{"id":22928,"date":"2026-03-13T15:19:45","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T07:19:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/?p=22928"},"modified":"2026-03-13T15:28:33","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T07:28:33","slug":"cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html","title":{"rendered":"Cisco Certifications 2026: What&#8217;s Changing and Why It Matters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Cisco has officially launched one of the most significant overhauls to its certification portfolio in over a decade. Unveiled under the banner of &#8220;Learn with Cisco,&#8221; this sweeping transformation\u2014taking full effect on February 3, 2026\u2014reshapes how IT professionals earn, communicate, and build upon their Cisco credentials. From the rebranding of entire certification tracks to the introduction of AI-driven exam content, the changes are both structural and philosophical. If you hold a Cisco certification, are studying for one, or are planning your next career move in networking or cybersecurity, this update is essential reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy counter-decimal ez-toc-light-blue\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"display: none;\"><i class=\"ez-toc-glyphicon ez-toc-icon-toggle\"><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html\/#The_Big_Picture_Why_Cisco_Is_Changing_Everything_Now\" title=\"The Big Picture: Why Cisco Is Changing Everything Now\">The Big Picture: Why Cisco Is Changing Everything Now<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html\/#The_Previous_Framework_A_Brief_Overview\" title=\"The Previous Framework: A Brief Overview\">The Previous Framework: A Brief Overview<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html\/#Before_vs_After_Full_Comparison_Table\" title=\"Before vs. After: Full Comparison Table\">Before vs. After: Full Comparison Table<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html\/#Breaking_Down_the_Key_Changes\" title=\"Breaking Down the Key Changes\">Breaking Down the Key Changes<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html\/#1_DevNet_%E2%86%92_CCNACCNPCCIE_Automation\" title=\"1. DevNet \u2192 CCNA\/CCNP\/CCIE Automation\">1. DevNet \u2192 CCNA\/CCNP\/CCIE Automation<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html\/#2_CyberOps_%E2%86%92_CCNACCNP_Cybersecurity\" title=\"2. CyberOps \u2192 CCNA\/CCNP Cybersecurity\">2. CyberOps \u2192 CCNA\/CCNP Cybersecurity<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html\/#3_Collaboration_v20_New_Cloud_Specialist\" title=\"3. Collaboration v2.0 + New Cloud Specialist\">3. Collaboration v2.0 + New Cloud Specialist<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html\/#4_Wireless_Track_Returns\" title=\"4. Wireless Track Returns\">4. Wireless Track Returns<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html\/#What_This_Means_for_You\" title=\"What This Means for You\">What This Means for You<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html\/#Conclusion_The_Future_Is_Certified\" title=\"Conclusion: The Future Is Certified\">Conclusion: The Future Is Certified<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Big_Picture_Why_Cisco_Is_Changing_Everything_Now\"><\/span><strong>The Big Picture: Why Cisco Is Changing Everything Now<\/strong><strong><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The IT industry is undergoing a seismic shift. Artificial intelligence, automation, and cloud-native architectures are no longer emerging trends\u2014they are the operating reality for network engineers, cybersecurity professionals, and developers worldwide. Cisco&#8217;s certification program, which has long served as the gold standard for networking credentials, needed to evolve in step with these changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The overarching goal of the 2026 update is threefold: align certifications with real-world AI and automation demands, simplify the naming and structure of the certification ecosystem, and provide clearer career progression pathways for everyone from beginners to seasoned experts. As Par Merat, Vice President of Learn with Cisco, noted in the official announcement, the changes are designed to help professionals build an AI-ready skill set, grow expertise, and navigate the complexity of modern IT environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Previous_Framework_A_Brief_Overview\"><\/span><strong>The Previous Framework: A Brief Overview<\/strong><strong><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before the 2026 overhaul, Cisco&#8217;s certification portfolio was organized into distinct, sometimes siloed tracks. The traditional tiers\u2014CCNA, CCNP, and CCIE\u2014governed general networking, while DevNet handled programmability and CyberOps covered security operations. These parallel naming schemes created confusion for employers and candidates alike, and exam content was slow to reflect the rise of AI and automation in real-world environments. The 2026 update addresses all of these shortcomings head-on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Before_vs_After_Full_Comparison_Table\"><\/span><strong>Before vs. After: Full Comparison Table<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The table below summarizes every major change introduced in the February 2026 update.