CCNA Certification Training

Why CCNA Certification Training?

The CCNA certification is highly sought-after by networking professionals for a reason - employers recognize the value. This value is due to a couple of factors. For one, Cisco's networking products some of the most popular used by companies worldwide. An even greater reason is the certification process itself. Many who have become CCNA certified will tell you that this is one of the most difficult exams they have taken. Anyone who manages to earn the certification must have attained a certain skill-level with Cisco networking products.

Because the CCNA exam is quite challenging, many candidates choose to take a CCNA training course in preparation. Delivered by providers across the country you will find some of best CCNA training available in the list of courses above.

What Will You Learn During CCNA Certification Training?

Naturally, you will learn the topics likely to be included in the CCNA Exam during CCNA training. According to Cisco, these topics include:

• Network Fundamentals
• LAN Switching Technologies
• Routing Technologies
• WAN Technologies
• Infrastructure Services
• Infrastructure Security
• Infrastructure Management

In addition to learning about these topics, the best CCNA training courses will also teach you how to succeed on the actual exam. This often means that participants will learn about the style in which questions on the exam will be presented.

Even beyond this, most CCNA training includes hands-on practice through a virtual or physical lab environment where participants will practice exam concepts in a more practical sense. Since this practice software can be expensive on it's own, taking a class that includes this can be a huge bonus. Be sure to ask the provider what their course includes so that you find the best course for your money.

CCNA Certification Requirements

There are no official prerequisites for CCNA. That said, many candidates for this certification choose to earn Cisco's entry level (CCENT) routing and switching certification before going for the associate level (CCNA). This makes a lot of sense, not only to build up your knowledge gradually, but because the test for earning CCENT certification is one of the options for CCNA certification.

To earn your CCNA, you choose between the following exam options:

• Just the 200-125 CCNA exam

OR

• Both the 100-105 ICND1 and 200-105 ICND2

The second of these options means that you become CCENT certificed before you gain full CCNA certification. This means that you get to study in stages and don't need to learn all concepts at once.

This option is generally more appealing to candidates who are newer to the networking field. It means that you will more quickly earn a networking certification even if it is a lower level one.

Those already familiar with networking may choose to do all their studying at once so that they need to just take the one, more intensive, exam.

Maintaining CCNA Certification

Another factor in that makes employers respect CCNA certification is the frequent re-testing required to maintain certification. Unlike some certifications that last indefinitely, CCNA certification is only good for three years before more testing is required.

While this can be a huge pain for those with the certification, it is a guarantee of competence for employers. They know that their CCNA trained employees are up to date on the most recent technology in the networking field because they have to be!

If you choose CCNA training as part of your certification journey, your training provider will be able to help you figure out the next step for you, whether that is retaking an associate level exam in three years or stepping up to the specialist or expert level.

Related Training Areas

Didn't find the course you were looking for here? Below are a selection of additional IT and certification categories: