Practice tests
Choose a randomized 10-, 20-, 30-, or 50-question v2.0 session with practical command output, configuration, log, and table-based questions.
CCNA practice and study resources
CCNA 200-301 Study Resources
Practice with randomized v2.0 questions, work through all five domain guides, review Cisco IOS verification commands, and reinforce subnetting and protocol knowledge. Check the exam-version guidance below so your preparation matches your test date.
Practice and study
Start studying CCNA
Start with a randomized practice session or the five-domain guide, use focused quick reviews to correct weak spots, then consult the command, acronym, IPv4, IPv6, and protocol references for deeper verification.
Study guides
Use the full v2.0 roadmap, then open a domain guide for configuration, verification, troubleshooting, and lab-oriented study.
Detailed domain guides
Quick review
Review IPv6 addressing, route selection, static routes, VLANs, trunks, Rapid PVST+, and EtherChannel through focused Cisco IOS evidence.
Current guides
References and tools
Use command, acronym, addressing, subnetting, and protocol references when you need to verify a detail or practice a calculation.
Current references
Related learning
Connect CCNA configuration and troubleshooting study to practical packet work, lab practice, subnetting, and certification planning.
Explore networking practice
Which blueprint should you study?
Use v1.1 through February 2, 2027 and v2.0 starting February 3, 2027
If your exam is scheduled by February 2, prepare against the active v1.1 blueprint. For an exam on or after February 3, use the published v2.0 scope. The technical core overlaps heavily, so work on addressing, switching, routing, services, security, automation, and troubleshooting remains useful across the transition.
At a glance
What CCNA covers
CCNA measures whether a candidate can understand, configure, verify, and troubleshoot a small to medium network. Addressing, switching, routing, security, services, and network operations are connected through practical decisions rather than treated as isolated definitions.
The current 200-301 v1.1 exam remains available through February 2, 2027. Cisco's published v2.0 blueprint takes effect February 3, 2027 and consolidates the exam into five domains with heavier emphasis on troubleshooting, practical configuration, security, and AI-assisted network operations.
200-301 CCNA
v1.1
120 minutes
U.S. $300 plus applicable tax
English and Japanese
February 3, 2027
Version transition
What carries forward to CCNA v2.0
Candidates planning to test by February 2, 2027 should continue using the current v1.1 blueprint. Cisco has said the refresh keeps the technical core, so current study in subnetting, switching, routing, services, security, and automation still carries forward.
For v2.0, put extra attention on practical verification and troubleshooting. Be ready to connect configuration intent with interface state, switching and routing tables, neighbor relationships, logs, packet evidence, security controls, and AI-assisted network operations.
February 2, 2027
February 3, 2027
Practical skills, troubleshooting, security, and AI
Candidate fit
Who CCNA is built for
CCNA is aimed at people entering or advancing in network engineering, network administration, infrastructure support, and related security or cloud roles. It is also useful for experienced support professionals who need stronger routing, switching, and troubleshooting depth.
There is no formal certification prerequisite. The practical challenge is being able to move between concepts, command output, configuration intent, and fault evidence without losing track of how traffic should flow.
Signals that CCNA may fit your next step
- You understand basic networking and want to configure and verify it rather than only describe it.
- You need stronger routing, switching, wireless, or infrastructure troubleshooting skills.
- You work with Cisco IOS or expect to support Cisco-based environments.
- You want a networking foundation that can lead toward security, cloud, automation, or professional-level Cisco study.
Building on a foundation
What changes after Network+
Network+ provides broad vendor-neutral coverage. CCNA expects more configuration fluency, output interpretation, and device-level verification.
Addressing and subnetting
Network+ foundation: Calculate subnets, host ranges, masks, and addressing requirements.
CCNA perspective: Apply IPv4 and IPv6 addressing to interfaces, routing decisions, VLAN designs, and troubleshooting evidence.
Switching
Network+ foundation: Explain VLANs, trunks, spanning tree, link aggregation, and common Layer 2 faults.
