Exam Profile: Cisco 200-120 CCNA Routing and Switching
Date: May 9, 2013
The Cisco Certified Network Associate Routing and Switching certification, or CCNA Routing and Switching, has served as the most important starting point in the Cisco certification world for decades. With the most recent changes to this venerable certification in March 2013, the role of CCNA Routing and Switching has changed slightly. What remains unchanged is that CCNA Routing and Switching continues to be an important early step to demonstrate mastery of core networking skills of IP routing and LAN switching.
Overview
To achieve the CCNA Routing and Switching certification, Cisco provides two testing options:
- Pass one exam (CCNA 200-120)
- Pass two exams (ICND1 100-101 and ICND2 200-101)
Both paths to the CCNA Routing and Switching certification cover the same topics, but this profile examines the CCNA 200-120 exam specifically.
The CCNA 200-120 exam includes a wide variety of topics that mostly tracks to two weeklong Cisco-authorized courses: The ICND1 and ICND2 courses. As a result, the CCNA exam includes:
- TCP/IP
- LAN Switching
- Routing (IPv4 and IPv6)
- IP Addressing (IPv4 and IPv6)
- Cisco router and switch Command Line Interface (CLI)
- WANs (point-to-point and Frame Relay)
- VLANs and VLAN trunking
- Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)
- Routing Protocols (EIGRP, OSPF)
- Network Address Translation (NAT)
- First-Hop Redundancy Protocols
Along with these topics, the exam requires that you know how to configure each topic, use commands to verify that each works properly, and to troubleshoot problems using a router/switch simulator on the exam.
Exam Details
- Number of Questions: 50-60
- Types of Questions: Multiple Choice (single and multiple answer), drag-and-drop, Sim, Simlet, Testlet (see an exam tutorial here)
- Passing Score: varies, but it is around 800-850 out of 1000
- Time Limit: 90 minutes
- How to Register: vue.com
Trouble Spots
Specifically for the CCNA 200-120 exam, two big trouble spots are the volume of topics and the ability to troubleshoot using those many concepts. The two-exam path to CCNA Routing and Switching allows you to more easily manage the volume of concepts, and to break up some of the troubleshooting topics. For perspective, while many Cisco exams cover the same topics in a single one-week Cisco authorized course, or in a two-semester course in the Cisco Network Academy, the 200-120 exam covers the same topics found in two one-week authorized Cisco courses.
With the single-exam path using the CCNA 200-120 exam, you must be ready to:
- Configure a variety of features on Cisco routers and switches
- Make a variety of math calculations related to IP Version 4 subnetting, including variable length masking
- Analyze where data flows in a network, based on documentation or command output from routers and switches
- Discover a variety of problems with an existing network, due to the many exam topics that use the word “troubleshoot”
As for the technical topics, this list outlines the top trouble spots by topic:
- IP Version 4 Subnetting and Addressing: The single most challenging technology topic for most candidates.
- Spanning Tree Protocol (STP): In real life, most people have STP enabled, and it works, and there is no need to pay much attention to it. As a result, even people who already work in networking jobs typically learn little about STP on the job.
- Access Control Lists (ACLs): ACLs act as a basic programming language that can be applied to packets flowing through a router for the purpose of filtering some packets (discarding the packets). Implementing ACLs requires mastery of the packet headers, an understanding of packet flow, and an understanding of the logic behind the commands.
- IP Version 6: While many people already know something about IPv4, IP Version 6 (IPv6) is new to most CCNA candidates.
- Open Shortest Path First (OSPF): OSPF is the most complex IP routing protocol included in CCNA. While CCNA only examines the basics of OSPF, its underlying operation differs so much from RIP and EIGRP that it requires a little more thought.
- Packets and Flows: Particularly for those brand new to the networking world, the details of frames, packets, segments, their headers, the flow of packets with end user data, the related overhead processes, all the related terminology, and how it all interacts, can be a big challenge.
- First Hop Redundancy Protocols: Each FHRP allows two routers to sit on a LAN and share a role called the default router or default gateway. Interestingly, the details of how these protocols work requires a high level of mastery of both IP Version 4 as well as LAN switching skills.
The exam environment and question types also pose some big challenges. In particular, time pressure exists in almost every Cisco exam. Like all Cisco exams, the CCNA exam does not allow you to skip a question and go back later, so there's a tendency to take extra time when unsure. The exam includes a couple of types of particularly time-consuming problem types: Sims, Simlets, and Testlets. While a time goal of 1 minute per multichoice question time budget is reasonable, these other questions typically require 4-8 minutes each—but each counts as 1 question from the overall count of the number of questions. And your speed at finding the answers to subnetting questions will impact whether you feel much time pressure.
