Full practice exams, flashcard review, command reference, weak areas
Full Practice ExamsFlashcardsCheat SheetsExam Tips
💡 90-Day Plan Tips
Study 2-3 hours daily, 6 days per week
Take one day off per week for rest and review
Complete all labs hands-on in Packet Tracer or GNS3
Review flashcards daily for retention
Take practice exams every 2 weeks to track progress
Join study groups or forums for support
Week 1-2: Network Fundamentals
3-4 hours/day
1-3
OSI & TCP/IP Models
Study all 7 OSI layers and their functions
Understand TCP/IP model (4 layers)
Learn encapsulation and de-encapsulation
Practice 25 questions on models
4-6
IP Addressing & Subnetting
IPv4 addressing (classes, private ranges)
Subnet mask calculations
CIDR notation and VLSM
Complete 50 subnetting problems
7-10
Ethernet & Switching
Ethernet standards and frame structure
MAC addressing and ARP
Switch operation and CAM table
Basic switch configuration lab
11-14
Cables & Topologies
UTP, Fiber, and cable standards
Network topologies and devices
Review Week 1-2 material
Practice exam: 40 questions
Week 3-4: VLANs & Trunking
3-4 hours/day
15-18
VLANs
VLAN concepts and benefits
Access and voice VLANs
VLAN configuration (switchport commands)
Lab: Create and verify VLANs
19-22
Trunking & Inter-VLAN Routing
802.1Q tagging and native VLAN
Trunk configuration and DTP
Router-on-a-stick configuration
Lab: Configure inter-VLAN routing
23-26
STP & EtherChannel
STP operation and port states
RSTP and PVST+
EtherChannel (LACP/PAgP)
Practice: 30 questions on Layer 2
27-28
Review & Practice
Review all Week 1-4 material
Complete practice exam (50 questions)
Focus on weak areas
Week 5-6: Routing Protocols
3-4 hours/day
29-32
Routing Fundamentals
Static routing configuration
Default routes and route summarization
Routing table and longest match
Lab: Configure static routes
33-36
OSPF
OSPF operation and areas
Router ID, DR/BDR election
Single-area OSPF configuration
Lab: Configure and verify OSPF
37-40
EIGRP & First Hop Redundancy
EIGRP configuration and metrics
HSRP, VRRP concepts
Administrative distance comparison
Practice: 35 questions on routing
41-42
Review Routing
Compare routing protocols
Troubleshooting scenarios
Lab practice
Week 7: IP Services
3-4 hours/day
43-45
DHCP & DNS
DHCP operation (DORA process)
DHCP server/relay configuration
DNS basics and configuration
Lab: Configure DHCP server
46-49
NAT & ACLs
NAT/PAT concepts and configuration
Standard and extended ACLs
Named ACLs and wildcard masks
Lab: Configure NAT and ACLs
Week 8: Security & Automation
4-5 hours/day
50-52
Network Security
Port security and DHCP snooping
SSH configuration
VPN basics (site-to-site, remote access)
Security best practices
53-54
Wireless & Automation
Wireless standards and security (WPA2/WPA3)
REST APIs and JSON/XML
Network automation concepts
Practice: 25 questions
55-56
Review All Topics
Comprehensive review of all domains
Practice exam (75 questions)
Focus on weakest areas
Week 9: Final Preparation
5-6 hours/day
57-58
Full Practice Exams
Complete 2 full practice exams (100 questions each)
Review all incorrect answers thoroughly
Create flashcards for weak topics
59
Final Review
Review command reference cheat sheet
Review quick reference tables
Practice subnetting (30 problems in 15 min)
Light study - avoid burnout
60
Exam Day Preparation
Light review only - no new material
Review exam tips and strategies
Get good rest
Arrive early at test center
⚠️ Intensive Study Plan
This accelerated plan requires 5-6 hours of focused study per day. Recommended for those with prior networking experience or IT background. Not recommended as your first approach to the CCNA.