Cisco has officially revealed the next major version of the CCNA exam: CCNA 200-301 v2.0.
This is not just a tiny blueprint refresh. This is Cisco’s clearest signal yet that the CCNA is being modernized for the networks we actually support today: hybrid networks, wireless networks, virtualized environments, security-focused infrastructure, automation-assisted operations, and now even AI-supported troubleshooting.
The refreshed CCNA exam is scheduled to go live on February 3, 2027, which gives current and future candidates plenty of time to understand what is changing and adjust their study plans accordingly.
The CCNA Is Still the Foundation — But the Foundation Has Changed
The CCNA has always been one of the most important entry-level networking certifications in the world. It validates the skills needed to understand, operate, configure, and troubleshoot modern networks.
But networking itself has changed dramatically.
Today’s network professional is not just plugging in switches and configuring static routes. Modern network admins are expected to understand switching, routing, wireless, security, virtualization, cloud-managed infrastructure, automation tools, and increasingly, how AI-powered systems can help with operations and troubleshooting.
That is exactly what Cisco appears to be addressing with the new CCNA v2.0.
According to Cisco’s new exam description, the CCNA v2.0 exam validates skills across IP routing, switching and network access, network services and security, network infrastructure and connectivity, AI, and network operations and management. The exam may also require candidates to evaluate output and recommendations from agentic AI and digital network assistants for troubleshooting and operations tasks.
That is a very important statement.
It means Cisco is not just asking candidates to memorize commands. Cisco wants candidates to reason through problems, interpret output, validate recommendations, and understand how modern tools fit into network operations.
The New CCNA v2.0 Exam Domains
The new CCNA v2.0 blueprint is organized into five major domains:
- Network Infrastructure and Connectivity — 25%
- Switching and Network Access — 25%
- IP Routing — 20%
- Network Services and Security — 20%
- AI, Network Operations and Management — 10%
This is a very interesting structure. The first four domains still preserve the classic CCNA foundation: infrastructure, switching, routing, services, and security. But the fifth domain makes the modernization unmistakable.
AI and network operations are now part of the CCNA.
Not CCNP.
Not a specialist exam.
The CCNA.
That should tell us something about where Cisco believes the industry is going.
Network Infrastructure and Connectivity Gets a Practical Troubleshooting Emphasis
The first domain, Network Infrastructure and Connectivity, makes up 25% of the exam.
This section includes practical skills such as diagnosing interface and cable issues, troubleshooting IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, understanding wireless principles, troubleshooting wired and wireless client connectivity, and troubleshooting DHCPv4 on IOS devices.
This is excellent news for learners. Why? Because these are the kinds of problems real network technicians and engineers face constantly.
Bad duplex settings. Incorrect IP addressing. Broken DHCP relay. Wireless interference. Wrong security parameters. IPv6 prefix mistakes. These are not theoretical problems. These are Tuesday afternoon problems.
The inclusion of hypervisors, virtual machines, and containers is also important. Modern networks do not exist only as physical switches, routers, and access points anymore. Network professionals need to understand how virtualized compute and containerized workloads affect connectivity and operations.
Switching and Network Access Remains a Huge Part of the CCNA
Switching is still a major part of the CCNA v2.0 exam, and that is exactly how it should be.
The Switching and Network Access domain is also worth 25% of the exam. It includes switch-to-switch and switch-to-router connectivity, Layer 2 and Layer 3 interfaces, 802.1Q trunks, EtherChannel, SVIs, edge-host connectivity, VLANs, PoE, wireless access points, VoIP phones, virtualized hosts, CDP, LLDP, troubleshooting with show commands, and Rapid PVST+.
This domain looks very hands-on.
Candidates will need to understand how networks are actually connected and validated. It is not enough to know what a VLAN is. You need to understand how VLANs, trunks, SVIs, port channels, and spanning tree interact in a real environment.
The Rapid PVST+ topics are also very practical. Cisco specifically calls out root ports, root bridges, port states, PortFast, root guard, loop guard, and BPDU guard. These are exactly the kinds of topics that separate someone who has only read about switching from someone who can actually support a switched network.
IP Routing Is Still Central
The IP Routing domain is worth 20% of the exam.
