CCNA Guide: The 200-301 Exam and Networking Basics

The CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) is Cisco's associate-level networking certification, and today it means passing one exam: 200-301. This guide covers what that exam tests, its format, how to prepare without wasting money, and the basic network types every candidate needs to know.

Who the CCNA is for

The CCNA suits people starting out or working in networking: junior network engineers, network and systems administrators, and support engineers. It's also a common first certification for anyone moving into cloud or security roles, because so much of that work assumes you understand IP addressing, switching and routing.

Cisco first launched the CCNA in 1998. In 2020 it merged the separate CCNA tracks (Routing and Switching, Security, Wireless and others) into a single CCNA certification with one exam.

The CCNA 200-301 exam at a glance

Exam	200-301 CCNA
Length	120 minutes
Price	US$300 (Cisco Learning Credits also accepted)
Languages	English and Japanese
Question types	Multiple choice (single and multiple answer), drag and drop, and simulations on router and switch command lines
Passing score and question count	Not published by Cisco

Details can change, so confirm them on Cisco's CCNA exam page before you book. The certification is valid for three years. You renew it by passing a qualifying exam again or by earning Cisco Continuing Education credits; check Cisco's recertification page for the current number of credits needed.

What the exam covers

The exam blueprint has six domains. The weights show where to spend your study time:

Domain	Weight	Examples
Network fundamentals	20%	Cabling, TCP and UDP, IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, subnetting, wireless basics, virtualisation
Network access	20%	VLANs and trunking, EtherChannel, spanning tree, wireless LAN setup
IP connectivity	25%	Reading routing tables, static routes, single-area OSPFv2
IP services	10%	NAT, NTP, DHCP, DNS, SNMP, syslog, QoS basics
Security fundamentals	15%	Access control lists (ACLs), port security, VPN concepts, wireless security
Automation and programmability	10%	Controller-based networking, REST APIs, JSON, configuration management tools

IP connectivity carries the most weight, so get comfortable with routing before anything else. Subnetting turns up across several domains; you should be able to do it quickly in your head.

How to prepare

1. Download Cisco's official exam topics for 200-301 and use them as your checklist. Anything not on the list isn't tested.
2. Pick one main study source, such as the Cisco Press CCNA 200-301 Official Cert Guide books or a structured course, and work through it in order.
3. Lab every day. Cisco Packet Tracer is free through Cisco Networking Academy and is enough for most of the syllabus. Type the commands rather than reading about them. For example, putting a switch port into a VLAN:

Switch# configure terminal
Switch(config)# vlan 10
Switch(config-vlan)# name SALES
Switch(config-vlan)# exit
Switch(config)# interface gigabitEthernet0/1
Switch(config-if)# switchport mode access
Switch(config-if)# switchport access vlan 10
Switch(config-if)# end
Switch# show vlan brief

Learn the show commands as well as the configuration ones: show ip interface brief, show ip route and show running-config are how you check your work in the simulation questions.

4. Practise subnetting until a /27 or a /29 takes you seconds, not minutes.
5. Take timed practice tests in the last few weeks, and review every wrong answer against the official topics.

Avoid "exam dump" sites that sell real exam questions. Using them breaks Cisco's exam agreement, and Cisco can revoke certifications it finds were earned that way. They also leave you unable to do the job the certificate is supposed to prove you can do.

Types of computer networks

A network is a set of devices connected so they can share data, resources such as printers and files, and services. The CCNA expects you to know the main types by the area they cover.

LAN (local area network)

A network in one building or site: a home, an office or a school. A typical small-office LAN has PCs, printers, a switch, a router and the cabling that links them, usually twisted-pair copper. Ethernet is by far the most common wired LAN technology. It defines the cabling, connectors, signalling and frame format. Older technologies such as Token Ring and FDDI are obsolete and you won't meet them in practice. LANs are fast and cheap per device: 1 Gbps to each desk is normal, with 10 Gbps or more between switches.

WLAN (wireless LAN)

A LAN that uses radio instead of cables, defined by the IEEE 802.11 standards (sold as Wi-Fi). Most LANs today are a mix: wired for desktops and servers, wireless for laptops and phones. The CCNA covers wireless architectures, access points and wireless security.

PAN (personal area network)

A network around one person, linking devices within a few metres: a phone, earbuds, a smartwatch, a laptop. Bluetooth is the usual example.

MAN (metropolitan area network)

A network covering a city or part of one, such as links between a company's offices across town or a university's campuses.

WAN (wide area network)

A network spanning cities, countries or continents, built by linking LANs and MANs together. The internet is the largest WAN. Companies connect their sites over leased lines, MPLS or, increasingly, SD-WAN running over ordinary internet connections. The long-distance links themselves run over fibre-optic cable, microwave radio and satellite.

Next steps

If you're starting from zero, install Packet Tracer this week and build a two-switch, one-router network with two VLANs. Once you can make those VLANs talk to each other, you've covered a real slice of the exam. For related reading on how networks affect the sites you run, see how a CDN puts content closer to visitors in our WordPress server speed guide, how to secure staff who work remotely in protecting your business from the downsides of mobile working, and our comparison of password managers.