Updated May 30, 2023

Difference Between CCNA vs CCENT

CCENT (Cisco Certified Entry Network Technician) and CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate). Both CCNA vs CCENT certifications belongs to the Cisco ecosystem, a mass provider of networking and infrastructure components. Over the past decades, it has also pioneered switching, routing, and networking technologies innovations. CCNA expects the students to prepare and administer medium-sized switched and routed networks. CCENT certification for getting advanced certification.

IT certifications are the best way to demonstrate your skill set to employers and give them a higher likelihood of hiring you, thereby providing high salary offers. There are many certifications in various domains of this sort, such as for the world of testers, ISTQB is among the most recognized certification; for someone belonging to a JAVA background, OCJP and OCWP are the ones to go for; for cloud experience, AWS Solution cloud architect professional is the certification to go for and if you belong from a Big Data/Hadoop/Spark background, CDH, HDP or MapR backed certifications will give you the intended benefit. Similarly, we will discuss two certifications that mark their presence in computer networks.

These certifications teach different skills at various levels and target different IT positions and job types. Students are expected to do rigorous hours of learning before appearing for these exams, and their validity is three years before they require renewal.

CCNA expects the students to prepare and administer medium-sized switched and routed networks. They also cater to WANs, which are essentially used in establishing the connection between computers and devices over various geographical locations. Students who have already done their CCNA are also aware of all preventive measures and troubleshooting basic security and their relevant threats for keeping the network safe from all viruses and hacking attempts, which could harm them or show private user data. This requires skills equivalent to the CCENT certification to get the advanced certification. It must be noted that it is not a prerequisite to taking the CCNA exam. CCNA-certified professionals take jobs such as those internetwork engineers and WAN/LAN engineers.

Both these exams, CCNA and CCENT, are valuable to employers and show real-world, practical skills for Cisco networking in almost all business settings. These certifications help you as stepping stones and getting hired, which will surely help you build your skills as an IT network professional.

Head To Head Comparison Between CCNA vs CCENT (Infographics)

Below are the top 5 differences between CCNA vs CCENT

Key Difference Between CCNA vs CCENT

Both are popular choices in the market; let us discuss some of the major differences:

The primary difference between CCNA vs CCENT is related to the depth of scope. The CCENT certification is based on an entry-level design that serves as a good starting point for all professionals looking to start their careers in networking. The topics covered in this exam are basic and do not require much effort. This certification course covers installing, operating, and supporting small branch networks. It is one of the best fits to clear your basics in the field of networking.

In contrast, CCNA is considered the associate level of examination, with a slightly more complex course and curriculum than CCENT. It is a good value added to the foundation knowledge covered by the CCENT examination. The scope, depth, and skillset required to clear this examination are higher and more profound when compared to CCENT. This exam covers topics such as advanced dynamic protocols, particularly those responsible for routing, RST (Rapid Spanning Tree), and VPN protocols.

The CCENT aims to give you an understanding of the networks and how networking is related to other operating systems and applications. For example, a database administrator, a computer software programmer, and a system administrator might be interested in learning and clearing the CCENT exam to understand better networks and their impacts on the application systems running. There have been constant and often battles between the networking and the programming teams or a system admin team regarding where the IT problem lies. A high understanding of networking will help in minimizing such instances. The CCNA certification can be said to start with the CCENT exam.

The CCNA certification consists of one exam, 640-822 ICND1, which stands for interconnecting Cisco network devices 1, with an exam fee of $125 and an exam duration of 90 minutes with around 40-50 odd questions. In contrast, the CCNA exam includes ICND1 and ICND2 examinations and basic troubleshooting. Since troubleshooting is a fundamental skill for any network administrator, both exams include topics and questions related to troubleshooting. It is also essential to understand the OSI layer model’s working, and it’s working; what network problems occur at every layer, and various show and debug commands.

CCNA vs CCENT Comparison Table

Below is the topmost comparison between CCNA vs CCENT

Basis of Comparison	CCENT	CCNA
Scope Depth	Introductory foundation level.	More advanced than CCENT.
Number of exams	1 (ICND1)	2 (ICND1 and ICND2)
Topics covered	Installation, operation, and support.	Dynamic routing protocols, Rapid Spanning Tree, VPN protocols.
Level of Understanding	Network and their operations and their interdependency on other operating systems.	Apart from Networking and OS, you should also comprehensively understand the OSI model, including each network layer.
Route of exam-taking	One exam 640-822 ICND1 for $125, 90 minutes duration with 40-50 questions.	Two ways of taking this exam: Composite: 640-822 ICND1 and 640-816 ICND2, 90 minutes, 45-50 questions for $250 Individually: The cost of the individual exam is $125 each, where 640-816 ICND2 has a time limit of 75-90 minutes and 40-50 questions.

Conclusion

Both CCNA vs CCENT certifications will surely add value to your career, especially if you are looking to climb your way up into the field of networks. Choose a certification per your background and goal and shine in the market, as this industry is never-ending. Stay tuned to our blog for more posts like these.