Cisco (Commercial & Industrial Security Corporation) vendor-specific certifications are a great way to boost your career. Cisco credentials are meant to fulfill the needs of IT professionals at every level, like entry, intermediate, specialist, and expert.
Networking professionals, if they get certified with any of these credentials, supercharge their career, and the technical knowledge they gain also adds value to the company they work with.
So, if you are planning to go for Cisco certifications, you must be aware of the latest changes Cisco has made to the certification system.
Cisco 2020 Certification Exam Updates
Professionals looking for career advancement must keep themselves updated about the changes in the new exam structure and new certification programs that Cisco has introduced.
According to Cisco, the changes cover essential IT skills and equip candidates with emerging technologies.
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Certification Changes
The new CCNA program caters to the demand of associate-level IT job roles. All the existing variants of the CCNA certifications have been clubbed into one CCNA. There will be only one exam covering IT fundamentals and the latest networking technologies, software development, and many other IT topics.
It holds for candidates appearing for the exam after 23 February. If you have applied for the exam before that, do not worry. You will receive the CCNA certification in your mentioned technology area.
Also, there are no officially announced prerequisites to take the exam to get CCNA certified. The certification remains valid for three years from passing the exam and can be renewed by fulfilling the recertification criteria within these three years.
All the CCNA certifications until 23 February 2020 like CCNA Cloud, Collaboration, Cyber Ops, Data Center, Industrial, Routing and Switching, Security, Service Provider, and Wireless all got integrated into one CCNA from 24 February 2020.
Cisco Certified Design Professional (CCDP) and Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) changes
CCDP and CCNP are professional-level certifications. CCNP Routing and Switching, CCNP Wireless, and CCDP will be incorporated into the CCNP Enterprise certification. It is two exam-option, including a test on core enterprise technologies and a concentration exam.
The CCNP Cloud will also get integrated with the CCNP Data Center exam.
Certifications until 23 February 2020 and from 24 February 2020.
- CCDP to CCNP Enterprise
- CCNP Routing and Switching to CCNP Enterprise
- CCNP Wireless to CCNP Enterprise
- CCNP Collaboration to CCNP Collaboration
- CCNP Data Center to CCNP Data Center
- CCNP Security to CCNP Security
- CCNP Service Provider to CCNP Service Provider
- CCNP Cloud to CCNP Data Center
Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Certification Changes
CCIE program is an expert-level certification. All the six tracks of CCIE certifications have undergone revision which became effective on 24 February 2020.
CCIE Collaboration v2.0 to CCIE Collaboration v3.0 Once you pass the CLCOR 300-801, you will get the Cisco Certified Specialist – Collaboration Core certification, valid for three years.
CCIE Data Center v2.1 to CCIE Data Center v3.0 Once uou pass the DCCOR 300-601, you will get the Cisco Certified Specialist – Data Center Core certification which is valid for three years.
CCIE Security v5.0 to CCIE Security v6.0 Once you pass the SCOR 300-701, you will get the Cisco Certified Specialist – Security Core certification, valid for three years.
CCIE Service Provider v4.1 to CCIE Service Provider v5.0 Once you pass the SPCOR 300-501, you will get the Cisco Certified Specialist – Service Provider Core certification, valid for three years.
Cisco removed the following CCIE certifications: CCIE Routing & Switching v5.0 CCIE Wireless v3.1
New CCIE certifications introduced by Cisco: CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure CCIE Enterprise Wireless
These certifications have adopted the CCNP Enterprise exam (ENCOR 300-401) for the written test. However, each has its particular lab requirement specific to the certificate.
CCIE Enterprise Wireless v1.0 and CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure v1.0 are valid for three years.
- Certifications until 23 February 2020 and from 24 February 2020
- CCIE Routing & Switching to CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure
- CCIE Wireless to CCIE Enterprise Wireless
- CCIE Collaboration to CCIE Collaboration
- CCIE Data Center to CCIE Data Center
- CCIE Security to CCIE Security
- CCIE Service Provider to CCIE Service Provider
DevNet: A new addition to the Cisco’s Certification Program
DevNet certification program is a new addition to the Cisco family of certifications and aims to create a unified community of IT professionals, including network professionals and software developers.
Cisco's primary goal is to uplift the concept of intent-based networking and minimize the gap between the requirements of the businesses and what, in reality, IT infrastructure delivers.
As per Cisco, the DevNet certification will equip professionals to combine their infrastructure expertise with programming to extract maximum benefit out of the available possibilities.
DevNet program has three levels of certification validating the skills and knowledge of DevOps engineers, software developers, automation specialists, and professionals working in similar fields. It will help professionals gain expertise in handling multiple technologies and delivering creative solutions. It will create a next-generation workforce for businesses that rely on Cisco technologies.
Here is a glimpse of the Cisco DevNet Training and Certification Program: Cisco Certified DevNet Associate: If you are a developer with practical experience of at least one year in developing and maintaining applications, you can opt for this. This certificate validates your foundational understanding of Cisco platforms, Cisco’s programmability strategy, API, and handling applications.
Cisco Certified DevNet Professional: If you are a developer with a minimum of three to five years of practical experience in designing and implementing applications, this certificate can be an excellent choice for you. It consists of two exams, one core testing professional-level developer skills and a concentration exam covering the following subject areas; enterprise automation, collaboration automation, data center automation, service provider automation, security automation, DevOps automation, developing Webex solutions, or IoT.
Cisco Certified DevNet Specialist: If you are a developer having three to five years of hands-on experience in application development, operations, security, or infrastructure, you can go for this certificate. It validates your skills and knowledge related to development, operations, security, and network operations in services and application delivery environments using Cisco platforms.
The Final Words
Cisco 2020 certification exam updates have been done to validate candidates’ all-around skills and knowledge, including the latest and emerging technologies, and fulfill the current job market demand.
There are no prerequisites to take the exam for most Cisco certifications. It is an advantage for candidates with a solid inclination towards beginning their career in the networking industry and, at the same time, gaining Cisco credentials also.
All Cisco certifications remain valid for three years, and it has waived off continuing education administrative fees as of 24 February 2020. It shows that Cisco is focusing on making its technology user-friendly and creating a stream of trained professionals per the current industry requirements.
