Professional Certified Network Administrator

Why PCNA?

How It Works

How It Works

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Register Technicians

PCNA is now available all technicians through the Snap One Portal.

Enroll now
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Cost

The final cost for the certification is $650. The initial cost includes:

  • The expertly-developed curriculum
  • A free kit with all the equipment the tech will need (theirs to keep)
  • Access to Q&A with our Education team
  • The cost of the exam (first attempt)
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Getting Started

Not long after registering, the kit will be sent to the shipping address on file. Your technician can take home the kit and will use it to complete the PCNA courses. The kit is theirs to keep, so they can keep practicing even after they've been certified. Instructions will be emailed to the technician and will also be included in the kit.

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The Six Courses

When your tech is ready to get started, they should log into the dealer portal and follow the instructions they've been given to get started. They then can work their way through the six courses at their own pace.

Course 1: Essentials - Build Your Network
Course 2: Switches
Course 3: Routers

Course 4: Wireless Access Points
Course 5: Remote Monitoring and Management
Course 6: Network Design

There's even a Q&A feature so the technicians can ask questions and for clarification directly from our Education Team. Once the technician has completed all six courses, they should review the study guide to prepare for the exam.

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Examination

Once the technician is ready to take the exam, they can schedule an appointment with the proctor, an independent party that will oversee the exam. The exam can be scheduled within a few days. If for some reason your technician does not pass the exam, they can retake it. See the FAQ

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Celebrate

Every success deserves a little celebration, that's why every certified PCNA is sent a gift upon certification. The gift will be sent to the business shipping address on file, keep a look out for the PCNA gift and make sure your technician gets it.

FAQs

About PCNA and Registration

About The Curriculum

About The Equipment

  • What comes with the PCNA kit?

    PCNA Kit:

    • 1 Router: Araknis AN-220-RT (includes OvrC Pro)
    • 1 Switch: Araknis AN-220-SW-R-8-POE
    • 2 Access Points: Araknis AN-520-AP-I
    • 1 Power: WB-250
    • Cat 6 Termination Tools

  • After the technician is finished with PCNA, can I sell the equipment or reuse it for another technician?

    The products received in the PCNA Kit delivered with the purchase of the PCNA course may not be resold, returned or otherwise transferred and may only be used by the PCNA technician they were registered to. The intention is that when the technician keeps the equipment, lives with it and uses it to test and practice their skills, then their experience and familiarity with the product improves making them a more valuable technician.

  • Can my technicians share PCNA equipment?

    The equipment comes with the course enrollment and is intended for the certified technician’s use during online study and after certification. A trainee’s kit, registration, access to course materials, and certification is tied to their individual technician account. The certification exam can be accessed only by trainees registered for the PCNA curriculum. Keeping and maintaining the network gear after PCNA training is crucial to the commitment of long-term learning. We believe when a single technician takes ownership of their Araknis network and lives with it and maintains it, then they retain and nurture their expertise.

About The Exam

  • When can the exam be taken, what does it entail, and why is a proctor necessary?

    The exam can be taken only after the curriculum has been completed. It is a cumulative exam for which a study guide is provided. Once the final course of the curriculum is finished the trainee will be prompted to schedule their exam with ProctorU. Proctors are an important part of any certification process because their independent administration of the exam gives legitimacy to the certification. The proctor verifies the trainee’s identity and checks the testing environment and equipment before the exam.

  • How many times can a technician attempt to pass the exam? 

    We currently do not limit the number of attempts a technician may take to pass the certification exam. While the initial payment covers the cost of the first certification attempt, each retake attempt costs a nominal payment to cover the exam’s online proctoring costs. Each retake attempt costs approximately $30 and should be paid directly to the proctoring service. Payment will be requested automatically before attempting the second exam. 

  • Why aren’t costs for additional exam attempts covered with registration? 

    The certification exam is proctored by a 3rd party online-proctoring service, which verifies the trainee’s identity and records the exam. Proctoring ensures the fairness, authenticity and credibility of the PCNA certification. In an attempt to keep PCNA costs low for everyone, we have included the cost of a single certification attempt in the overall cost of the PCNA course. Through this approach, a dealer must pay for additional attempts only when needed.