Do Cisco’s New Exam Tracks Deconstruct the Certification Pyramid?

As your skills and knowledge increase, Cisco’s certification pyramid strategy allows you to move to the career ladder by upgrading lower levels of certification to higher levels of certification. At the bottom of the pyramid-at least until February 24, 2020-is entry-level, represented by Cisco certified entry Network technician (CCENT) credentials. Synchronous with employee level or Cisco certified network employee (CCNA). Certified candidates can start their journey at the entry-level and upgrade to the assistant level by first taking the Internet networking device 1 (ICND1) exam and then taking the ICND2. Or, candidates can skip the entry-level completely and jump directly to the assistant level by taking the CCNA exam. As a result, Cisco does not have the prerequisite for obtaining Associate-level credentials.

This is not the case for (CCNP) candidates for Cisco certified network professionals, at least until February 24, 2020. At present, to upgrade to the professional level of the pyramid, you need to climb to the middle school level first. If you have obtained (CCIE) certification from Cisco certified Internet expert, you can also implement CCNP. Like CCENT and CCNA, CCIE has never had a formal prerequisite. After Cisco launched CCNA and CCNP in the late 1990s, most candidates first upgraded from assistant level to professional level before trying CCIE, and CCIE was second only to (CCAr). This is the certified architect at the top of the pyramid. The levels in the Cisco pyramid should naturally reflect the professionalism of the candidates, which should be translated into pay levels in the real business world.

As of February 24, 2020, CCENT had disappeared completely, officially making CCNA the lowest Cisco credential layer. Perhaps surprisingly, however, Cisco has also removed prerequisites for obtaining CCNP credentials. If you feel that your current skills and experience exceed the assistant level and are more in line with the pyramidal professional level, you will skip the assistant level completely in February and focus on getting the new CCNP certification expert’s final CCNP credentials directly. CCNP Enterprise Core (ENCOR) Core CCNP Enterprise examination will provide you with Cisco Certification expert-Enterprise Core Certificate. You can then complete the CCNP Enterprise certification through one of the professional centralized exams.

Not only that, even if you fail the centralized exam to complete the CCNP Enterprise certification, even if you take and pass the CCNP 300- 401 (ENCOR) exam, you are eligible for CCIE enterprise infrastructure certification immediately. Instead of the CCIE path that currently requires you to pass the CCIE written and experimental exams, after February 24, 2020, you are eligible to take the CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure v1.0 Experimental examination (8 hours hands-on exam to complete the CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure Certification). As a result, after February 24, 2020, only the highest Cisco credentials-Cisco Certified Architect (CCAr)-have formal prerequisites. To obtain CCAr, Cisco advice, you first have a valid Cisco certified design expert (CCDE) certificate.

Do the change in Cisco's exam track and prerequisites mean that the pyramids are disappearing? It’s not. It’s just a transformation. So, as the prerequisites for CCNP are removed and it is possible to get better jobs at a higher starting rate, why may new Cisco certified candidates disturb reaching employee level? The answer to this question lies entirely in the business world. Just as getting a college degree does not guarantee your work or a lifestyle appropriate to your field of study, obtaining CCNP certification does not guarantee you a CCNP position and salary rating in any old company that relies on Cisco technology. If you are a newly certified CCNP, who lacks relevant experience in your resume or resume, you are likely to lose another experienced professional candidate. If you happen to win a job as a more experienced candidate, your lack of experience may cause your salary to be lower than the salary your certificate deserves. Bypassing the Associate level will also lead to supply and demand problems. If most of the companies you apply for are looking for associate degree candidates, these candidates may take precedence over you and your professional certificate, because assistant candidates do not require professional pay. In addition, for people with professional skills and knowledge, the company may not have direct business needs. In other words, you can overestimate the position you want to work within the company.

By first obtaining an assistant level certificate and increasing your work experience, you can expand your opportunities and increase your position and salary levels over time. When you prove your experience and your assistant level certificate achievement at the assistant level, you are most likely to benefit from the transition to a professional level. This does not mean that you should allow your ambitions to stagnate at the deputy level. As you earn a living, you can gain the experience and knowledge you need and obtain centralized certificates of Cisco certified experts corresponding to what you are doing. For example, if your main job is to implement and maintain the company’s wireless network, you can choose to use this experience (and some reliable learning tools) to take the CCNP 300-430 (ENWLSI) exam for the Cisco Enterprise Wireless Network. Through this exam, you can obtain Cisco certified expert-enterprise wireless network voucher, and obtain half of CCNP Enterprise voucher. Then, when you are ready to upgrade to a professional level, you only need to pass the CCNP 300-401 (ENCOR) exam to obtain CCNP Enterprise certification.

Finally, if you end up pursuing your Cisco credentials after February 24, 2020, the above applies primarily. If you have begun to focus on professional level joint venture level trips, Ciscoundefineds advice (and SPOTO’s) will continue to work. At the time of writing, you have more than six months to complete the associate level journey and start working at the professional level. Cisco has developed a migration path for candidates who have completed or partially completed certification by the February 24, 2020 deadline, so any time and money you have spent on your studies will not be lost. In addition, all of Cisco’s current exam track learning materials are also widely available. There is no good reason to wait.

Note: if you are keening on other cisco certification exams, and you can follow or contact SPOTO.