Training guide
CCNA ENSA Course Guide: Enterprise Networking, Security and Automation
A guide to the third and final CCNA course from Cisco Networking Academy: topics, time and delivery.
EU Job Hub Editorial Team · Updated 1 October 2026 · Based on Cisco Networking Academy course overviews
Introduction
The CCNA ENSA course is the third course in Cisco’s CCNA series. ENSA stands for Enterprise Networking, Security and Automation. It deals with larger networks than the first two courses.
The old page called it a free course. Cisco lists it as instructor-led, so a partner academy teaches it and sets the fee. This guide explains the content and how to prepare.
Quick Information
| Provider | Cisco Networking Academy, taught by partner academies |
| Level | Intermediate, after SRWE |
| Delivery | Instructor-led |
| Estimated time | About 70 hours |
| Structure | 14 modules, with a practice exam for the CCNA |
| Cost | Set by the teaching academy. Check before you enrol. |
Key Points at a Glance
- It is the last of the three CCNA courses.
- It covers wide area networks, network security and automation.
- Cisco lists 14 modules and a practice exam for the CCNA certification exam.
- It is instructor-led, so fees depend on the academy.
- The recommended next course is CCNP Enterprise Core.
What the Course Covers
Cisco describes ENSA as the course on architecture, operations and security for large, complex networks. It includes wide area network technologies.
The security part stresses access control lists and good security habits. A final part introduces virtualisation and automation.
Security Topics
You learn how to configure, troubleshoot and secure enterprise devices. Access control lists decide which traffic may pass. You also meet the idea of network threats and how to limit them.
Practice labs let you test each rule and see what it blocks.
Automation and Programmability
The course explains software-defined networking and controller-based designs. It shows how application programming interfaces let tools manage a network.
You do not need to be a programmer. You do need to read simple structured data.
Quality of Service
Learners also study how devices handle traffic priority, known as quality of service. Voice and video need steady delivery. The course shows how devices achieve that.
Delivery and Fees
Cisco states that instructor training is required for this course. So a registered academy teaches it.
Each academy sets the fee. Ask what it includes, and whether the exam voucher is separate.
Awards You Can Earn
Academies may issue a completion certificate, a merit letter and a digital badge. These record that you finished.
The CCNA certification itself needs the 200-301 exam.
How to Prepare
Finish Introduction to Networks and SRWE first. ENSA assumes you know VLANs, routing and basic addressing.
Review subnetting before day one. It appears again in many labs.
After ENSA
Cisco recommends CCNP Enterprise Core as the next course. Many learners book the CCNA exam first.
Check Cisco’s certification pages for current exam details.
Using It in Europe
Roles include network administrator, network engineer and security technician. Mention the course and the year on your Europass CV.
Add a short note about one security lab, such as an access list you wrote and tested.
A Sample Study Week
On day one, read the module and note new terms. On day two, do the lab. On day three, repeat the lab without notes.
On day four, take the module quiz. Use the weekend to review any topic that cost you marks.
Common Mistakes
Do not treat access lists as a memory exercise. Draw the traffic flow first. Then write the rule.
Do not ignore the automation modules. Even a basic grasp of structured data is useful in current network jobs.
Do not wait until the end to try the practice exam. Use it halfway to find weak topics.
Questions for the Academy
Ask how many hours of lab time you get. Ask whether the class uses real devices or Packet Tracer only.
Ask about the schedule for the final exam and whether the fee includes a retake.
Keeping Your Records
Keep a folder of finished labs and your digital badge. When you apply for a network role, you can show real work.
Update your Europass CV when you finish each CCNA course, not only after the last one.
Time Planning
Seventy hours fits into about ten weeks at seven hours a week. Security and automation modules take longer for most learners.
Add a buffer week before the final exam. Use it to repeat the labs that you found hardest.
Questions Before You Enrol
Have I finished SRWE or have equal skills? ENSA moves quickly.
Does the academy provide real devices or only Packet Tracer?
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CCNA ENSA free?
Cisco lists it as instructor-led. The teaching academy sets the fee.
How many modules does ENSA have?
Cisco lists 14 modules and about 70 hours.
What comes before ENSA?
Introduction to Networks and SRWE.
Does ENSA include a practice exam?
Cisco lists a practice exam for the CCNA certification exam.
Find Jobs
Job titles to search for include network administrator, network engineer and security technician. Search current vacancies on the EURES portal.
Official Course Page
Read the current details on the Cisco Networking Academy ENSA course page.
Disclaimer
This guide is independent and is not affiliated with Cisco or the Cisco Networking Academy. Course lengths, fees and course names change, so check the official page before you enrol. A course certificate does not give you the right to work in any country.