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"legend\"><span class=\"l-updated\">Content \/ structure updated<\/span><br \/><span class=\"l-new\">Brand new<\/span><br \/><span class=\"l-retired\">Retired<\/span><br \/><span class=\"l-rename\">Renamed only<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"table-wrap\">\n<p><!-- BRAND --><\/p>\n<p><!-- AUTOMATION --><\/p>\n<p><!-- CYBERSECURITY --><\/p>\n<p><!-- COLLABORATION --><\/p>\n<p><!-- WIRELESS --><\/p>\n<p><!-- EXAM CONTENT --><\/p>\n<p><!-- FREE LEARNING --><\/p>\n<table><colgroup> <col class=\"c1\" \/> <col class=\"c2\" \/> <col class=\"c3\" \/> <col class=\"c4\" \/> <\/colgroup>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Category<\/th>\n<th>Before (pre-2026)<\/th>\n<th>After (Feb 3, 2026)<\/th>\n<th>Change type<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr class=\"section\">\n<td colspan=\"4\">Brand &amp; Ecosystem<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cat\">Program name<\/td>\n<td class=\"before\">Cisco Learning Network \/ Cisco Certifications<\/td>\n<td class=\"after-updated\">Learn with Cisco<\/td>\n<td><span class=\"badge b-updated\">Rebranded<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cat\">Certification tiers<\/td>\n<td class=\"before\">CCNA \/ CCNP \/ CCIE + separate DevNet brand + separate CyberOps brand<\/td>\n<td class=\"after-updated\">Unified CCNA \/ CCNP \/ CCIE across all tracks<\/td>\n<td><span class=\"badge b-unified\">Unified<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"section\">\n<td colspan=\"4\">Automation \/ DevNet Track<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cat\">Associate level<\/td>\n<td class=\"before\">DevNet Associate<\/td>\n<td class=\"after-updated\">CCNA Automation \u2014 updated exam with AI-ready networking content<\/td>\n<td><span class=\"badge b-updated\">Updated<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cat\">Professional level<\/td>\n<td class=\"before\">CCNP DevNet<\/td>\n<td class=\"after-rename\">CCNP Automation<\/td>\n<td><span class=\"badge b-rename\">Renamed<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cat\">Expert level<\/td>\n<td class=\"before\">CCIE DevNet<\/td>\n<td class=\"after-rename\">CCIE Automation<\/td>\n<td><span class=\"badge b-rename\">Renamed<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cat\">Migration policy<\/td>\n<td class=\"before\">N\/A<\/td>\n<td class=\"after-updated\">Auto-migrated on Feb 3, 2026. New digital badges issued automatically \u2014 no retesting required.<\/td>\n<td><span class=\"badge b-updated\">New policy<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cat\">Multi-vendor focus<\/td>\n<td class=\"before\">Primarily Cisco-centric<\/td>\n<td class=\"after-updated\">CCNP \/ CCIE Automation explicitly covers multi-vendor environments<\/td>\n<td><span class=\"badge b-elevated\">Elevated<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cat\">Retiring specialist exams<\/td>\n<td class=\"before\">SAUTO, CLAUTO, SPAUTO, DEVOPS, CLICA available as concentrations<\/td>\n<td class=\"after-retired\">All retired as of February 2, 2026<\/td>\n<td><span class=\"badge b-retired\">Retired<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"section\">\n<td colspan=\"4\">Cybersecurity Track<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cat\">Associate level<\/td>\n<td class=\"before\">CyberOps Associate<\/td>\n<td class=\"after-rename\">CCNA Cybersecurity<\/td>\n<td><span class=\"badge b-rename\">Renamed<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cat\">Professional level<\/td>\n<td class=\"before\">CyberOps Professional<\/td>\n<td class=\"after-rename\">CCNP Cybersecurity<\/td>\n<td><span class=\"badge b-rename\">Renamed<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cat\">Exam content (CBROPS)<\/td>\n<td class=\"before\">v1.x \u2014 traditional SOC analyst topics<\/td>\n<td class=\"after-updated\">v1.2 \u2014 adds AI-assisted threat monitoring, zero trust, behavioral analytics<\/td>\n<td><span class=\"badge b-updated\">Updated<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cat\">Brand alignment<\/td>\n<td class=\"before\">Separate CyberOps brand outside CCNA\/CCNP<\/td>\n<td class=\"after-updated\">Fully integrated under the CCNA \/ CCNP umbrella<\/td>\n<td><span class=\"badge b-unified\">Integrated<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"section\">\n<td