About Cisco Certification Exams

About Career Certification Exams

The main requirement for obtaining Cisco Career Certifications such as CCENT, CCNA, CCDP and CCIE is to take and pass one or more certification exams and sign the Cisco Career Certifications and Confidentiality Agreement. Passing exams give network professionals the chance to prove their networking knowledge and expertise. 

What Are the Exams Like?

Exams are proctored, timed, and delivered in a secure environment. Most exams last approximately one to two hours. Lab exams typically last eight hours.

Candidates must acknowledge the Cisco Career Certifications and Confidentiality Agreement online at the authorized testing center prior to taking any Cisco Career Certification exam. Candidates will not be able to proceed with the exam and a refund will not be provided. Signing this legal agreement is required to be officially certified.

Exams can be very challenging, going beyond simple recall and requiring candidates to engage in on the job types of problem solving. Questions include multiple-choice single answer, multiple-choice multiple answers, drag and drop, fill in the blank and simulations.

Exams other than CCIE lab exams are delivered online, with questions in sequence, and do not allow a candidate to “mark” and return to an exam question.

Candidates will be provided with an erasable note board and marker for notes and calculations to assist them as they answer the questions.

Exams may contain non-scored items to collect performance data on new items. Non-scored items are not used in determining the passing score nor are reported in a subsection of the score report. All non-scored items are randomly placed in the exam with sufficient time calculated and given to complete the entire exam.

At the completion of computer-based exams, candidates receive a score report along with a score breakout by exam section and the passing score for the given exam. Lab exams are Pass/Fail and results are available online (using login) within 48 hours.

Cisco does not publish exam passing scores because exam questions and passing scores are subject to change without notice.

What Do They Cost?

Computer-based certification exam prices range from $80 to $325 US dollars or equivalent worldwide. The ICND1 and ICND2 exams are $125 USD, the CCNA exam is $250 USD and the professional level CCNP and CCDP Composite exam is $300.00 USD, and CCIE written exams are $350 USD. Payment is made directly to the authorized test delivery partner Pearson Vue.

CCIE lab exams are $1,400 USD. Payment is made online via credit card or wire transfer

Refund policies vary by testing delivery partner.

How Do I Schedule Exams?

Visit the CCIE website for more information on how to schedule CCIE lab exams.

For all other exams, contact an authorized test delivery partner in your area to register for an exam.

In the U.S. and Canada, exams usually can be scheduled up to six weeks in advance, and as late as the same day. Scheduling policies vary at international locations.

Candidates who fail an exam must wait a period of five (5) calendar days, beginning the day after the failed attempt, before they may retest for the same exam.

What Do I Get When I Pass My Exams?

After a candidate passes all exams required for a certification and signs the required agreements, Cisco will send a Cisco Career Certifications certificate identifying the candidate’s Cisco Career Certification ID and valid certification dates. Allow 3-5 business days for electronic certificates and 6-8 weeks from the date the certificate was mailed for printed certificates.

Certified candidates are authorized to use the appropriate Cisco Career Certifications logos indicating certification status. Prior to use, they must read and acknowledge the Cisco Career Certifications Logo Agreement. Logos can be ordered through the Cisco Career Certifications Tracking System.

The Cisco Career Certifications Tracking System provides a record of both exam and certification status. Candidates and certification holders are expected to keep contact information up to date for receiving notifications from Cisco.

Do certification exams expire?

CCENT, Associate and Professional level 642 exams are valid for three years from the date the exam was passed. Specialist focused certification exams are valid for two years from the date the exam was passed.

Placing expiration dates on exams ensures that candidates starting a multi-exam certification such as CCENT, CCNP, CCDP, CCVP, CCSP and CCIP, complete the program within a specified time-frame. By passing all of the required exams within the specified time period as noted above, candidates demonstrate that they are tested on current content. In situations where the period exceeds three years, candidates will need to re-take those exams that expire.

For CCIE written exam expiration information, visit the CCIE Exam Information page.

Cisco Certification Exam Tutorial

Cisco Career Certification exams include the following test formats:

• Multiple-choice single answer
• Multiple-choice multiple answer
• Drag-and-drop
• Fill-in-the-blank
• Testlet
• Simlet
• Simulations

Before taking the exam, candidates should become familiar with how all exam types function-especially the testlet, simlet, and the simulation tool. Such practice will allow candidates to focus their exam-taking efforts on the exam questions rather than on how to correctly use the tools. The tutorial below familiarizes users with the software tools used in Cisco Career Certification exams.

