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CCNA Exam Explained (2026): 200-301 Format, Topics, Cost & 10 Practice Questions

Audio from the Open Exam Hub video of the same name; the video shows the numbers and practice questions on screen.

The Cisco CCNA exam (200-301), explained from Cisco's exam pages and official blueprints as of October 2026. Today's exam is CCNA v1.1: 120 minutes, US$300 per attempt (or Cisco Learning Credits), in English or Japanese, taken online with a remote proctor or at a Pearson VUE test center. Cisco does not publish a question count, a fixed passing score or a pass rate; your score report shows section scores and the passing score for your exam. The six v1.1 topic areas and weights: IP Connectivity 25%, Network Fundamentals 20%, Network Access 20%, Security Fundamentals 15%, IP Services 10%, Automation and Programmability 10%. Big change ahead: Cisco says v1.1 is available through February 2, 2027, and CCNA v2.0 (still 200-301, still 120 minutes, five new topic areas) goes live February 3, 2027. Retakes: wait 5 calendar days, full fee each time. The CCNA is valid 3 years; recertify by passing the current CCNA or a higher-level Cisco exam, or with 30 continuing education credits before it expires. Then 10 new original practice questions with answers (EUI-64, /29 subnetting, SSH port, trunks, LLDP, the routing table, OSPF states, DSCP EF, Dynamic ARP Inspection, REST status codes), none repeated from our 75-question CCNA practice test. Study tips are our own suggestions. Independent guide, not affiliated with Cisco or Pearson VUE.

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CCNA Practice Test: 75 questions with explained answers
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Chapters
0:00 The Short Answer
1:02 Version 1.1 Now, Version 2.0 in 2027
1:54 Format and Question Types
2:33 Scoring and Results
3:01 The Six Topic Areas
3:36 What's in Each Area
4:37 Cost, Booking and Retakes
5:19 Validity and Recertification
5:47 How to Study
6:32 Practice Questions, Part One
8:38 Practice Questions, Part Two
10:41 Recap

Exam facts are from the official Cisco (Cisco Certification Program) and Pearson VUE pages as of 2026-10-23. 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 or Pearson VUE. Practice questions are not from a real exam. Narration is an AI-generated voice.

Music
"Friday Morning" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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"Fresh Air" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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"Reminiscing" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
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"Carefree" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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Sound effects: Kenney (kenney.nl), CC0.

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