colspan=\"4\">Collaboration Track<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cat\">Core exam (CLCOR)<\/td>\n<td class=\"before\">350-801 CLCOR v1.x<\/td>\n<td class=\"after-updated\">350-801 CLCOR v2.0 \u2014 refreshed for hybrid and cloud architectures<\/td>\n<td><span class=\"badge b-updated\">Updated<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cat\">On-premises specialist<\/td>\n<td class=\"before\">300-815 CLACC v1.x<\/td>\n<td class=\"after-updated\">300-815 CLACC v2.0<\/td>\n<td><span class=\"badge b-updated\">Updated<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cat\">Hybrid &amp; cloud specialist<\/td>\n<td class=\"before\">300-820 CLHCT v1.x<\/td>\n<td class=\"after-updated\">300-820 CLHCT v2.0<\/td>\n<td><span class=\"badge b-updated\">Updated<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cat\">Cloud CX specialist<\/td>\n<td class=\"before\">Not available<\/td>\n<td class=\"after-new\">NEW: 300-830 CLCCE \u2014 Implementing Cisco Collaboration Cloud Customer Experience (Webex-focused)<\/td>\n<td><span class=\"badge b-new\">Brand new<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"section\">\n<td colspan=\"4\">Wireless Track<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cat\">Dedicated wireless track<\/td>\n<td class=\"before\">Wireless merged into Enterprise \u2014 no standalone CCNP\/CCIE Wireless<\/td>\n<td class=\"after-new\">CCNP Wireless + CCIE Wireless relaunched \u2014 effective March 19, 2026<\/td>\n<td><span class=\"badge b-new\">Reintroduced<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"section\">\n<td colspan=\"4\">Exam Content &amp; Focus<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cat\">AI coverage<\/td>\n<td class=\"before\">Minimal \u2014 AI noted as an emerging topic only<\/td>\n<td class=\"after-updated\">AI-ready skills embedded across Automation, Cybersecurity, and Wireless tracks<\/td>\n<td><span class=\"badge b-elevated\">Expanded<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cat\">Automation career ladder<\/td>\n<td class=\"before\">Optional specialist concentrations (e.g., ENAUTO) \u2014 no standalone track<\/td>\n<td class=\"after-updated\">Full track: CCNA \u2192 CCNP \u2192 CCIE Automation with clear progression<\/td>\n<td><span class=\"badge b-elevated\">Elevated<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"section\">\n<td colspan=\"4\">Free Learning Resources<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cat\">AI for Networking badge<\/td>\n<td class=\"before\">Not available<\/td>\n<td class=\"after-new\">Free: Understanding AI and LLMs as a Network Engineer tutorial + badge<\/td>\n<td><span class=\"badge b-new\">New<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cat\">Automation CE credits<\/td>\n<td class=\"before\">Limited free options<\/td>\n<td class=\"after-new\">Free: Understanding Cisco Network Automation Essentials \u2014 earns 16 CE credits toward recertification<\/td>\n<td><span class=\"badge b-new\">New<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"footnote\"><strong>Source:<\/strong> Cisco Official Blog (blogs.cisco.com\/learning) \u00b7 Cisco Learning Network \u00b7 March 2026.<br \/>Auto-migration applies to all active DevNet and CyberOps credential holders as of Feb 3, 2026 \u2014 no action required.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Breaking_Down_the_Key_Changes\"><\/span><strong>Breaking Down the Key Changes<\/strong><strong><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_DevNet_%E2%86%92_CCNACCNPCCIE_Automation\"><\/span><strong>1. DevNet \u2192 CCNA\/CCNP\/CCIE Automation<\/strong><strong><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is more than cosmetic. The new Automation track comes with substantially updated exam content that emphasizes AI-ready networking skills, infrastructure-as-code, multi-vendor programmability, and cloud-native automation frameworks. Cisco has confirmed that existing DevNet certification holders will be automatically migrated to the corresponding Automation credential on February 3, 2026\u2014no retesting required. However, several specialist concentration exams (SAUTO, CLAUTO, SPAUTO, DEVOPS, CLICA) are being retired as of February 2, 2026. Candidates preparing for these should prioritize completing them before the cutoff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_CyberOps_%E2%86%92_CCNACCNP_Cybersecurity\"><\/span><strong>2. CyberOps \u2192 CCNA\/CCNP Cybersecurity<\/strong><strong><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Bringing cybersecurity under the CCNA\/CCNP brand instantly communicates its value to employers who already recognize those names as benchmarks of competence. Beyond the rename, the CBROPS exam (v1.2) is updated with practical AI applications in monitoring and threat analysis, reflecting the reality that modern Security Operations Centers increasingly rely on AI-generated