Network+ or CCNA - which should you take first?

Should you take the CompTIA Network+ exam or Cisco's CCNA? Like most things, it depends and a lot depends on the knowledge you already have.

Still not sure what you should do?
Sign up for a CBT Nuggets subscription. With your subscription, it includes practice exams and there are practice exams available for both Network+ and CCNA (and many others). We suggest taking both practice exams to get an idea of what areas you need to improve. You may discover you know more than you think, and it could help deciding which exam to take.

Either way, good luck in your IT journey!

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[TheRealJohnMadden]

Great video as this is always a heavy talking point when it comes to entry-level networking. I always see people recommending the CCNA as the starting point which I find awful for someone with no experience since the time, effort and burnout will be extremely high. Awesome video as always from the best IT training platform!

[jan]

if you just want to begin, theres a free cisco course in cisco skills for all and it's completely free. it ready you to ccna exam

[johnmarks]

The answer is more nuanced. I have 14 years of desktop support experience and 10 more as an IT hobbyist. Some folks believed I could skip A+ and go straight to Network+. I'm glad I didn't. I discovered a lot of gaps in my knowledge, especially in networking, that A+ filled. This made my entry into Network+ alot easier.

I could see a similar situation where someone's got 4+ years of network support technician experience and discovers that Network+ fills in some important gaps. You make a strong case for such a person skipping Network+. I could've made a strong case for skipping A+, but I'm so glad I didn't.

[jacqueslee]

It all ties down to if your job requires the exam and if they accept network+ or CCNA. Some jobs use cisco equipment so they require CCNA. Network+ would be to get yourself in the field and then study for CCNA as you gain more experience, but unfortunately jobs require 10 years experience and CCNP to get entry level networking. This is what happens when HR is full of greed and outsources to India, which is the main reason why they have ridiculous standards because they want to justify the outsourcing by stating that there are no qualified job applicants that meet the requirements. The job market does not work for people people who are finding their role in life anymore. There is no entry level anymore. Either you are lucky and get a job or not, become homeless, do a worthless job for the rest of your life and be miserable, stagnating and never use your skills or potential and in the end studying for CCNA was a waste of your time and money just like degrees.

[godofwar]

Watching this before taking my Network + tomorrow lol

[brandhark]

Spend the $600 and get both :) start with Net+

[bustsomecaps]

i mnade the mistake doing network+ then entry service desk work i forgot so much and yes i passed both sec and net lol

[topelite]

I have both and neither have helped me get a job in networking.

[gamera]

Do you think taking the ccna/ccnp will help me land interviews for tech sales jobs?

[yith_telecom]

It's funny cuz in the real world almost all ISP outside english speaker countries are migrating towards Huawei. HCIA is the best bet outside US.