As part of the new Cisco 2.0 Certification Program, new exams are now available for all levels of expertise including, CCNA, CCNP, CCIE. The new exams for the DevNet and Specialist certifications are also available.
Whether you are preparing for the exams or you want to upskill and keep your current certification via Cisco’s Continuing Education program, you can take the recommended Cisco training courses listed below. Each level of expertise: Associate, Specialist, Professional and Expert – has different exam requirements.
As an Authorized Learning Partner, we, at Insoft, can guide you through the process, providing you with the training needed and help you achieve your certification faster.
This article summarizes all you need to know regarding the Cisco Certification 2.0, also called: Cisco Next-Level Certifications.
Cisco Associate Level Certification and Training Program
The associate-level certification programs have been redesigned to better align with the evolving IT industry. These provide the skills any networking professionals need to successfully manage cutting edge network solutions.
CCNA Associate Certification
The new CCNA now validates a broad range of skills and knowledge. Apart from network fundamentals, it now includes security, automation and programmability modules. Before, candidates had to take multiple exams to earn a CCNA, but with this change, you can take your career in any direction.
Newly adjusted for the latest technologies and job roles, the new CCNA exam tests your knowledge and skills in Network and Security Fundamentals, Network Access, IP Connectivity, IP Services, Automation and Programmability.
Exams & Recommended Cisco Training
DevNet Associate Certification
Cisco’s Associate Level Program also includes the DevNet Associate. The Cisco Certified DevNet Associate certification recognises key emerging technical skills for a new kind of IT professional, empowering organizations to embrace the potential of applications, automation, and infrastructure for the network, IoT, DevOps, and Cloud.
The DevNet Associate Program validates skills in software development and design, including APIs, Cisco Platforms, Application Development, Security Infrastructure and Automation. It targets software developers, DevOps engineers, automation specialists, and other software professionals.
There are no formal prerequisites for DevNet Associate certification, but you should have a good understanding of the exam topics and some experience with software development and Python programming.
Exams & Recommended Cisco Training
Cisco Certified Specialist Certification and Training Program
Whether you want to focus on different areas of specialisation or pursue CCNP or CCIE certification, you now get recognised for your accomplishments every step of the way. For each professional and expert level exams, you will earn a Cisco Certified Specialist badge that validates your expertise in a given technology.
DevNet Specialist Certification
To earn a DevNet Specialist, pass one exam from the Cisco DevNet Professional and you are certified! As a Cisco Certified DevNet Specialist, you can assure that your certifications align with your career interests and job requirements.
Exams & Recommended Cisco Training
Cisco Professional Level Certification and Training Program
On the professional level, you can select the desired core technology to further customise your learning path including DevNet Professional, CCNP Enterprise, CCNP Collaboration, CCNP Data Center, CCNP Security and CCNP Service Provider.
To earn a Cisco Professional Certification, you need to pass two exams: the required core exam and a concentration exam of your choice. The core exams validate your knowledge on a specific technology, while the concentration exams focus on emerging and industry-specific topics such as network design, SD-WAN, wireless, and automation.
DevNet Professional Certification
The Cisco Certified DevNet Professional proves your skills in developing and maintaining applications built on Cisco platforms. A first-of-its-kind at Cisco, the program certifies key emerging technical skills for IT professionals and prepares them for the job roles of the future.
Every exam in the DevNet Professional program earns an individual Specialist certification, so you get recognized for your accomplishments along the way.
Similarly to the DevNet Associate, there are no formal prerequisites for DevNet Professional, but you should have a good understanding of the exam topics and three to five years of experience with software development (including Python).
Exams & Recommended Cisco Training
Required core exam:
Concentration exams (choose one):
CCNP Enterprise Certification
The CCNP Enterprise now includes automation and programmability to help you scale your networking infrastructure. Being one of the industry’s most respected certifications, the CCNP validates your knowledge of enterprise infrastructure including dual-stack (IPv4 and IPv6) architecture, virtualization, infrastructure, network assurance, security, and automation.