alerts, behavioral analytics, and automated triage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Collaboration_v20_New_Cloud_Specialist\"><\/span><strong>3. Collaboration v2.0 + New Cloud Specialist<\/strong><strong><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With hybrid and remote work now the default for many enterprises, Cisco has updated its Collaboration track to reflect modern reality. Three existing exams are refreshed to v2.0, and a brand-new cloud-only specialist certification\u2014Implementing Cisco Collaboration Cloud Customer Experience (300-830 CLCCE)\u2014is introduced, focusing on Webex contact center technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Wireless_Track_Returns\"><\/span><strong>4. Wireless Track Returns<\/strong><strong><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Beginning March 19, 2026, candidates can once again pursue CCNP Wireless and CCIE Wireless credentials. This acknowledges the growing complexity of enterprise wireless networking\u2014particularly as Wi-Fi 6E\/7 deployments and AI-driven network management demand dedicated specialist expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_This_Means_for_You\"><\/span><strong>What This Means for You<\/strong><strong><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Existing DevNet holders: Auto-migrated to CCNA\/CCNP\/CCIE Automation on Feb 3, 2026. No action required.<\/li><li>Existing CyberOps holders: Auto-migrated to CCNA\/CCNP Cybersecurity. New digital badges issued automatically.<\/li><li>Preparing for SAUTO, CLAUTO, SPAUTO, DEVOPS, or CLICA: Deadline is February 2, 2026. Prioritize completing these exams.<\/li><li>Starting fresh: The new structure offers a cleaner roadmap. Unified CCNA\/CCNP\/CCIE naming makes your expertise immediately legible to employers.<\/li><li>Collaboration engineers: Review updated v2.0 exam blueprints before attempting certification.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion_The_Future_Is_Certified\"><\/span><strong>Conclusion: The Future Is Certified<\/strong><strong><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Cisco&#8217;s 2026 certification overhaul is not a disruption\u2014it is an evolution carefully designed to protect the investments of existing credential holders while aggressively preparing the next generation of IT professionals for an AI-driven world. By unifying its portfolio under the trusted CCNA, CCNP, and CCIE brands, integrating AI and automation content throughout every track, and expanding free learning resources, Cisco is doubling down on its role as the definitive standard-setter in networking and IT certification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The message from Cisco is clear: whether you configure routers, write automation scripts, secure enterprise networks, or deploy cloud collaboration platforms, your skills need to scale with the intelligence of the networks you manage. The new era of Cisco certifications is designed to make sure they do.<\/p>\n<div class='sfsi_Sicons' style='width: 100%; display: inline-block; vertical-align: middle; text-align:left'><div style='margin:0px 8px 0px 0px; line-height: 24px'><span>Please follow and like us:<\/span><\/div><div class='sfsi_socialwpr'><div class='sf_fb_share sf_icon' style='text-align:left;vertical-align: middle;'><a href='https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcciedump.spoto.net%2Fblog%2Fcisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html' style='display:inline-block;'  > <img class='sfsi_wicon'  data-pin-nopin='true' width='auto' height='auto' alt='fb-share-icon' title='Facebook Share' src='https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/ultimate-social-media-icons\/images\/visit_icons\/fbshare_bck.png'  \/><\/a><\/div><div class='sf_twiter sf_icon' style='display: inline-block;vertical-align: middle;width: auto;margin-left: 7px;'>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a target='_blank' href='https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Cisco+Certifications+2026%3A+What%26%238217%3Bs+Changing+and+Why+It+Matters+https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html'style='display:inline-block' >\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img data-pin-nopin= true width='auto' class='sfsi_wicon' src='https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/ultimate-social-media-icons\/images\/visit_icons\/en_US_Tweet.svg' alt='Tweet' title='Tweet' >\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><div class='sf_pinit sf_icon' style='text-align:left;vertical-align: middle;float:left;line-height: 33px;width:auto;margin: 0 -2px;'><a href='#'  onclick='sfsi_pinterest_modal_images(event,\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html\",\"Cisco Certifications 2026: What&#8217;s Changing and Why It Matters\")' style='display:inline-block;'  > <img class='sfsi_wicon'  