Cisco has included several substantial changes into their Cisco Certified Network Associate program of study, and this has been done in order to keep up with the ongoing changes in the IT sector. All in all, anybody who wishes to progress in their IT job needs to train for and take the CCNA assessment, and subsequently obtain the appropriate accreditation.

The changes which were made by Cisco led to the removal of a couple of topics from the old CCNA examination, and these include:

- The difficulties of shared LANS and approaches to take care of them with switches - Wireless LANs - Enabling RIP (has been substituted with OSPF) - Configuring serial encapsulation - Utilizing Cisco SDM

The modifications basically mean that you will need to study more to keep pace with the exam requirements as there is also a lot which has been added to substitute most of what has been done away with. The brand new areas include setting up IPv6 routing, implementing VLANs, introducing basic IPv6, NAT and port address translation. Nevertheless, if you feel that you might become disoriented by sitting for the new CCNA exam edition, you may still sit for 640-802 CCNA, but you can only get to do so prior to the 30th of September 2013, the deadline that's been put in place by Cisco.

In case you do not have the resources to join CCNA training, there are several avenues through which you can still acquire the knowledge you need to sit for an exam and successfully attain the certification. Getting the CCNA certification after Cisco training comes with some great rewards. Below are some of the advantages of training:

- CCNA training boosts ones comprehension of technological concepts, thus it is not only beneficial to somebody who wants to enter the field, but also to a professional who has been in the IT industry. It ensures that you are up to date with the changes taking place in the market. - Acquiring the certification to show your validation is an excellent accomplishment by itself, plus it gives you an advantage in the technology industry. - Once you get the certification, it places you in a excellent position to go for more of the other Cisco certifications. - You acquire more respect, from both colleges and employers. Although CCNA 1.1 still gives you a good standing, the newest version makes your credentials even more marketable as the certification is very much respected. - The courses for the new CCNA version have become more challenging, but as much as this is the case, once you pass the exam, you are best placed to face the challenges in the industry.

You can also find some additional useful resources such as eBooks, which you can access to make sure that you have thorough knowledge of the topics to be covered in the exam. Furthermore, there are lots of forums through which it is possible to hold discussions with peers so that you are best prepared to handle the CCNA tests.

You can as well sign up for online training courses so that you become familiar with the topics which can be on the exam. You additionally must know how to deal with the hands-on section during the assessment, and through the various tutorials online you can acquire the requisite Cisco training. The exams are comprehensive and you have to put the information you have acquired into practical use within a limited time.

Exams need a lot of learning and practicing, and the same pertains to the CCNA certification. You need to read and practice as much as possible to ensure that you are satisfactorily prepared. Keep in mind, passing the CCNA exam does not only open a new path in your career, but it will also help you market your skills a lot better than the non-certified individuals out there.