Best Udemy CCNA Course Choices to Pass the Exam (and Earn More in 2024)
Best for Career Advancement
Learn Networking Fundamentals Course: Your CCNA Start
- Focused on career skills
- Prep for the Cisco CCNA 200-301 exam
- 79.5 hours of video
- 121 resources
- 142 sections
- 682 lectures
- 18 articles
- Open to beginners
- Hugely popular instructor David Bombal
- Certificate
Best for Exam Preparation
Complete Cisco CCNA 200-301 Course
- Focused on exam prep
- Prep for the Cisco CCNA 200-301 exam
- 40.5 hours video
- 178 resources
- 64 sections
- 121 lectures
- Flashcard study aids
- Open to beginners
- Instructors: David Bombal and associates
- Certificate
Best Exam Preparation Refresher
Cisco CCNA 200 301 Exam Practical Certification Prep Course
- Focused on exam prep
- Prep for the Cisco CCNA 200-301 exam
- 8 hours video
- 11 resources
- 22 sections
- 8 lectures
- Open to beginners
- Certificate
Are you looking for the best Udemy CCNA course to ace the exam or earn a higher salary at work?
What should you do if the CCNA knowledge you need for work differs from the exam?
As is often the case, the CCNA exam questions do not align with real-world questions.
It’s a good idea to separate the classes you take into those you attend for your “career” and those you attend for “exam” preparation.
That way you can take the best Udemy CCNA course for your job to get a higher salary, and separately take the best Udemy CCNA course to memorize and pass the exam.
Best CCNA Course on Udemy for Salary and Certification
The Best Udemy CCNA courses are:
- Best Udemy CCNA course for Career Advancement: The Complete Networking Fundamentals Course. Your CCNA start
- Best Udemy CCNA course for Exam Preparation: Complete the Cisco CCNA 200-301 Course
- Best Udemy CCNA course for Getting an Exam Refresher: Cisco CCNA 200 301 Exam Practical Certification Prep Course
Hi, my name is Carol, and I study online learning to help my readers choose the best classes for their needs.
I dug into the thousands of CCNA courses on Udemy to find the top three Cisco classes for earning a higher salary and passing the exam.
CCNA is still a hugely popular choice for career advancement. But you will often find you need skills not on the test, and vice versa.
You need a career CCNA and an exam prep CCNA course.
Studying for the test is the goal in some careers, but not with Cisco certification.
You can study for the test and fail at your job.
The Cisco Certified Network Analyst, who earns a higher salary at work, deeply understands the material.
In other words, you want to pass the test because you deeply understand the material, and then you memorize the question patterns.
Otherwise, you can get the job with the Certification but fail because you have only a thin understanding of networking skills.
This is why I suggest two courses for career advancement.
- Take the Complete Networking Fundamentals to understand and use the concepts on the job
- Take Complete Cisco CCNA 200-301 Course to ace the exam
- Or take the Cisco CCNA 200 301 Exam as an exam refresher
Understanding networking fundamentals and obtaining a certification enhances your skills and opens up exciting career opportunities in the IT industry.
This article’ll explore each class’s features, benefits, and overall quality.
By the end, you will understand the best Udemy CCNA course.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into the details of these courses and help you kick-start your CCNA journey!

1. Learn Networking Fundamentals Course: Your CCNA Start
Best for Real-World, Hands-On Networking
The Learn Networking Fundamentals Course is a deep and accurate dive into real-world networking, configuration, troubleshooting, hacking, and security.
Learn Networking Fundamentals is the best Udemy CCNA course for understanding Cisco and networking fundamentals, best practices, and troubleshooting.
This is the class to take to succeed at your job, earn more respect, and make much more money.
It covers a wide range of topics related to networking fundamentals and provides students with the necessary skills and knowledge to confidently discuss networking topics and configure real networking devices.
The subjects are wide, deep, and well-connected to one another.
They’re presented in logical order with tests for knowledge along the way.
The instructor brings the text to life with real-world examples using campus network topology and problem-solving exercises.
The course includes hacking, snooping, and Wireshark, which I believe are fundamental but are missing from most CCNA courses.
Overview of What You’ll Learn
The course syllabus comes from the textbooks that teach for understanding and knowledge (as opposed to those geared toward passing the test). The topics read like the table of contents from a good textbook, with hands-on simulations added in to drive home the learning.