Finally, two question types—Sims and Simlets—require you to have practiced and become comfortable with typing commands on a Cisco router or switch CLI as if you were configuring and monitoring real equipment. As a result, most CCNA candidates need hands-on experience before tackling the ICND1, ICND2, and CCNA exams.
Preparation Hints
First, this exam makes sense for people who already have some networking knowledge and skill before beginning their study for CCNA Routing and Switching. You have a choice: take this exam, or take two different exams (ICND1 100-101 and ICND2 200-101). Cisco has expanded the topics in CCNA over the years, and the two-exam path makes more sense for those completely new to Cisco.
You should plan to study to learn deeply. These tests are not simple knowledge-based exams; you cannot just read a book once, memorize a little, and expect to pass the exam. You need to be ready to take your knowledge and analyze other networks, troubleshoot other networks, and configure features. These exams truly favor the prepared
Practice on the CLI. Buy used gear, use emulators, use the simulator, rent or borrow gear, but plan to practice the configurations and spend time understanding the router and switch commands. Certskills.com has some links to help you work through the topic of building a CCNA lab.
Practice subnetting. Practice until you can do it all, do it well, and do it fast.
As always, jump in and participate in the forums at the Cisco Learning Network. This is a wonderful place where you can pose questions and often get multiple answers in minutes or hours. It's a hugely popular place for folks to collaborate on their path towards Cisco certification.
Recommended Study Resources
Because of the two possible paths to get your CCNA (1 exam or 2 exam), many Cisco Press products have an ICND1 product, a matching ICND2 product, and the two items are sold together for CCNA study at a lower price. In some cases, the product has an ICND1/CCENT edition, and a CCNA edition.
If you plan on taking the CCNA Routing and Switching 200-120 exam, the most cost-effective option is to purchase the CCNA version of each product. For example, most people buy a product like The Cisco CCNA Routing and Switching 200-120 Official Cert Library.
This product contains two books: The Cisco CCENT/CCNA ICND1 100-101 Official Cert Guide and the Cisco CCNA ICND2 200-101 Official Cert Guide. These two books together cover all the CCNA topics, and they supply a reading plan you can choose to follow when going for the CCNA Routing and Switching 200-120 exam.
Do you like studying by using questions? Cisco Press bundles the eBook version of each book in the Cert Library along with some extra practice questions, in the following products:
- The Cisco CCENT/CCNA Routing and Switching 100-101 Premium Edition eBook and Practice Tests
- The Cisco CCNA Routing and Switching 200-101 Premium Edition eBook and Practice Tests
The printed books in the Library come with a DVD, and the rights to a large number of practice tests. The Premium Edition gives you eBook files in multiple formats, supporting popular eReaders, as well as extra practice exams.
To get hands-on skills, use the CCNA Network Simulator. This software product acts like small networks built with Cisco routers and switches; you type commands, and the software reacts as if you were doing the same thing on real gear. More importantly, this product is far more than just a place to type commands. It includes hundreds of scripted lab exercises that focus on the points you must know to do well on the exam.
These products also help round out your study library, with extra reference and practice tools:
- Cisco CCNA Routing and Switching 200-120 Flash Cards and Exam Practice Pack provides you with more than 1,400 flash cards, practice questions and study sheets for the CCNA exams. This product includes three proven study methods: print and online flash cards challenge you to test your knowledge of exam topics with long answer questions. The Pearson IT Certification Practice Test is a customizable software product that allows you to take exam realistic practice tests that help you assess your exam readiness. Finally, the quick reference guide contains hundreds of study sheets that help you do quick reviews of key exam topics.
- CCNA Routing and Switching Portable Command Guide, 3rd edition (ISBN: 1587204304) summarizes all CCNA R&S certification-level Cisco IOS® Software commands, keywords, command arguments, and associated prompts. You’ll find dozens of tips and examples for applying these commands in real-world networking scenarios. Configuration examples throughout the book provide you with a better understanding of how these commands are used in basic network designs.
- If you need help organizing, preparing, and reviewing all the CCNA objectives, use the “31 Days” books from Cisco Press. There will be one focused on the ICND1/CCENT and another for ICND2/CCNA. As a day-by-day guide, the features of each book empower you to fit exam preparation into an otherwise busy schedule. 31 Days Before Your CCENT or 31 Days Before Your CCNA Exam offer you a personable and practical way to understand the certification process, commit to taking the exam, and finish your preparation using a variety of Foundational and Supplemental study resources like those mentioned here.
