CCNA Exam Cost in 2026: Fee, Retakes and Total Budget

The CCNA (200-301) exam costs $300 USD on Cisco's exam page, or you can pay with Cisco Learning Credits. A retake means paying the fee again after a 5-calendar-day wait. Study materials are optional extras, so a lean total can stay close to $300, while a course and lab gear can push it well above that.

How much does the CCNA exam cost?

Cisco lists the CCNA 200-301 exam at $300 USD, with the option to use Cisco Learning Credits instead of cash. The CCNA certification page also describes associate-level exam vouchers priced at $300 USD that stay valid for 365 days from purchase, which is useful if you want to lock in a price and book a date later. Check Cisco's CCNA exam page on the day you book, because Cisco can change fees.

Three caveats apply to that number. First, it is a US-dollar list price. Outside the United States, local pricing, currency conversion and taxes such as VAT or GST can change what you actually pay, and the checkout screen is the only authoritative figure. Second, the fee covers one exam attempt, not study materials. Third, the CCNA is a single exam: unlike some older Cisco paths, there is no second required test to earn the certification.

If you want to see how this fee compares with other certifications, the exam cost comparison tool lists fees, validity periods and renewal rules side by side.

What does the $300 fee include?

The fee buys one sitting of the exam and, if you pass, the certification itself. It does not buy training, practice exams, lab equipment or a free retake. Cisco's own marketing for the exam focuses on the exam attempt, and the study side is deliberately open: you can prepare with books, video courses, Cisco Networking Academy material, practice questions or a mix. That flexibility is the reason total costs vary so much between candidates.

What the fee does cover is the credential and its place in Cisco's certification system. Once you pass, you receive the CCNA certification, valid for three years, and the exam also counts towards your recertification goals if you hold other Cisco certifications. The skills tested are described in the CCNA exam guide, which breaks down the six domains and the question formats.

How much does a CCNA retake cost?

A retake costs the exam fee again. Cisco's exam policies page states that candidates taking written exams, including associate-level ones like the CCNA, must wait five calendar days, beginning the day after the failed attempt, before retesting the same exam. That wait is flat. It does not grow with each failure, which is different from the escalating waiting periods some other vendors use.

So the arithmetic is simple: fail once and your exam spend is $600 for the same certification, fail twice and it is $900. Because there is no discount on a retake, the cheapest strategy is to avoid needing one. The most common causes of a first-attempt failure are skipping hands-on practice and booking before practice scores are consistently strong. Our guide on how to pass CCNA on the first try covers both, and the CCNA practice questions help you test readiness before you pay.

Is Exam Safeguard Plus worth buying?

Cisco's CCNA page lists an Exam Safeguard Plus option at $450 USD, described as including a second attempt if you do not pass within 90 days. Compare that with the plain route: two separate $300 attempts cost $600 if you need the retry, while Safeguard Plus costs $450 whether or not you need it. Whether it pays off depends on your odds of passing the first time.

• If you need the retry: Safeguard Plus saves $150 compared with paying $300 twice ($450 versus $600).
• If you pass first time: you have paid $150 more than the plain fee ($450 versus $300) for insurance you did not use.
• Break-even: the extra $150 only comes out ahead if your chance of needing a retake is above 50 percent, which is a signal that you are not ready to book yet.

For most candidates scoring comfortably on practice exams, the plain $300 fee is the better value. Safeguard Plus is more sensible for someone who tests poorly under pressure and wants a cushion, or whose employer is reimbursing a fixed amount. Read the current terms on Cisco's page before purchasing, since the 90-day window and conditions are Cisco's to change.

Does Pearson VUE online cost more than a test center?

Cisco delivers its written exams through Pearson VUE, and its exam policies page mentions online testing as an additional option alongside test centers. Cisco's exam page shows a single price, $300 USD, and does not describe a separate online surcharge. In practice the fee is set at the exam level, so choose based on convenience and reliability rather than price.

The hidden cost of testing at a center is travel and time off; the hidden cost of testing online is the risk of a technical or environment problem during a 120-minute exam. If your internet is unreliable or your home is noisy, a test center can be the cheaper choice once you count the risk of a disrupted attempt. Run Pearson VUE's system test well before exam day if you choose online.

Are there CCNA vouchers or discounts?

Cisco's official routes to a lower cost are limited and specific. Cisco Learning Credits are accepted in place of cash, but they are often bought by organizations and training partners, so they are usually something an employer or learning partner provides rather than something an individual can shop for.

Be careful with third-party voucher sellers. Cisco's exam policies page says neither Cisco nor Pearson VUE guarantees the authenticity of discount vouchers that come from sources other than Pearson VUE. A cheap voucher that turns out to be invalid costs you the money and sometimes a booking slot. If a price looks far below the listed $300, treat it as a risk, not a bargain.

The most reliable saving is employer reimbursement. Many employers pay exam fees for roles that benefit from the certification, and some pay a bonus on passing. Ask before you pay, and ask whether the reimbursement is conditional on passing or on staying with the company for a period.

