The Cisco CCNA 200-301 exam is a 120-minute exam that costs US$300 per Cisco's exam page and earns the Cisco Certified Network Associate certification, valid for three years. Prepare by reading the exam topics for the version you will sit, spending your time in proportion to the domain weights, and practicing every configuration topic in a lab until you can build and troubleshoot it without notes. Cisco has also published a v2.0 exam topics document, so confirm the version for your exam date before you start.
Who this is for
This is for people moving into network support or administration, students, and IT generalists who want a vendor networking certification. At the end you will have the exam facts, the domain structure of the v1.1 blueprint, a lab-first plan, and a way to decide which version to study.
Facts below come from Cisco's CCNA certification and exam pages, checked on 26 October 2026. Cisco's exam topics documents are PDFs and Learning Network pages whose text could not be read for this article, so this guide does not list the numbered topics under each domain and gives no v2.0 dates or weights. Read the blueprint for your version yourself; it is the authoritative list. Where a fact comes from a secondary source, the article says so.
Exam facts
| Item | Value from Cisco |
|---|---|
| Exam | 200-301 CCNA, Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions |
| Version named on Cisco's page | v1.1 |
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Price | US$300, or payable with Cisco Learning Credits |
| Languages | English and Japanese |
| Certification earned | Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) |
| Validity | Three years |
| Optional add-on | Exam Safeguard bundles include a retake at no extra cost if you do not pass (see Cisco's offer page for price and terms) |
Cisco's page does not state the number of questions or the passing score, so do not rely on figures from forums. Schedule the exam from Cisco's exam page.
v1.1 domains and weights
The exam page lists six areas: network fundamentals, network access, IP connectivity, IP services, security fundamentals, and automation and programmability. The weights below come from published summaries of the v1.1 exam topics. Cisco's PDF could not be read for this article, but the summaries agree with each other and add up to 100 percent. Confirm them against Cisco's document:
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Network Fundamentals | 20% |
| Network Access | 20% |
| IP Connectivity | 25% |
| IP Services | 10% |
| Security Fundamentals | 15% |
| Automation and Programmability | 10% |
IP Connectivity is the largest single domain. Together, fundamentals, access and connectivity make up 65 percent of the exam, so build your strongest skills there.
The v2.0 changeover
Cisco has published a document titled "Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions (200-301 CCNA) v2.0" alongside the v1.1 document, and its file metadata shows a May 2026 date. The pages readable for this article do not say when v2.0 takes effect, what its domain weights are or how long v1.1 stays available, and Cisco's exam page and certification page still named v1.1 when checked. Before booking, open Cisco's exam topics page for 200-301 and check which version your exam date falls under. Because the exam code is the same for both versions, a practice-question bank for the wrong version will mislead you.
Which version should you study?
| Your situation | Suggested approach |
|---|---|
| Cisco's page shows v1.1 for your exam date | Study the v1.1 blueprint and use materials labelled v1.1 |
| Cisco's page shows v2.0 for your exam date | Study the v2.0 blueprint and read its topic list for changes from v1.1 |
| You are undecided | Study core networking first (addressing, switching, routing), which both versions emphasize, then choose when you pick an exam date |
Addressing, switching and routing are core networking topics, so time spent on them is useful whichever version you sit.
Build a lab
CCNA tests configuration and troubleshooting, so reading alone is not enough. Cisco's exam page lists a Cisco U. learning path, instructor-led training, a practice exam, Cisco Modeling Labs and a certification community as study resources. Cisco Networking Academy's Packet Tracer is a simulator many candidates use; check the Networking Academy page for current access terms.
A lab routine that works
- Start from blank. Begin each lab with devices that have no configuration, so you practice the whole task rather than editing a finished example.
- Write the goal first. For example, two departments on separate VLANs that can reach a server but not each other.
- Build and test. Use verification commands after each step and record what the correct output looks like.
- Break it. Introduce one fault (wrong mask, wrong VLAN, missing route) and fix it from symptoms.
- Redo it later. Rebuild the same lab a week later without notes and time yourself.