Finally, studies show that many people that pursue Cisco certification use two separate primary reading sources. The CCNA Routing and Switching Foundation Learning Guide Library, also from Cisco Press, includes two books based on the two authorized Cisco courses related to CCNA: the Interconnecting Cisco Network Devices, Part 1 (ICND1) and Interconnecting Cisco Network Devices, Part 2 (ICND2) courses. Each book uses the same examples, figures, and sequence as those courses. This is an excellent source for alternate explanations and examples as compared to the CCNA Exam Certification Guides.
Exam Objectives
The following information provides general guidelines for the content likely to be included on the exam, as outlined on Cisco’s website. However, other related topics may also appear on any specific delivery of the exam.
Operation of IP Data Networks
- Operation of IP Data Networks
- Recognize the purpose and functions of various network devices such as Routers, Switches, Bridges and Hubs.
- Select the components required to meet a given network specification.
- Identify common applications and their impact on the network
- Describe the purpose and basic operation of the protocols in the OSI and TCP/IP models.
- Predict the data flow between two hosts across a network.
- Identify the appropriate media, cables, ports, and connectors to connect Cisco network devices to other network devices and hosts in a LAN
LAN Switching Technologies
- Determine the technology and media access control method for Ethernet networks
- Identify basic switching concepts and the operation of Cisco switches.
- Collision Domains
- Broadcast Domains
- Types of switching
- CAM Table
- Configure and verify initial switch configuration including remote access management.
- Cisco IOS commands to perform basic switch setup
- Verify network status and switch operation using basic utilities such as ping, telnet and ssh.
- Identify enhanced switching technologies
- RSTP
- PVSTP
- Ethercnannels
- Describe how VLANs create logically separate networks and the need for routing between them.
- Explain network segmentation and basic traffic management concepts
- Configure and verify VLANs
- Configure and verify trunking on Cisco switches
- DTP
- Auto negotiation
- Configure and verify PVSTP operation
- describe root bridge election
- spanning tree mode
IP addressing (IPv4 / IPv6)
- Describe the operation and necessity of using private and public IP addresses for IPv4 addressing
- Identify the appropriate IPv6 addressing scheme to satisfy addressing requirements in a LAN/WAN environment.
- Identify the appropriate IPv4 addressing scheme using VLSM and summarization to satisfy addressing requirements in a LAN/WAN environment.
- Describe the technological requirements for running IPv6 in conjunction with IPv4 such as dual stack
- Describe IPv6 addresses
- Global unicast
- Multicast
- Link local
- Unique local
- eui 64
- autoconfiguration
IP Routing Technologies
- Describe basic routing concepts
- CEF
- Packet forwarding
- Router lookup process
- Describe the boot process of Cisco IOS routers
- POST
- Router bootup process
- Configure and verify utilizing the CLI to set basic Router configuration
- Cisco IOS commands to perform basic router setup
- Configure and verify operation status of a device interface, both serial and ethernet
- Verify router configuration and network connectivity
- Cisco IOS commands to review basic router information and network connectivity
- Configure and verify routing configuration for a static or default route given specific routing requirements
- Manage Cisco IOS Files
- Boot preferences
- Cisco IOS image(s)
- Licensing: Show license, Change license
- Differentiate methods of routing and routing protocols
- Static vs. Dynamic
- Link state vs. Distance Vector
- Administrative distance
- split horizon
- metric
- next hop
- IP routing table
- Passive Interfaces
- Configure and verify OSPF (single area)
- Benefit of single area
- neighbor adjacencies
- OSPF states
- Discuss Multi area
- Configure OSPF v2
- Configure OSPF v3
- Router ID
- Passive interface
- LSA types
- Configure and verify EIGRP (single AS)
- Feasible Distance / Feasible Successors /Administrative distance
- Feasibility condition
- Metric composition
- Router ID
- Auto summary
- Path selection
- Load balancing: Equal, Unequal
- Passive interface
- Configure and verify interVLAN routing (Router on a stick)
- sub interfaces
- upstream routing
- encapsulation
- Configure SVI interfaces
IP Services
- Configure and verify DHCP (IOS Router)
- configuring router interfaces to use DHCP
- DHCP options
- excluded addresses
- lease time
- Describe the types, features, and applications of ACLs
- Standard: Sequence numbers, Editing
- Extended
- Named
- Numbered
- Log option
- Configure and verify ACLs in a network environment
- Named
- Numbered
- Log option
- Identify the basic operation of NAT
- Purpose
- Pool
- Static
- 1 to 1
- Overloading
- Source addressing
- One way NAT
- Configure and verify NAT for given network requirements
- Configure and verify NTP as a client
- Recognize High availability (FHRP)
- VRRP
- HSRP
- GLBP
- Configure and verify Syslog
- Utilize Syslog Output
- Describe SNMP v2 & v3
Network Device Security
- Configure and verify network device security features such as
- Device password security
- Enable secret vs enable
- Transport
- Disable telnet
- SSH
- VTYs
- Physical security
- Service password
- Describe external authentication methods
- Configure and verify Switch Port Security features such as
- Sticky MAC
- MAC address limitation
- Static / dynamic
- Violation modes: Err disable, Shutdown
- Protect restrict
- Shutdown unused ports
- Err disable recovery
- Assign unused ports to an unused VLAN
- Setting native VLAN to other than VLAN 1
- Configure and verify ACLs to filter network traffic
- Configure and verify ACLs to limit telnet and SSH access to the router
Troubleshooting
- Identify and correct common network problems
- Utilize netflow data
- Troubleshoot and correct common problems associated with IP addressing and host configurations.