View Certification Exam Tutorial 

Source: http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/learning_certification_exam_tutorial.html

New Cisco Wireless Assesments Tests from Fast Lane

The Learning Center at the Fast Lane Community Site continues to grow with the addition of the new Cisco Wireless Assessment Tests. If you are preparing for any of the Cisco Wireless Career Certifications…test your knowledge first!

The Cisco Wireless Assessment Tests allow students to verify their knowledge in order to check

• Areas to focus on in preparation for their Certification exam
• If their current skills are at optimal levels for successfully passing their certification exam(s)

Log in to the Learning Center at the Fast Lane Community Site to access this and other assessment tests available to you. Registration to the Fast Lane Community Site is needed to access the Learning Center. If you haven’t already, you can register now.

Cisco Introduces New Telepresence Certs for 2010 By Daniel Margolis

In a global business climate populated by organizations under pressure to keep costs low, telepresence is emerging as an increasingly significant chunk of communications in general. The telepresence market may reach $4.7 billion in revenue worldwide by 2014, predicts business research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan.

As such, IT professionals are scrambling to develop the skill sets necessary to work with technologies that bring people in remote locations together through video and audio feed.
Last week, Cisco announced an extension of its certification program designed in response to increasing market demand for telepresence and collaboration solutions. Cisco is releasing two specialist certifications: the Cisco TelePresence Solutions Specialist and the Cisco TelePresence Installations Specialist. The courses and exams are scheduled to go live by January 2010.

The Cisco TelePresence Solutions Specialist certification focuses on the job performance needs of a midcareer voice specialist or networking engineer who seeks to specialize in the planning, design, implementation and maintenance of Cisco TelePresence deployments. Tasks include assessing network paths for rich media, evaluating call-control design options and configuring interoperability functions. The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification is a prerequisite.

The Cisco TelePresence Installations Specialist certification focuses on the job performance needs of an installation technician seeking to master the physical deployment and construction of single-screen Cisco TelePresence Systems. Tasks include assessing room readiness, tuning cameras and microphones and installing high-definition screens. While there is no prerequisite certification, a working understanding of basic Internet-based device connections is highly recommended.

Christine Yoshida, senior manager of learning and development at Cisco Systems, commented on who these certifications are geared toward. “The Cisco TelePresence Solutions Specialist is designed for network engineers who need to add that telepresence-specific skill set,” Yoshida said. “They’re going to need to know how to plan, design and implement the solutions, and they’re going to need some troubleshooting skills. So we’ve built that certification on top of the CCNA certification.”

The Cisco TelePresence Installations Specialist cert, meanwhile, is for “people who actually go in and construct the telepresence room,” Yoshida said. “So we teach them how to set up the room and the environment and how to evaluate the room; how to set up the lighting, sound, furniture and the conference table; and how to tune the whole system so that it’s operating correctly.”

According to Yoshida, essential telepresence skills vary by job role. “For the network engineer, they’re going to need to plan according to the customer’s needs what type of telepresence solution and installation should be implemented, and they’re going to have to plan the logistics of setting it up,” Yoshida said. “They’ll need to be concerned with call control, the architecture and the networks that support telepresence.”

Cisco’s introduction of these certifications to some extent signals maturation in the telepresence space. “When we first came out with our telepresence solution a few years ago, we were new to the market and Cisco was pretty much doing all of its own design planning and installing for customers,” Yoshida said. “Now the market adoption is such that we need to enable our channel partners with these skills, and even some of our biggest customers may want to have these skills in-house. It’s to the point where we feel there is enough critical mass to warrant this certification. It’s great because it allows the employers to know that their employees who deal with telepresence have what they need to be successful, and the individuals know that by participating in the program, getting their certifications, the skills they’re proving they have are relevant to the market demand today.”

To bolster this point, Yoshida cited findings of the Cisco Visual Networking Index: Forecast and Methodology, 2008-2013, which states that Internet video is now approximately one-third of all consumer Internet traffic, and by 2013 the sum of all forms of video will account for more than 91 percent of global consumer traffic.

