The 8 Best CCNA Courses to Help You Get Certified in 2024

Becoming a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) can help jumpstart your career in IT. While it’s not the only path you can take, Cisco Systems offers many well-rounded services and programs that prepare you for life as an IT technician. Cisco Systems is also well-known and one of the leaders in the industry. You’ll learn all about networks, network security, and how networks function together.

That said, becoming a CCNA is easier said than done. You’ll have to pass a certification exam, which is challenging and evolves with the software that Cisco Systems uses. Therefore, you want to make sure your information is up to date. Unfortunately, this makes preparing for the exam harder each year.

Luckily, we’re here to help. While the exam continues to evolve, studying has never been easier. There are dozens of great courses online that offer value in many ways. To help you narrow down your options, we’ll take you through eight of the best CCNA courses you can find. Read on to learn about the best courses and what you need to know before signing up.

Orientation

Before we jump into the course list, it’s important to know what to look for in a CCNA course. Additionally, it’s worth understanding how becoming a CCNA can help your IT career. To begin, let’s break down what a CCNA is and how it works.

The Cisco Certified Network Associate

CCNA — or Cisco Certified Network Associate — refers to the wide range of technical services that Cisco brings to the world of IT. The certifications are based on various industry standards, and they help candidates stand out from the competition. This is because many organizations run on these systems and favor candidates that have the CCNA certification –if nothing else.

While Cisco offers entry-level courses, like the Cisco Certified Entry Level Technician and Cisco Certified Technician, the CCNA is a more advanced course. It’s an associate-level course that prepares IT technicians for software areas like working on the cloud, industrial applications, wireless technology, and even security. For these reasons, getting your hands on a CCNA is a great way to show companies that you’re qualified to work on modern systems.

Keeping this in mind, there are things you should look for in a CCNA course, as we outline below.

Finding the Right Topic

First and foremost, every CCNA course has a different focus. While the core principles are the same, the things that you study are unique. For example, a CCNA security course is different from a CCNA cloud course. While both options are valuable, you should always choose a course based on what you need the most help with.

Still, some courses cover a broad range of topics. Some cover the fundamentals of CCNA, which serve as a good starting point for your education. While we like basic courses that cover many topics, we always recommend you dive into the more specific courses once you’re comfortable. That way, you’re prepared for what the exam throws your way.

Additional Resources

While video lectures are great for learning about CCNA topics, sometimes it’s not enough. CCNA is hands-on, so it’s a good idea to look for courses that come with additional study materials. These can vary, but you’ll find things like practice exams, assignments, and downloads. While every course is different, the best CCNA courses come with additional materials to help you iron out any weak areas in your CCNA training.

Platforms like SkillShare and LinkedIn Learning tend to offer fewer materials, while other platforms like Udemy offer the most. Keeping this in mind, make sure you choose a course that comes with everything you need. With a CCNA certification, it’s not just about sitting back and watching videos; you want to be engaged throughout the entire process.

Price

When it comes to the price, we recommend focusing on the content and length but making sure you get your money’s worth is also important. For this reason, we’ve gathered a list of reasonably priced CCNA courses. That said, you’re still going to come across some variations depending on the platform you choose.

For example, Udemy often charges you a flat rate for the course. Once you’re on the course, you can watch the lectures, use the additional study materials, and more.

On the other hand, platforms like SkillShare and LinkedIn Learning require a monthly fee. While the cost is lower, the fee can add up over a year. Still, for CCNA courses, it’s helpful to study as much as possible. Overall, most courses cost less than $50 and provide about 1 to 100 hours of content.

Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to jump into the eight best CCNA courses.

Course Breakdown

• Best Overall: The Complete Networking Fundamentals Course
• Best Value: CCNA 2020
• Best Lab Sections: Cisco CCNA 200-301
• Best Instructor: CCNA 200-301 Exam
• Best for VLANS: Cisco CCNA-Vlans
• Best for Entry-Level Exams: Cisco Networking Foundations
• Best for Security: Cisco Network Security
• Best for Beginners: Cisco CCNA (200-301) Cert Prep

Top 8 Best CCNA Courses 2024

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1. Best Overall: The Complete Networking Fundamentals Course. Your CCNA Start

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Why we like it

This is one of our top courses because it helps you get started on your CCNA journey with a ton of information. We also love that it comes with 80 hours of content and additional materials.

