CCNA Certification: Exam, Cost and Career Value

What the CCNA Certification Covers

The CCNA certification, short for Cisco Certified Network Associate, tests the skills of someone who builds and runs small to mid-sized networks. The single exam, 200-301, covers network fundamentals, network access, IP connectivity, IP services, security fundamentals, and automation and programmability. It is written around Cisco’s products and concepts, though much of the material applies to any network.

That vendor focus is the main difference from CompTIA Network+. Network+ teaches networking in general. The CCNA teaches you to configure and troubleshoot networks the way a lot of employers actually run them, and Cisco is common enough in business and campus networks that the credential holds its value.

CCNA Exam Facts

The CCNA keeps the same exam code when it changes on February 3, 2027, so check which version you are studying for. Cisco publishes the price, the time and the question types, but not a question count or a passing score.

The CCNA is one exam. It is 200-301, and you get 120 minutes to complete it. The US price is $300, or you can pay with Cisco Learning Credits. Cisco grades the exam pass or fail, and results come back online shortly after you finish.

Cisco lists no prerequisites. The certification is aimed at entry-to-mid-level IT professionals and assumes little to no networking background. That is the official line, and it is worth reading carefully. It means nobody checks your background, not that the exam is easy. The material moves fast, and people who have never touched a router tend to struggle with the configuration tasks. The practical advice is to learn the fundamentals first, either through Network+, a course or a degree program, and then study for the CCNA.

All of this is published on Cisco’s CCNA certification page.

CCNA Exam Domains

Cisco reorganizes the CCNA into five domains for v2.0, and AI appears in a domain title for the first time. If you test by February 2, 2027, use the v1.1 weights. After that, use v2.0.

Network Fundamentals (20%). What routers, switches, firewalls and access points do, how topologies and cabling compare, TCP against UDP, and configuring IPv4 and IPv6 addresses and subnets by hand.

Network Access (20%). Building the switched side of a network. You configure VLANs, trunks and EtherChannel, understand spanning tree, and set up wireless access through a controller.

IP Connectivity (25%). The largest domain. You read a routing table, work out how a router picks a path, and configure static routes and single-area OSPFv2.

IP Services (10%). The services a network relies on: NAT, NTP, DHCP and DNS, SNMP and syslog, quality of service, and remote access with SSH.

Security Fundamentals (15%). Threats, vulnerabilities and mitigation, device passwords, access control lists, Layer 2 protections such as DHCP snooping and port security, plus VPNs and wireless security.

Automation and Programmability (10%). How automation changes network management: controller-based networking, REST APIs, JSON, and what tools such as Ansible and Terraform are used for.

Is the CCNA Certification Hard?

Yes, noticeably harder than A+ and harder than Network+. Three things cause most of the trouble. First is subnetting, which you must do quickly and accurately. Second is the volume of topics: OSPF routing, VLANs, spanning tree, wireless architectures, access control lists and automation concepts all appear. Third is the hands-on format, where you configure or fix a simulated network instead of picking an answer.

People who pass usually put in a lab. Cisco’s own simulator, Packet Tracer, is free and lets you build networks without hardware. Spend your study time configuring things, breaking them and fixing them. Reading alone does not prepare you for the simulation tasks. And use the 120 minutes carefully, because the labs take longer than multiple choice questions.

CCNA Renewal and Continuing Education

The CCNA certification is valid for three years. Cisco offers two ways to renew within that window.

The first is passing an exam. You can pass the current CCNA exam again, or pass a higher-level Cisco certification exam. That is the natural route if you are working toward a professional-level certification, since the higher exam renews the associate credential on the way.

The second is continuing education. You can earn 30 continuing education credits through Cisco training, webinars or approved courses. For people already working in networking, that is often the cheaper route, because much of the training counts without paying for another exam.

Either way, put the expiration date in your calendar a few months out. Letting a certification lapse and starting from scratch costs more than renewing on schedule.

Jobs That Use CCNA

The CCNA maps most closely to network administration, and it helps with the climb toward network engineering. The BLS has no separate category for network engineers, so that row uses network architects, the closest match.

Pay: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35. Job titles are matched to the closest BLS occupation.

The CCNA certification feeds three kinds of jobs. Computer Network Support Specialists (SOC 15-1231) earn a median of $76,220, with the bottom 10% at $47,120 and the top 10% at $127,780. The BLS lists associate's degree as typical entry education, and expects about 9,000 openings a year.

Network and Computer Systems Administrators (SOC 15-1244) earn a median of $99,130. That one BLS code covers both network administrators and systems administrators, and the BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical entry education. Employment is 314,340, and the BLS projects it to change by -4.1% over 2025 to 2035, while still expecting about 13,400 openings a year.

