Cisco Network Certifications

Cisco Certifications
CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate)
CCNA: 640-607 VS 640-801
Cisco's CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional)
Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE)
Cisco Certification Career Paths
Cisco Resources

Cisco Certifications

Cisco is the leading manufacturer of Networking hardware. Cisco's market share in the networking market creates a huge demand for Cisco certified individuals. Cisco has over the years established a solid reputation for its  career certification programs, which enjoy wide and global recognition in the industry.

Cisco’s most advanced certification, Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE), is widely regarded and respected as the toughest certification exam around. Although the other certifications lower than the CCIE do not include lab exams or hands-on practicums, most of them effectively use simulation questions to test the candidates real-world ability and skills. With Cisco there are no two ways about it. To pass the exam you must know the stuff! To pass the exam you must learn!

CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate)

CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) is the foundation level certification for IT who can “install, configure, and operate LAN, WAN, and dial access services for small networks (100 nodes or fewer), including but not limited to use of these protocols: IP, IGRP, Serial, Frame Relay, IP RIP, VLANs, RIP, Ethernet, Access Lists.” 
The CCNA certification is widely recognized in the networking field and is in fact Cisco's most popular certification exam.

Candidates have two options to obtain their CCNA certification:

1. Passing the CCNA 640-801 exam

OR

2. Passing the INTRO 640-821 exam and ICND 640-811 exam

The CCNA is valid for three years. “To recertify, pass the current exam or any new exam at the Professional or Cisco Qualified Specialist level bearing the prefix 642.” 

CCNA Resources

 
CCNA: 640-607 VS 640-801

CCNA was recently updated.  What are the content revisions? New Knowledge requirements?

http://www.jidaw.com/ccna607vs801.html

Cisco’s CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional)

Cisco’s CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional) is an intermediate-level certification for IT professionals who can “install, configure, and troubleshoot local and wide area networks for enterprise organizations with networks from 100 to more than 500 nodes.” The CCNP has as its prerequisite the CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate), and covers content such as: “security, converged networks, quality of service (QoS), virtual private networks (VPN) and broadband technologies.”

You must pass the CCNA before taking the CCNP exams.

There is a four exam, three exam and two exam path to the CCNP. The CCNP is valid for three years.

To recertify, the candidate must pass the Composite exam. “Recertifying at the Professional level automatically renews the related CCNA certification.” 

Learn more about CCNP

Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE)

Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) is the advanced-level certification for IT professionals who have “the training, experience and confidence to tackle the most challenging problems in their field.” The CCIE thus “certifies an individual's networking skills at the expert level.” It is the highest level of Cisco certification.

The CCIE is regarded as most difficult certifications to attain, and is therefore one of the most respected and valued certifications in the IT industry.
CCIE certification is awarded in four different technical specialties.

The four tracks to the CCIE designations are: 

CCIE Service Provider 
CCIE Routing and Switching 
CCIE Security 
CCIE Voice

Each of these requires the candidate to “pass both a written qualifying exam and a hands-on lab exam demonstrating the candidate's expertise in configuring, testing and troubleshooting real equipment.”
Learn more about CCIE

Cisco Certification Career Paths

Take a look at all the Cisco certification career paths, “Cisco offers three levels of general certification—from Associate to Professional to Expert, representing the highest level of achievement—available in various paths (or tracks) and designations. A variety of Cisco Qualified Specialist focused certifications are available as well to show knowledge in specific technologies, solutions or job roles”.

MORE CISCO RESOURCES

http://www.jidaw.com/links.html#cisco

BUILDING A CAREER IN NETWORKING (1) http://www.jidaw.com/certarticles/netcareer1.html    

IT EXPERIENCE FOR NEWCOMERS- TIPS, ADVICE FOR JOBS IN IT

http://www.jidaw.com/certarticles/newcomer1.html

For more coverage and information related to this topic, head to the IT Career Resource Center:

http://www.jidaw.com/itcareer.html

Your Guide to taking the Right IT Career Decisions

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