New! CCIE® R&S Certification v4.0 Exams Now Available

Effective October 19, 2009, Cisco CCIE^® Routing and Switching v4.0 certification exams are available in all testing locations worldwide. The competencies required for CCIE R&S v4.0 certification can be found on the Cisco Learning Network under CCIE R&S v4.0 written exam topics and CCIE R&S v4.0 lab exam topics in the CCIE R&S section of the site.

Both the written and lab exams have been refreshed with new questions covering MPLS and VPN networking. The written exam includes new scenario-based questions. The lab exam now requires hands-on troubleshooting of preconfigured networks, in addition to configuration. Exam duration and pricing will remain the same, with the two-hour written exam at USD $350 and the eight-hour lab at USD $1400.

In addition, a fully updated version of the popular CCIE Routing and Switching Exam Certification Guide, Fourth Edition, authored by Cisco certification experts Wendell Odom, Rus Healy and Denise Donohue is now available from Cisco Press (ISBN: 1-58705-980-0). The new version includes material to prepare for the new troubleshooting portion of the exam. For more information about Cisco Press titles, visit www.CiscoPress.com/CCIE.

Cisco announces Cisco Education Specializations

Cisco announces Cisco Education Specializations 14 October, 2009 By Mark Cox

Cisco has announced the availability of Channel Education Specializations. The intent is to help customers to identify Cisco Learning Partners that offer specific, advanced training expertise in increasingly sophisticated network technologies.

Read full article: http://www.echannelline.com/usa/story.cfm?item=25066

Cisco Certifications Keep Pace With New Directions in Networking By Jeanne Beliveau-Dunn

Cisco Certifications Keep Pace With New Directions in Networking   

By Jeanne Beliveau-Dunn

Achieving professional certification, which validates knowledge and skills in critical network areas, can help students strengthen their position for capturing the career opportunities available in any economic climate.

Cisco certification indicates that individuals have attained specific skills and knowledge-, making them more valuable to their employers and more productive while opening further avenues for career advancement. Cisco has found that people with certifications also share a sense of common purpose and are committed to a high standard of conduct.

Read full article: http://www.certmag.com/read.php?in=3886

Cisco launches CCNA Security certification

Cisco launches CCNA Security certification 18 August, 2009 By Chris Talbot

Cisco Systems is releasing a new entry-level CCNA Security course through the Cisco Networking Academy.

The course will be made available around the world through colleges and universities that are part of the Networking Academy community. It was designed to be the next step for individuals who want to CCNA-level skills. The course provides an introduction to core security concepts and skills needed for installation, troubleshooting and monitoring of network devices so the integrity, confidentiality and availability of data and devices can be maintained.

“CCNA Security provides a next step for individuals who want to enhance their CCNA-level skill set and prepare for the Cisco CCNA Security certification exam and entry-level security specialist careers,” said Rosanna Bilges, senior manager of the Cisco Networking Academy for the U.S. and Canada. “Students who complete CCNA Security will develop specialist skills that will help them differentiate themselves in the marketplace and advance their careers.”

Bilges noted that networking skills are in demand across a variety of industries, but within that segment, security and risk management skills are among the most highly sought after skills. The demand for such skills continues to grow.

“IT organizations need individuals with specialized knowledge and skills to administer devices and applications in a security infrastructure, recognize network vulnerabilities, and mitigate security threats,” Bilges said.

The CCNA Security certification was designed for networking students and IT networking professionals looking for a chance to add to their core routing and switching skills, she said. This includes college and university students with CCNA-level knowledge that are looking to become specialized in security in their careers, IT professionals wanting to broaden or add to their specialized skills, and those seeking a career change, she said.

Additionally, the CCNA Security certifications helps individuals prepare for the Implementing Cisco IOS Network Security certification exam. Individuals must have a valid CCNA certification to take the CCNA Security course.

“Security will never go out of style, even during a recession,” Bilges said. “Businesses are required to comply with ever-changing regulatory controls and data protection requirements while fending off attacks from hackers and others and preventing malicious insider threats from succeeding. A survey by the SANS Institute showed that through the end of November 2009, 79 per cent of respondents saw no cuts to their security staffing levels.”

Latest Cisco certification focuses on network strategy

Cisco has announced a new top-level networking certification that trumps both the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert and the Cisco Certified Design Expert. The new Cisco Certified Architect certification will, in addition to network design, include business considerations and communications skills designed to create networking experts capable of taking a step back and mapping their systems to achieve strategic objectives.

Detail: http://www.echannelline.com/usa/story.cfm?item=24700