Chapter 1
The CCNA Examination
In This Chapter
Checking out the CCNA exams
Preparing for the exam
Scheduling and paying for the exam
Regardless of the motives Cisco Systems, Inc. had in developing its
Career Certifications, the certification exams included in its program
have become desired, sought after, and — for many companies — required
stepping stones in the career plans of Cisco networking professionals. It mat-
ters not that Cisco may have a built-in audience of technical professionals
either loyal to or working with its hardware and software products. Even
without this cast of thousands, Cisco owns one of the largest market shares
in internetworking hardware.
As you prepare yourself to join the ranks of the professional Cisco network-
ers proudly wearing their Certified Cisco Networking Associate (CCNA)
honors, you’re most likely doing so to start your career, advance your career,
or reengage your career. Whereas certifications like A+ and Server+ concen-
trate primarily on hardware issues and MCSE and Linux certifications focus
on software issues, the CCNA exam deals with all the hardware, software,
and functional issues of a Cisco network into local area, wide area, and
internetworks.
Earning your CCNA certification is an honor that says to the world that this
person really knows his or her internetworking stuff and it is combined to
provide the best possible networking environment for any given situation.
The good news is that employers, present or future, also know this. The
CCNA exam transcends any particular operating system or computer manu-
facturer because Cisco’s systems work with nearly every computing environ-
ment around. If it can be networked, Cisco has equipment that will network it!
And your hard-earned CCNA certification is evidence that you’re the just
person to build, configure, and maintain that network.
04 541897 Ch01.qxd 9/30/03 11:52 AM Page 9
This book has one purpose and one purpose only — to prepare you for the
CCNA exam. I hope that you’ll pick up a thing or two from t