Passing the Cisco Certified Network Associate exam on my first try wasn’t easy—but it was possible. If you're studying and feeling overwhelmed, trust me, I’ve been there. I wanted to share exactly how I did it, in the hope that it might help someone else pushing through the grind.
I started my Cisco Certified Network Associate journey with Jeremy’s IT Lab, and honestly, it was one of the best decisions I made. His free course is well-structured, beginner-friendly, and thorough. I followed it video by video, taking notes and making sure I understood each concept before moving on.
Watching the videos wasn’t enough—I had to get my hands dirty. I did all the labs Jeremy provided, and then I did them again. And again. Repetition really helped me build muscle memory and understand what was actually happening behind the scenes. If a topic didn’t stick, I’d redo the lab until it felt second nature.
Two weeks before the exam, I signed up for AlphaPrep practice tests. I’ll be honest: they were a wake-up call. I only hit 3 out of 7 “exam ready” scores, and it rattled my confidence. But instead of backing off, I used it as a cue to double down on review. I made note of the areas I struggled with and made them my daily focus.
This part might sound a little different, but it seriously helped: I took the official Cisco exam blueprint and used ChatGPT to walk me through each topic. I’d go over the blueprint section by section, using ChatGPT like a tutor—asking it to explain things in simple terms, break down tricky concepts, or quiz me. I repeated this almost daily during the last two weeks. It was like having a study partner who never got tired.
On the day of the test, I didn’t feel super confident. I had a healthy amount of nerves. But what made the difference was strategy. Whenever I hit a question I wasn’t sure about, I used the power of elimination. Usually, two options were obviously wrong, which left me with a 50/50 shot. For some questions, that was enough. For others, the repeated practice helped the answer click.
Passing the Cisco Certified Network Associate exam on my first attempt felt amazing—but it wasn’t magic. It was consistency, smart resources, and a bit of resilience when things didn’t go perfectly. If you’re on the CCNA path, keep going. Do the labs, review the blueprint, and don’t be afraid to lean on tools like ChatGPT or practice tests to round out your study plan.
You’ve got this.