- TCP/IP
- Binary, Hexadecimal, IP Addressing
- Subnetting
- Cabling, Packet Flows, Terminations
- Packets
- TCP UDP
- Wireshark
- VLAN, DTP
- Spanning Tree
- BPDU, CDP
- Troubleshooting
- Routing, Gateway
- DHCP, DNS, VLSM, NTP, Syslog, Port SPAN
- SNMP, MIB, Syslog
- Managing Cisco Devices
- Troubleshooting, Passwords, Restore, Backup
- Security
- Telnet
- Hacking, Snooping, VoIP, Ports
- 802.1X, Radius, TACAS, ACS
- Switch Stacking, ACLs, NAT
- QoS
- IP Phone, VoIP
- OSPF
- IPv6
- WAN
- HDLC
- VPN
- GRE Tunnel
- Cloud
- Wireless
- Automation
- JSON, REST
- Python, Overlays, Password Capture
- SDN, OpenFlow
Course Instructor and Class Rating
The instructor, David Bombal, has extensive experience in networking and has trained thousands of networking engineers.
The course averages 4.6 out of 5 stars based on 41,195 ratings.
At the time of this article, 203,246 students had already taken this course.
Bombal’s expertise and teaching style make the course engaging and easy to follow.
Why You Should Consider This Course
The Learn Networking Fundamentals Course aims to provide students with a solid foundation in networking and prepare them for the Cisco CCNA certification exam.
One of the critical features of this course is the inclusion of online simulations.
These simulations allow students to practice configuring Cisco routers and switches, giving them hands-on experience with real networking devices.
This practical approach helps students develop their skills and gain confidence in working with networking equipment.
The overall quality of the Learn Networking Fundamentals Course is exceptional.
The well-structured course provides a comprehensive overview of networking concepts and technologies.
Students not only gain theoretical knowledge but also have the chance to apply that knowledge in practical scenarios.
Course Pros
- Combines theoretical with practical for greater comprehension
- Comprehensive network fundamentals instructions
- Engaging and experienced instructor
- Clear, easy-to-follow, logical flow
- Suitable for beginners and experienced engineers
Course Cons
- This course does not “teach the test”
- Beginners might be overwhelmed
Complete Networking Summary
The Learn Networking Fundamentals Course is an excellent choice for individuals looking to excel on the job, showing off real-world results in busy IT departments.
It provides a solid foundation in networking and offers practical learning opportunities through online simulations.


2. Complete Cisco CCNA 200-301 Course
Best for Exam Preparation
Complete Cisco CCNA 200-301 is the best udemy course to prepare for the CCNA exam.
Complete Cisco CCNA is the best Udemy CCNA course for gaining a deep understanding of Cisco CCNA 200-301 test material.
This is the class to take to easily understand and answer CCNA 200-301 exam questions allowing you to earn CCNA certification, and therefore get more job interviews and career advancement opportunities.
This course focuses on understanding, memorizing, and answering exam questions.
This class is for beginners or advanced engineers.
Overview of What You’ll Learn
The course covers a wide range of topics including Wi-Fi, network automation, network security, IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, wireless networks, and more.
You also get a set of electronic flashcards to reinforce memorization.
The lessons focus on these exam topics:
- Network Components
- Network Topologies
- Cabling Types, Interfaces, Issues
- TCP and UDP
- IP4, Subnetting
- Private IP
- IPv6 Configuration, Address Types
- IP Parameters
- Wireless
- Virtualization
- Switching
- Network Access
- IP Connectivity
- IP Services
- Security
- Automation
Course Instructor and Class Rating
The instructors are Jerry McDowell and David Bombal. McDowell has 3,774 ratings for this course averging 4.7 out of 5 stars. Bombal has 4.6 out of 5 based on 41,195 ratings.
The instructors, who are experts in the field with years of experience in networking and Cisco certifications, provide clear explanations and demonstrations of each concept.
The instructors’ expertise and industry experience shine through in their teaching style.
They are able to break down complex topics into digestible chunks, making it easier for students to grasp the material.
Why You Should Consider this Course
This course focuses on exam preparation like a laser beam. It includes hands-on practice, flashcards, and consice video lectures.
Bombal is a hugely popular teacher who trained the other lecturerers in this course.
Compare the exam objectives to this curriculum to guide your decision.
Take this class to give you the knowledge necessary to pass the CCNA exam.
Course Pros
- Comprehensive coverage of CCNA exam topics
- Clear and concise lecture videos
- Bonus flashcards for convenient studying
- Practice labs for hands-on experience
- Engaging and knowledgeable instructors
Course Cons
- Some of the material is presented before it is defined. You need to go back to earlier lessons sometimes to get the whole picture
Complete Cisco Summary
The Complete Cisco CNA course is focused on easily passing the CCNA exam. The instructors give concise and clear explanations and use hands-on and flashcards to help you memorize test contents.


3. Cisco CCNA 200 301 Exam Practical Certification Prep Course
Best for CCNA Exam Refresher
The Cisco CCNA 200 301 Exam Practical Certification Prep Course is a lite version of the CCNA preparation material.
If you already know the networking fundamentals and want to certify, this is the course to take.
