A digitalised world has mandated all people, from children to adults, to become more proficient in technology. As a result, job opportunities have also become dependent on a person’s technological skills. To stand apart from the rest of the competition, one needs to have a unique technology skill for a better resume and better job offers. The Cisco CCNA certification will provide you with this edge over your competitors and peers. More and more people are opting for the CCNA course online than ever before. So, let us understand what this certification means and what are its benefits.
What is CCNA certification examination?
Cisco is a global conglomerate which deals with networking and technology. It offers various courses for young and aspiring students who want to enter networking in the future. It also provides courses for people who are already actively working in the industry. CCNA is the Cisco Certified Network Associate programme, which is the most reputed and trusted networking course. It is the most sought-after course on networking due to its quality and difficulty level. CCNA examination also tests the course takers in switched and routed networking, configurations, troubleshooting etc. Owing to its vast course and elaborate study materials, people with CCNA certification are regarded as experts in their field.
Why should I choose CCNA out of all other courses?
Given below are various benefits of CCNA certification and why its preferable over other courses –
- Knowledge – The course is not only meant for professionals. Even beginners can take the course and solidify their understanding of basic and rudimentary fundamentals of networking operations.
- Faster job growth – Professionals already familiar with networking operations can take this course to ensure quicker job promotions. Companies always promote individuals who can prove to be valuable assets to the company. Taking the CCNA certification exam can give you that slight edge over your peers.
- Employer benefits – Cisco provides various kinds of discounts and services to companies whose employees are CCNA certified. The benefits outweigh the CCNA course fees and costs.
- Increase in salary – With quicker promotions, your salary is also expected to increase substantially over the years. Companies are more likely to give perks and bonuses to more qualified and more diligent employees towards their job.
How to pass the CCNA certification examination?
Here, we will provide you with some tips and study plans to ensure that you not only pass but also score well in your CCNA certification exam –
- Exam patterns and previous year questions: Not just the CCNA exam, but while preparing for any paper, always study the exam pattern of the document and the last year questions of the exam. Knowing the exam pattern would help you immensely while preparing for the exam. You would learn about time management and would be able to properly organise your notes and study material according to the pattern. Studying and solving previous year questions would boost your confidence and familiarise you with the examination. The Cisco official cert guide can help you with all these preparations.
- Practise what you study – This might be the most crucial tip. Always try to apply the theoretical knowledge you gain practically. Understanding the critical networking concepts and subsequently trying to implement them in labs is a must. This would help you in solidifying your networking fundamentals and memorise the concepts with ease.
- Study material – Another important tip is to study from the right study materials. There might be thousands of blogs and books on networking and CCNA exams, but you must certify which source or material is the most authentic and genuine one. The most reputed material to study for the exam is Cisco’s own Press books ICND 1 and ICND 2 (3rd edition). Another source you can look through is the “CCNAx Exam Prep” application which can be accessed by becoming a member of the Cisco certification forum. Another reading released by Cisco is the “31 days before your CCNA exam” which would provide you with many questions and guiding tips to crack the exam.
- Mock tests – Put all your preparation to test by giving regular mock tests. Mock tests make you familiar with the exam and how to attempt questions. It would also help in increasing your speed in the examination itself. You would also be able to spot your weak areas and put more focus on those topics.