CCNA Exam Cost 2026
The CCNA exam fee is about $300 USD — on the higher side for an associate cert, and not the whole story. Here is the true total cost to get Cisco CCNA (200-301) certified, including retakes, renewal via Continuing Education credits, how it compares to CCNP and CCIE, and the smart ways to pay less.
01 How much does the CCNA cost?
Cisco does not run permanent public discounts on exam fees, but promotions do appear: Cisco occasionally offers discount vouchers or free-retake promotions, and employers, Cisco partners, or the Cisco Networking Academy can supply vouchers. Always check for an active promotion or partner code before you book — on a $300 exam, even a modest discount is the easiest money you will save.
It is worth understanding why CCNA carries a premium price for an associate exam. Cisco runs a single, vendor-specific certification that maps directly to one of the most in-demand skill sets in enterprise networking, and the 200-301 covers a deliberately broad blueprint — network fundamentals, IP connectivity and services, security fundamentals, automation, and more. That breadth, plus Cisco's brand recognition with hiring managers, is part of what the fee buys. Pricing can also shift over time and is occasionally adjusted, so the smartest move is to confirm the current figure on the official Cisco or Pearson VUE booking page for your country before you budget — the numbers in this guide are accurate as a planning baseline but should be treated as a guide, not a quote.
02 The true total cost of getting certified
The fee on the booking page is rarely the whole spend. Add a little preparation and the realistic chance of a resit, and the total for a typical self-study candidate looks like this:
Typical self-study path to a first-time pass
Where your number lands inside that range depends mostly on how you prepare. A candidate who relies on free resources — the official exam topics, Cisco Packet Tracer for hands-on labs, community study groups, and a modest bank of practice questions — can realistically keep the all-in figure close to the exam fee itself. A candidate who buys a full video course, a paid lab platform, and a printed study guide can spend several hundred dollars more before ever sitting the exam. Neither path is wrong; the point is that the $300 fee is fixed, but the spend around it is almost entirely within your control. Budget for the exam, add a little for quality practice, and keep everything else optional until you know you actually need it.
03 How the price compares across Cisco exams
At ~$300, CCNA is the affordable doorway into a noticeably pricier ladder. Cisco fees climb steeply with level, so knowing where 200-301 sits helps you budget a career path rather than just one exam:
04 Every fee, explained
Beyond the headline price, here is every charge you might meet across the life of the certification — and the routes that are reassuringly free.
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Exam registration | ~$300 | Per attempt, including every retake; some regions ~$330 with tax |
| Retake | ~$300 | No free resit; minimum 14-day wait between attempts |
| Reschedule | Free | Via Pearson VUE if you move the date more than 24 hours ahead |
| No-show / late cancel | Forfeit ~$300 | Miss the slot or cancel inside 24h and you lose the fee |
| Renewal (re-exam) | ~$300 | Valid 3 years; re-take a qualifying Cisco exam to recertify |
| Renewal (CE credits) | $0 exam fee | Earn Continuing Education credits (typically 30 for CCNA) instead of re-sitting |
The renewal picture is the part most people overlook when they first budget. Your CCNA is valid for three years from the day you pass, and Cisco gives you two ways to keep it alive. The first is simply re-taking a qualifying exam, which means paying the fee again — another ~$300 every three years. The second is the Continuing Education programme: by completing approved Cisco training, courses, or other eligible activities you accumulate CE credits (typically 30 for CCNA), and once you hit the threshold your certification renews automatically with no exam fee at all. For many working professionals the CE route effectively turns recertification into something their job or training already covers, which is why it can be dramatically cheaper than a re-exam over the long run.
05 How to spend less getting certified
You cannot haggle the ~$300, but you can keep everything around it close to zero — and dodge the costly resit entirely.
Pass on the first try
By far the biggest saving. A ~$300 resit hurts on an already expensive exam, so practice that mirrors the real test removes that line from your budget. Preparation pays for itself many times over here.
Renew with CE credits
When recertification comes around, earning Cisco Continuing Education credits (typically 30 for CCNA) can renew you without paying another exam fee — the cheapest way to stay current for three more years.
Hunt for a Cisco promo
Cisco runs occasional discount vouchers and free-retake offers, and partners issue codes. Check before you book; on a $300 exam a single voucher is real money saved.
Go via an academy or employer
Cisco Networking Academy students and many employers get discounted or reimbursed vouchers. A quick ask — or enrolling through an academy — can move the whole cost off your own card.
06 FAQ
How much does the CCNA 200-301 exam cost?
Around $300 USD to register — on the higher side for an associate cert. Some sources and regions list it nearer $330 once local pricing and tax are applied. You pay it each time you sit the exam, including retakes, charged in your local-currency equivalent plus any applicable local tax, so treat $300 as the baseline rather than an exact universal figure.
Do you have to pay again to retake the CCNA?
Yes — there is no free retake. If you do not pass, Cisco requires at least a 14-day wait before you book again, and you pay the full ~$300 fee for each attempt. Because a resit roughly doubles your spend, passing first time with solid practice is the single biggest way to keep the cost down.
Is there a renewal fee for the CCNA?
No separate renewal invoice. The CCNA is valid three years. To recertify you can re-take a qualifying Cisco exam (another ~$300) or earn Continuing Education (CE) credits — typically 30 for CCNA. The CE route can let you renew without paying a re-exam fee, so it is often the cheapest way to stay current.
What is the true total cost to get CCNA certified?
For a self-study candidate who passes first time, roughly $320: the ~$300 fee plus a little for quality practice questions. A paid video course or lab subscription can push it to $400+, and instructor-led training stretches higher. Free tools like Cisco Packet Tracer mean structured course spend is optional, not mandatory.
