What the Cisco 200-301 CCNA is and who it is for
The Cisco Certified Network Associate is Cisco’s foundational networking certification and the most recognised networking credential in the world. Since 2020 it has been a single exam, 200-301, which replaced all the older CCNA specialisation tracks. One sitting covers network fundamentals, network access, IP connectivity, IP services, security fundamentals, and automation and programmability.
It is the standard entry level credential for network administrator, NOC technician and junior network engineer roles. It is also the foundation for every CCNP specialisation track, so if you plan to go further with Cisco, this is where the path starts. There are no formal prerequisites.
One date matters for anyone planning now. Cisco has announced CCNA v2.0, and the exam code stays 200-301. The last day to sit the current v1.1 exam is 2 February 2027. This guide covers v1.1, the exam you will sit if you test on or before that date.
Cisco 200-301 CCNA at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exam code | 200-301 |
| Time allowed | 120 minutes |
| Passing score | Not publicly disclosed by Cisco |
| Exam fee | US$300 per attempt |
| Where you sit it | Pearson VUE testing centres and online proctored |
| Certification valid for | 3 years |
What is on the exam
The v1.1 blueprint has six domains. Three of them, network fundamentals, network access and IP connectivity, add up to 65% of the exam, so that is where most of your time should go.
Network fundamentals (20%). The building blocks: what routers, switches and access points do, how the layers of a network fit together, cabling and interface basics, and IPv4 and IPv6 addressing. Subnetting lives here, and it is the skill most candidates underestimate because it looks easy on paper and takes time under pressure.
Network access (20%). How devices connect at layer 2: VLANs, trunking, spanning tree and the switch configuration that ties a campus network together. Wireless access concepts sit in this domain too.
IP connectivity (25%). The largest domain and the heart of the exam: how routers decide where to send traffic. Routing tables, static routing and the behaviour of the routing protocol Cisco expects you to know are tested here, usually through scenarios where you have to read the table and predict the path.
IP services (10%). The services that make a network usable: address translation, time synchronisation, name resolution, address assignment and the management protocols used to monitor devices.
Security fundamentals (15%). Basic security concepts, device hardening, access control lists, wireless security and the security features on switches.
Automation and programmability (10%). How networks are managed programmatically: controller based architectures, APIs, data formats and configuration management tools. For v1.1 it is a full tenth of the paper.
Why people fail it
The CCNA fails people through breadth rather than depth. It is one exam that covers everything, from cabling to automation, in 120 minutes. Candidates who studied one area thoroughly and skimmed the rest tend to hit a run of questions from a domain they barely looked at and lose time they never get back.
The second cause is pace. Subnetting, reading a routing table and tracing a packet through a diagram all take real minutes. If you have not practised these to the point where they are quick, the clock beats you before the questions do. The scoring does not help: Cisco does not publish the passing score, and there is no partial credit for getting close.
Finally, the timing of the v2.0 change catches people out. The last day to sit v1.1 is 2 February 2027. If you are studying material written for v1.1 and you sit the exam after that date, you will be tested on the v2.0 blueprint instead. Decide which version you are sitting before you plan.
A study plan that fits the exam
Six weeks, with time split roughly by domain weight. IP connectivity gets the most, the two 20% domains get a week each, and the three smaller domains share the back half. Sit the free CCNA practice questions before week one so you have a baseline to compare against at the end.
- Week 1: network fundamentals. Cover the models, device roles and cabling, then spend at least half the week on IPv4 and IPv6 addressing until subnetting is automatic.
- Week 2: network access. VLANs, trunks, spanning tree, switch configuration and wireless basics. Build the topologies in a simulator and break them on purpose, because the exam likes to ask what happens when something is misconfigured.
- Weeks 3 and 4: IP connectivity. Two weeks for the largest domain. Routing tables, static routes and routing protocol behaviour, practised through diagrams rather than definitions. Start the CCNA practice pack here and work through the connectivity questions with the explanations open.
- Week 5: IP services, security fundamentals and automation. Three smaller domains in one week: services and their configuration first, then access lists and device hardening, then the automation concepts and data formats. Use the pack to check each domain as you finish it.
- Week 6: timed runs and review. Sit at least two full timed sessions with the questions only PDF, 120 minutes each, then review every miss. Compare your results against the week zero baseline and spend the last days on whichever domain moved least.
On exam day
The 200-301 is delivered at Pearson VUE testing centres and online with a proctor. Both give you 120 minutes. If you test online, run the system check and prepare your room well in advance, because a failed check in on the day can cost you the appointment. A testing centre is the lower risk option if you have any doubt about your setup.
Because Cisco does not publish the passing score, do not try to calculate whether you can afford to skip questions. Answer everything. Move quickly through the questions you know, and give the subnetting and routing table questions the minutes they need rather than rushing them.
Frequently asked questions
Can I retake the CCNA if I fail?
Yes. Each attempt costs the full US$300 again, and Cisco requires a waiting period before you can sit it a second time, five days at the time of writing. Check the current retake policy on the vendor page before you rebook. Use the wait to work through the domains that felt weakest rather than simply repeating the same material.
Is the practice pack enough on its own?
No. The pack is 1,395 practice questions with explanations, the largest bank available for the 200-301, and it is very good at showing you how the exam asks things and where your gaps are. It is not a course. You still need to learn the concepts, and for the CCNA you need time in a simulator or on real equipment, because many questions assume you can read a configuration and predict the outcome.
Should I wait for CCNA v2.0?
Only if you cannot be ready by 2 February 2027, the last day to sit the current v1.1 exam. The exam code stays 200-301 either way, and the certification is valid for three years from whichever version you pass. If you can be ready in time, sit v1.1 with the study material that already exists for it.
Get the Cisco CCNA 200-301 practice pack, 1,395 questions with full explanations, pass or your money back.