- Troubleshoot and Resolve VLAN problems
- identify that VLANs are configured
- port membership correct
- IP address configured
- Troubleshoot and Resolve trunking problems on Cisco switches
- correct trunk states
- correct encapsulation configured
- correct VLANs allowed
- Troubleshoot and Resolve Spanning Tree operation issues
- root switch
- priority
- mode is correct
- port states
- Troubleshoot and Resolve routing issues
- routing is enabled
- routing table is correct
- correct path selection
- Troubleshoot and Resolve OSPF problems
- neighbor adjancies
- Hello and Dead timers
- OSPF area
- Interface MTU
- Network types
- Neighbor states
- OSPF topology database
- Troubleshoot and Resolve EIGRP problems
- neighbor adjancies
- AS number
- Load balancing
- Split horizon
- Troubleshoot and Resolve interVLAN routing problems
- Connectivity
- Encapsulation
- Subnet
- Native VLAN
- Port mode trunk status
- Troubleshoot and Resolve ACL issues
- Statistics
- Permitted networks
- Direction: Interface
- Troubleshoot and Resolve WAN implementation issues
- Serial interfaces
- PPP
- Frame relay
- Troubleshoot and Resolve Layer 1 problems
- Framing
- CRC
- Runts
- Giants
- Dropped packets
- Late collision
- Input / Output errors
- Monitor NetFlow statistics
- Troubleshoot etherchannel problems
WAN Technologies
- Identify different WAN Technologies
- Metro Ethernet
- VSAT
- Cellular 3G / 4G
- MPLS
- T1 / E1
- ISDN
- DSL
- Frame relay
- Cable
- VPN
- Configure and verify a basic WAN serial connection
- Configure and verify a PPP connection between Cisco routers
- Configure and verify Frame Relay on Cisco routers
- Implement and troubleshoot PPPoE
Where to Go from Here
At one point in the past, Cisco used CCNA Routing and Switching as the prerequisite for many other Cisco certifications. With Cisco’s changes to the CCENT and CCNA Routing and Switching certifications in March, 2013, Cisco completed a migration in which CCENT, and not CCNA Routing and Switching, serves as the minimum prerequisite for some certifications.
When you pass 200-120 exam, you get your CCNA Routing and Switching certification, and you have many options in the Cisco certification world. You can go wide, or you can go deep, with your next step in Cisco certifications.
To go wide, choose another Cisco technology area, and pursue a CCNA certification in that technology concentration. For some of those other CCNA concentrations, your CCNA Routing and Switching certification does not matter; for others, it meets a prerequisite requirement. Regardless, if you have a valid CCNA Routing and Switching certification, you can go for any of the following without delay:
- CCNA Security
- CCNA Voice
- CCNA Wireless
- CCNA Service Provider Operations
- Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA)
- CCNA Service Provider
- CCNA Data Center
- CCNA Voice
You can also choose to immediately go deeper into routing and switching, without getting another CCNA certification first. The best option to continue with the same topics in CCNA Routing and Switching is to proceed to Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP). Like CCNA Routing and Switching, CCNP focuses on IP routing, LAN switching, but with more depth and breadth of topics. It is a perfect next step for those who want to get deeper in these topics. Other deeper certifications include CCNP SP, and CCNP SP Operations, both of which focus on routing and switching as well, but in service provider environments.