Which CCNA exam????

Hi,I am currently studying the CCNA Exploration course and have just completed semester 1 (networking fundamentals) I am doing this as a home study course and have a very close friend in the industry who helps me along.My question is which exam does CCNA Exploration prepare me for???Thank you in advance for any help with this

Find more posts tagged with

SAVE $250 on Your CISCO Boot Camp — Use Code "EXAM26"

Exclusively for TechExams members for Infosec Boot Camps starting before April 30, 2026

View CISCO Boot Camps

Comments

ciscoman2012

trotter wrote: »

Hi,I am currently studying the CCNA Exploration course and have just completed semester 1 (networking fundamentals) I am doing this as a home study course and have a very close friend in the industry who helps me along.My question is which exam does CCNA Exploration prepare me for???Thank you in advance for any help with this

Honestly I'm not sure any of the classes will fully prepare you to take the exam. At minimum, they will give you the basic theories and concepts to get running with all this networking information. You should be able to pick up some books from Todd Lammle or Wendall Odom and somewhat understand what's going on.

Roguetadhg

Probably prepares you for the core CCNA exam, as well as the ICND1 and/or ICND2.

However, there's several different flavors of CCNA: CCNA, CCNA:Security, CCNA:Wireless, CCNA: Service Provider Operations [SP Ops], CCNA: Service Provider, CCNA: Voice.

CCNA can sometimes be refered to as "CCNA:Routing and Switching". But most people just say "CCNA".

SharkDiver

I would certainly think that any CCNA course would prepare you for the regular CCNA, which you could take as one exam or the ICND1 & ICND2 separately.

zrockstar

trotter wrote: »

Hi,I am currently studying the CCNA Exploration course and have just completed semester 1 (networking fundamentals) I am doing this as a home study course and have a very close friend in the industry who helps me along.My question is which exam does CCNA Exploration prepare me for???Thank you in advance for any help with this

Here's the deal from what I have found from being in the exploration course. I feel like the exploration course prepares you for the composite CCNA test. If you really want to draw a line of where you could probably take the ICND1, it would be about halfway through the second module, Routing Protocols and Concepts, when you cover RIP V2. However, like I said, I think the exploration course, actually being titled the CCNA Exploration, is more geared for the composite test because LAN Switching and Wireless is the 3rd program in the sequence, and if you look at the ICND1 requirements, you will see some LAN Switching and Wireless material on that exam. Now the requirements for ICND1 for those subjects looks like you can probably get by with the basics if you have previous experience or Network+ studies, but as for me, I am definitely going to do the composite as I feel the exploration series is put together a little out of whack. Hope that helps, and enjoy Routing and Protocol Concepts, it is so much more fun than Network Fundamentals. Everything should "click" next semester for you.

zrockstar

ciscoman2012 wrote: »

Honestly I'm not sure any of the classes will fully prepare you to take the exam. At minimum, they will give you the basic theories and concepts to get running with all this networking information. You should be able to pick up some books from Todd Lammle or Wendall Odom and somewhat understand what's going on.

This is kind of true but not really, and here is the difference. There is waaaaaaay more material in the Exploration Series than in any Lammle or Odom book. If you just look at the number of pages, being 4 books around 700 pages each, that definitely lends to the amount of material in this program. Also, there is another roughly 400 page lab manual that goes along with every book.

But here is the difference.

The Exploration Series gives you no indication of what's going to be on the test, what is especially helpful to remember, or tons of test-like questions. Matter of fact, that why the OP is likely not knowing what exam to take, because the Exploration Series pays no mind to the exams, and that is why they are kind of out of order. Now for me personally, I own ever exploration book and lab manual, Todd Lammle's latest edition, and Odom's two book series. What I am doing is learning from the Exploration Series, and preparing from Lammle/Odom. I would recommend the same course of study for the OP and anyone in any of the official Cisco programs.

odysseyelite

It touches upon both exams; ICND1 and CCNA. You do not have enough information to take either exam after the first class. After the second class you could try to take ICND1 however there is still material presented in the last two classes you need to know for ICND1.

The classes were created to take either the two exam route or the one exam route after completed all four courses.

To be honest, after you finish the class you have so much information you are overloaded for just the exam. I recommend using Lammel's or Odom's book after the course to focus on just the exam material.

boredgamelad

If I could go back, I'd grab the Lammle book and read it right after finishing CCNA Exploration and Discovery (all 4 modules) and then go nail the composite test.

MAC_Addy

I'd definitely recommend getting some books. Whether it be the Todd Lammle book or the Wendell Odom books. I passed the CCENT exam by reading Todd Lammle's book ICND1 book.