Network engineer is the third. BLS has no “network engineer” code, and Computer Network Architects (SOC 15-1241) is the closest. Engineer jobs usually want more than the associate credential, so view the CCNA as the first step. The network engineer career page and the network engineer salary page cover the role.

Where CCNA Fits

The CCNA sits on the networking path, usually after Network+, though Cisco requires neither Network+ nor any other certification first. CCNP is the step beyond it.

What to Take Before and After the CCNA

If you are new to IT, start with CompTIA A+, then Network+, then the CCNA. That sequence builds the knowledge in the order the exams assume it. If you already work with networks, you can go straight to the CCNA.

After the CCNA, the choices branch. You can pursue Cisco’s professional-level certifications for engineering, add a security certification for a security path, or add a cloud credential. Our certifications overview compares the paths, and the careers hub shows where each one leads.

CCNA vs an IT Degree

A CCNA proves skill on a specific body of knowledge. A degree proves a broader education. For network administrator jobs, the BLS lists bachelor's degree as typical entry education, so many employers prefer or require a degree and treat the CCNA as a strong addition.

The combination is worth aiming for. Some online programs build networking and certification prep into the coursework, so you study for the exam as part of your classes. See our online network administration degrees and online IT degrees with certifications rankings to compare them, and the is an IT degree worth it guide for the cost side.

How to Prepare for the CCNA Exam

Work from Cisco’s published exam topics for 200-301. They tell you what is tested and in what proportions. Choose one main course or book and finish it, then use labs for everything else.

Build networks in Packet Tracer every week. Configure VLANs, static and dynamic routing, access lists and basic security. Practice subnetting until you can do it in under a minute. In the final weeks, use timed practice exams, and treat each miss as a topic to rebuild in the lab.

Finally, plan the exam day. You have 120 minutes, so do not stall on one hard item. Flag it and come back. Most people who fail the first time pass on a retake, because the first attempt shows exactly where they were weak.

Degrees That Build CCNA In

Few of our ranked programs name the CCNA, compared with the CompTIA exams. Those that do are listed here, with what each page says about it. 6 programs in our online IT degrees with certifications ranking name CCNA.

• MyComputerCareerIT Network Administration and Security, AASCoursework lines up with the examRanked #8
• Bismarck StateCybersecurity and Computer Networks, AASCoursework lines up with the examRanked #18
• Abilene ChristianInformation Technology Administration, BSCoursework lines up with the examRanked #26 · $47,400 published tuition
• MonroeComputer Networks and Cybersecurity, BSCoursework lines up with the examRanked #29 · $84,000 published tuition
• NC CentralInformation Technology, BSCoursework lines up with the examRanked #34 · $87,320 published tuition
• BellevueInformation Technology, Bachelor'sCoursework lines up with the examRanked #41 · $58,293 published tuition

Those programs also appear on these rankings: Best Online IT Degrees with Built-In Certifications (6), Best Online IT Bachelor's Degrees (3), Cheapest Online IT Degrees (3), Best Online IT Degrees at NSA-Designated Schools (3), Best Online IT Associate Degrees (2), Best Online Networking and Network Administration Degrees (2), Best Online Cybersecurity Degrees (1).

CCNA Cost vs a College Course

Cisco charges one exam fee and no separate renewal fee, so the cost picture differs from CompTIA's. Renewal takes either another exam or continuing education credits.

Cisco CCNA costs $300 in exam fees, which is 24% of one 3-credit course at the median undergraduate rate in our programs. Cisco lists no separate renewal fee. We leave study materials out of this comparison because their cost depends on what you buy.

The median covers 83 associate and bachelor's programs in our rankings with a published per-credit rate, using the out-of-state rate where a school charges two. Quarter-credit programs are excluded.

Is the CCNA Certification Worth It?

For network jobs, usually yes. The exam costs $300, which is modest against the pay in the occupations it leads to, and the credential is recognized by employers that run Cisco equipment. It also shows you can configure a network, not just describe one, because the exam includes hands-on tasks.

It is worth less if your employer runs mostly other vendors, or if you work in a job where networking is a small part of the role. In those cases a vendor-neutral credential such as Network+ may be enough. And it is worth less if you let it lapse, since the three years validity period means an expired CCNA proves nothing current.

The best test is a job posting. Search the roles you want in your area. If the postings name the CCNA, take it. If they name Network+ or no certification at all, that tells you where to spend your first $300 and your first few months of study. Treat the certification as a tool for getting a specific job, not as a trophy.

Many people also find that the CCNA changes how they work. Once you have configured routing and switching by hand, troubleshooting at a help desk or in a server room becomes quicker, because you can picture what the packets are doing. That practical gain tends to outlast the credential itself.