This section includes interpreting routing tables, troubleshooting IPv4 and IPv6 static routes, configuring single-area OSPFv2 for IPv4 and OSPFv3 for IPv6, and interpreting the operational status of HSRP and VRRP.
This is a clean and focused routing domain.
The emphasis appears to be on core routing literacy: Can you read a routing table? Can you identify the next hop? Can you understand administrative distance, metrics, default routes, host routes, floating statics, and OSPF neighbor behavior?
That is exactly what a CCNA candidate should be able to do.
I also like the inclusion of both OSPFv2 and OSPFv3. IPv6 is not optional in modern networking, and learners should be comfortable with both IPv4 and IPv6 routing concepts.
Security Is Not Just a Separate Topic Anymore
The Network Services and Security domain is worth 20% of the exam.
This section includes AAA using TACACS+ and RADIUS, secure file transfers with SFTP and SCP, NAT/PAT, DNS record troubleshooting, IPsec VPN concepts, IPv4 ACLs, and Layer 2 security features such as DHCP snooping, Dynamic ARP Inspection, storm control, RA guard, and port security.
This is another strong signal from Cisco.
Security is no longer something network people can ignore. Even at the associate level, candidates need to understand how to harden management access, protect Layer 2 environments, control traffic with ACLs, troubleshoot DNS records, and understand the role of VPNs.
This is the right direction.
Modern network engineers are part of the security story whether they want to be or not.
The Big New Domain: AI, Network Operations and Management
The most eye-catching change is the new AI, Network Operations and Management domain.
This domain is worth 10% of the exam and includes topics such as agentic AI in network operations, selecting prompts for generative AI systems, network management approaches, SNMP, Ansible-based configuration management, and syslog interpretation.
This is a big deal.
The CCNA is now officially acknowledging that AI and automation are becoming part of the day-to-day workflow for network professionals.
Notice what Cisco is not doing here. Cisco is not turning the CCNA into a programming certification. The blueprint does not suggest that candidates need to become Python developers or AI engineers.
Instead, the focus appears to be operational.
Can you understand what agentic AI is doing in a network operations context? Can you choose a useful prompt for a generative AI system? Can you interpret syslog messages? Can you understand SNMP? Can you use tools like Ansible to execute commands?
That is very reasonable for a modern CCNA.
The skill is not “replace the network engineer with AI.”
The skill is “become the network engineer who knows how to use AI and automation intelligently.”
What This Means for Current CCNA Students
If you are already studying for the current CCNA, do not panic.
The refreshed exam does not go live until February 3, 2027. That gives current candidates time to finish their studies and test under the current version if that is their goal.
But if you are planning a longer study timeline, or if you are an instructor building training content, now is the time to start paying attention.
The new blueprint suggests that future CCNA learners should spend more time on:
- Troubleshooting
- Wireless fundamentals
- IPv6
- Layer 2 security
- Secure device management
- DNS troubleshooting
- Automation concepts
- Ansible basics
- Syslog and SNMP
- AI-assisted network operations
The classic topics are still there. Subnetting, VLANs, trunks, EtherChannel, OSPF, static routing, NAT, ACLs, DHCP, and spanning tree are still very important.
But the new CCNA clearly expects learners to connect those fundamentals to real-world operations.
My Take
I think this is a smart update.
The CCNA has always had to walk a fine line. It needs to remain approachable for new learners, but it also needs to stay relevant to employers and real networks.
This version appears to do both.
The exam still protects the core of networking: switching, routing, addressing, troubleshooting, and services. But it also adds the modern context that today’s network professionals actually need: virtualization, wireless client troubleshooting, security-first operations, automation, and AI-assisted workflows.
The addition of AI is probably going to get the most attention, but I do not think candidates should overreact to it. Based on the blueprint, this is not an “AI engineering” exam. It is still a networking exam.
The message is simple:
The future CCNA must understand networks — and must also understand the tools that help operate those networks.
That is exactly where the industry is headed.
Final Thoughts
The new CCNA v2.0 represents a major modernization of Cisco’s flagship associate-level certification.
For learners, this means the CCNA remains one of the best starting points for a networking career. For instructors, it means our training needs to become more practical, more troubleshooting-focused, and more aligned with the tools used in modern network operations.
The CCNA is not going away. It is evolving. And honestly, that is a very good thing.