CCNA: Cisco Certified Network Professional
Overview
The CCNA credential serves as proof of the IT professional's real-world, practical knowledge of Cisco networking.
Examination
Competencies:
This exam is used to determine the competencies of the IT professional regarding Internetworking and Cisco networking. Examinees must thoroughly understand fundamental networking, which includes:
- Network identification
- Resource sharing
- Installation
- Configuration
- Troubleshooting
- Security
There are eight main competencies tested in the exam:
- OSI model
- Bridging/switching: VLANs, Spanning Tree Protocol
- Network protocols: TCP/IP, SPX/IPX
- Routing: RIPv2, EIGRP
- WAN protocols: ISDN, frame relay, ATM, HDLC
- Network Maintenance: DNS, Telnet
- LAN design: Ethernet, Token Ring, and others
- Cisco Internetworking operating system (IOS) and Networking basics
Structure:
For CCNA certification, examinees take a single 90-minute exam consisting of 55-65 questions, including questions based on hands-on simulations.
Prep courses:
Prep courses: The following courses are used in preparing students for this exam:
- IS 284 Routers and Switches I
- IS 286 Routers and Switches II
Certification
Upon receiving the CCNA designation, the professional is qualified in Routing and Switching. The CCNA is valid for three years.