How Much Does CCNA Exam Cost?

CCNA certification is considered one of the most in-demand certifications among all the certifications provided by Cisco. The recruited aspirants will go with CCNA to build their career related to networking rather than any other certification. What is the fee structure for the CCNA examination is one of the most important questions running in the minds of most aspirants. This section will outline various spheres relating to CCNA examination fees; it will focus on specific details relating to Australia, and the general cost of the CCNA exam certification.

What is a CCNA Exam?

CCNA certification will prove that a candidate is competent in networking concepts, IP connectivity, security, automation, and programmability. Due to the broadness of applicability, CCNA would be equally suitable both for new entrants in the domain and to other people who want to add fresh knowledge to their current experience in networking.

Overview of CCNA Exam Cost

For now, the fee for the CCNA exam is about $ 300 USD. To most parts of the world, including the United States, this constitutes a base fee. However, full costs may vary given the locality and value of currency, among other factors that might relate to exam re-takes and study materials, for example.

CCNA Exam Cost in Australia

Those who would take the exam in Australia will find the CCNA exam cost a little higher, due to fluctuating currency and the addition of local taxes. In general, however, candidates can expect to pay roughly $400 AUD for the exam. Note that prices may vary according to training providers or testing centers; thus, it is more advisable to check at local Cisco authorized partners for correct pricing.

Other Costs Involved in CCNA Certification

Besides the pure fee involved in the examination itself, there are a number of other costs that can comprise the general price of CCNA exam certification, including but not limited to the following:

• Study Materials: The preparation for the CCNA examination quite often involves buying study materials, including textbooks, online courses, or video tutorials. The cost of such materials starts from $50 to $500 AUD, depending on how extensive and what type of preparation materials one decides to purchase.
• Formal Training Courses: Most of the candidates would like to take some kind of formal training courses, which may be premises-based or online. Their prices vary in quite a big range, starting from some boot-camp style intensive courses, which cost about 2,000 AUD, to several online classes that can be 500 or 1,500 AUD.
• Practice Tests: Practice exams or simulators can be purchased in order to help assist in the study process. Costs vary from $30 to $150 AUD each.
• Retake Fees: All candidates unable to clear the exam in the very first attempt shall have to reappear and hence bear an additional cost in the form of a re-take fee. Usually, the re-take fee is exactly equal to the fee of the very exam itself; hence, this needs to be duly considered while making an appropriate budget by the candidate.
• Equipment for Networking: Most candidates consider this crucial enough to get hands-on practice with networking equipment or simulators. The additional cost may range from $200 to more than AUD 1,000+, depending on how intricate one wants the setup to be.

Cost-Saving Strategies

With so many expenses toward CCNA exam certification, candidates might want to look at ways of reducing some of these costs. These will be cost-saving strategies:

Free Resources: A host of free resources is available over the internet that will help in preparing for the CCNA examination. Websites, forums, and free courses online will prove very valuable study aids and need not delve into your pocket.

Group Study: Group studying with colleagues will develop a motivation factor as well as a means to share materials, hence reducing the numbers of textbooks or courses one may buy.

Discount and Promotion: Look out for any promotion or discount offered by the training providers. Some of them offer packages that include exam fees and study materials at a discounted price.

Employer Sponsorship: Most companies are willing to invest in the professional development of their staff. One should be sure to check whether or not his or her employer offers reimbursement or sponsorship for a certification exam.

Practice with Simulators: These allow practices without the expense of buying hardware and are a good way to build experience.

The Value of CCNA Certification

Despite all the costs involved, it should be noticed that in the end, the CCNA certification would be pretty rewarding. That is why many professionals thus notice that certified people have broader perspectives in the fields of their jobs with much higher wages than non-certified ones. For instance, in Australia alone, the average salary of a network engineer often exceeds $80,000 AUD; thus, the cost of certification can pay off well.

Further, expertise obtained via CCNA studies can focus on the wider scope of troubleshooting, network configuration, and security protocols to give the job seeker an added advantage in the labor market.

In other words, aspirants should be prepared to pay the cost of a CCNA exam, since this is one of the highly valued certifications. Although the base fee for taking the exam costs about $300 USD, approximately $400 AUD in Australia, the overall cost of receiving CCNA exam certification can depend on many other expenses that have been created around study materials, training courses, and possible costs for exam retakes.
By having this information and using some cost-saving strategies, candidates will thus be prepared for these costs associated with the attainment of certification. Indeed, this could be a meaningful reward to your career path in IT networking, since the field is truly dynamic.