CCNA: Full Form, Course Details, Fees, Duration, Eligibility, Examination

Sakshi Chaudhary

The CCNA is a 1.5-year certificate course offered by Cisco Networks to enhance an aspirant’s skills in network fundamentals, IP connectivity, IP services, security fundamentals, automation, and programmability. Certified individuals can work in various roles such as Network Engineer, System Engineer, Network Designer, Network Planner, etc.

What is CCNA Course?

CCNA full form is Cisco Certified Network Associate. It is a certification course that prepares students to have a fundamental understanding of how to install, design, operate, troubleshoot, and switch systems. The CCNA course duration is 1.5 years. 

CCNA Admission 2024 requires students to have a minimum of 55% in their high school degree (10+2).  The CCNA course prepare students to gain expertise in networking concepts, technologies, and protocols. The average CCNA course fees is in the range of INR 22,000-30,000.

After completion of the CCNA course, students can pursue careers in the fields of information technology, cloud networking, cybersecurity, etc. The average salary of a certified CCNA is INR 5.43 LPA.

Why Choose the CCNA Course?

The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) course provides theoretical knowledge and practical training for students to develop their skills in the networking sector. Below are points regarding why choose a CCNA course:

• The CCNA certification has a variety of options for students to specialize in domains like Routing, Switching, Security, Collaboration, Service providers, and many other fields. 
• The course offers students job opportunities at top networking companies like Dell, Novell, Nortel, and Juniper.
• India’s Networking Industry has seen a growth of 21.6% over the last year and is expected to rise at a double rate making more job opportunities available.
• It is also projected that by 2025 the IT industry will grow to US$ 19.93 billion, leading to a rise in jobs for freshers and experienced professionals.
• The CISO company is a leading networking company and as a result, the CCNA certification is recognized globally making it highly valuable.

Who Should Pursue a CCNA Course?

Below are some points regarding who should pursue a CCNA course:

• Individuals who want to work as network engineers, network administrators, or network technicians can enroll in this course.
• Students who want to remain competitive in the job market and excel in knowledge regarding networking concepts, protocols, and technologies should pursue this course.
• Students who want to start their careers in IT and networking companies can enroll in the CCNA course.

Also, Check: Scope of CCNA Certification

The 4 Levels Of Cisco Certifications

Cisco offers four levels of certification, which come under the Cisco career certification program. The students learn about networking and informational technology from entry to expert levels. Below are the details relating to the four levels of Cisco certification:

CCNA Eligibility Criteria

For admission to the course, candidates must fulfill the standard CCNA course eligibility criteria, which is given below:

• The candidate should have completed 10+2 (high school degree) with a minimum of 55% marks.
• The CCNA course is an entry-level course, but candidates with one year of experience in networking sectors can greatly benefit from it.
• The minimum age requirement to enroll in the course is 13 years old, and it requires parental consent to start the course if the student is under 18 years old.
• Admission to the course is direct; there is no national entrance exam.
• It is useful if the candidate has fundamental knowledge of networking concepts such as TCP/IP, IP addressing, LAN and WAN technologies, etc.

CCNA Registration 2024

Students interested in Cisco CCNA courses can follow the steps below:

• Step 1: Candidates need to register on the Cisco Certification and Communities Online portal to proceed further.
• Step 2: Candidates need to select the CCNA 200-301 exam category for the registration/ scheduling exam.
• Step 3: Further, the candidate needs to select a nearby Pearson VUE testing center that handles the CCNA exam and book a slot.
• Step 4: The candidate needs to pay the CCNA certification cost, which is approximately INR 22,550.
• Step 5:  Further, the candidates can use Cisco study material to prepare for the exam.

