

5. RFCs (Requests for Comments) – those documents detail how protocols are designed and how they work.

Obtaining RFCs and Standards Documents for IP Routed Protocols (Cisco.com) | RFC Data Base (Internet Society)

6. Flashcards

Digital flashcards phone app: Anki. Build your own flashcard decks or import pre-built ones.

7. Communities of practice – connect with others on the same journey as you.

CCNA Certification Community | CCNA reddit sub | Discord Cisco Study Group

Cisco’s own study resources

1. Your career in networking begins with CCNA

Download CCNA Guide – This CCNA Certification Guide 2022 provides insight and guidance on what to expect and the best way to plan for certification.

CCNA Essentials Webinar Series – An in-depth tour of the CCNA exam (3 free episodes)

2. The Cisco Learning Network: 200-301 CCNA Exam Topics

2.1. Cisco Cert Prep Tip

Create and keep track of learning milestones by downloading exam topics: Download Complete List of CCNA Exam Topics in PDF Format Download CCNA Exam Topics Study Plan

2.2. Practical skills in the exam

Learning: New Performance-Based Lab Exam Items Build Opportunities This lab item type aims to measure the application of knowledge in a hands-on environment for configuring and troubleshooting.

Cisco Certification Exam Tutorial Videos Familiarize yourself with the exam environment before testing through videos available on the Cisco Learning Network.

2.3. Cisco CCNA Study Resources

Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions (CCNA) This (paid) course helps candidates prepare for the CCNA exam.

CCNA Study Materials (paid)

3. CCNA Prep Program – Your ultimate self-study resource (free)

To gain access to the CCNA Prep on-demand free resources (CCNA Prep Practice Quiz, CCNA Prep Webinars, and CCNA Prep Learning Map), Register as a Cisco Learning Network community member. Then log in to the Cisco Learning Network to add resources to your Learning Plan.

4. CCNA Training Videos (free)

A collection of live webinar recordings conducted on the Cisco Learning Network (includes CCNA Certification Training Videos, CCNA Prep Program Learning Map, and CCNA Prep Program Practice Quiz).

Key takeaways

Cisco’s CCNA is widely regarded as the king of networking certifications.
To register for an exam, first you need to create a Cisco profile on Cisco.com.
If you are familiar with the CCNA curriculum, follow the "7 steps x 7 weeks" framework to become CCNA certified.
You can find free CCNA YouTube courses (e.g., Jeremy's IT Lab) and blogs (e.g., Wendell Odom).