Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Courses

Although there are no formal prerequisites for CCNA certification, most professionals in the field would recommend a thorough understanding of the CCNA topics before taking the exam. A lot of CCNA candidates have one or more years of experience implementing Cisco solutions along with a grasp of basic IP addressing and network concepts.

No, the CCNA is no longer required before you can attain a CCNP or higher-level Cisco certification. However, you need a certain level of competency and knowledge that builds upon skills attained at the CCNA level before you should attempt the CCNP certification. To achieve any of the Cisco professional-level certifications, you must pass two exams. You can earn a CCNP certification in one or more of the following specialties: enterprise (including routing, switching, and wireless networking), collaboration, security, data center, and service provider. Cisco also offers professional-level certifications in Cisco Certified DevNet Professional, which proves your skills in developing and maintaining applications built on Cisco networks, and Cisco Certified CyberOps Professional, which proves your skills in incident response, cloud security, and other active defense security roles.

Cisco has associate (CCNA), professional (CCNP), and expert (CCIE) certifications. These include the CCNA, Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate (entry security analyst skills), and Cisco Certified DevNet Associate (developing apps on Cisco platforms). CCNP certifications in enterprise (routing, switching, and wireless), collaboration (Cisco apps and services), data center (Cisco infrastructure), security (Cisco security solutions), and service provider (implementing and operating Cisco solutions), along with Cisco Certified CyberOps Professional and Cisco Certified DevNet Professional; CCIE certifications in enterprise infrastructure (operating Cisco solutions for complex setups), enterprise wireless (operating Cisco solutions for complex setups), data center (building and operating Cisco data center solutions), security (implementing Cisco security solutions), service provider (implementing Cisco service provider solutions); and design expert to prepare you for designing large networks.

Before the Cisco Certified Network Associate examination, you should know basic networking, security, automation, programming, and IP addressing. The CCNA examination intends to certify that you know to perform basic Network Associate tasks. These include managing, monitoring, and maintaining an organization's network infrastructure. A CCNA will not need to architect, design, or develop an advanced network, but they will need to understand it, modify it, and configure it. CCNAs generally have some entry-level, hands-on experience in information technology. Many CCNAs will have an Associate's or Bachelors in an IT-related field. Alternatively, those seeking Cisco certification can take Udemy courses to learn the basics of networking and information technology.

A CCNA is generally ideal for those who are pursuing a career in networking or security. Cisco certifications are particularly prized for their rigor and valued by employers across the globe. Entry-level IT professionals who want to expand their career and improve their marketability (or their paygrade) may want to get a Network Associate certification to show their dedication to the field. Alternatively, those who seek to learn more about networking or discover whether networking might be the best path for them may consider taking Cisco certification courses. While alternative certification paths (such as CompTIA's Network+) exist, Cisco generally represents the gold standard in networking and security. Further, Cisco's entry-level certifications lead down a more advanced certification path.