data-pin-nopin='true' width='auto' height='auto' alt='fb-share-icon' title='Pin Share' src='https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/ultimate-social-media-icons\/images\/share_icons\/Pinterest_Save\/en_US_save.svg'  \/><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cisco has officially launched one of the most significant overhauls to its certification portfolio in over a decade. Unveiled under the banner of &#8220;Learn with Cisco,&#8221; this sweeping transformation\u2014taking full effect on February 3, 2026\u2014reshapes how IT professionals earn, communicate, and build upon their Cisco credentials. From the rebranding of entire certification tracks to the&#8230; &raquo; <a class=\"read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html\">read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22931,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1,608],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v18.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Cisco Certifications 2026: What&#039;s Changing and Why It Matters - SPOTO Official Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Cisco is overhauling its certification portfolio in February 2026. Learn how DevNet, CyberOps, and Collaboration tracks are changing\u2014and what it means for you.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cisco Certifications 2026: What&#039;s Changing and Why It Matters - SPOTO Official Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Cisco is overhauling its certification portfolio in February 2026. Learn how DevNet, CyberOps, and Collaboration tracks are changing\u2014and what it means for you.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SPOTO Official Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-13T07:19:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-13T07:28:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Cisco-Certifications-2026.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"SPOTO Club\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"SPOTO Official Blog\",\"description\":\"Focus on Online IT Training for 20+ Years\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/25594d4796697ccb1ef63d55c269c638\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Cisco-Certifications-2026.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Cisco-Certifications-2026.png\",\"width\":600,\"height\":400,\"caption\":\"Cisco Certifications 2026\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html\",\"name\":\"Cisco Certifications 2026: What's Changing and Why It Matters - SPOTO Official Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-13T07:19:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-13T07:28:33+00:00\",\"description\":\"Cisco is overhauling its certification portfolio in February 2026. Learn how DevNet, CyberOps, and Collaboration tracks are changing\u2014and what it means for you.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Cisco Certifications 2026: What&#8217;s Changing and Why It Matters\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html#webpage\"},\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/25594d4796697ccb1ef63d55c269c638\"},\"headline\":\"Cisco Certifications 2026: What&#8217;s Changing and Why It Matters\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-13T07:19:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-13T07:28:33+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html#webpage\"},\"wordCount\":1140,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/25594d4796697ccb1ef63d55c269c638\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Cisco-Certifications-2026.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"all\",\"Cisco Certification\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/25594d4796697ccb1ef63d55c269c638\",\"name\":\"SPOTO Club\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/spoto-facemask-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/spoto-facemask-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"SPOTO Club\"},\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/#personlogo\"},\"description\":\"SPOTO is an excellent leader in IT certification training for 20+ years. We offer 100% real Cisco CCNA, CCNP exam dumps, CCIE Lab study materials, PMP, CISA, CISM, AWS, Palo Alto, and other IT exam dumps. We have helped thousands of candidates around the world to pass their IT exams on the first try! As the first-class online IT training organization in China, SPOTO cooperates with many giant Internet companies in China like Tencent, Baidu, and Alibaba. What\u2019s more, we have won lots of awards in IT education training such as \u201cTop Ten Influential Brands In Online Education Industry\u201d given by Baidu, \u201cOfficial IT Online Training Organization\u201d awarded by Tencent Class, etc. Join us: https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/ Contact us: E-mail: support@spoto.net Phone \/ WhatsApp: +86 18344981205\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Cisco Certifications 2026: What's Changing and Why It Matters - SPOTO Official Blog","description":"Cisco is overhauling its certification portfolio in February 2026. Learn how DevNet, CyberOps, and Collaboration tracks are changing\u2014and what it means for you.