CCNA Examination Structure

Students who want to study the Cisco CCNA course have to be familiar with the test pattern and syllabus before the exam. The CCNA exam fees in India is approximately in the range of INR 22,000-24,000. Below is the CCNA exam structure:

• The exam consists of 100-120 MCQ questions.
• The duration of the exam is 120 minutes.
• The exam tests students' fundamental knowledge about IP connectivity, IP services, network access & fundamentals, automation and programmability, and fundamentals of security.
• The candidate needs to score approximately a score of 825-850 out of 1000 to pass the exam. The cutoff may differ depending on the exam level.
• The exam can be taken in various languages, such as English, Japanese, Chinese, etc.

Top CCNA Institutes in India with Fees

Below is the list of the ten best institutes that help students prepare well for the CCNA course/exam:

Online CCNA Courses

The CCNA course can be pursued online through various platforms that collaborate with various universities and offer high-quality education. Below is a detailed overview of the courses:

Coursera CCNA Courses

The courses provided below are mostly free of cost with live projects and discussion boards available. Below are the CCNA course details available on the Coursera learning platform:

Udemy CCNA Courses

Below are the details regarding the CCNA course duration and fees on the Udemy learning platform:

Plural Sight CCNA Courses

Below are the details regarding the CCNA course available on the Plural Sight learning platform:

CCNA Course Recertification

CCNA certificate is widely recognized and candidates can renew the certificate to keep up with the latest updates and technologies. The certificate can be renewed as per the CISCO guidelines. Below mentioned are details regarding CCNA recertification:

• The CCNA certificate can be renewed after three years from the date of issue.
• The candidate needs to fulfill various requirements for recertification, the requirement differs according to the levels such as entry, associate, expert, and professional.
• For the associate level, the candidate needs to earn 30 continuing education credits by passing one of the exams given below: 
  • Current version of the CCNA exam.
  • Professional concentration exam.
  • Core Technology exam.
  • CCIE written or practical exam.
• After earning the certificate, the validity will be again for three years from the date of issue.

CCNA Course Syllabus and Subjects

The CCNA course syllabus and subjects are designed in such a way that candidates have the knowledge and skills necessary to establish, maintain, and troubleshoot any network-related concerns that can also be resolved. Some of the subjects that students get to learn in the CCNA course are: 

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

Read More: CCNA Course Syllabus and Subjects

CCNA Course Comparison

CCNA offers students opportunities to work for leading IT and networking companies. Graduates can also pursue similar certification courses offering similar career prospects, such as:

CCNA vs CCIE

Below is the comparison between CCNA and CCIE:

Read More: CCIE

Courses After CNNA

Candidates, after completion of the CCNA certification course, can go for further certification courses of their interest. Students can also opt for higher education with the same networking sector as the core objective of their study. Listed below are some of the higher education options available to students: 

• CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional)
• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
• Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE)
• Bachelor's Degree in Networking or Computer Science
• MBA
• PhD

Career Options After CCNA Course

The CCNA course offers students theoretical and practical skills that help them in their career growth. Candidates, after completion of this course, can work in top networking companies such as Juniper Networks, Amazon Web Services, etc. After the CCNA course, students can opt for some of the job roles offered to graduates, including:

• Network Engineer
• Network Technician
• Network Associate
• Network Support Engineer
• System Administrator
• System Engineer
• Technical Support Engineer
• Information Technology (IT) Manager
• Senior Network Engineer
• Network Security Specialist

CCNA Course Salary in India

The average salary package for CCNA courses in India is INR 5.43 LPA (Source: Payscale). The salary offered to the student varies with the skills and experience the candidate has in the networking sector, and it also varies with the course certification update.

Read More: CCNA Salary

Skills to Excel as a CCNA Graduate

CCNA graduates should develop networking skills and unified communication skills. Listed below are some of the important skills for CCNA graduates: 

• Network Engineering
• Critical Thinking
• Routing Protocols: EIGRP, OSPF, BGP
• Problem-Solving
• Operational Support
• Customer Service Skills
• Teamwork Skills
• SAN Networking Knowledge
• Unified Communication
• Multicasting Knowledge: IPv4 and IPv6