CCNA in 2026

I passed CCNA in 2025 after 3 months of studying. Here are my thoughts on the exam and study approach.

Study approach

I used a combination of online courses, practice exams, and hands-on labs to prepare for the exam. However, my main resource was YouTube videos and practice tasks from Jeremy’s IT Lab channel. I covered all the topics in the syllabus and practiced with his hands-on labs. Do not hesitate to rewatch videos and redo practice tasks if you don’t understand something. In my case, I had to rewatch some videos multiple times to fully understand the concepts (STP, OSPF).

After I completed all the videos and practice tasks, I started taking practice exams. I used Boson NetSim. I took multiple practice exams and focused on areas where I was struggling. My approach was to identify weak areas and revisit those topics until I felt confident. On my first attempt, I took the practice exam in real mode to identify my weak points and then focused on improving them. Initially my score was around 500 points, but after improving my weak points, I scored 800 points on my second attempt. I used the same approach for all 5 exams.

When I started passing all exams I finally booked the exam using Pearson VUE website. I chose an offline testing center and scheduled my exam for a weekend.

Important tips

• Do not skip Anki cards.
• Always copy running-config to startup-config.
• Some questions do not affect your final score.

Final thoughts

CCNA exam is not that hard, but it is not easy either. In my opinion, it is more about a time and discipline. Networking is important for all IT professionals, and CCNA is a good start.