Cisco CCNA Certification

By obtaining the Cisco CCNA certification, the candidates go through the first milestone that will help them build a successful career in managing varied IT technologies.

Audience for CCNA Designation

The candidates interested in procuring the CCNA certificate want to consolidate their skills in different areas such as security, automation, and networking. In general, this certification is suitable for network engineers who are just starting their careers in this position. Also, the CCNA qualification is suitable for network support technicians, network administrators, or help desk technicians. This validation, in particular, offers the specialists the opportunity to gain foundational knowledge of managing Cisco networks, as well as understand how they can perform the operations and basic installation of Cisco infrastructure including networking elements. While Cisco doesn’t have mandatory prerequisites for the candidates, it recommends that the applicants should have basic computer knowledge and know how to navigate through different PC operating systems. Also, the vendor recommends that applicants should have basic internet & IP usage knowledge in addition to having at least one year of dealing with Cisco solutions.

CCNA Certification Exam Structure

The CCNA designation can be gained after passing one exam which is coded 200-301. This exam certifies the candidates’ capacity to handle different concepts such as network access and fundamentals, as well as learning how to deploy IP services along with connectivity, programmability, and automation. This exam has a duration of 120 minutes, however, the vendor doesn’t give details on the number and type of questions that the examinees will receive. Still, they should be ready to solve different types of inquiries. For example, they will receive multiple-choice or multiple-answer questions, as well as drag and drop items. Besides, such a test is available in the English and Japanese languages. In addition, the applicants should know that this is a proctored exam for which they should register on the Pearson VUE platform. It is essential that the candidates follow the instructions available on the platform and pay the registration fee. Otherwise, it is impossible to finalize the registration process and take the Cisco 200-301 evaluation. Finally, the road to achieving the CCNA validation involves registering with $300.

Topics Tested in Cisco CCNA Certification Evaluation

All in all, the CCNA 200-301 certification exam focuses on testing six major skills, as follows:

• Getting a solid understanding of network fundamentals and how each network component works;
• Configuring network access elements and comparing how Cisco Wireless Architecture elements work;
• Ensuring and configuring IP Connectivity protocols in addition to features;
• Building up different types of IP services and understanding how to manage network devices to ensure remote access;
• Configuring security fundamentals and describing the most important wireless security protocols;
• Understanding how the programmability and automation elements impact the overall network management.

Preparation Materials for CCNA Validation

To meet the CCNA exam demands successfully, you have to go through a comprehensive training process. Thus, you should create a plan of all the topics and subtopics tested and learn them one by one using the Cisco official course, study guides, hands-on labs, and any other materials that are helpful for you. Also, once you master any big theme and the whole syllabus, refer to practice tests so as to check your knowledge. These files consist of real 200-301 questions and answers taken from previous exams and thus doing them, you’ll be able to see your actual level of readiness. Turning back to the point, you can make use of the following preparatory means for your 200-301 exam:

• Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions (CCNA) v1.0

  This is the official class provided by Cisco for any candidate who wants to earn the CCNA certification. This course is a mix of practical labs, lectures, and self-study sessions. During this training, the attendees will discern how to operate, install, verify, and configure basic IPv6 and IPv4 network elements. Also, they will get equipped with the knowledge of different network components. For example, the exam-takers will understand how routers and switches, as well as wireless LAN controllers, work. When they attend the hands-on labs, the applicants will get a solid knowledge of how to manage automation, network programmability, and notions for software-defined networks. As for the delivery mode, this course is delivered in three ways. Initially, the individuals can opt for tutor-led training. This means that candidates will spend 5 days in the class and learn from a skilled trainer about the topics tested in the Cisco 200-301 exam. After this period, the attendees will have 3 more days for self-study. The second option will be to choose web-based teacher-conducted lessons. Its format is very similar to the classroom one, with the only difference that it is delivered online. After 5 days of virtual instructor-led lectures, the candidates will have 3 days to dedicate to self-study. Finally, the applicants can choose the e-learning type of training. Here, all the materials delivered in the other two options will be put at the candidates’ disposal. They are the equivalent of 8 days of training delivered in a classroom or virtual mode.

• CCNA Essentials Webinar Series

  This is a CCNA-dedicated training that offers the candidates the opportunity to learn from a series of episodes how to build a successful career in IT. This series includes 3 parts with different durations each. The first one is dedicated to presenting an overview of the CCNA certification program as well as the latest changes made by the vendor in the new CCNA designation. It also takes the viewers through the Network Fundamentals and Network Access concepts. To add more, its duration is 90 minutes and it is delivered in the English language. The second episode focuses on Internet Protocols, Services, and Connectivity. This one has a duration of one hour and offers a deep dive into the second segment included in the exam blueprint. The final episode has a duration of 60 minutes as well. It offers a brief recapitulation of the previous two episodes and helps the viewers understand how the automation, security, and programmability features work.

Conclusion

You can obtain the CCNA certification as long as you stay organized in your training routine and use various training materials. You can explore the vendor’s official site and enroll in the available training classes. Also, you can find different self-study materials that will help you consolidate your knowledge and ace your skills in the Cisco 200-301 exam.