Cisco certifications: Difference between revisions

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'Cisco Career Certifications' are IT professional certifications for Cisco products. The tests are administered by Prometric and Pearson VUE

There are three levels of certification: Associate, Professional, and Expert.

Associate-level certifications

The first stage of Cisco's certification system is the "Associate" level and is comprised of the CCNA and CCDA certifications.

Cisco Certified Network Associate

File:Cisco.Certified.Network.Associate.Logo.png

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) is the most commonly-held Cisco certification and indicates apprentice knowledge of networking. CCNA certifies users to install, configure, and operate Cisco products.

A CCNA candidate must prove familiarity and expertise with, among other subjects, Cisco's IOS, TCP/IP, LAN and WAN technologies and management, switching and routing protocols, the OSI model, LAN troubleshooting, and be familiar with a variety of communication protocols, some Cisco-specific and some not.

The test is a Computer-adaptive test that presents approximately 60 questions within a 90 minute period; the test will quickly ascertain which areas an examinee is weak on and focus on those. The test includes multiple choice questions (including many multiple-answer questions, e.g. 'which three of these five options'), matching questions, and simulated 'lab' questions that provide a virtual network consisting of several routers and switches to test troubleshooting skills. The test is scored from 300 to 1000 marks, with 300 being the minimum marks that everyone is granted. A grade of approximately 85% is required to pass. Pass or fail grade is indicated immediately on completion of test.

There is also a two-test option using the INTRO and ICND tests. This allows the candidate to focus on certain subjects.

The certification is valid for three years; at that time a CCNA holder must either re-take the certification exam or take an exam for one of the Professional or Specialist level certifications, such as CCNP. At one point, the CCNA re-certification exam was different from the CCNA exam, but this no longer seems to be the case.

Cisco Press - CCNA self-study materials

Internationally there is also the Cisco Academy Programme, which brings the CCNA to learners in all nations and all communities. More information can be found at The Cisco Academy Home

CCNA4.COM: Its All About Cisco Systems CCNA Certification

CCNA Yahoo Group

Basic Concepts Study Tutorials For CCNA

CCNA CERTIFICATION GUIDE

This Study Guide is based on the current pool of exam questions for the Cisco CCNA 640-801 composite exam. As such it provides all the information required to pass the 640-801 exam and is organized around the specific skills that are tested in that exam. Thus, the information contained in this Study Guide is specific to the 640-801 exam and does not represent a complete reference work on the subject of Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices.

Cisco CCNA Certification Exam Preparation Guide

Cisco Certified Design Associate

The CCDA is an exam designed for those wishing to attain Cisco certification in the design track.

As at August 2006, to qualify as a CCDA, you need to sit the DESGN exam by studying topics including VoIP, routing, IPv6, and IPv4, as well as various campus network design methodologies and concepts. The DESGN exam has a duration of 75 minutes and covers between 55 and 65 questions.

Professional-level certifications

Cisco Certified Network Professional

The Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) is the middle ground of Cisco technical certifications. The CCNP is considered proof of having the ability to work with medium-sized networks (between 100 and 500 end devices) and with technology such as QoS, broadband, VPNs, and security-minded features. To acquire a CCNP, one must pass four tests, and either re-certify or upgrade to a CCIE every three years. (The CCNA is a prerequisite.)

In order to re-certify a CCNP certification, one must pass the BSCI and BCMSN exams, pass the composite exam (a combination of the BSCI and the BCMSN) or pass any of the CCIE written exams.

Cisco Press - CCNP self-study materials

Cisco Certified Design Professional

Cisco Certified Design Professional (CCDP) is an advanced network design certification provided by Cisco Systems, Inc. Candidates for the certification are tested for advanced knowledge of Cisco devices and the way to interconnect them. This certification is considered a professional level certificate by Cisco Systems.

Cisco Press - CCDP self-study materials

Cisco Certified Security Professional

Cisco Certified Security Professional (CCSP) is an advanced network security certification. Candidates for the certification are tested for advanced knowledge of various Cisco security products.

To attain this certification several tests must be passed in the areas of VPN, IDS, PIX firewall, Secure IOS, the Cisco SAFE, as well as having a CCNA or equivalent (CCNP or CCIE).

Cisco Press - CCSP self-study materials

Cisco Certified Internetwork Professional

Cisco Certified Internetwork Professional (CCIP) is a professional certification covering the end-to-end protocols used in large scale networks.

To attain this certification tests must be passed in the areas of routing, BGP, MPLS and Quality of service.

Cisco Press - CCIP self-study materials

Cisco Certified Voice Professional

Cisco Certified Voice Professional (CCVP) is a certification covering all aspects of IP Telephony/VOIP networks and applications.

To attain this certification, five tests must be passed in the areas of Quality of service, Cisco VoIP, IP Telephony Troubleshooting, Cisco IP Telephony, and Gateway Gatekeeper. As VoIP demand increases, so does demand for CCVPs.^[1]

Cisco Press - CCVP self-study materials and other information

Expert-level certifications: Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert

The expert-level certification is the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE). It is the highest level of professional certification that Cisco provides. There are 5 active CCIE tracks, as below. As of June 1, 2006 there are 13,417 people who active CCIE certifications.^[2]The CCIE certification was deemed the most prestigious IT certification in the year 2005, providing those certified with the highest paying jobs in the IT industry.. ^[3]

The CCIE is comprised of a written exam and a "lab" exam (each in the specific area of the chosen track). The written exam is required to take the lab exam, and has a cost of $300 USD per attempt. Upon successful completion of the written exam, the candidate then qualifies to register for the lab portion. The CCIE Lab is currently $1,250 USD per attempt. CCIE Labs are offered at select locations throughout the world, and the candidate is fully responsible for any travel expenses incurred as a result of travelling to the lab.

