The Ultimate Guide to Cisco Certification

Cisco Systems is arguably most known for its business routing and switching products that can handle direct data, voice and video traffic across networks around the globe. However, the company also deals in storage networking, unified communications applications, telepresence and collaboration, and many other services ranging from basic product support to complete data center solutions and cloud management.

The company offers some of the most coveted certifications in the industry, including certifications for every level of IT practitioner: entry-level, intermediate, specialist or even expert-level credentials.

Cisco understands IT professionals need to stay up to date when it comes to mastering the skills necessary to support its products and solve customers’ technology queries at all times. This is why the Cisco Career Certification program commences at the entry level, then evolves to associate, professional and expert levels, and for particular certifications, takes you further up to the architect level.

Each certification level offers one or more credentials, and getting one of those credentials usually involves clearing one or more exams. To earn higher-level credentials, you need to prove you have cleared some prerequisite levels. As the certification level goes higher, you need to have more credentials and prerequisites.

The Cisco certification programs include the following levels:

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• Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT)
• Cisco Certified Technician (CCT)
• Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
• Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA)
• Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)
• Cisco Certified Design Professional (CCDP)
• Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE)
• Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE)
• Cisco Certified Architect (CCAr)

Although there are multiple certifications and paths you can choose to undertake in Cisco’s career program, the two primary paths are Network Design and Network Operation.

Your typical network operation certification road map starts at the entry level with the CCENT credential. Next up is the CCNA, then the CCNP and, (Read more...)