CCNA perspective: Interpret and verify Cisco switch configuration, trunk state, VLAN membership, spanning-tree roles, and EtherChannel operation.
Routing
Network+ foundation: Understand route selection, static and dynamic routing, and common path problems.
CCNA perspective: Read routing tables, select the most specific route, configure IPv4 and IPv6 paths, and verify OSPF and static routing behavior.
Troubleshooting
Network+ foundation: Use a structured method and choose appropriate commands, tools, and evidence.
CCNA perspective: Combine interface state, configuration, tables, logs, and command output to isolate the fault and choose the next verification step.
Automation and management
Network+ foundation: Recognize APIs, configuration management, software-defined networking, and automation concepts.
CCNA perspective: Understand how controllers, APIs, data formats, automation tools, and AI-assisted operations fit into modern Cisco network management.
200-301 v2.0 blueprint
Five CCNA v2.0 domains
Cisco has published the v2.0 blueprint for exams beginning February 3, 2027. Candidates testing through February 2, 2027 should continue using the active v1.1 blueprint for their exam-specific preparation.
Network Infrastructure and Connectivity
Interface and cabling faults, virtualization, IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, wireless principles, wired and wireless client connectivity, and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol version 4 (DHCPv4) troubleshooting on IOS devices.
Switching and Network Access
Layer 2 and Layer 3 interfaces, 802.1Q trunks, Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) EtherChannel, switch virtual interfaces (SVIs), edge-port configuration, Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) and Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) validation, troubleshooting output, and Rapid Per-VLAN Spanning Tree Plus (Rapid PVST+).
IP Routing
Routing-table interpretation, IPv4 and IPv6 static routing, single-area Open Shortest Path First (OSPFv2 and OSPFv3), and operational status of first-hop redundancy protocols.
Network Services and Security
AAA management access, secure file transfer, NAT and PAT, DNS troubleshooting, IPsec VPN concepts, IPv4 access control lists, and Layer 2 protections such as DHCP snooping, Dynamic ARP Inspection, RA guard, and port security.
AI, and Network Operations and Management
Agentic AI, prompt selection for generative AI-assisted operations, device-, cloud-, controller-, automation-, and infrastructure-as-code management, Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), Ansible command execution, and syslog interpretation.
Exam and certification path
One exam, then an active certification cycle
CCNA has no formal degree or prior-certification prerequisite. Earning it requires passing the current 200-301 exam version available on the candidate’s test date.
Most Cisco certifications, including CCNA, remain active for three years. Associate-level recertification can be completed through qualifying exams, 30 Continuing Education credits, or another current option listed in Cisco’s recertification policy.
Because the exam version changes in February 2027, candidates should verify the active blueprint before scheduling and make sure their preparation materials match their intended test date.
None
One 200-301 exam
Three years
30 credits
Study approach
Build command fluency around the network model
Lock down the fundamentals
Be comfortable with subnetting, Ethernet, VLANs, trunks, routing logic, wireless basics, and common services before adding command memorization.
Use a lab from the beginning
Practice on Packet Tracer, Cisco Modeling Labs, or suitable equipment so configuration and verification commands are connected to visible network behavior.
Read output before changing configuration
Learn what normal interface, VLAN, spanning-tree, neighbor, and routing output looks like. Troubleshooting improves when evidence comes before guesses.
Practice the next best command
Do not stop at identifying the likely fault. Decide which command or observation would confirm it with the least unnecessary change.
Track the exam version
Use v1.1 material for a test scheduled by February 2, 2027. Use the published v2.0 scope for testing on or after February 3, 2027.
Confirm the active blueprint with Cisco
Exam versions, prices, topics, and recertification rules can change. Check the current Cisco pages before scheduling or making a long-term study plan.
- Current 200-301 CCNA exam page
- Official 200-301 CCNA v2.0 exam topics
- Current CCNA exam topics
- Cisco announcement for the CCNA refresh
- Cisco guidance for the v1.1 to v2.0 transition
- Cisco recertification policy
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