There are two options available to you to achieve your Cisco Certified Network Administrator (CCNA) certification. The first option is to take the single CCNA exam. Since this was too overwhelming to many CCNA candidates, Cisco created a second option for students to break the Cisco CCNA exam into two separate exams. In doing so, Cisco created a new entry level certification called Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT). This second option will be covered in detail later in this article as will be the three Specialized CCNA certifications.

Single Exam Option – CCNA exam 640-802 The current version of the CCNA exam is 640-802 and was last updated in November of 2007. Cisco seems to have a history of updating this exam approximately every three years. Coincidentally that is also the amount of time your Cisco CCNA certification is valid. So every three years, you must update your Cisco certifications according to the policies of Cisco at that time. This is one of the reasons why a Cisco certification is more valuable than many other IT certifications. By requiring you to recertify every three years, it ensures you are kept up to date with the quickly changing technologies in the IT field. The exam is 90 minutes in length and can be any where from 45 to 55 questions. There are 7 types of questions you may see are as follows:

Exam Question Formats # Single answer multiple choice -These are multiple choice questions where there is only one correct answer. A question will be posed, and a radio button will allow the user to select the proper answer to the question. # Multiple answer multiple choice -These are multiple choice questions where there are multiple correct answers. A question will be posed, and checkboxes will allow the user to select the proper answer to the question. # Drag and Drop (DND) -A green list of options will be provided on the left side of the screen, prompting the user to drag each of these to the correct yellow category box on the right side. The items can be removed from the chosen category and rearranged before submitting a final answer using the Submit button. # Fill in the Blank -The user will fill in the correct answer to a question or complete an existing sentence, making an accurate statement. # Router Simulation -Individual real-world scenarios are given, and the user is prompted to negotiate the proper network arrangement or perform the functions necessary using a simulated hyperterminal screen. # Testlet -The user is provided with a real-world scenario, and 3 or more questions are posed with regard to the scenario given. # Simlet -This is similar to a testlet question, however each sub-question is offered in the form of a router simulation.

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