200-301 CCNA : Old and New CCNA Comparison

Over the years, Cisco has developed various certifications, and these certifications have been evolving. The newly designed CCNA program will help you prove your skills in the ever-changing IT landscape.

Until now CCNA consisted of domains like Routing and Switching, Security, Collaboration, Service Provider, Data Center, etc. but it now covers network fundamentals, network access, IP connectivity, IP services, security fundamentals, and automation and programmability.

The newly designed certification program is agile, relevant, and will hold an excellent reputation in the future. The industry’s most widely recognized and respected associate-level certification, CCNA is Cisco’s way of saying we believe in you.

Why did Cisco bring changes to the training program and certifications?

IT Industry Experts have proved that IT Networking is one of the fastest growing industries. It is growing at this pace due to the introduction of new technologies and developments. These developments in the IT Industry are now demanding new skills and job roles. The Certification Program depends on the integrity of protecting the organization and relevancy of products designed.

Holistic Changes in Cisco Certifications

• Introduction of DevNet Certifications: DevNet Certifications forms a critical and key component of the transitioning program for people from the Software and Programming Industry can make maximum use of these certifications.
• Removal of Pre-requisites at the Associate and Professional Level: To bring in flexibility and variety in choice for the candidates.
• Continuing Education for all: Continuing education proves to be a method to earn some extra credits for re-certification.
• Recognition for Completing Training Courses: Candidates now get recognition even after clearing one out of two modules.
• Consolidating and Updating of CCNA Training and Certifications: Combining various domains to form a module which will provide fundamental knowledge.
• Choice available for concentration exams at the Professional Level: Choices available for candidates to specialize in the domain of the interest.
• Streamlined Certification Paths: Streamlined Certification Path where the candidate now has to give only 2 exams instead of 4 exams.
• Emeritus Lifetime Tenure: Emeritus Lifetime tenure for CCIE certifications maintained continuously for 20 years.

What is the New CCNA 200-301?

The new CCNA 200-301 Landscape Program helps you prove your skills in the ever-changing IT Landscape. The new CCNA Certification validates various fundamentals under one roof with only one training program and one exam. The modules comprised in the CCNA program are Network Fundamentals, Security Fundamentals, Network Access, Programmability, IP Connectivity, Automation, and IP Services. CCNA provides you the foundation to take your career in any direction.

Benefits of Cisco CCNA Certification

• CCNA Certification serves as a career launcher to provide a base to your career
• Programmability, Automation, and Security are broad concept which provide immense knowledge about future requirements
• Lab exams give access to the real-world experience
• Recognition of certification on social media profiles
• It will add value to your resume

Changes in the Associate (CCNA) Certification

Consolidating the CCNA Model

Today, there are 10-11 CCNA Domains present like CCNA Routing and Switching, CCNA Security, CCNA Data Center, CCNA Collaboration, and so on. Cisco had researched the target and the value of the CCNA program. Post research they concluded that the main objective of CCNA Certification (for entry-level associates) is to focus on candidates who are starting their career in networking. They may be fresh graduates or coming from a new industry, or software developers, or from IT Industry, or they could also be from a non-IT background like marketing, finance or sales.

CCNA focuses on junior level personnel who is beginning his networking career or anywhere between 0-2 years into this job role. The primary goal is to give these candidates fundamental knowledge about all the concepts and components of networking. Until now, Cisco observed a gap in the above knowledge due to so many different domains, but now they have a concise model which will bridge this gap. Hence February 2020 onwards there will only be one brief examination, thus retiring all the CCNA domains which focus on the fundamentals of networking.

CCNA 200-301 Focused Areas

• IP Fundamentals – Includes basic fundamentals of networking
• IP Connectivity – Basics of Routing and Switching
• Automation – Importance, basics and application
• Network Access – How to connect to a network
• Security – Foundational knowledge

These are the core elements which will constitute the CCNA Examination. Regardless of the domain, you will be an expert in the foundational knowledge stated above, especially automation and security as they form an integral section of every technology.

What happens to the current CCNA Certified Candidate?

There are two types of candidates, viz, the ones who are already certified or the ones who are in the process of getting approved. Cisco urges these candidates to complete their examinations before the cut off 24 February 2020. Once completion, this candidate will migrate by obtaining the new CCNA Certification badge and a Learning Badge.

Cisco will not take away the current certifications. The certification or re-certification will be valid until the date it organically expires.

Watch this detailed video explaining New CCNA 200-301 changes.

The Highlighted Content is updated in the New CCNA Examination.

New 200-301 CCNA Examination Details

• Current CCNA candidates can complete their exam by 24 February 2020 and they will receive a training badge of the corresponding technology area
• Candidates who currently possess Cisco Certified Entry Network Technician (CCENT) can complete the current CCNA Certification until 24 February 2020.

Continuing Education at CCNA Level

Continuing Education which was available only for the CCIE folks will now be available on the CCNA as well as the CCNP Level. It is an alternative mechanism to re-certify the CCNA program. Either the candidates can take up the exam and get re-certified or accumulate continuing education credits. Continuing Education Credits can be collected by various means like attending Cisco Live or contribute to the exam offering process and get credits for the same. These accumulated credits can then be used for re-certification.

Other Certifications

DevNet Certification

DevNet Certification is for software developers and network professionals who can optimize and write applications and choose the technology skills they wish to develop.

• DevNet Associate: Candidates with one or more than one-year experience in developing and maintaining applications.
• DevNet Specialist: Candidates with three to five-year expertise in developing applications, operations, security, and infrastructure.
• DevNet Professional Developers with three to five-year experience in the design and implementation of applications built on Cisco platforms.
• DevNet Expert Details about DevNet Expert will be available in the future.

CCNP Certifications

The Professional Level Certifications validates advanced networking knowledge and skill set. Each certification verifies different technology skills to meet job roles. Each CCNP Certification requires two exams, which are:

• Core Exam – It is the qualifying exam for CCIE Lab Exams
• Concentration Exam – It focuses on the candidate’s career interests and needs.

CCIE Certifications

The new CCIE Certification validates the end-to-end life cycle skills in complex architectures which includes all steps from planning and designing to operating and optimizing.