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Cisco Certifications 2026: What's Changing and Why It Matters - SPOTO Official Blog","og_description":"Cisco is overhauling its certification portfolio in February 2026. Learn how DevNet, CyberOps, and Collaboration tracks are changing\u2014and what it means for you.","og_url":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html","og_site_name":"SPOTO Official Blog","article_published_time":"2026-03-13T07:19:45+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-13T07:28:33+00:00","og_image":[{"width":600,"height":400,"url":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Cisco-Certifications-2026.png","type":"image\/png"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"SPOTO Club","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/","name":"SPOTO Official Blog","description":"Focus on Online IT Training for 20+ Years","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/25594d4796697ccb1ef63d55c269c638"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Cisco-Certifications-2026.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Cisco-Certifications-2026.png","width":600,"height":400,"caption":"Cisco Certifications 2026"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html#webpage","url":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html","name":"Cisco Certifications 2026: What's Changing and Why It Matters - SPOTO Official Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2026-03-13T07:19:45+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-13T07:28:33+00:00","description":"Cisco is overhauling its certification portfolio in February 2026. Learn how DevNet, CyberOps, and Collaboration tracks are changing\u2014and what it means for you.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Cisco Certifications 2026: What&#8217;s Changing and Why It Matters"}]},{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html#webpage"},"author":{"@id":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/25594d4796697ccb1ef63d55c269c638"},"headline":"Cisco Certifications 2026: What&#8217;s Changing and Why It Matters","datePublished":"2026-03-13T07:19:45+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-13T07:28:33+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html#webpage"},"wordCount":1140,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/25594d4796697ccb1ef63d55c269c638"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Cisco-Certifications-2026.png","articleSection":["all","Cisco Certification"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/cisco-certification-2026-whats-changing-and-why-it-matters_22928.html#respond"]}]},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/25594d4796697ccb1ef63d55c269c638","name":"SPOTO Club","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/spoto-facemask-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/spoto-facemask-96x96.jpg","caption":"SPOTO Club"},"logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/#personlogo"},"description":"SPOTO is an excellent leader in IT certification training for 20+ years. We offer 100% real Cisco CCNA, CCNP exam dumps, CCIE Lab study materials, PMP, CISA, CISM, AWS, Palo Alto, and other IT exam dumps. We have helped thousands of candidates around the world to pass their IT exams on the first try! As the first-class online IT training organization in China, SPOTO cooperates with many giant Internet companies in China like Tencent, Baidu, and Alibaba. What\u2019s more, we have won lots of awards in IT education training such as \u201cTop Ten Influential Brands In Online Education Industry\u201d given by Baidu, \u201cOfficial IT Online Training Organization\u201d awarded by Tencent Class, etc. Join us: https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/ Contact us: E-mail: support@spoto.net Phone \/ WhatsApp: +86 18344981205","sameAs":["https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22928"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22928"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22928\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22932,"href":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22928\/revisions\/22932"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22931"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22928"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22928"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cciedump.spoto.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}