About This Study Plan
This 30 days study plan breaks the CCNA (CCNA) exam preparation into 5 focused study sessions with a total of 27 actionable tasks. The plan covers all 6 exam domains — Network Fundamentals, Network Access, IP Connectivity, IP Services, Security Fundamentals, Automation and Programmability — ensuring complete coverage of the exam blueprint. A structured 30-day study plan covering all 6 CCNA 200-301 domains. Ideal for candidates with basic networking knowledge who want thorough preparation.
Prerequisites
- Basic understanding of how computers communicate on a network
- Familiarity with the command line interface
- 2–3 hours of study time per day
Study Schedule
- Days 1–2: OSI model, TCP/IP model, encapsulation, TCP vs UDP
- Day 3: Ethernet, cabling types, switch operation, MAC address table
- Days 4–5: IPv4 addressing, subnetting, VLSM practice problems
- Day 6: IPv6 addressing, address types, dual-stack, tunneling
- Day 7: Domain 1 quiz (30 questions) + review weak areas
- Days 8–9: VLANs, access ports, trunk ports, 802.1Q, DTP, VTP
- Day 10: STP operation, root bridge election, port roles and states
- Day 11: RSTP, PortFast, BPDU Guard
- Day 12: EtherChannel (LACP), inter-VLAN routing (router-on-a-stick, SVIs)
- Day 13: Wireless concepts, WLC, CAPWAP, AP modes
- Day 14: Domain 2 quiz (30 questions) + review
- Days 15–16: Routing concepts, routing table, static routes, default routes
- Day 17: Floating static routes, administrative distance, longest prefix match
- Days 18–19: OSPF fundamentals — neighbor adjacency, areas, cost, DR/BDR
- Day 20: OSPF configuration and verification commands, troubleshooting
- Day 21: Domain 3 quiz (30 questions) + review
- Day 22: DHCP, DNS, NTP, SNMP, syslog
- Day 23: NAT (static, dynamic, PAT) and QoS basics
- Day 24: Security fundamentals — port security, DHCP snooping, DAI
- Day 25: ACLs (standard, extended, named) and AAA/VPN concepts
- Day 26: Automation — SDN, REST APIs, JSON, Ansible, DNA Center
- Day 27: Full practice exam #1 (timed)
- Day 28: Review exam #1 results and study weak domains
- Review all cheat sheets, flashcards, and weak topics
- Take full practice exam #2
- Focus on subnetting speed and OSPF troubleshooting
- Rest before exam day
Study Tips
Use Cisco Packet Tracer (free) for hands-on lab practice.
Practice subnetting daily — even 5 minutes builds speed and confidence.
Focus extra time on Domain 3 (IP Connectivity) — it is worth 25%.
Aim for consistent 85%+ on practice exams before scheduling the real exam.
Recommended Cisco Study Resources
Supplement this study plan with Cisco's official cert guides (published by Cisco Press) and free Packet Tracer labs. The Cisco Learning Network community forums are valuable for discussing exam topics with other candidates and CCIEs. Allocate at least 30% of your study time to hands-on lab practice — configuring, troubleshooting, and verifying are skills that can only be built through repetition.
Ready to Practice?
Put your study plan into action with CCNA practice questions.