NEW CCNA 200-301 Detail

 

New CCNA exam – 200-301

Cisco certification program has been drastically changed from Feb. 24, 2020. There are no longer multiple different CCNA exams and certifications – only a single, comprehensive exam is available. The new exam’s code is 200-301 CCNA and its full name is Implementing and Administering Cisco Networking Technologies. According to Cisco, the new exam “covers a broad range of fundamentals based on the latest technologies, software development skills, and job roles“.

Under the old CCNA certification program, there were multiple concentration exams for different learning paths. However, under the new rules, the following certifications have all been replaced by the new CCNA:

• CCNA Cloud
• CCNA Collaboration
• CCNA Data Center
• CCNA Industrial
• CCNA Routing and Switching
• CCNA Security
• CCNA Service Provider
• CCNA Wireless
• CCDA (Cisco Certified Design Associate)

So, the specialization at the CCNA level is going away – you now choose your specialization at the CCNP level.

Older CCNA certificates

Your CCNA certification that was acquired under the old rules will be active until its expiration date. In February 2020, your current CCNA certification has been transitioned to an equivalent in the new program. So if you have any of the current CCNA certificates (e.g. CCNA Industrial or CCNA Routing and Switching), you will automatically be granted the new CCNA certificate.

CCENT

CCENT is retired and it will not apply toward the new CCNA certification.

About the new exam

200-301 is a single exam, consisting of about 120 questions. It covers a wide range of topics, such as routing and switching, security, wireless networking, and even some programming concepts. As with other Cisco certifications, you can take it at any of the Pearson VUE certification centers.

About the new curriculum

The modules comprised in the new CCNA curirculum are:

• Network Fundamentals – routers, switches, cabling, TCP and UDP, IPv4 and IPv6
• IP Connectivity – IP routing, OSPFv2
• IP Services – NTP, DHCP, QoS, SNMP
• Security Fundamentals – VPNs, wireless security, port security
• Network Access – VLANs and trunking, EtherChannel
• Automation and Programmability – REST APIs, Puppet, Chef, JSON, SDN

Removed topics

The following topics have been removed from the CCNA curriculum:

• Network fundamentals – OSI model
• LAN Switching – Frame, VTP, Switch stack
• Routing – EIGRP, RIPv2, OSPFv3, Inter-VLAN routing
• WAN – PPP, MLPPP, PPPoE, GRE, BGP, WAN access

Added topics

You can download the new exam topics here. Added topics are in bold.

Prerequisites for 200-301

There is no formal requirements for taking the new exam. However, these are the recommendations from Cisco:

• have an understanding of all exam topics
• one or more years of experience with computer networking and Cisco equipment
• good grasps of network fundamentals

The recommended training program that can be taken at a Cisco academy is called Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions (CCNA). The successful completion of a training course will get you a training badge.

Exam price

The 200-301 CCNA exam price is $300.

About CCNP

Your specialization will begin when you decide to go for your CCNP certification. The biggest news regarding the CCNP exam is that you will no longer be required to pass the CCNA exam in order to take the CCNP exam.

As of February, 2020, the following CCNP tracks are available:

• CCNP Enterprise
• CCNP Data Center
• CCNP Security
• CCNP Service Provider
• CCNP Collaboration