It is a broad associate exam: six topic areas, from cabling and subnetting to OSPF, security and automation, in 120 minutes. What makes it hard is speed with addressing and reading device output under time pressure.
Exam
200-301, exam topics v1.1
Time
120 minutes
Fee
US$300
Results
Pass or fail, online within 48 hours
Prerequisites
None
What makes it hard
Subnetting under time: many questions need a network, broadcast or host range worked out in your head in well under a minute.
Reading output: routing tables, OSPF neighbors, trunks, spanning tree and ACL counters hide the answer in one line of a show command.
Breadth: IP Connectivity is the biggest area at 25%, but automation, wireless and security each carry real weight.
Close options: two answers often look right until you apply one rule, such as longest prefix match before administrative distance.
What makes it easier
The skills that cost the most time are the ones that improve fastest with drills. Short daily subnetting rounds and reading real-looking show output pay off more than rereading notes.
How it compares with Network+
Network+ is vendor-neutral and covers networking concepts and troubleshooting. The CCNA exam goes further into configuring and verifying Cisco IOS devices, routing with OSPF and reading command output.
Try 3 questions
Question 1IPv4 addressing and subnetting
Two routers share a point-to-point Ethernet link, and the team wants to use both addresses of a two-address subnet without losing any to network or broadcast use, as RFC 3021 allows. Which prefix length does this use?
Question 2Static routing
R2 has ip route 10.90.0.0 255.255.0.0 10.0.24.4, and 10.0.24.0/30 is connected on GigabitEthernet0/0/2. How does R2 work out the exit interface for traffic to 10.90.1.1?
Question 3Trunks and the native VLAN
A frame from VLAN 30 leaves a switch on an 802.1Q trunk whose native VLAN is 1. How is the frame marked so the next switch knows its VLAN?
Cisco lists no prerequisites. Candidates without hands-on time need to practice reading device output and configuration carefully, because many questions are built around it.
What is the hardest part of the CCNA exam?
For most candidates, subnetting speed and IP Connectivity: routing tables, static routes and OSPF. IP Connectivity is the largest area at 25% of the exam topics.
How long should I study?
Cisco does not publish study hours. Take the free diagnostic: your score in each area shows how much ground there is to cover and where to begin.