The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) 200-301 exam assesses a candidate's knowledge and skills across several core networking domains. As of the latest update, the exam topics are organized into six primary areas:
Network Fundamentals (20%)
- Understanding networking components such as routers, switches, and wireless controllers
- IPv4 and IPv6 addressing and subnetting
- Network topologies and physical interfaces
- Cabling types and their characteristics
- Basic network connectivity troubleshooting
Network Access (20%)
- Configuring and verifying VLANs and trunking.
- Understanding and implementing Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)
- Concepts of EtherChannel
- Wireless networking fundamentals, including SSID, RF, and security settings
IP Connectivity (25%)
- Routing concepts and the role of routers in networks
- Configuring and verifying IPv4 and IPv6 static routing
- Understanding OSPFv2 for IPv4
- First Hop Redundancy Protocols (FHRP)
IP Services (10%)
- NAT (Network Address Translation) and PAT (Port Address Translation)
- DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)
- DNS (Domain Name System)
- SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)
- QoS (Quality of Service) concepts
Security Fundamentals (15%)
- Understanding security concepts and threats
- Implementing device access control using passwords and SSH
- Layer 2 security features like port security
- Access Control Lists (ACLs) for traffic filtering
Automation and Programmability (10%)
- Understanding controller-based and software-defined architectures
- REST APIs and their uses in network automation
- Configuration management tools like Puppet, Chef, and Ansible
- Interpreting JSON data