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CCNA is a certification that you can get in regards to IT or Information Technology. This certification is owned by one of the largest IT companies in the world, Cisco. The unabbreviated word for CCNA is Cisco Certified Network Associate.
To get this certification, you need to make sure you have a good internet connection which can make sure that you can do all of your certifications with ease. Keep reading to find out more about CCNA.
What exactly is the CCNA?
CCNA or Cisco Certified Network Associate was introduced by Cisco, which is one of the world’s leading companies for network products and manufacturing. Doing this certification gives you insight into a lot of other topics as well such as:
- LAN or Local Area Networks
- WAN or Wide Area Networks
- TCP/IP Model
- Switches and Routers
- IP Addressing and sub-netting
- Network Utilities
- VLANs and trunking
- WLAN
- Automation and programmability
The topics that the CCNA covers are quite diverse and it also includes everything that you need to know about routers. This is why routers are important and they are very much needed if you wish to complete a CCNA certification.
How can you become certified by the CCNA?
The process is fairly simple, all you need to do is to take one exam which is the CCNA 200-301. If you manage to pass this exam, congratulations, you are CCNA certified! Although the total number of questions in the CCNA exam can vary on average, the exam has around 120 questions in it. The minimum score you need to pass may vary but normally you have to score around 800-850 out of the total score of 1000 to pass and be certified. Take a CCNA Practice test before appearing for the final exam.
What’s the connection between a router and CCNA?
Learning about what a router is and its functionality is quite an essential part of the CCNA certification. There is a high chance you could have a question about a router, therefore it is important to know as much about routers as you can.
You should know that a router is a device that creates a network and it serves as a route for packets from one network to another. A router is typically connected to two more networks. When a router receives a packet into the router port, it analyses the packet to see which port it should exit from. This is exactly how a LAN cable gives you internet access by connecting your device to an internet network.
How do you get the test results?
When you take the test, you are given a choice of giving the test in two languages, English and Japanese. The test normally lasts for 120 minutes, giving you enough time to think your answers through and give your test with ease. You get the result just as soon as you finish your test, but Cisco only allows you to see your score but you can’t see how many questions you got right or wrong.
How can you prepare for the CCNA test?
There is not just one but there are multiple ways to prepare for the CCNA test. You could attend a course that is dedicated to teaching about CCNA. Multiple institutions offer courses on CCNA. On average, these courses last a couple of months and they include a lot of activities that can help you learn more about CCNA. However, you should know that these courses tend to be expensive, they usually cost around $1000.
You can also study entirely on your own using course material found in textbooks or even material that you can find online. You can find tools online such as Packet Tracer which can help you save up on buying expensive textbooks. Sometimes people even resort to websites like eBay where they can buy kits dedicated to CCNA so that they could use the equipment to learn more about CCNA.
You could attend boot camps that strictly teach CCNA material. However, do not go for this if you are a beginner. In these boot camps, they give you intensive training for CCNA and these classes go for an entire week so you can prepare yourself in the shortest time possible.
What are the different types of questions you get in a CCNA test?
There are different types of questions that you typically get in a CCNA test. These questions usually include multiple choice questions with single answers, multiple choice questions with multiple answers, fill-in-the-blanks, testlets, drag and drop, simulated labs, and simlets.
Wrapping Up
If you are someone who is looking to kick-start your career in information technology (IT), then the CCNA certification is one of the best decisions you can take for yourself. You have a lot to learn and the experience of getting a CCNA certification opens up a lot of opportunities for you!
Continue Reading:
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