CCNA 200-301 — Preparation Guide

Exam code: 200-301 · Current version: v1.1 (2024) · Duration: 120 min · Passing score: ~825/1000

Exam Domains

Official exam topics (PDF): 200-301-CCNA-v1.1.pdf

Books

Official Cert Guide (Wendell Odom) — recommended

The de facto standard. Two volumes, covers all exam domains in depth.

• Volume 1 — Network Fundamentals, Network Access, IP Connectivity
• Volume 2 — IP Services, Security, Automation, full exam review

Latest edition: v1.1 (2024) — updated for the current exam version.

• Cisco Press — Official Cert Guide Library (v1.1)
• Amazon

Each chapter ends with a review quiz. Use these consistently — do not skip.

31 Days Before Your CCNA Exam

Compact review book. Best used in the final month before the exam as a structured refresher. Shared in the community chat as Book 31days before exam.pdf.

All Cheat Sheets

Community-assembled cheat sheet collection covering subnetting, protocol summaries, and CLI commands. Shared in the chat as All Cheat Sheets.pdf.

Video Courses

Jeremy’s IT Lab (YouTube) — free, highly recommended

Full 200-301 coverage, clear explanations, free on YouTube. Mentioned by the community as the go-to resource.

Search: “Jeremy’s IT Lab CCNA” on YouTube.

CiscoStr (Danil) — Russian-language course

Structured paid course by an experienced instructor. Free YouTube recordings available:

• YouTube playlist (2020 recording)
• CiscoStr website

Cisco NetAcad — free self-paced

Three official Cisco courses covering the full 200-301 syllabus:

1. CCNA: Introduction to Networks
2. CCNA: Switching, Routing, and Wireless Essentials
3. CCNA: Enterprise Networking, Security, and Automation

Registration: netacad.com · Module exams at the end of each section mirror the real exam format.

CBT Nuggets

Paid, professional-quality video course. Good for visual learners who prefer a structured paid option.

DarkMayCall — Russian “Cisco from scratch”

Russian-language structured course, beginner-friendly.

• darkmaycal-it.ru/cisco

CiscoStr demo — free preview

Free demo modules from the CiscoStr course (no registration):

• Introduction to Networks (RU)

edu-cisco.org

Russian Cisco community platform with courses and materials.

• edu-cisco.org

Practice Labs

Cisco Packet Tracer — recommended for beginners

Free simulator from Cisco. No hardware required. Download via:

• netacad.com/courses/packet-tracer

Covers ~90% of what you need for the exam. The community recommends starting here before moving to GNS3 or EVE-NG.

Packet Tracer labs (.pka files) from the course cover: static routing, VLANs, OSPF, IPv6, EtherChannel, wireless.

EVE-NG / GNS3 — advanced

Full network emulators that run real Cisco IOS images.

• EVE-NG community edition — free
• Cisco DevNet Sandboxes — free cloud labs, no local install required

Community warning: EVE-NG can behave unexpectedly. Beginners may confuse emulator bugs with configuration mistakes. Stick with Packet Tracer until you have a solid foundation.

Cisco DevNet Sandboxes

Free cloud-hosted lab environments. Covers more than EVE-NG for certain scenarios.

• developer.cisco.com/site/sandbox/

Packet Tracer Network — lab collection

Ready-made .pka lab files grouped by topic (routing, switching, security, etc.).

• packettracernetwork.com/labs

GNS3 Vault — lab collection

Free GNS3 labs covering CCNA and beyond.

• gns3vault.com/labs

Network Education — practice simulators (RU)

Russian platform with Cisco courses and interactive practice simulators.

• networkeducation.ru/practice
• All courses

Exam Prep & Practice Tests

ExamTopics

Large question bank with community discussions on each question. Good for understanding why an answer is correct.

• examtopics.com

ITExams

Another practice question database:

• itexams.com/exam/200-301

9tut

Practice questions including IPv6 section:

• 9tut.com

CertSim Cloud

Free online CCNA 200-301 exam simulator, no installation required.

• certsim.cloud

ITExamAnswers

Free CCNA 200-301 dumps with full questions and study guide.

• itexamanswers.net

VCEplus

Practice test dumps in VCE format.

• vceplus.io/ccna-200-301

CCNA7.com

Community forum for CCNA discussion, security topics and lab configurations.

• ccna7.com

infocisco.ru — Russian chapter tests

Russian-language CCNA chapter practice tests (based on older NetAcad material, still useful for self-check).

• infocisco.ru

AntiNetacad

Community-maintained Russian mirror of NetAcad materials.

• netacad.sadlab.su

Boson ExSim

Paid practice exam simulator. High-quality questions that closely match the real exam difficulty.

Anki Flashcards

Spaced repetition is effective for memorising commands, protocol timers, and port numbers.

• Download Anki: apps.ankiweb.net
• CCNA deck: ankiweb.net/shared/info/591991787

Exam Registration

Pearson VUE

CCNA is delivered through Pearson VUE — both in-person testing centres and online proctored.

• home.pearsonvue.com/cisco.aspx

Extra time for non-native English speakers

You can request +30 minutes of additional time if English is not your first language.

• Request accommodation
• Or via: Cisco Learning Network discussion

Required documents

Bring 2 forms of ID to the testing centre (required per Pearson VUE policy):

• Foreign passport (primary)
• Second ID (national ID, driver’s license)

Key Topics to Focus On

Based on community experience:

Must know:

• Binary and hex math — subnetting by hand, IPv6 prefix calculations
• OSPF — single-area and multi-area, neighbour states, LSA types
• BGP basics — eBGP, iBGP neighbour relationships, attributes
• VLANs and trunking — 802.1Q, DTP, VTP, inter-VLAN routing
• STP / RSTP — port states, port roles, topology changes (STP is still in 200-301 despite rumours)
• ACLs — standard, extended, named; wildcard masks
• NAT/PAT — static, dynamic, overload
• Wireless — 802.11 standards, WLC, lightweight APs
• Automation — REST API, JSON, Python basics, DNA Center, SD-WAN/SD-Access overview

Common pitfalls:

• The official course (NetAcad) does not cover 100% of exam questions — supplement with OCG
• EVE-NG glitches can mislead beginners; use Packet Tracer for initial labs
• IPv6 gets a dedicated section — don’t skip it

Study Plan (rough timeline)

Useful Links

Official

Courses

Labs

Practice Tests

Flashcards

Based on community experience from the CiscoStr Telegram group.