What does it cost to keep a CCNA valid for 3 years?

Cisco states that a CCNA is valid for three years, and that you can renew with Continuing Education credits or by retaking exams before the certification expires. The CCNA certification page lists the routes:

• Pass the current CCNA exam (200-301) or any higher-level Cisco certification exam. Cost: the exam fee again, but a higher-level exam such as a CCNP core exam also moves your career forward.
• Earn 30 Continuing Education credits by attending Cisco training or webinars, or by completing approved courses. Cost depends on the activities you pick; some Cisco webinars and learning items are free, others are paid. Cisco's CE policy page says earned credits stay valid for three years from the activity date.

For someone who stays in networking, the efficient pattern is to treat renewal as a by-product of learning. Passing a CCNP-level exam, for example, both advances your skills and renews the CCNA. For someone who changes direction after a year or two, the sensible choice may be to let the CCNA lapse; the knowledge stays useful even if the credential does not. If it does lapse, Cisco's rules mean you would need to pass an exam again to regain an active certification.

Over a full three-year cycle, then, the range runs from about $0 in extra spend (free CE activities, or an employer that pays) to roughly the exam fee again if you renew by retesting. Verify the current CE credit values and rules on Cisco's pages before planning, because programs like this can be revised.

How much should you budget for study materials?

Study costs are where candidates differ most. The table below shows three realistic scenarios. The study-material figures are illustrative planning estimates, not quoted prices; the $300 exam fee and $11.99 CertSharp price are the only firm numbers. Prices for books, video courses and used equipment vary by seller and sale, so replace the estimates with real quotes before you commit.

The CertSharp full CCNA question bank is a one-time $11.99, and 30 questions are free with no signup, so practice questions do not need to be a major line item. Cisco Packet Tracer is free with a Cisco Networking Academy account, which is why most self-study budgets can skip physical gear. Real hardware is a preference, not a requirement: it helps you feel the command line on actual devices, but the exam simulations can be rehearsed in Packet Tracer.

Time is the largest cost that never appears in the table. Plan on roughly two to three months of consistent study if you are new to networking; our 8-week CCNA study plan shows a week-by-week schedule, and the CCNA cheat sheet is a quick reference for commands and port numbers while you work.

What is the total cost of getting CCNA certified?

Putting the pieces together, here is a three-year view of what a CCNA holder might spend. The exam fee is firm; everything else is an estimate that depends on the choices above.

These are planning ranges, not guarantees. The low column assumes free resources and a first-time pass; the high column stacks a course, hardware, a retake and a paid renewal. Most candidates land in the middle.

Is the CCNA cost worth it?

Measured purely in dollars, $300 is a modest sum for a credential that appears in many networking job postings. The bigger investment is time, and whether the certification connects to the role you want. Our Is CCNA worth it? guide uses a scoring rubric to answer that for your own situation, and CCNA salary looks at what US government pay data says about the jobs CCNA holders typically target.

A practical test: if you are aiming at a hands-on networking role, the exam fee is likely small compared with the first month of any resulting raise or the cost of staying stuck in a help desk role. If you are not aiming at networking, even $300 is poor value, and a cheaper or more relevant credential would serve you better.

The credential also has a cost-saving effect on the next step. Because passing a higher-level Cisco exam renews your CCNA, the money you spend on CCNP-track exams does double duty, while the CCNA itself is the foundation those exams assume.

CCNA vs Network+: which exam costs less?

CompTIA lists the Network+ N10-009 exam at $369 USD, so the CCNA exam at $300 is about $69 cheaper per attempt, a rare case where the more advanced and more hands-on exam has the lower price. Both figures are US list prices that can change. The cost of the exam is only part of the choice: Network+ is vendor-neutral and broader, CCNA is deeper and Cisco-specific. See Network+ exam cost for the full Network+ price breakdown and Network+ vs CCNA for the decision tree on which to take first.

How can you reduce the cost without cutting corners?

1. Use free labs. Packet Tracer covers the configuration practice you need; do not buy hardware until you know you want it.
2. Test before you book. Take full-length practice sets and book only when you score well above the pass line repeatedly. This is the single biggest saver, because it avoids $300 retakes.
3. Ask your employer. Reimbursement, learning credits or a paid exam day change the whole calculation.
4. Buy the voucher with a date in mind. Vouchers stay valid for 365 days, but a firm exam date keeps your study schedule honest.
5. Plan renewal early. Collect Continuing Education credits as you learn instead of paying for a last-minute retest.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• Cisco: CCNA (200-301) exam page
• Cisco: CCNA certification page (validity, renewal, Exam Safeguard Plus)
• Cisco: certification exam policies (retakes, vouchers)
• Cisco: Continuing Education policies
• CompTIA: Network+ certification page
• Cisco Networking Academy: Packet Tracer

Last updated October 20, 2026. Exam fees and policies can change; confirm on Cisco's site before booking. Study-cost figures in the tables are planning estimates, not quotes.