How Does the CCNA Compare to Other Networking Certs?

Cisco has built a solid brand over the years and is considered by many to be a de facto network product company. With this mark, CCNA certification can be viewed more as a certification for general networks, although the exam focuses heavily on Cisco in some areas. For this reason, there are not many network certifications for beginners that can compare to the CCNA certification.

For completeness, however, we would like to mention some other network certifications for beginners. The first in the list is the CompTIA Network + certification, which benefits from the neutrality of the manufacturer. However, there is a general consensus that CCNA is a better and more advanced certification than Network +, even for those who don't work with Cisco products. Also, the CompTIA site does not compare the network + with CCNA certification (scroll down to "How does CompTIA compare the network +?").

Another entry-level network certification is Junos Networks Certified Associate Junos (JNCIA-Junos). In terms of exam topics and difficulties, it is more similar to the CCENT certification (Cisco Certified Entry Networking), or H. H. H. ICND1. The next level after JNCIA Junos certification is Juniper Networks (JNCIS-ENT) certified routing and switching specialist, which is more advanced than CCNA (i.e. CCNA plus parts of CCNP).

In my experience and research, CCNA is widely recognized as these other certifications, at least for entry-level and generic networks. However, there are other certifications which may be more valuable for certain industries. For example, AWS certifications may be more valuable for a large cloud company.