Chuck Robbins (CEO - Cisco)
The CCNA, which stands for Cisco Certified Network Associate, is Cisco's foundational certification for networking professionals.
The CCNA is a commonly required prerequisite for associate-level networking jobs such as network engineer, network administrator, network support technician or help desk technician. There used to be 10 CCNA concentrations, specific to cloud, collaboration, security, data centres, wireless, and other areas. Then, in February of 2020, Cisco combined all of its foundational networking certifications into one comprehensive CCNA certification.
Why do you need a CCNA?
According to a Robert Half survey of more than 3,000 senior managers, the CCNA is one of the top 15 technology certifications that companies seek. And it serves as the starting point for two other Cisco entries on the list of in-demand IT certifications: Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) and Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE).
"Having a CCNA shows the candidate has the aptitude to learn, and also the aggressiveness to go after a goal," says Rob Parsons, practice director for network integrated security at Tempe, Arizona-based Insight, a consulting firm that regularly hires networking professionals.
That doesn't mean that candidates without a CCNA will never be considered, he says.
"We do measure on the merits of the individual," Parsons says. "If they have the work experience but not the certification, we would occasionally look at someone without the certification. But we are a large consulting company, and when we are consulting in the field, clients like to see the credentials behind the individuals."
The CCNA is just the starting point, he adds. "A lot of the folks that I hire on my team are pretty high-level individuals – pretty much all of them hold a CCNP," he says. The CCNP is the next certification after the CCNA. "But odds are the CCNA was their first certification when they started."
What it takes to get started with the CCNA
There are no formal prerequisites for getting the CCNA accreditation. But according to Cisco, CCNA candidates often have one or more years of experience implementing and administering Cisco solutions and knowledge of basic IP addressing. Cisco says its CCNA certification is designed to validate a person's skills and knowledge in network fundamentals, network access, IP connectivity, IP services, security fundamentals, and automation and programmability.
"I was first exposed to it as a senior in high school in the late 90s," says Jon Gorenflo, an instructor at cyber security research and training organisation SANS Institute as well as founder and principal consultant at Fundamental Security. "I had the chance to do the Cisco Academy during study hall, as a pilot student. It really laid the foundation for the rest of my career."
What he learned in preparing for the CCNA exam was as valuable as the college courses he took later. "Or more valuable," Gorenflo adds. "It's not only the foundational knowledge to understand how networks actually work but also the practical skills that you can apply to jobs."
And while some of the material is specific to Cisco hardware, most of the knowledge is common to all vendors, he says. "The way you configure a Cisco router may be slightly different from how another vendor does it," Gorenflo says. "But when you understand the technology behind it, you just learn someone else's command set and then apply the same concepts."
What does the CCNA cover?
The CCNA covers three major topics: networking, security, and automation. Cisco offers general guidelines for content likely to be included in the CCNA exam.
Questions related to network fundamentals might require candidates to explain the role and function of network components, for example, and describe the characteristics of different network topology architectures. To demonstrate an understanding of network access, test-takers might be required to configure and verify VLANs, or to configure the components of a wireless LAN access for client connectivity.
Sections on security fundamentals include issues such as: defining key security concepts; configuring device access control using local passwords; configuring Layer 2 security features such as DHCP snooping, dynamic ARP inspection, and port security; and configuring and verifying access control lists.
To demonstrate knowledge of automation and programmability, candidates should be able to compare traditional networks with controller-based networking, for example. Questions might ask test-takers to describe the characteristics of REST-based APIs, and to recognise the capabilities of configuration management mechanisms Puppet, Chef, and Ansible.
When do people usually get the CCNA?
Technology professionals can get the CCNA at any point in their careers, says Goreflo. They could still be in college or have recently graduated, have started on their careers, or may be working in other areas of technology and be interested in switching to networking. "I don't think there's a wrong time," he says. It can help someone enter a career, change careers, or accelerate their career progression, he says.
How do you prepare for the CCNA?
According to Insight's Parsons, it can take anywhere from a month to six months to prepare for the CCNA exam, depending on the level of experience and how intensively someone studies.
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