How to prepare for Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) exam?

IT professionals are in high demand. CCNA certification is one of the most popular and sought-after certifications that IT pros can receive, but it’s not always easy to get your foot into this door.

The good news is there are a lot more opportunities for those who have achieved CCNA certification than ever before!

CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) Certification has been rising in demand recently due to its placement among some of the best networking certificates available today for both entry-level as well as experienced network engineers alike.

A CCNA certificate from Cisco helps you gain knowledge about various aspects related to an internetworking infrastructure while also providing skills that make candidates highly competitive for job openings at renowned companies.

To become a CCNA, you’re required to have the skills of configuring, operating, and troubleshooting network switches. As one becomes more experienced with these technologies, they are expected to be able to configure routers as well.

This post will teach you how to prepare for this CCNA certification, from networking basics all the way up to getting your hands dirty in preparation for exam practice questions.

1. Acquire the right study materials

CCNA preparation requires you to get the right study materials. The most effective study materials for your preparation are the latest editions of books provided by Cisco that include CCNA Routing and Switching ICND2 and CCENT/CCNA ICND1.

You can also access the 31 Days Before study series, which is available on the Cisco Press.

Make sure that you cover the lab exercises and practice questions thoroughly. On a basic level, you should have strong knowledge and understanding of binary mathematics. This is because the knowledge will assist you in your preparation of CCNA.

2. The more practice experience you have, the better it is

To do well on the CCNA exam, you’ll need theoretical and practical knowledge. You should be able to use your theoretical information in real-world networking problems as you prepare for this difficult test.

For instance, many people know that IP is unreliable. However, the core issue is being able to find substitute communication troubleshooting between various nodes on the IP.

3. Leverage practice tests

Set a practice test deadline for yourself and start practicing early so you can discover what areas of your study need improvement. Once you know those weaknesses, set achievable goals to work on them in between studying sessions before the exam.

4. Revise thoroughly prior to the exam

It’s always a good idea to go back and review the lessons again before you take your test. You’ll be able to work out any kinks in your comprehension, as well as identify anything that might have gone over your head on the first read.

It’s time to buckle down and get serious about your exams. Spend the last couple of weeks problem-solving, searching for new questions by searching internet forums, online practice tests, etc.

This will allow you to check off all the boxes in one fell swoop. The last week is also a great time to review what you’ve learned with CCNA training. There are many CCNA course online programs that you can explore to prepare for your exam.

5. It is a comprehensive and quick exam

The CCNA exam will test you on a variety of topics, including routing protocols and spanning trees. Given all the knowledge required to pass these tests, we recommend taking some time to focus our study on ICDN, which is used by Cisco as their base for testing purposes.

This requires that candidates go through the length and breadth of topics studied so it can be one part of your studying process.

Additionally, you have to be agile because you have to answer around 50 to 60 questions within 90 minutes.

You may be well-prepared, but attempting all the questions in a short time can get stressful. You should try solving previous years’ questions. This will allow you to better manage your time and get through the exam properly.

CCNA certification exam

The CCNA examination checks the fundamental knowledge of professionals. Therefore, the questions in the exam will continue to evolve with the introduction of modern technologies. Here are few important points you should know about the exam:

• This is an objective type exam where multiple choices are given out in which you have to choose the right answer.
• Other forms of questions can also come, including drag and drop, simlet, sim, and testlet.
• To acquire the CCNA routing and switching Cisco certification, there are two options. First, you can give one 200-125 CCNA Routing and Switching exam. Second, you can give two exams- ICND2 200-105 and ICNDI 100-105.
• You can give the exam in two languages that include Japanese and English.

Conclusion

Obtaining CCNA certification does not merely open doors to lucrative networking jobs. It can also tout yourself and experts in networking with international recognition.

It exhibits your knowledge and puts you ahead of your non-certified peers. CCNA certification cost is set at USD 300.