Cisco CCNA exam guide covering subnetting, routing, switching, wireless, and troubleshooting.
This Cisco Certified Network Associate guide helps CCNA candidates focus on what the exam tests, where close answers usually split, and which review page to use next.
Use the study plan to group routing, switching, automation, and security choices, the cheat sheet for packet-path and workflow recall, the sample questions for applied practice, the FAQ for scope checks, the resources page for Cisco references, and the glossary when protocol names blur together.
| Item | Guide value |
|---|---|
| Vendor | Cisco |
| Exam or credential | Cisco Certified Network Associate |
| Code or shorthand | CCNA |
| Study level | Associate networking |
| IT Mastery page | CCNA exam page |
| Guide shape | Start-here page, study plan, cheat sheet, FAQ, resources, and glossary. |
| Lane | What to master | Common weak answer |
|---|---|---|
| Network fundamentals | Understand models, cabling, addressing, subnetting, switching, routing, wireless, and basic protocols. | Solving by memorized acronym without packet path reasoning. |
| IP connectivity | Reason about routing tables, default routes, static routes, OSPF basics, and next-hop behavior. | Changing routing before checking interface status and addressing. |
| Security fundamentals | Apply device hardening, ACLs, AAA, VPN concepts, segmentation, and secure management. | Using ACLs without direction, order, and implicit deny awareness. |
| Automation and programmability | Recognize APIs, JSON, controllers, configuration management, and network automation concepts. | Treating automation as scripts only rather than model-driven operations. |
| Troubleshooting | Use OSI-like isolation, show commands, logs, pings, traceroute, ARP, MAC tables, and interface counters. | Jumping layers without evidence. |
Cisco networking questions are path and layer questions: address, VLAN, route, ACL, protocol, and evidence.
Use the current Cisco exam page for live exam details, including name, status, pricing, duration, delivery method, languages, retirement or beta changes, and domain weights where applicable.