Cisco Certified Network Associate Study Guide (2026) - Pass on Your First Attempt
📋 2026 Edition  ·  Updated May 2026

Cisco Certified Network Associate
ccna Study Guide — Pass First Attempt

Complete exam coverage for the Cisco Certified Network Associate. Every domain, every key topic — structured so you study smart, not hard. Built around the official exam blueprint.

110
Questions
120 min
Duration
83
Passing score
6
Domains
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92%
First-attempt pass rate
47K+
Candidates prepared
4.9★
Average rating
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Network Fundamentals
—
Network Access
—
IP Connectivity
—
IP Services
—
Security Fundamentals
—
Automation and Programmability
—
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Exam at a Glance

Everything you need to know before you start

Key facts about the Cisco Certified Network Associate exam structure, format, and scoring.

🆔
ccna
Exam code
📝
110 questions
Total questions
⏱
120 minutes
Duration
🎯
83
Passing score
📋
6 domains
Exam domains
📅
Valid 3 years
Certification validity
🌐
Online / In-person
Testing mode
🏆
Globally recognised
Credential type
ℹ️
Scoring method: Scaled scoring (Cisco does not publish the exact algorithm). Performance-based simulation questions are weighted more heavily than standard multiple-choice. Each domain is reported as a percentage score on the score report.. The exam may include unscored pilot questions — treat every question seriously.
Focus Areas

What should you study for the Cisco Certified Network Associate exam?

To pass the Cisco Certified Network Associate certification exam, you should focus on these core domains. The exam tests your ability to apply concepts in real-world scenarios — not just memorise definitions.

⚠️
Common mistake: Candidates memorise terminology but struggle with scenario-based questions. Focus on when to use what, not just what exists.
🔐
Network Fundamentals (20%)
Covers OSI and TCP/IP models, Ethernet switching, IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, subnetting, and wireless fundamentals.
🏗
Network Access (20%)
Covers VLANs, inter-VLAN routing, EtherChannel, STP, and wireless LAN architecture.
⚡
IP Connectivity (25%)
Covers IP routing concepts, static routing, OSPF, and first-hop redundancy protocols.
💰
IP Services (10%)
Covers NAT, DHCP, NTP, DNS, SNMP, Syslog, TFTP, and QoS fundamentals.
🔄
Security Fundamentals (15%)
Covers key security concepts, access control lists, Layer 2 security, and VPN fundamentals.
📊
Automation and Programmability (10%)
Covers SDN concepts, REST APIs, data formats, and configuration management tools.
Full Syllabus

Cisco Certified Network Associate Exam Syllabus and Topics

The Cisco Certified Network Associate exam is divided into 6 domains. Each domain tests specific skills and contributes to your overall score. Click any domain to expand topics.

