Cisco Certification

Cisco Certified Network Associate

7 Common Mistakes On Getting The Cisco Certified Network Associate

Cisco Certified Network Associate

The 'associate' level is the entry level among the different types of technical certifications issued by Cisco Systems, Incorporated. Since they have started dominating the global market through the products, technology and services that they offer to clients all over the world, the certifications that they issue to IT professionals have been equally recognized. Having a Cisco certification will give an individual the technical know how to install, troubleshoot, operate and configure Cisco-based networking systems. The size of the network to be handled will depend on the number of end devices within the network.

First, here is a quick run-through of the three different levels of Cisco certifications. The entry level is the Cisco Certified Network Associate or CCNA certification. A CCNA certification indicates apprentice knowledge in the networking of less than one hundred units or end devices. Second, the professional level is the Cisco Certified Network Professional or the CCNP certification. This indicates an advanced level of knowledge with Cisco networks with about one hundred to give hundred nodes or end points. Finally, the expert level is the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert. This is the highest level of certification issued by Cisco Systems, Incorporated and will indicate an advanced knowledge of complicated Cisco network systems.

Cisco Certified Network Associate

'How to be a Cisco Certified Network Associate'

Being the first level of certifications issued by Cisco Systems, Incorporated, a lot of IT professionals take and pass the CCNA certification exams as compared to the CCIE certification examination. To be a Cisco Certified Network Associate, you need to undergo the four-course CCNA curriculum which involves an introduction to Cisco networking technologies as well as the principles involving the interconnection of Cisco networking devices. CCNA certification candidates can either conduct a self-study of the CCNA curriculum or enroll in CCNA learning centers or boot camps. For IT professionals from other parts of the country, Cisco has developed the Cisco Academy Programme to bring the Cisco technical certifications closer to people from all parts of the globe.

The CCNA certification exam includes traditional test questions to test one's knowledge about the Cisco products and technology, as well as networking in general. The second part of the CCNA certification exam includes a laboratory examination. The latter tests the candidate's ability to manage, configure, install and perform basic troubleshooting steps for Cisco small-scale Cisco networking systems. To prepare for the laboratory part of the CCNA certification exam, there are CCNA network simulators used to replicate the actual environment to be faced by a Cisco network administrator. A candidate needs to first pass the written exam before he or she can move on to the laboratory part of the CCNA certification exams.

To be a Cisco certified network associate, you need to study all the reference materials that you have and get enough exposure to the CCNA network simulators to make sure that you will have enough chances in passing the CCNA certification exams.

Cisco Certification