Cisco CCNA Certification demonstrates competence as a Network Professional.
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification validates your ability to install, configure, operate and troubleshoot routed & switched networks. CCNA-certified professionals can connect to remote sites via a wide area network (WAN), mitigate basic network security threats, and understand fundamental networking concepts and terminology.
CCNA certification is Cisco’s most popular certification and one of the tech industry’s most sought-after career credentials. Becoming CCNA certified is a distinctive first step toward a rewarding career as a network administrator or engineer. There are numerous Cisco training programs and specialized college degrees featuring coursework in Cisco networking. Compare CCNA training & certification programs online and in your area below.
Skills Measured by the CCNA
Key knowledge areas and skill sets covered by the Cisco CCNA certification exam include the following. Cisco Certified Network Associates can:
- Understand how different network topologies interact to form a secure IT network
- Explain how a computer network works and how it interacts with networked devices
- Configure, verify and troubleshoot a switch with VLAN & interswitch communications
- Implement an IP addressing scheme and IP Services to meet specific network requirements
- Configure, verify and troubleshoot routing and router operations on current Cisco devices
- Identify network security threats and describe threat mitigation methods & countermeasures
- Describe and perform the appropriate tasks for wireless local area network (WLAN) administration
- Setup and verify WAN links and execute the proper methods for connecting to a wide area network
- Implement & support Network Address Translation (NAT) and Access Control Lists (ACLs) in branch office networks
CCNA Exams
You have two testing options to become CCNA certified: Take the inclusive CCNA combo exam, or take ICND1 (CCENT) and ICND2 individually. Here the current test versions (released in 2016):
- CCNA combo exam: #200-125 CCNA | Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices: Accelerated (CCNA)
- Two separate exams: #100-105 | Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 1 (ICND1 v3, CCENT)
and #200-105 | Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 2 (ICND2 v3)
CCNA Exam Format: Cisco certification exams are comprised of multiple testing formats including multiple choice, drag-and-drop, fill-in-the-blank, testlet, simlet, and simulations. Explore the interactive Cisco Certification Exam Tutorial from Cisco.com to familiarize yourself with these unique question types.
Exam Length: 200-125 (ICND1 & ICND2) contains 50-60 questions.
Exam Cost: 200-125 (ICND1 & ICND2) costs $325 USD.
Passing Score: Approximately 75% correct; Cisco does not publish exam passing scores because
test questions and passing scores are subject to change without notice. (Source: Cisco.com)
CCNA Prerequisites
- Required: No required prerequisites for CCNA certification
- Recommended: No recommended prerequisites for CCNA certification
Cisco CCNA Jobs
CCNA certification qualifies you for a variety of IT job roles including:
- Cisco Certified Network Associate: Find CCNA Jobs
- Network Administrator: Find Network Admin Jobs
- Network Engineer: Find Network Engineering Jobs
- Cisco Network Engineer: Find Cisco Networking Jobs
- Network Support Specialist: Find Network Support Jobs
- More Cisco Certification Jobs: Browse Cisco Certified Jobs
CCNA Salary
Average salaries for Cisco Certified Network Associates (CCNA) and related Cisco certification holders:
- CCENT: Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician | $59,000
- CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Associate Routing & Switching | $75,000
- CCNA Security | $78,000
- CCNA Voice | $79,000
- CCNA Wireless | $79,000
- Cisco Data Center Unified Computing Support Specialist | $86,000
- CCDA: Cisco Certified Design Associate | $88,000
- CCNP Wireless | $89,000
- CCNP: Cisco Certified Network Professional, Routing & Switching | $92,000
- CCVP: Cisco Certified Voice Professional | $95,000
- CCSP: Cisco Certified Security Professional | $100,000
- CCNP Security | $103,000
- CCDP: Cisco Certified Design Professional | $106,000
- CCIE Routing & Switching | $122,000
- CCIE Security | $130,000
Mean salary by Cisco certification. Source: Payscale.com
Related Certifications
- CompTIA A+ Certification
- CompTIA Network+ Certification
- Cisco CCNP Certification
- Cisco CCDA Certification
- Microsoft MCSE Certifications
