CCNA prep
For network technicians and junior engineers who want to prove they can build, secure and troubleshoot a small to medium routed and switched network, including the new AI and operations topics.
The real exam
| Exam code | 200-301 (same code for v1.1 and v2.0) |
|---|---|
| Version | v2.0, first test day 3 February 2027 |
| Older version | v1.1 runs until 2 February 2027, then retires |
| Questions | About 100 (Cisco does not publish the count, reports range from about 90 to 120) |
| Time | 120 minutes |
| Pass mark | Scaled score, not published. Candidates report about 800 to 850 of 1000 |
| Item types | Single and multiple choice, drag and drop, exhibits, testlets, simlets and CLI simulations |
| Navigation | Forward only. No going back, no flag for review |
| Calculator | None. Subnetting is done by hand on a noteboard |
| Fee | US$300 plus local tax |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE test centre or OnVUE online proctored |
| Languages | English, Japanese |
| Retake | 5 calendar days after a fail; 180 days after a pass |
| Valid for | 3 years. Renew by exam or 30 CE credits |
What you get
Mocks follow the real rules: 100 questions in 120 minutes, no going back.
Syllabus
Cabling and interface faults, virtualization, IPv4 subnetting, IPv6, wireless principles, client troubleshooting and DHCPv4.
VLANs, trunks, EtherChannel, SVIs, edge ports, CDP and LLDP, troubleshooting tools and Rapid PVST+.
Routing table decisions, IPv4 and IPv6 static routes, single-area OSPFv2 and OSPFv3, HSRP and VRRP status.
Local users and AAA, SCP and SFTP, NAT and PAT, DNS records, IPsec VPNs, ACLs and Layer 2 security.
Agentic AI, prompting generative AI, management approaches, SNMP, Ansible and syslog.
Course outline
- Physical layer and virtualization · 3 lessons
- IPv4 addressing and subnetting · 3 lessons
- IPv6, wireless and client services · 6 lessons
- VLANs, trunks and EtherChannel · 5 lessons
- Discovery, troubleshooting and spanning tree · 5 lessons
- Routing tables and static routes · 3 lessons
- OSPF and first hop redundancy · 5 lessons
- Network services and security · 9 lessons
- AI and network operations · 6 lessons
Try a question
The 10 Gbps fiber uplink between DIST-SW1 and BLDG4-SW1 has started flapping several times an hour. Based on the exhibit, what is the most likely cause?A. A duplex mismatch between the two opticsB. Too much light lost on the path, such as a dirty connectorC. The local SFP is transmitting below its rated optical power levelD. The port is assigned to the wrong VLANShow answer
Users on a printer floor complain about slow printing. The access port for the main printer shows the output in the exhibit. Both ends are set to auto. What should the technician check first?A. The cable and its terminations to the printerB. The speed setting, because 1000 Mb/s is too fast for a printerC. The duplex setting on the switch port, which should be forced to half duplexD. The output queue, because the port is dropping frames on transmitShow answer
Passwell is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Cisco Systems, Inc. Cisco, CCNA and Cisco IOS are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. All questions and lessons are original Passwell content. Facts checked 2026-11-14.