Official CCNA Exam Descriptions from Cisco

640-802 CCNA
Cisco Current Exams and Exam Outlines

What is the difference between the 2 exam and 1 exam CCNA paths?

Since the inception of the CCNA in 1998, the exam has always been a "one" path test but in 2003, Cisco announced another path for the coveted Cisco qualification, and that is the "two" path method.

Hence as of 01/2004 the exams are:

INTRO exam: 640-821
ICND exam: 640-811
CCNA exam: 640-801

The INTRO exam contains a subset of the CCNA topics and should be taken before the ICND exam. Conversely, the ICND should be taken after the INTRO exam and it also covers a subset of CCNA topics.

The CCNA exam can be taken instead of the INTRO and ICND exams. It covers the same content as the other two exams combined.

Cisco's INTRO exam covers a broad range of topics and is a general overview of the technologies involved whilst the ICND exam covers fewer topics but delves into them in more detail.

The CCNA exam covers everything within the INTRO and ICND topics but due to time constraints, it cannot ask you everything. Hence, it will ask you about more advanced topics but using the basic knowledge gleaned from the INTRO topics, e.g. instead of asking you to list out the network numbers for Class A, B and C networks, it will give you a configuration and ask you to troubleshoot the lack of connectivity between two routers where a classful routing protocol has been used and VLSM has been implemented in the networks.

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Information correct as of 02/01/2004

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by Covenant edited by aryoba
last modified: 2013-04-05 11:29:02