Every CCNP Enterprise exam now earns an individual Specialist certification, so you get recognized for your accomplishments along the way. Besides, the core exam is also the qualifying exam for CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure and CCIE Enterprise Wireless certifications.
Exams & Recommended Cisco Training
Required core exam:
Concentration exams (choose one):
CCNP Collaboration Certification
The new CCNP Collaboration certification program prepares you for today’s professional-level job roles in collaboration technologies. The CCNP Collaboration now includes automation and programmability to help you scale your collaboration infrastructure.
Exams & Recommended Cisco Training
Required core exam:
Concentration exams (choose one):
CCNP Data Center Certification
One of the industry’s most respected certifications, CCNP validates the core knowledge you need while giving you the flexibility to choose a focus area. Similarly to other CCNP certifications, the CCNP Data Center now includes automation and programmability to help you scale your Data Center infrastructure.
Exams & Recommended Cisco Training
Required core exam:
Concentration exams (choose one):
CCNP Security Certification
One of the industry’s most respected certifications, the new CCNP Security certification program prepares you for today’s professional-level job roles in security technologies. The CCNP Security also includes automation and programmability to help you scale your security infrastructure.
Exams & Recommended Cisco Training
Required core exam:
Concentration exams (choose one):
CCNP Service Provider Certification
The new CCNP Service Provider certification program prepares you for today’s professional-level job roles in service provider technologies and includes automation and programmability modules to help you scale your service provider infrastructure.
Exams & Recommended Cisco Training
Required core exam:
Concentration exams (choose one):
Cisco Expert-Level Certification and Training Program
There are some significant changes in the CCIE program as well. Now the CCIE is valid for 3 years, instead of 2 and the suspended status is no longer an option.
With the new changes, the written exam no longer exists and the qualifying exam for the CCIE is the core exam from the corresponding CCNP track, which means you will still need to pass two exams:
CCIE Enterprise Wireless Certification
The new CCIE Enterprise Wireless certification program prepares you for today’s expert-level job roles in enterprise wireless technologies. It also includes automation and programmability to help you scale your enterprise wireless infrastructure.
Exams & Recommended Cisco Training
Required qualifying exam:
Lab exam:
CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure Certification
The new CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure certification enables your skills with complex enterprise infrastructure solutions and prepares you for today’s expert-level job roles in enterprise infrastructure technologies. As one of the industry’s most respected certifications, the CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure now includes automation and programmability to help you scale your enterprise infrastructure and distinguish you as a technical leader.
Exams & Recommended Cisco Training
Required qualifying exam:
Lab exam:
CCIE Collaboration Certification
The new CCIE Collaboration certification program prepares you for today’s expert-level job roles in collaboration technologies. It includes automation and programmability modules to help you scale your collaboration infrastructure.
Exams & Recommended Cisco Training
Required qualifying exam:
Lab exam:
CCIE Data Center Certification
The new CCIE Data Center certification program prepares you for today’s expert-level job roles in Data Center technologies and includes an increased focus on automation and programmability to help you streamline your Data Center deployment and operations.
Exams & Recommended Cisco Training
Required qualifying exam:
Lab exam:
CCIE Security Certification
The new CCIE Security certification program prepares you for today’s expert-level job roles in security technologies and now includes automation and programmability to help you scale your security solutions.
Exams & Recommended Cisco Training
Required qualifying exam:
Lab exam:
CCIE Service Provider Certification
The CCIE Service Provider certification proves your skills with complex service provider solutions and prepares you for today’s expert-level job roles in service provider technologies. It now includes automation and programmability to help you scale your service provider infrastructure.
Exams & Recommended Cisco Training
Required qualifying exam:
Lab exam:
To learn more about which exams are retiring and which exams that exist today will continue to be part of the 2.0 certification portfolio, see Cisco’s Exam Portfolio Transition.
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Relevant Exams: CCNA 200-301, ENCOR 300-401, CLCOR 300-801, DCCOR 300-601, SCOR 300-701, SPCOR 300-501