Network Fundamentals
Covers OSI and TCP/IP models, Ethernet switching, IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, subnetting, and wireless fundamentals.
20% ▼
Networking Models
OSI model: 7 layers, encapsulation, and PDU names
TCP/IP model: 4 layers and comparison with OSI
Functions of each layer and common protocols per layer
Encapsulation and de-encapsulation process
Physical and Data Link Concepts
Ethernet frame structure: MAC addresses, FCS, and MTU
Half-duplex vs full-duplex and collision domains
Network topologies: star, mesh, bus, and hybrid
Cabling: UTP categories, SFP, multimode vs single-mode fibre
IPv4 Addressing and Subnetting
IPv4 address classes and private address ranges (RFC 1918)
CIDR notation and subnet mask calculation
VLSM: variable-length subnet masking
Calculating network address, broadcast, and usable host ranges
IPv6 Fundamentals
IPv6 address format: 128-bit hex notation and abbreviation rules
IPv6 address types: unicast, multicast, anycast, link-local, global
EUI-64 interface ID generation
IPv6 neighbour discovery protocol (NDP) and SLAAC
~22 questions
200 marks
20% of exam weight
Network Access
Covers VLANs, inter-VLAN routing, EtherChannel, STP, and wireless LAN architecture.
20% ▼
VLAN and Trunking
VLAN concepts and configuration on Cisco IOS
802.1Q trunking: native VLAN, allowed VLANs
Inter-VLAN routing: Router-on-a-Stick and Layer 3 switch SVI
Voice VLAN configuration
EtherChannel and STP
EtherChannel: LACP and PAgP negotiation protocols
Spanning Tree Protocol: STP, RSTP (802.1w) and port roles
Root bridge election: bridge priority and MAC address tiebreak
Portfast and BPDU Guard for access ports
Wireless Architectures
Autonomous AP vs lightweight AP (centralised controller architecture)
WLC: wireless LAN controller deployment modes
802.11 standards: a/b/g/n/ac/ax (Wi-Fi 6) and frequency bands
SSID, BSSID, association, and authentication process
~22 questions
200 marks
20% of exam weight
IP Connectivity
Covers IP routing concepts, static routing, OSPF, and first-hop redundancy protocols.
25% ▼
IP Routing Concepts
Routing table components: network, mask, next-hop, AD, metric
Longest prefix match in routing decisions
Administrative distance values for different routing sources
Connected, static, and dynamic routing
Static Routing
IPv4 and IPv6 static route configuration
Default static routes (0.0.0.0/0) and gateway of last resort
Floating static routes using higher administrative distance
Recursive vs directly connected next-hop
OSPFv2 Single-Area
OSPF concepts: areas, LSA types, DR/BDR election
OSPF neighbour states: Down, Init, 2-Way, Exstart, Exchange, Loading, Full
OSPFv2 configuration: network statement, wildcard masks, passive-interface
OSPF path selection using cost metric (reference bandwidth)
First Hop Redundancy Protocols
HSRP: active/standby router, virtual IP and MAC, preemption
VRRP and GLBP concepts and comparison with HSRP
FHRP configuration and verification commands
~28 questions
250 marks
25% of exam weight
IP Services
Covers NAT, DHCP, NTP, DNS, SNMP, Syslog, TFTP, and QoS fundamentals.
10% ▼
NAT and DHCP
NAT types: static, dynamic, and PAT (overload)
NAT configuration: inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global
DHCP: DORA process, DHCP relay agent, scope configuration
DHCPv6 stateful vs stateless
Network Management Protocols
NTP: stratum levels, NTP client/server/peer configuration
Syslog: severity levels 0–7 and logging destinations
SNMP v2c and v3 concepts: MIB, OID, community strings, traps
DNS resolution process and forward/reverse lookups
QoS Fundamentals
QoS need: congestion, delay, jitter, packet loss
QoS models: best effort, IntServ, DiffServ
Marking: DSCP and CoS values
Queuing mechanisms: FIFO, CBWFQ, LLQ
~11 questions
100 marks
10% of exam weight
Security Fundamentals
Covers key security concepts, access control lists, Layer 2 security, and VPN fundamentals.
15% ▼
Security Threats and Controls
Common threats: phishing, DoS/DDoS, man-in-the-middle, password attacks
CIA triad: confidentiality, integrity, availability
AAA framework: authentication, authorisation, accounting
Multi-factor authentication and password management best practices
Access Control Lists
Standard ACL: match on source IP only, applied close to destination
Extended ACL: match on source, destination, protocol, port
Named vs numbered ACLs and wildcard mask logic
ACL placement: inbound vs outbound on interface
Layer 2 Security
Port security: maximum MAC addresses, violation modes (shutdown, restrict, protect)
DHCP snooping: trusted vs untrusted ports
Dynamic ARP inspection (DAI) and IP source guard
802.1X port-based authentication
VPN Fundamentals
VPN types: site-to-site IPSec and remote access SSL/TLS
IPSec framework: IKE, AH, ESP, and encryption algorithms
GRE tunnel basics and use cases
~17 questions
150 marks
15% of exam weight
Automation and Programmability
Covers SDN concepts, REST APIs, data formats, and configuration management tools.
10% ▼
SDN and Controller-Based Networking
Traditional vs controller-based network architectures
Cisco DNA Center vs traditional campus management
Separation of control plane and data plane in SDN
Northbound and southbound APIs in SDN controllers
APIs and Data Formats
REST API: HTTP verbs (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, PATCH) and CRUD operations
JSON and XML data encoding formats and parsing
NETCONF and RESTCONF protocols for network device management
YANG data models for network configuration
Configuration Management Tools
Ansible: agentless, YAML playbooks, push model
Puppet: agent-based, Ruby DSL, pull model
Chef: agent-based, pull model
Infrastructure as Code (IaC) concepts for network automation
~11 questions
100 marks
10% of exam weight
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Study Plan

Cisco Certified Network Associate Structured Study Roadmap

Designed for candidates studying 1-2 hours per day. Select your timeline below.

