CCNA v1.1 Ends February 2, 2027: Take It Now or Wait for v2.0? A Date by Date Plan
The last day to sit CCNA 200-301 v1.1 is February 2, 2027. Work backwards from that date: when to book, where retakes and Exam Safeguard Plus fit, what the US holidays do to your schedule, and a simple rule for choosing v1.1 or v2.0.
Cisco has now fixed the dates. The current CCNA, 200-301 v1.1, is available through Tuesday, February 2, 2027. The new v2.0 starts Wednesday, February 3, 2027. Same exam number, same 120 minutes, same $300, and both earn you the same CCNA certification, valid for three years.
So the real question is not “which CCNA is better”. It is “can I be ready, with room for a retake, before February 2?” This post answers that with actual dates. If you want to know what changed in the blueprint itself, read what’s changing in CCNA v2.0 first.
What Cisco itself recommends
In July 2026 Cisco’s certification team published its advice plainly: take the current v1.1 exam now, because the skills carry straight into v2.0 and waiting only delays the certification. When Cisco announced v2.0 in May 2026 it also told people already studying that there was no reason to change gears.
We agree for most students, with one condition: you need a date that leaves space for a second attempt.
Work backwards from February 2
The rules that shape the calendar, from Cisco’s CCNA exam page:
- After a failed attempt you must wait five calendar days before you can retake.
- Exam Safeguard Plus costs $450 instead of $300 and gives you a second attempt within 90 days if you do not pass the first.
Now add the one rule nobody mentions: after February 2, 2027 the only 200-301 exam you can book is v2.0. A retake on February 10 is a v2.0 exam, even if your first attempt was v1.1 and even if you bought Safeguard Plus. The 90 day window does not keep you on the old blueprint.
That gives three dates worth writing on your wall:
| Date | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Monday, January 11, 2027 | A sensible latest date for your first attempt. Leaves three weeks to review your weak domains and retake on v1.1 |
| Tuesday, January 26, 2027 | Realistically the last first attempt that still leaves a v1.1 retake possible after the five day wait, and only if a seat is free |
| Tuesday, February 2, 2027 | Last day of v1.1. Anything later is v2.0 |
Expect test center and online proctoring slots in the last two weeks of January to fill up, because a lot of candidates are working toward the same deadline. Book early; you can usually reschedule if you are not ready.
The holidays eat more time than you think
From late September you have about 18 weeks until February 2. Three of them are the US holiday season:
- Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 26, 2026
- Christmas: Friday, December 25, 2026
- New Year’s Day: Friday, January 1, 2027
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, January 18, 2027
If you work or have family plans, count Thanksgiving week and the last two weeks of December as half weeks. That turns 18 weeks into roughly 15 useful ones.
Take now or wait: a simple rule
Be honest about where you are today, then use this table.
| Where you are now (late September 2026) | Our advice |
|---|---|
| Finished the material, scoring well on practice exams | Book v1.1 for October or November. Done before the holidays |
| About halfway through, studying most weeks | Book v1.1 for the first half of January, with a retake plan |
| Under a third of the way, or studying only now and then | Switch to v2.0 and plan for spring 2027 |
| Not started yet | Start on v2.0 material and test after February 3 |
The halfway line comes from what we see with students: about 15 useful weeks is what a steady part time learner needs to finish the second half, practice and review. If you are well below that point, a rushed v1.1 attempt in late January with no retake room is the worst of both worlds.
If you choose v1.1: do not skip the topics v2.0 dropped
Some students read the v2.0 news and stop studying the topics that are leaving. That is a mistake, because they are still on v1.1 until February 2. Compared with the official v2.0 exam topics, these v1.1 items are gone from the new blueprint:
- QoS per hop behavior, NTP, and TFTP/FTP
- Wireless architectures and AP modes, WLC components, and WLAN configuration in the GUI
- Network topology architectures (two tier, three tier, spine and leaf, WAN, SOHO)
- TCP compared with UDP
- Security concepts, security program elements and password policy
- Comparing traditional and controller-based networks, SDN architecture, REST APIs, Terraform and JSON
Every one of these can appear on your v1.1 exam. Our 12 week study plan and the CCNA topic library still cover all of them.
If you choose v2.0: what to add
v2.0 is built around troubleshooting. Many objectives now start with diagnose or troubleshoot. New or expanded areas include hypervisors and containers, client troubleshooting on Windows, macOS and Linux, packet capture output, OSPFv3 for IPv6, reading HSRP and VRRP status, AAA with TACACS+ and RADIUS, SFTP and SCP, DNS record problems, storm control and RA guard, and a new AI and operations domain. We break that domain down in the CCNA v2.0 AI domain guide.
Most of what v1.1 books and courses teach is still on v2.0, so nothing you have studied is wasted.
The #1 mistake
Booking the first attempt for the last week of January. It feels efficient, but if you fail you cannot retake on v1.1, your next attempt is a different blueprint, and the weeks you spent on QoS, WLC GUI settings and REST APIs no longer count. Give yourself a first attempt date with at least two weeks behind it.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What is the last day to take CCNA v1.1? A: February 2, 2027. CCNA v2.0 becomes available on February 3, 2027. Both use exam number 200-301.
Q: Is a CCNA earned on v1.1 worth less than one earned on v2.0? A: No. Both exams earn the same CCNA certification, valid for three years. Employers see “CCNA”, not the blueprint version.
Q: If I fail v1.1 in late January, can I retake v1.1 in February? A: No. You must wait five calendar days between attempts, and from February 3, 2027 only v2.0 is offered. A February retake is a v2.0 exam.
Q: Does Exam Safeguard Plus keep me on v1.1 for my second attempt? A: Cisco describes it as a second attempt within 90 days for $450 total. It does not say the retake stays on v1.1, and after February 2, 2027 v1.1 no longer exists, so plan your first attempt early enough that the retake also falls before that date.
Q: How much does the CCNA cost in the US? A: $300 for one attempt, or $450 with Exam Safeguard Plus. You can test at a Pearson VUE center or online with a proctor.
Where to go from here
- Need a schedule that fits your real week? Book a free first session and we will build your test by date with you.
- Want structured 1:1 prep with a mentor? See the CCNA mentorship program.
- Studying the automation part? Read CCNA Automation vs the automation domain on the CCNA.
Sources: Cisco Learning blog “Stay on track: get certified before the CCNA refresh” (July 1, 2026), Cisco Learning blog on the CCNA v2.0 announcement (May 2026), Cisco CCNA exams and training page (price, retake wait, Exam Safeguard Plus), Cisco 200-301 CCNA v1.1 and v2.0 exam topics.
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