If you want a career building and supporting networks, the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) is often the first credential hiring managers look for. It shows you understand how switches and routers move traffic, and that you can configure the devices that most enterprise networks run on.

In this guide, we’ll cover who the CCNA is for, what Cisco requires, how long to study, what careers and salaries look like, how to keep the certification active, and what to pursue next.

Who Should Take the Cisco CCNA Exam?

The CCNA is built for people early in their networking careers, or those moving into networking from a related IT role. It’s a strong fit if you are:

  • A help desk or desktop support technician who wants to move into network support or administration.
  • A junior network technician or NOC analyst who already touches switches and routers and wants to formalize those skills.
  • A systems administrator who needs a deeper understanding of VLANs, routing, and ACLs to troubleshoot across teams.
  • A cybersecurity newcomer who wants solid networking fundamentals before specializing. Security analysts who can read a routing table and an ACL have a real advantage.
  • A student or career changer who has completed coursework such as Cisco Networking Academy and wants a recognized credential.

You might wait if you’re completely new to IT and still learning what an IP address is. Some candidates build a foundation first with an entry-level credential such as CompTIA Network+, then move to the CCNA. That isn’t required, but it can make the CCNA study process feel less steep.

What Are the Cisco CCNA Eligibility Requirements?

The CCNA has no formal eligibility requirements. Cisco’s CCNA certification page lists the prerequisites as “None.” You don’t need a degree, work experience, or a training course to sit for the exam. You earn the certification by passing one exam: 200-301 CCNA.

Here is how the process works:

  1. Create a Cisco account and sign in to the Cisco Certification Tracking System.
  2. Schedule through Pearson VUE, choosing a test center or online proctored delivery.
  3. Pay the exam fee. Cisco’s 200-301 exam page lists US$300, and Cisco Learning Credits are accepted. Confirm the current price in your region when you register.
  4. Take the 120-minute exam and receive your score report when you finish.

If you don’t pass, Cisco’s exam policies require a five-calendar-day wait before you can retest. Review the policies before exam day, especially the ID and online testing rules.

How Long Should You Study for the Cisco CCNA Exam?

Most candidates study for two to six months. Where you land depends on your starting point and weekly study time.

  • Newer to networking: Plan on four to six months at 8 to 10 hours a week. Subnetting, OSPF, and spanning tree take time to click, and you’ll want plenty of lab practice.
  • Working in IT with some networking exposure: Three to four months is typical.
  • Already configuring Cisco gear daily: Two months of targeted review may be enough, with extra attention on less familiar areas such as wireless and automation.

Sample 16-Week CCNA Study Plan

This plan follows the six v1.1 domains and gives the most time to the heaviest ones.

  • Weeks 1 to 3, Network Fundamentals (20%): OSI and TCP/IP models, cabling, TCP vs. UDP, daily IPv4 subnetting drills, IPv6 addressing, and switching basics.
  • Weeks 4 to 6, Network Access (20%): VLANs, trunks, 802.1Q, CDP/LLDP, EtherChannel with LACP, Rapid PVST+, and wireless architectures. Build a three-switch lab in Packet Tracer.
  • Weeks 7 to 10, IP Connectivity (25%): Routing tables, longest prefix match, administrative distance, IPv4 and IPv6 static routes, single-area OSPFv2, and FHRPs. Spend extra time here.
  • Weeks 11 and 12, IP Services (10%) and Security Fundamentals (15%): NAT, DHCP, NTP, SNMP, syslog, Quality of Service (QoS), SSH, ACLs, port security, DHCP snooping, DAI, AAA, and WPA2/WPA3.
  • Week 13, Automation and Programmability (10%): Controller-based networking, REST APIs, JSON, Ansible and Terraform, and AI in network operations.
  • Weeks 14 to 16, Mixed review: Timed mixed quizzes, a full-length mock exam, and focused repair of your weakest objectives.

Experienced candidates can compress the first six weeks into two or three and spend the saved time on labs and mixed practice.

What Careers Can the Cisco CCNA Support?

The CCNA is widely listed in job postings for entry- and mid-level networking roles. Common titles include:

  • Network support specialist or network technician
  • NOC (network operations center) analyst
  • Junior network administrator or network administrator
  • Systems administrator with network responsibilities
  • Field or deployment engineer for managed service providers

You’ll find these roles in corporate IT departments, managed service providers, telecommunications companies, government agencies, schools and universities, and healthcare systems. Over time, with experience and advanced certifications, many CCNA holders move into network engineer and network architect roles.

What Is the Salary for CCNA Holders?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) doesn’t track pay by certification, but it does report wages for the occupations CCNA holders typically fill. According to the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook:

Job outlook varies by role. BLS projects employment of network architects to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average. It projects a 4% decline for network and computer systems administrators, though about 13,400 openings are still expected each year as people change jobs or retire. That mix is one reason many CCNA holders keep building skills toward engineering and architecture work. Your own pay will depend on your location, experience, and employer.

How Do You Maintain the Cisco CCNA?

The CCNA is valid for three years. According to Cisco’s recertification page, you can renew at the associate level by:

  • Earning 30 Continuing Education (CE) credits through eligible Cisco training and activities.
  • Retaking the current CCNA exam before your certification expires.
  • Advancing to the next level, such as earning a professional-level certification.

Many working professionals use CE credits because they can earn them gradually while learning skills they need on the job.

What Certifications Stack Well With the Cisco CCNA?

The best next step depends on where you want your career to go.

  • CCNP Enterprise: The natural next step for network engineers. It requires the 350-401 ENCOR core exam plus one concentration exam, such as advanced routing (ENARSI) or SD-WAN.
  • CCNP Security: For CCNA holders moving toward firewall, VPN, and network security engineering.
  • CompTIA Security+ or ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC): Good options if you’re pivoting toward a security analyst role and want broad security fundamentals to go with your networking skills.
  • A cloud associate certification: Networking skills carry directly into cloud networking, so an AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud associate credential is a logical complement if your organization is moving workloads to the cloud.

Pick the next credential that matches the job you want in two to three years, not just the next one on a list.

Start Preparing for the Cisco CCNA Exam With Pocket Prep

Ready to take the next step in your networking career? Pocket Prep’s Cisco CCNA practice questions include 650 questions with detailed explanations and a full-length mock exam, so you can study in short sessions and still see how you’d perform on test day. Set study reminders to keep your streak going and use the Weakest Subject quiz to focus your time where it counts. You’ve got this.