Exam Strategy

Tips to pass Cisco Certified Network Associate on your first attempt

Tactical advice beyond content knowledge — what separates candidates who pass from those who retake.

🗓
Master subnetting until you can calculate network address, broadcast, and host range in under 30 seconds — it appears across multiple domains.
🔍
Practice simulation questions in Cisco Packet Tracer or GNS3; performance-based labs are heavily weighted and completing them successfully can make or break your score.
⏭
Learn OSPF neighbour states in order (Down → Init → 2-Way → Exstart → Exchange → Loading → Full) and understand what triggers each transition.
📊
Memorise all standard ACL numbers (1–99 and 1300–1999) and extended ACL numbers (100–199 and 2000–2699) — the exam tests these details.
🔁
Understand the HSRP active/standby election process and know how to configure preemption to ensure the higher-priority router always becomes active after a failure.
🧪
For VLANs and trunking, practise the full configuration cycle: create VLAN, assign access ports, configure trunk port with allowed VLANs, and verify with show commands.
📝
Know the DHCP DORA process (Discover, Offer, Request, Acknowledge) and when a relay agent (ip helper-address) is required.
🎯
Study REST API concepts thoroughly — understand HTTP verbs, status codes (200 OK, 201 Created, 400 Bad Request, 404 Not Found), and JSON structure.
🗓
For wireless, know the difference between lightweight (centralised WLC) and autonomous AP architectures — understand FlexConnect (OfficeExtend) mode.
🔍
Use Cisco's official exam blueprint from cisco.com/go/ccna to verify current objectives and allocate study time proportionally to each domain's weight.
Recommended Resources

Official and trusted study materials

Curated resources ranked by usefulness. Quality over quantity — focus on a small set of authoritative sources.

Official
Official Exam Guide
The authoritative blueprint. Know every objective before studying anything else.
→ Vendor website
Practice Tests
Edureify Practice Tests
Full-length Cisco Certified Network Associate simulations with detailed per-domain analysis and explanations.
→ Start free test
Video Course
Structured Video Course
Pick one highly-rated course and complete it end-to-end before switching resources.
With edureify Convert Tutorial to AI Tutor
Reference
Domain Cheat Sheets
One-page summaries for each Cisco Certified Network Associate domain — ideal for last-week revision.
→ Get free Cheat Sheet
Community
Study Groups & Forums
Reddit r/certifications and exam-specific Discord servers for peer support and tips.
→ Reddit / Discord
AI Tutor
Edureify AI Mentor
Get instant answers to Cisco Certified Network Associate concepts, domain-level weak-area coaching, and adaptive questions.
→ Try free
⚠️
Avoid brain dumps. Sites selling "real exam questions" violate most vendor NDAs and are legally risky. Questions rotate regularly — brain dumps lead to overconfidence on outdated material and a higher retake rate.
Reviews

What candidates say after passing

★★★★★
"Passed Cisco Certified Network Associate on my first attempt after 5 weeks. The domain-level diagnostic showed me exactly where my gaps were — I stopped wasting time on topics I already knew."
Rahul S.
Solutions Architect, Bangalore
★★★★★
"The structured study plan kept me on track. I tried studying on my own for 3 months and failed. With Edureify's roadmap I passed in 6 weeks."
Priya M.
Cloud Engineer, Mumbai
★★★★★
"The AI mentor was like having a personal tutor available at 2am. Every concept I didn't understand was explained until I got it. Invaluable for the Network Fundamentals domain."
David K.
DevOps Engineer, London
FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Cisco Certified Network Associate

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