The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) exam is a test that a person takes to become certified Cisco, a networking company. This certification is earned to demonstrate a person’s ability to work with Cisco-based networks, including installation, configuration, and operation and troubleshooting tasks. This is an associate-level certification that is frequently sought people who are working in or looking for entry-level positions. A person may take the CCNA certification exam to demonstrate his or her skills to current or potential employers, and then progress to higher-level Cisco certifications.
The CCNA certification exam is an associate-level exam, which means it is the foundational exam for Cisco network certification. A person must pass a 90-minute exam, or two 90-minute exams, to earn CCNA certification and demonstrate his current level of skill with installing, configuring, and troubleshooting networks. A person can earn CCNA certification passing the 640-822 ICND1 exam, which lasts 90 minutes and has 40 to 50 questions, as well as the 640-816 ICND2 exam, which lasts 75 to 90 minutes and has 40 to 50 questions. Alternatively, a person can sit for the 640-802 CCNA certification exam, which is a 90-minute combined certification exam with 45 to 55 questions for the certification candidate to answer.
A person interested in taking the CCNA certification exam does not need to meet any prerequisite requirements before taking the exam. However, the company advises that a certification candidate seek training in order to prepare for the exams. The exams are available in a variety of languages and are administered Pearson VUE, a commercial testing center.
A person’s CCNA certification is valid for three years after they pass the exam. He may choose to renew his certification at that time, which will require him to take the ICND2 exam. A person seeking CCNA certification, on the other hand, has the option of taking either the current CCNA certification exam or a CCNA concentration test. Re-certification can also be earned passing one of Cisco’s professional-level exams, such as the CCDA, CCIE, or CCDE, or passing a Cisco Specialist exam. However, there is one exception to the Cisco Specialist path to re-certification: a Sales Specialist exam cannot be used to earn re-certification.