The Lab is an 8-hour hands-on exam designed to demonstrate that the candidate not only knows the theory, but is also able to practice it. Many prospective CCIEs need multiple attempts to pass the lab exam.

There are no formal prerequisites for the CCIE exam, but Cisco recommends one has at least 3 - 5 years experience in networking before attempting to become a CCIE.

It is possible to hold multiple CCIE certifications. This is done by passing both the written and the lab exam in a particular track. As of April 1, 2006 there are 777 individuals who hold multiple CCIE certifications. Of those, 129 hold three or more CCIE certifications.^[4]

Cisco Press - CCIE self-study materials

Official Cisco CCIE Boot Camps – The Best Form of Instructor-Led Training

Regarded as the highest level of Cisco certification on the hierarchy of Cisco networking solutions and implementing professional training, CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert) certifications are highly desired by IT professionals. Prestigious and extremely popular worldwide, Cisco CCIE certifications are also very difficult to achieve. In present, Cisco CCIE certifications are the trademark for remarkable skills and experience regarding Cisco networking solutions and design. Cisco Certified Experts hold a complete set of specific theoretical and practical abilities required for designing, installing, configuring, troubleshooting and implementing security, as well as operating with LAN, WAN and dial access services for companies and organizations that work with complex networks.

There are four major Cisco CCIE world-renowned certifications, structured in the following areas: Routing and Switching, Communications and Services, Security and Voice. Persons who have obtained one of these Cisco CCIE accreditations can easily find great job opportunities inside the best IT companies worldwide. Cisco CCIE certifications are the key to building solid, stable and financially rewarding careers.

Despite the fact that CCIE certifications are difficult to obtain, proper training programs can greatly increase one’s chances of becoming certified in one of the previously mentioned areas. Accelerated Cisco CCIE Bootcamps are the most popular form of Cisco CCIE training, allowing participants to further develop their knowledge, as well as practical skills and abilities regarding Cisco networking technologies. Most Cisco CCIE Bootcamps are focused towards preparing students that already have a good level of experience with Cisco technologies for their final certification exams.

High-standard CCIE Bootcamps are structured in a series of courses and laboratories, held in a comprehensive manner and led by well-trained professionals. Attending students are provided with high-quality test-preparing materials, meant to familiarize them with the requirements and the difficulty of their final examinations. Over the entire period of the CCIE Bootcamp training, students benefit from unlimited high-speed, wireless Internet access, great accommodation conditions and two meals a day.

Most CCIE Bootcamps like the ones that Unitek has are aimed at preparing students that have chosen the Cisco Security specialization for their final exams, improving their prospects of becoming certified in this area. The topics discussed and explained during Cisco CCIE-Security Bootcamps include Security Protocols, Operating Systems, Applications Protocols, General Networking, Security Technologies and Cisco Security Applications. After completing the CCIE instructor-led training, students are guaranteed a good performance at their certification exams. Most students who graduate from official, Cisco-approved CCIE Bootcamps find the certification exams more accessible and less challenging, having considerably higher prospects of obtaining their much desired Cisco CCIE certifications from the first try.

Cisco CCIE-Security Bootcamps are not recommended for novice students. This type of advanced training is primarily designed for people who are already CCNP or CCSP certified, have at least two years of Cisco networking experience, or students who are following complete Cisco training programs (including CCNA, CCSP, CCIE). Candidates that meet these requirements and attend to Cisco CCIE Bootcamps will find the Cisco training a rewarding experience, being able to further develop their skills regarding Cisco networking technologies with a minimal investment of time, effort, and money.

CCIE Routing & Switching

Routing and Switching is by far the most popular track, and covers a wide range of subjects, such as: LAN, WAN, Ethernet, TCP/IP, OSPF and BGP and many more.

CCIE Security

The Security track concentrates on network security and covers subjects such as Cisco PIX firewall, IOS security, Wireless LAN, security and many others.

CCIE Service Provider

The Service Provider track focuses on networking in the service provider industry. Subjects include Optical networks, DSL, WAN switching, Voice over IP, Content Networking, Broadband Cable and Metro Ethernet.

CCIE Voice

The Voice track concentrates on voice solutions for the enterprise and includes subjects such as QoS, MGCP, Call Manager (Cisco's VoIP PABX) and Unity, Cisco's Unified Messaging platform.

CCIE Storage Networking

The latest addition to the CCIE certification tracks is the CCIE Storage Networking track. As the name suggests, the Storage Networking track concentrates on storage networking topics, such as Fibre Channel, iSCSI, FCIP and FICON.

Tools For Study

Previously, certification exams consisted of only objective type questions like true/false or multiple choice questions. However, recently more and more certification vendors, including Cisco, are using simulated labs for examining a candidate's expertise in a given situation. For this reason, it is essential that those aspiring for Cisco certifications have sufficient hands-on experience. For this purpose, router simulators are available from a few vendors. A router simulator helps in simulating actual router network, but with limited amount of functionality built-in. Typically, the commands supported by a router simulator is a sub-set of full commnad-set of an actual router. However, simulators are relatively cheap (compared to purchase of physical routers) and cover the command-set as per respective exam objectives. A few reputed router simulator providers are given below.

Cisco Router Emulator

FREE Practice Tests

External links

References

[1] ttp://www.certs-explained.com/cisco-ccvp-certification.php

[2] ttp://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/ccie/certified_ccies/worldwide.html

[3] ttp://certcities.com/editorial/features/story.asp?EditorialsID=86

[4] ttp://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/ccie/certified_ccies/worldwide.html

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