Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Exam Objectives

The CCNA 200-301 exam is organized around six domains that reflect the skills expected of an associate-level networking professional. Network Fundamentals (20%) covers the base concepts every candidate must know, including OSI and TCP/IP models, IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, subnetting, cabling, Ethernet fundamentals, and basic wireless principles. This domain supports almost every other topic on the exam.

Network Access (20%) focuses on switching and campus connectivity. Expect questions on VLANs, trunking, inter-VLAN communication concepts, STP, EtherChannel, and wireless architectures including APs, WLCs, and basic WLAN operation. You should understand how users and devices gain access to the network and how switched environments avoid loops and maintain segmentation.

IP Connectivity (25%) is the largest domain and a major scoring driver. It emphasizes routing fundamentals, packet forwarding, static and default routes, and single-area OSPFv2. You should be able to interpret routing tables and troubleshoot path selection issues.

IP Services (10%) covers the common services that keep networks functional, including DHCP, DNS, NAT, NTP, SNMP, syslog, QoS concepts, and first-hop redundancy awareness. Security Fundamentals (15%) includes access control, endpoint and device hardening, security programs, common threats, and secure remote access methods. Automation and Programmability (10%) introduces controller-based networking, software-defined networking concepts, APIs, JSON, and configuration management awareness. Together, these domains create a broad exam that tests both theory and practical operational knowledge.