Keep a notebook of verification commands and what each tells you. On the exam, recognizing the right output is as useful as knowing the configuration.
A ten-week study plan
This plan assumes about eight hours a week. Order the weeks by the domain weights for your version.
| Weeks | Focus | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Fundamentals: network components, topologies, addressing, subnetting | You can subnet an IPv4 block by hand and explain how IPv6 addressing differs |
| 3-4 | Network access: switching, VLANs, trunks and wireless concepts | A multi-switch lab with VLANs and trunks you can troubleshoot |
| 5-6 | IP connectivity: routing tables, static and dynamic routing | A multi-router lab where you trace a packet's path by reading routing tables |
| 7 | IP services and network services: addressing services, NAT, time, logging | Each service configured and verified |
| 8 | Security fundamentals: device hardening, access control, wireless and VPN concepts | Secure device access and traffic filtering configured in a lab |
| 9 | The automation and programmability domain (v1.1), or its equivalent in the v2.0 blueprint | You can explain the concepts listed in your blueprint |
| 10 | Full review, practice exam, weak topics | A practice exam score and a gap list |
The weekly outcomes are a planning aid, not Cisco's wording. Replace the topic names with the numbered topics from the blueprint for your version and tick each off as you complete a lab.
Subnetting is a skill, not a fact
Practice subnetting daily until it is quick: given an address and a requirement, find the network, broadcast address, usable range and mask. For the DNS side of how names resolve to those addresses, see DNS records explained: A, CNAME, MX and TXT.
Exam day
- Schedule through the Cisco certification account linked from the exam page, choosing the date with the version in mind.
- Plan your time over the 120 minutes. Flag questions that need long calculations and come back to them.
- Expect configuration and troubleshooting scenarios in addition to conceptual questions; Cisco's page does not describe question types, so check the exam tutorial available through your provider.
- If you do not pass, review the score report categories, and consider whether Cisco's Exam Safeguard offer, which includes a retake, fits your situation before you buy.
After you pass
The certification is valid for three years. Cisco's page lists two ways to recertify: pass the current CCNA exam (200-301) or any higher-level Cisco certification exam, or earn 30 continuing education credits through Cisco training, webinars or approved courses. Set a calendar reminder a year before expiry.
If you are still deciding between vendors for a first credential, see IT certifications for beginners: which to take first and CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 study guide.
Troubleshooting study problems
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| Practice questions do not match your blueprint | Check the version label. The exam code 200-301 covers both v1.1 and v2.0 |
| Subnetting is too slow | Drill ten problems a day and write out the method until it is automatic |
| Labs work but exam scenarios fail | Add troubleshooting practice: break a working lab and diagnose from output |
| You cannot find the numbered topics | Open Cisco's exam topics page for 200-301 and download the PDF for your version |
| Overwhelmed by the scope | Use the domain weights and finish the heaviest domain first |
Checklist
- Confirm the exam version for your exam date on Cisco's exam topics page.
- Download the blueprint and turn its topics into a checklist.
- Set up a simulator or emulator and build from blank configurations.
- Spend time in proportion to the weights, with the most on routing and connectivity for v1.1.
- Practice subnetting daily.
- Take a practice exam for the right version and fix gaps.
- Schedule the 120-minute exam and note the three-year validity.
References
- Cisco, CCNA exam (200-301): https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/learn/training-certifications/exams/ccna.html
- Cisco, CCNA certification: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/learn/training-certifications/certifications/enterprise/ccna/index.html
- Cisco, CCNA exam v1.1 topics (PDF): https://learningcontent.cisco.com/documents/marketing/exam-topics/200-301-CCNA-v1.1.pdf
- Cisco, CCNA v2.0 exam topics (PDF): https://learningcontent.cisco.com/documents/marketing/exam-topics/200-301_CCNA_v2.0_Exam_Topics_PDF.pdf
- Cisco, CCNA Exam Safeguard: https://mkto.cisco.com/exam-safeguard-offer.html
- Cisco Networking Academy, Packet Tracer: https://www.netacad.com/cisco-packet-tracer
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