CCNA 200-301 Certification Cost
What the exam actually costs, what training realistically costs on top of it, and where the money can be saved.
The exam fee itself
$300 USD, paid straight to Pearson VUE (Cisco's testing partner) the moment you schedule it. That's the number as of this writing — pricing shifts a bit by country/currency, so check Cisco's own pricing page for your region before you build a budget around a guess.
That $300 buys exactly one attempt. Not study materials, not practice exams, not a safety net if you walk out having failed — just the one shot.
If you don't pass the first time
Cisco makes you wait it out — 5 calendar days minimum after a failed attempt before you're even eligible to reschedule. No same-week redemption arc.
And that retake costs another full $300. No loyalty discount for a second try. Which is exactly why an honest practice-exam score matters more than how ready you feel — feeling ready and being ready are not the same $300 decision.
What training costs beyond the exam fee
Other real costs people forget to budget
Lab software: Packet Tracer is free through Cisco Skills for All, and it's genuinely enough for CCNA — Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) costs real money for the personal tier and up, and you don't need it here.
Practice exam access — assuming it isn't already bundled into whatever training you're using.
A retake buffer you actually budget for. Penciling in one retake ($300) from the start is more honest planning than quietly assuming you'll nail it the first try.
The honest total
Minimum realistic budget: $300 (exam only, if you self-study entirely on free resources and pass the first time).
Typical realistic budget: $400–600 (exam plus a structured but affordable course, assuming one pass).
The single biggest cost-control lever isn't which course you buy — it's whether you actually complete the labs and practice exams before scheduling, since a $300 retake fee will erase any money "saved" by skipping practice.
On ITCertFoundry specifically: CCNA Complete is a $149 one-time purchase you keep forever, or you can go all-access for $29.99/month or $299/year and get CCNA plus CCNP ENCOR and Security+ together — worth comparing if you know you'll want more than one certification.
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