Which CCNP Track Is Easier to Pass?

By now I'm sure that you would have heard of the sweeping changes Cisco is going to make to their certification tracks, which was announced at Cisco Live on Monday, June 10, 2019. I would be discussing the CCNP Certification Tracks and which one would be easiest to clear it. First, if you would have already started working toward any current CCNP certification – you just need to go keep going! You would be having until February 24, 2020, to complete your certification, and in the new program, you would be receiving credit for work you've already completed.

But, first let's begin by looking at the current list of CCNP certifications, which would be expiring next February:

CCNP Routing and Switching

CCNP Collaboration

CCNP Wireless

CCNP Data Center

CCNP Security

CCNP Service Provider

CCDP

Now, here would be the new CCNP certifications that are going to be rolling out:

CCNP Enterprise

CCNP Collaboration

CCNP Data Center

CCNP Security

CCNP Service Provider

Cisco Certified DevNet Professional

You might have noticed the absence of CCNP Routing and Switching, CCNP Wireless, as well as CCDP. These would be all be retired and would be instead offering multiple paths of achieving the new CCNP Enterprise certification, along with new Specialist Certifications which would be based on which of the three tracks you would have chosen to go down. To clarify this further, Cisco has provided a migration tool for their professional exam tracks, which you could access by visiting the CCNP Migration Tool on their webpage.

The important thing to make clear is that if you have cleared the full exam path for any CCNP track before the February deadline, you would be granted the equivalent certification under the new program. For example, if you would have cleared the current CCNP SWITCH, CCNP ROUTE, and CCNP TSHOOT before February 24, you would be receiving the new CCNP Enterprise certification, plus the appropriate Specialist certifications as outlined by Cisco. So, clearly, it would be a good idea to gain the Cisco Certification before the changes occurred and also you need to find out which of the tracks you are having interest in. If you have knowledge regarding the Routing and Switching and if you go for the Security, just for the sake of Salary, you could end up losing it all. So the easier track to pass for the CCNP, would be by going for the track, in which you have some experience, or in which you are interested in.

Now, if you would be starting fresh under the new CCNP program, each CCNP certification would be required only two exams: one core exam and the other one concentration exam of your choice. To see what this would be looking like for your particular concentration, visit Cisco's Professional Level certification page and select the Cisco Professional Certification Updates.

One last interesting thing of note is that the core exams in each technology track would be also serving as qualifying exams for CCIE lab exams. This would mean there would be no more written CCIE exams necessary before attempting for the lab. So for example, let's say that you would be having a current CCNP in Routing and Switching. After the February deadline, you would be granted the CCNP Enterprise certification, along with the CCNP Certified Specialist - Enterprise Core certification. The CCNP Certified Specialist - Enterprise Core (300-401) is considered to be a prerequisite for the new CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure, in place of a written lab exam. 

Now, get this straight that if you clear the CCNP Track before the changes hit the road, it would be quite easier to crack it out. So, gain the SPOTO Club and acquire their prep courses for your CCNP Exam Preparation.

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