David Bombal is one of the few Cisco engineers that passed his networking exams on the first try. While he has succeeded in the industry, Bombal decided to help others achieve the same level of success. That is why he started designing courses for Cisco exams and certifications. While every exam is different, his 15 years of experience in the industry has helped him create the Complete Networking Fundamentals Course.

The Complete Networking Fundamentals Course acts as an introduction to CCNA concepts and comes with over 80 hours of content. In the course, Bombal goes over the basic networking jargon for the industry, such as the TCP or IP Model, binary coding, IP addresses, device configuration, and more. While the course is long, Bombal takes his time and covers each topic in detail. Compared to other CCNA courses, this course has become a staple in the industry.

Things to Consider

While Bombal is one of the best instructors and benefits from being an engineer at Cisco Systems, the course is not perfect. Bombal spends the first few sections of the course going over jargon and industry terms that most people studying for the exam are already familiar with. Unfortunately, this reduces the value of the course if you have experience in the industry.

If you’re looking for a more focused course, CCNA 2020 is a great choice. While it’s shorter in length, it contains less fluff and provides more value for people that have already started to prepare for the CCNA exam.

Who It’s For

If you’re new to CCNA training and want to get ahead, this course is a great choice. It covers everything you need to know about Cisco technology and prepares you for the CCNA exam. It’s the perfect choice for people that aren’t the best in the industry or who aren’t familiar with all the CCNA terminology.

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2. Best Value: CCNA 2020

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Why we like it

CCNA 2020 is one of our favorite courses because it’s based on the most recent CCNA exam. While it won’t be the same as newer versions, it covers content that’s closely related to what you’ll find on current CCNA exams.

With over 60 hours of content, it’s no secret that this course offers great value. While there’s a lot going on in each hour of content, Chris Bryant gives students the most value through additional materials and hands-on training. Compared to other CCNA courses, CCNA 2020 comes with more studying resources, practice quizzes, and continued learning opportunities.

While Bryant does a great job with each lecture, this course really shines when you download the additional documents and materials. Plus, resources like Bryant’s BGP materials and subnetting materials are handcrafted by him.

That said, Bryant’s lectures also come packed with information. He covers many relevant topics, including networking foundations, security, VLANS, and even BGP routing, which is one of the hardest parts of the exam to understand. Overall, it’s a well-rounded course that Bryant frequently updates each year.

Things to Consider

We love Bryant’s course and everything it comes with, but it does come up short in some areas. This is because Bryant focuses on some areas more than others. For example, it’s clear that Bryant spends a lot of time going over BGP and networking. While this is great for most people, it leaves less room for other subjects. Plus, Bryant releases a new version of the course each year that you have to pay for instead of updating older courses.

If you’re looking for an alternative that takes a more broad approach to CCNA training, The Complete Networking Fundamentals Course is a great alternative. It’s longer and comes with a similar amount of study materials.

Who It’s For

If you’re looking for a well-rounded course that comes with a ton of resources, this is a great choice. Additionally, we know this course is a great option for people that struggle with BGP routing. That said, it’s a great course for anyone, and Bryant does a great job of injecting value into each hour.

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3. Best Lab Sections: Cisco CCNA 200-301

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Why we like it

Cisco CCNA 200-301 is one of our top courses because of the quality of instruction. Niel Anderson makes it his mission to answer all your questions, even during the lab sections of the course.

Niel Anderson does an amazing job with this course. He packs a lot of information into only 38 hours of content and delivers a well-rounded course. Anderson also goes over several key concepts to help you with hands-on labs and equipment breakdowns. All the labs are also current, and they run on Cisco’s latest software, so you don’t have to worry about cross-referencing anything.

