Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA)
The "foundation level" certification for IT pros looking to gain knowledge and express proficiency in Cisco Internetworking Infrastructure and network design. CCDA certifications are valid for three years and require that you pass the current certification exam, or pass any 642 professional level or Cisco Qualified Specialist exam (excluding Sales Specialist exams), or pass a CCIE written exam to recertify for the CCDA designation. This is the basic cert that Cisco offers and is a great starting place to get your CCNA cert.