How to Become a Cisco Certified Network Associate?

Cisco is a primary provider of network services. A Cisco Certified Network Associate does the installation, configuration, and troubleshooting of networks using the products provided by Cisco. CCNA or Cisco Certified Network Associate is an IT certification from Cisco systems. CCNA is an associate-level Cisco certification. 

Cisco Certified Network Associates are in great demand in the IT industry worldwide. A CCNA aspirant has to have a clear idea about how to pursue his career with up-to-date knowledge about the courses and exams by Cisco, since it is subjected to changes and updates.

How to Become a Cisco Certified Network Associate?

CCNA certification increases your credibility as a network engineer. As a result, it is the most sought after certification by employers in the IT sector. Here is the step-by-step guide to how you can become a CISCO Certified Network Associate. 

  • Clearly understand why you want to be a Cisco Certified Network Associate
  • Meet the Cisco Certified Network Associate Prerequisites
  • Update Your Knowledge On Cisco Certified Network Associate Exam
  • Build Cisco Certified Network Associate Skills
  • Stay Up to date with the Latest Trends of Cisco Certified Network Associate
  • Get your Cisco Certified Network Associate Certification
  • Enrol in a Course on Cisco Certified network associate

Step 1- Clearly Understand Why you want to be a Cisco Certified Network Associate

The knowledge acquired from CCNA can be efficiently used for studying other networking modules, like CCNA Security and CCNA wireless. It helps to switch from your current job to a better paid and more challenging networking job. The following reasons make it more evident why it is beneficial for a networking professional to gain a CCNA certification.

  • CCNA certification enhances the knowledge of a networking expert in several ways.
  • CCNA certification is accepted worldwide.
  • Networking professionals with CCNA certification get higher pay when compared to non-certified counterparts.
  • The availability of CCNA jobs all around the world
  • Increased chances of getting a promotion if you already work in the IT sector.
  • The amount of credit you get with CCNA certification
  • Helps in switching jobs with a high profile
  • Knowledge gained from CCNA certification can solve more problems in networking. 

A good number of employers worldwide believe that Cisco certified candidates improve the value of their business and are more knowledgeable than their non-certified counterparts do.

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Step 2- Meet the Cisco Certified Network Associate Prerequisites

While no official prerequisites are needed for a CCNA aspirant, a general knowledge of IP addressing and network fundamentals is essential. However, as recommended by Cisco, before you enrol yourself for CCNA certification, you need to have a minimum of one year of experience working with Cisco solutions.  Cisco says that the CCNA candidates have the following qualifications or skills before taking the exam.

  • Basic knowledge of IP addressing
  • Knowledge of network fundamentals
  • A minimum of one year of experience in using and implementing Cisco products and solutions.

Step 3- Update Your Knowledge On Cisco Certified Network Associate Exam

The ever-changing arena of the CCNA requires up-to-date knowledge about the trending changes in the courses, training and exams. This makes sure you are ready to navigate through it properly. CCNA courses, training and exams give you the foundation to take your career in any direction you want. CCNA exam covers:

  • Networking fundamentals
  • IP services
  • Security Fundamentals
  • Automation
  • Programmability 

All Top Cisco certifications have a validity of 3 years. Updating one's knowledge by giving exams every three years adds to the credibility of your career. It helps to cope with the trends in CCNA. Start your CCNA exam and certification journey with proper planning to achieve the result smoothly. With Continuing education, you can keep your certification current and CCNA skills sharp. 

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Step 4- Build Cisco Certified Network Associate Skills

Employers are constantly on the lookout for networking engineers with CCNA certification. These are some jobs in which CCNA certification plays a significant role in the selection process.

  • Technical support
  • Network engineer
  • Technical expert in T mobile
  • Web developer
  • System engineer
  • Network administrator
  • Intern
  • Software engineer

Building Cisco certified network associate skills and placing them attractively in your CV can fetch you better job opportunities than you can think of. Points like CCNA technical knowledge, by attending educational workshops and attaining new product certifications, always attract an employer towards your resume. The following CCNA skills are famous for their demand:

  • Routing protocols: EIGRP, OSPF, BGP
  • Operational support
  • SAN networking knowledge
  • Network engineering
  • OSI model
  • Unified communication
  • Cisco ASA Firewalls
  • Virtual networking
  • Multicasting knowledge: IPv4 andIPv6

Maintaining network equipment and systems including routers and switches to ensure proper performance, developing and implementing solutions for clients by maintaining quality customer services etc can be added to your CV as attractive CCNA skills.

Step 5- Stay Up to date with the Latest Trends of Cisco Certified Network Associate.

Adaptability is one of the most significant criteria or skills needed for a network professional. Staying up to date with the latest trends in CCNA makes you adaptable to the changing situations of the industry. Those who are adaptable can play a more significant role in the business and industry than ever before.

Cisco plays a key role in determining new technology and current trends in networking, since it is one of the most leading network and telecom vendors and global networking equipment manufacturers. Hence the importance of Cisco Certified Network Associate courses and certifications.

Cisco offers certifications in each of its products and applications to advance your career in the IT industry. Choosing the apt technology that is trending and procuring a certification in that particular suite is a challenge for any CCNA aspirant. According to experts, the following are the leading technologies and trends of the decade that one can choose to get a certification from CCNA.

  • SDN or Software Design Networking
  • SD-WAN
  • Internet of Things-IoT
  • DEVOPS
  • Cloud Computing
  • Artificial Intelligence-AI
  • Machine Learning- ML
  • Wi fi 6 and 5G

Step 6- Get Your Cisco Certified Network Associate Certification

To manage and optimise today's most advanced networks, a CCNA certification is necessary. It also holds you responsible for meeting the exceeding needs of the market. Therefore, a good CCNA certification training can fetch you the most sought after certification in the field of networking. Rest assured that positive changes are waiting for you in your career graph after you get CCNA certification. CCNA certification can be achieved after passing any of the following examinations, which validate your skills in this topic.

  • CCNA 640-801 Exam - Introduction to Cisco Networking Technologies and Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices
  • CCNA 640-821 Exam Intro Beta - Introduction to Cisco Networking Technologies
  • CCNA 640 - 811 ICND Exam - Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices.

Step 7- Enrol in a Course on Cisco Certified Network Associate

Courses that equip you for CCNA exams are available worldwide to help you achieve the dream of a CCNA certification. This stream's various courses and training make you competitive in the most complex networking systems. Furthermore, adaptability towards Cisco-like working environments can be achieved during the training. Through your updated knowledge and varied working methodologies, a CCNA professional can outsmart and be more successful than his or her networking counterparts.