Still, what makes this course great is the instructor who makes himself available for his students. Instead of keeping tight office hours, he works tirelessly to answer questions at any point in the process. This also applies to the hands-on sections of the exam, which often require the most help. That said, Anderson has worked hard to create a course that encompasses the main points of the CCNA exam, and he does a great job with it.

Things to Consider

While this course is great, it’s not the best fit for everyone, especially as 38 hours of content is not always ideal for the exam. For example, Anderson doesn’t go into detail about certain aspects of Cisco’s systems, like VLANS or security. Instead, he focuses more on the fundamentals of networking. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it leaves you to improve on these areas on your own.

For this reason, we recommend pairing this course with more focused courses on VLANS and networking security. Two great examples are Cisco Network Security and Cisco CCNA-Vlans. These two courses are much shorter, but they highlight the areas missing from Anderson’s course.

Who It’s For

The CCNA exam is challenging, and working in the industry can be even harder. That’s why many students have a difficult time preparing for the exam. While it’s easy to get your hands on information and listen to lectures, having someone who can answer your questions makes a huge difference. That’s why we recommend this course to anyone that needs a more hands-on teaching style.

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4. Best Instructor: Cisco CCNA 200-301 Exam

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Why we like it

We love this course because of how it covers each section of the CCNA exam. It comes loaded with additional resources, almost 80 hours of content, and more.

The Cisco CCNA 200-301 Exam course was created by David Bombal to help people pass the CCNA exam. Like his other courses, Bombal spends time breaking each concept down. In total, the course has 69 hours of video content and over 20 hours of practice exam content and materials. While the class is like his other classes, this one is more focused on passing the exam than learning the content.

That said, there is a lot of excellent content within the course. It teaches about how Kali Linux can hack networks, how to configure switches and routers from Cisco, network automation, and WiFi. Furthermore, the course also has a few hours of content that focus on the security aspects of the exam and field.

Things to Consider

While this course has a lot of solid information, it has some flaws. First and foremost, it doesn’t spend a lot of time on the basics. This makes it one of the more advanced courses; therefore, you’ll want to have some knowledge of Cisco’s systems and networks before taking it. While it outlines everything you need to know to pass the exam, having some additional knowledge makes it more valuable.

Who It’s For

If you’re in the market for a course that will help you pass the CCNA exam, this course is a great choice. While all the courses in our list focus on exam materials, this course dedicates time to address questions found on previous exams and how to deal with them in the future. Overall, it’s one of the few certification prep courses that stays true to its name.

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5. Best for VLANS: Cisco CCNA-VLANS

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Why we like it

Cisco CCNA-VLANS earns a top spot because of its special focus on VLANs. While many courses touch on the subject, Matt Carey delivers a masterclass on how they function and interact with other systems.

While this course is one of the shortest on our list, the instructor does a great job of breaking VLANS down for people that are unfamiliar with the concept. The course goes through the basics in the beginning, but towards the end, Carey starts to go over more advanced concepts. It’s one of the best courses for VLANS because it gives you the best of both worlds – beginner and advanced.

The course is also broken down in an easily digestible way. There are three main parts with a brief introduction to what VLANS are and how they function within a network. The other three sections are about accessing VLAN configurations, trunk configurations, and trunk pruning. While each section is less than 20 minutes, Carey does a great job of breaking it down with plenty of details.

Things to Consider

While VLANs are an integral part of Cisco networks, the course is short and doesn’t provide much info on other areas. In fact, it’s one of the shortest courses you can find for CCNA certifications. Another issue with this course is the lack of content. Its short length makes it less valuable than courses found on LinkedIn Learning or Udemy.

If you’re looking for a more comprehensive course, a great alternative is CCNA 2020, as it includes a bit about VLANS while going into detail about other important areas.

Who It’s For

If you’re in the market for a course on VLANS, this is one of the best options. While it won’t help you in other related areas, the deep dive into VLAN technology is useful and worth the cost. Plus, it’s one of the quickest and easiest courses to get through. This makes it beginner-friendly and useful as a refresher course as well.

