CCNA Exam v1.0 (200-301)

Duration: 120 minutes Certification: CCNA Focus Areas: Network Fundamentals, Network Access, IP Connectivity, IP Services, Security Fundamentals, Automation & Programmability. Preparation Course: Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions (CCNA)

Exam Content Overview

The following topics are general guidelines for the exam. Other related topics may also appear, and Cisco may update this content without notice.

1.0 Network Fundamentals (20%)

  • 1.1 Role & Function of Network Components

    • Routers
    • Layer 2 & Layer 3 switches
    • Next-generation firewalls & IPS
    • Access points
    • Controllers (Cisco DNA Center, WLC)
    • Endpoints
    • Servers

  • 1.2 Network Topology Architectures

    • 2-tier
    • 3-tier
    • Spine-leaf
    • WAN
    • SOHO
    • On-premises & cloud

  • 1.3 Physical Interfaces & Cabling

    • Fiber: Single-mode, Multimode
    • Copper
    • Ethernet: Shared media & point-to-point
    • Power over Ethernet (PoE) concepts

  • 1.4 Interface & Cable Issues

    • Collisions, errors, duplex/speed mismatch

  • 1.5 TCP vs UDP

  • 1.6 IPv4 Addressing & Subnetting (configure & verify)

  • 1.7 Private IPv4 Addressing (need & purpose)

  • 1.8 IPv6 Addressing & Prefix (configure & verify)

  • 1.9 IPv6 Address Types

    • Global unicast
    • Unique local
    • Link-local
    • Anycast
    • Multicast
    • Modified EUI-64

  • 1.10 Verify IP Parameters for Client OS

    • Windows, macOS, Linux

  • 1.11 Wireless Principles

    • Non-overlapping Wi-Fi channels
    • SSID
    • RF concepts
    • Encryption

  • 1.12 Virtualization Fundamentals (VMs)

  • 1.13 Switching Concepts

    • MAC learning & aging
    • Frame switching
    • Frame flooding
    • MAC address table

2.0 Network Access (20%)

  • 2.1 VLANs (Normal Range)

    • Access ports (data & voice)
    • Default VLAN
    • Connectivity

  • 2.2 Interswitch Connectivity

    • Trunk ports
    • 802.1Q
    • Native VLAN

  • 2.3 Layer 2 Discovery Protocols

    • CDP & LLDP (configure & verify)

  • 2.4 EtherChannel (Layer 2/3)

    • LACP (configure & verify)

  • 2.5 Rapid PVST+ Spanning Tree Protocol

    • Root port, root bridge (primary/secondary)
    • Port states (forwarding/blocking)
    • PortFast benefits

  • 2.6 Cisco Wireless Architectures & AP Modes

  • 2.7 WLAN Physical Infrastructure Connections

    • AP, WLC, access/trunk ports, LAG

  • 2.8 AP & WLC Management Access

    • Telnet, SSH, HTTP/HTTPS, console, TACACS+/RADIUS

  • 2.9 WLAN Client Connectivity (GUI Only)

    • WLAN creation
    • Security settings
    • QoS profiles
    • Advanced WLAN settings

3.0 IP Connectivity (25%)

  • 3.1 Routing Table Components

    • Routing protocol code
    • Prefix, network mask
    • Next hop
    • Administrative distance
    • Metric
    • Gateway of last resort

  • 3.2 Router Forwarding Decision

    • Longest match
    • Administrative distance
    • Routing protocol metric

  • 3.3 Static Routing (IPv4 & IPv6)

    • Default route
    • Network route
    • Host route
    • Floating static

  • 3.4 Single Area OSPFv2

    • Neighbor adjacencies
    • Point-to-point
    • Broadcast (DR/BDR selection)
    • Router ID

  • 3.5 First Hop Redundancy Protocol Purpose

4.0 IP Services (10%)

  • 4.1 NAT (inside source – static & pools)
  • 4.2 NTP (client & server mode)
  • 4.3 DHCP & DNS roles
  • 4.4 SNMP in network operations
  • 4.5 Syslog features (facilities & levels)
  • 4.6 DHCP client & relay
  • 4.7 QoS (PHB: classification, marking, queuing, congestion, policing, shaping)
  • 4.8 Remote access via SSH
  • 4.9 TFTP/FTP functions

5.0 Security Fundamentals (15%)

  • 5.1 Key security concepts (threats, vulnerabilities, exploits, mitigation)
  • 5.2 Security program elements (awareness, training, physical access control)
  • 5.3 Device access control (local passwords)
  • 5.4 Password policy elements (management, complexity, alternatives: MFA, certificates, biometrics)
  • 5.5 Remote access & site-to-site VPNs
  • 5.6 ACLs (configure & verify)
  • 5.7 Layer 2 security (DHCP snooping, DAI, port security)
  • 5.8 AAA concepts
  • 5.9 Wireless security protocols (WPA, WPA2, WPA3)
  • 5.10 WLAN with WPA2 PSK (GUI)

6.0 Automation & Programmability (10%)

  • 6.1 Automation impact on network management
  • 6.2 Traditional vs controller-based networking

  • 6.3 Controller-based & SDN architectures (overlay, underlay, fabric)

    • Control plane vs data plane separation
    • North-bound & south-bound APIs
  • 6.4 Campus device management: Traditional vs Cisco DNA Center
  • 6.5 REST APIs (CRUD, HTTP verbs, data encoding)
  • 6.6 Configuration management: Puppet, Chef, Ansible
  • 6.7 Interpret JSON data