Cisco CCNA 200 301 is the best Udemy CCNA course for engineers needing a refresher on material they already know in order to take the Cisco CCNA 200-301 exam.
This is the class to take to jog your memory about how the test is structured, the types of questions asked, and the types of answers needed to to pass the CCNA 200-301 exam, earn CCNA certification, and therefore get more job interviews and career advancement opportunities.
It includes the core material you need to pass the CCNA 200 301 exam.
Overview of What You’ll Learn
The course focuses on standard networking topics without going into some of the more fringe material.
The purpose of an exam preparation course is to help you memorize test subjects and answers.
This course gives you 32 lab projects and practice CCNA questions to immerse your mind in to test-taking environment.
- Networking
- IP: Private, Parameters, Connectivity, Access
- Cable types, interfaces, issues
- TCP, UDP, IP4, IPv6
- Subnetting, Wireless, Virtualization, Switching
- Security
- Automation
Course Instructor and Class Rating
The course is taught by Blavir Chahal who has a perfect 5 star rating from 52 students who have taken this course.
Course Pros
- Hands on practical labs to reinforce learning
- Teaches to the CCNA test
- Instructor has 18 years experience and a perfect 5 star rating
- Includes practice exam questions
Course Cons
- $65 is a higher price than normal for an 8 hour course
- Not suitable for beginners as it assumes some knowledge that is covered elsewhere (see Complete Cisco CCNA 200-301 Course)
Cisco CCNA Summary
The Cisco CCNA 200 301 Exam Practical Certification Prep Course teaches to the Cisco syllabus for the exam.
The instructor is well-loved and students like his precise explanations.
The course gives you multiple ways to memorize the material in order to ace the exam.

Master these Topics to Ace the CCNA Exam
The exam focuses on some topics more than others. You can be the best network engineer in your department, but if you don’t understand the difference between Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) and Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP), you might not pass the CCNA exam.
According to Cisco’s exam prep page, here are the main topics you should focus on when studying for the CCNA 200-301 exam.
- Network components
- Communication model
- CIOS features
- LAN, switches
- Ethernet, TCP/IP, Switches, IPv4, Subnetting, IPv6
- Transport and Application Layers
- Routing: static and dynamic
- Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) and Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP)
- Router configuration
- Network troubleshooting
- EtherChannel
- VLAN
- Redundancy
- WAN, VPN, ACL
- DHCP, NAT
- QoS
- Wireless, LAN, WLC
- Virtualization
- Programmability
- Monitoring, Management, Security
- Device configuration
Best Udemy CCNA Course Conclusion
The best Udemy CCNA course for hands-on job experience and for passing the exam are:
- Best Udemy CCNA course for Career Advancement: The Complete Networking Fundamentals Course. Your CCNA start
- Best Udemy CCNA course for Exam Prepation: Complete Cisco CCNA 200-301 Course
- Best Udemy CCNA course for Getting an Exam Refresher: Cisco CCNA 200 301 Exam Practical Certification Prep Course
Quick Facts about the Cisco Certified Network Associate Courses and Exam
This article will help you decide the best CCNA course to further your job prospects and pass the exam.
Subjects You Need to Pass the CCNA Exam
Cisco expects an understanding of the following topics to pass the CCNA 200-301 exam:
- Network Fundamentals
- Network Access
- IP Connectivity
- IP Services
- Security Fundamentals
- Automation and Programmability
Job Prospects for CCNA Certified Engineers
Cisco defines four career paths for those who pass the CCNA exam:
- Entry level network engineer
- Help desk technician
- Network administrator
- Network support technician
Salary Averages for CCNA Certfied Engineers
The Bureal of Labor and Statistics says the average Network Administrator makes $80,600.
However, the salary-gathering site Comparably pegs the average CCNA salary at $112,181 a year. They show a range from $45k to $195k, depending on location.
At the time of publication, Indeed.com listed entry-level CCNA jobs:
- Hybrid remote in Danvers MA: $50,000-90,000/year
- Network Engineer III in Fort Worth, TX: $63.1-$79.8k/year
- CCNA Certified Network Analyst remote position: up to $98/hour ($196,000/year)
The Best CCNA Certification is Best for Beginners
There is one CCNA certification that covers the range of networks, IP, security, and automation.
While Cisco offers many other certification options, there is only one exam to take, the 200-301 CCNA exam. Read more about the training and exam requirements on Cisco’s site.
The CCNA is an associate level certification, which is a step above the entry-level status. CCNA applies to enterprise computing operations, as differentiated from Collaboration, CyberOps, Data Center, DevNet, Design, Security, and Service Provider.
The CCNA Lifespan
A CCNA certification lasts three years. At that point you can take the exam again to renew, or take 30 qualifying course credits.