The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) exam is an entry-level certification designed for network administrators and engineers. It can be taken in one of two forms. First, the CCNA can be taken in one, single exam - The CCNA Composite 640-802. Second, it can be taken as a two part exam designated Interconnecting Cisco Network Devices 1 and 2 (ICND1 and ICND2).

A majority of the professional networking world consider the CCNA to be the defacto Network Engineering exam that qualifies
Operate a small to medium business network. Furthermore, the CCNA opens doors for new exams, such as the CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional) and CCDP (Cisco Certified Design Professional) certifications. Therefore, the exam is not in any way easy.