CCNA Cost in 2026: Exam Fee, Retakes & How Long to Study
Chapters
- What It Really Costs
- The Exam Fee
- If You Need a Retake
- Exam Safeguard Plus
- Study Resources and Their Cost
- A Budget Table
- How Long Cisco Suggests
- From Weeks to Hours
- Counting Back From the Deadline
- A Fourteen Week Plan
- Booking the Exam
- Three Week-One Questions
- Recap
Audio from the Open Exam Hub video of the same name; the video shows the numbers and practice questions on screen.
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What the CCNA (200-301) really costs and how long to study, as of October 2026 from Cisco's pages: US$300 per attempt (or Cisco Learning Credits), exam vouchers valid 365 days from purchase, a five-calendar-day wait before a retake, and Exam Safeguard Plus at US$450 (a second chance within 90 days per Cisco's wording). Our arithmetic: attempts add up to $300, $600, $900; Safeguard Plus costs $150 more if you pass first time and $150 less if you need two tries. Free and paid study resources as Cisco lists them (Networking Academy, Packet Tracer, Cisco Modeling Labs, Cisco U.), with no invented prices. Cisco suggests 10 to 14 weeks of study plus 4 to 6 weeks of practice; we turn that into weekly hours (our planning figures), count back from the v1.1 deadline of February 2, 2027 (CCNA v2.0 starts February 3, 2027), and give a 14-week plan. Booking: schedule up to six weeks ahead or same day in the US and Canada. Three original practice questions. Independent guide, not affiliated with Cisco.
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Chapters
0:00 What It Really Costs
0:43 The Exam Fee
1:25 If You Need a Retake
2:01 Exam Safeguard Plus
2:53 Study Resources and Their Cost
3:42 A Budget Table
4:19 How Long Cisco Suggests
4:47 From Weeks to Hours
5:42 Counting Back From the Deadline
6:29 A Fourteen Week Plan
7:26 Booking the Exam
7:57 Three Week-One Questions
9:01 Recap
Exam facts are from the official Cisco pages as of 2026-10-27. Fees and rules can change, so confirm on the official site before you enroll. Open Exam Hub is an independent study resource, not affiliated with Cisco. Practice questions are not from a real exam. Narration is an AI-generated voice.
Music
"Almost Bliss" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
"Fresh Air" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
"Carefree" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
"Friday Morning" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Sound effects: Kenney (kenney.nl), CC0.
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