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6. Best for Entry-Level Exams: Cisco Networking Foundations

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Why we like it

Cisco Networking Foundations is one of our favorite courses because it offers a lot of general information in a short period. While longer is usually better, getting started with Cisco training in short sessions also has its benefits.

The Cisco Networking Foundations course is the first step to passing the CCNA exam. While it focuses on the entry-level tests, most of the information carries over to more difficult exams. The course goes over the basics, which include things like interworking, subnetting, network security, routing, and more.

While Cisco Networking Foundations is an entry-level course, it’s the perfect prerequisite. It breaks down the basics of Cisco networks and guides you through the complexities of each topic without bogging you down in the details. While it’s a shorter course than most advanced CCNA courses, this is what makes it unique.

Things to Consider

While Cisco Networking Foundations is a great course, it’s not designed to help you pass the CCNA. This is great for people that need to get into the industry with little to no background, but the course has less value for more experienced technicians. If you’re looking for a traditional CCNA course, any of the other ones we feature here are a great alternative.

Who It’s For

If you’re wondering whether becoming a CCNA is right for you, this course is a great choice. It will help you build a foundation of knowledge for the exam, and it helps you through the initial certifications. While the course doesn’t focus on the CCNA, it helps you prepare for what’s to come.

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7. Best for Security: Cisco Network Security

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Why we like it

We love Cisco Network Security because it focuses on the security aspects of CCNA certification. While security is important, many courses gloss over it in favor of other topics.

Cisco Network Security is a short course that goes over the security of networking and IP addresses. This is a refreshing course from Lisa Bock, as she focuses on network security, a topic that doesn’t always get a lot of attention. That said, she does a great job of discussing security and how it plays a role in CCNA certifications and exams.

To be more specific, the course focuses on the security fundamentals that are found on the exam. Bock goes over things like common security threats, common security terms, social engineering, malware, and more. She also goes over techniques to improve security. These include digital signatures, encryption, and more. Overall, it’s one-stop shopping for security content on the CCNA exam.

Things to Consider

While this is one of our favorite courses for security, it fails to cover the more basic and general parts of the exam. If you’re looking for a more comprehensive alternative, The Complete Networking Fundamentals Course is a great alternative.

Who It’s For

If you’ve been struggling with the security parts of the CCNA exam, Cisco Network Security is a great option. The instructor goes over everything you need to know about network security and how to keep intruders out. While it’s not as comprehensive as some of the longer courses, it’s one of the few that focuses solely on security.

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8. Best for Beginners: Cisco CCNA (200-301) Cert Prep

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Why we like it

While this course is shorter than most CCNA courses, it’s balanced and easy to get through. This makes it one of our favorite courses for beginners.

Instructor Greg Sowell has worked in the IT industry for years, and he has a lot of experience with Cisco Systems. Therefore, Greg created this course to act as a refresher and a way for new learners to immerse themselves in the world of Cisco technology. While the course isn’t as long as some of the 80-hour courses on our list, it makes it up with quality content. Plus, it’s easy to get through for beginners and more advanced CCNA test takers.

This is also one of the best refresher/beginner-level courses around. While Sowell dives into complex topics, he also covers some of the basics. For example, you’ll find things like networking architecture, IP addressing, configurations, and more. While this is beginner-friendly material, it’s also great for people that need a refresher on the basics.

Things to Consider

While this course is great for beginners and people that need a refresher, it’s not detailed or comprehensive. Some parts are great, but it doesn’t compare to some of the bigger courses that have 60-80 hours of content.

If you’re looking for a bigger course with more content, The Complete Networking Fundamentals Course is a great alternative. While it’s less beginner-friendly, it teaches you everything you need to know.

Who It’s For

If you’re new to CCNA certifications, this course is a great way for you to see if it’s a good path. It outlines all the things you need to know but in less detail. For these reasons, it’s also a great choice for people that need a refresher on some of the content that’s on the CCNA exam. Plus, it’s also helpful because of the additional materials that come with it.

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FAQ

You’re bound to have questions about CCNA certifications, which is why we’re here to answer some of those below.

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