Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

Cisco Certified Network Associate Certification (CCNA) is widely respected and brings valuable, measurable rewards to network professionals, their managers, and the organizations that employ them. Cisco certification ensures high standards of technical expertise. Achieving Cisco certification, at any level, means joining the ranks of skilled network professionals who have earned recognition and respect in the industry. The CCNA certification (Cisco Certified Network Associate) indicates a foundation in and apprentice knowledge of networking.

CCNA certified professionals can install, configure, and operate LAN, WAN, and dial access services for small networks (100 nodes or fewer), including but not limited to use of these protocols: IP, IGRP, Serial, Frame Relay, IP RIP, VLANs, RIP, Ethernet, Access Lists.

Reasons for Cisco CCNA certification include career advancement, personal improvement, skills enhancement, higher earnings, and increased on-the-job productivity.

The CCNA can be used as a starting point for higher level certifications, such as the CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional) and CCDP (Cisco Certified Design Professional). It is a prerequisite for each of these certifications.

The CCNA got its start back several years ago. It was most recently changed in the summer of 2003 when a two exam path (INTRO and ICND) was added as an alternative to the one exam path (CCNA). The CCNA is valid for three years. "To recertify, pass the current exam or any new exam at the Professional or Cisco Qualified Specialist level bearing the prefix 642."

According to TCPMag.com's Annual Salary Survey, the average networking professional with a CCNA certification earned a base salary of $ 67,000. The addition of the CCDA certification increases earnings to an average of $ 74,000.

Core CCNA Exams

• 640-607 CCNA - retired
  
• 640-801 CCNA
• 640-811 ICDN
• 640-821 INTRO