
Keith Barker
Networking & Network Security
Spotlight
The Cisco certifications IT directors most often standardize their teams on. Each one comes with virtual IOS labs and N2K practice exams included.
The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification validates a professional's ability to install, configure, operate, and troubleshoot medium-size routed and switched networks. It is ideal for network engineers, network administrators, and support technicians looking to enhance their skills and advance their careers in networking.
Exam investment: 300 USD
The CCNP Enterprise certification validates the skills and knowledge of network engineers to design, deploy, and manage complex enterprise networks, including infrastructure, routing, and security. It is ideal for network engineers, network administrators, and other IT professionals who want to advance their careers in enterprise networking. For this certification you will need to take the core exam, ENCOR, and then one concentration exam.
Exam investment: $400 USD
The CCNP Security certification validates the skills required to secure and manage network infrastructure, and to respond to security threats. It is ideal for network security engineers, security analysts, and other security professionals who want to advance their careers. In order to obtain this certification you will need to pass the core exam, 350-701 SCOR, as well as one concentration exam.
Exam investment: $400 for SCOR, $300 for SNCF and SISE
The CCNP Datacenter certification validates the skills and knowledge of IT professionals in designing, implementing, and managing modern data center infrastructure. It is ideal for data center architects, engineers, and network administrators who want to demonstrate their expertise in data center design, security, and management. This certification is designed for professionals who want to advance their careers in data center management and architecture. For this certification you will need to take the core exam, DCCOR, and then one concentration exam.
Exam investment: $300 USD
The CCNA Cybersecurity certification validates the skills and knowledge required to detect and respond to cybersecurity threats, and is ideal for security analysts, incident responders, and security engineers who want to demonstrate their skills in threat detection, analysis, and response.
Exam investment: 300 USD
The Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Networking certification validates foundational networking knowledge and skills, making it ideal for individuals starting a career in IT or seeking to enhance their networking capabilities. It covers basic networking concepts, including network access, IP connectivity, and IP services.
Exam investment: USD 125
The Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Cybersecurity certification is designed to validate foundational skills in cybersecurity. It is ideal for individuals starting their careers in cybersecurity or those looking to enhance their understanding of cybersecurity fundamentals. The certification covers essential topics such as security principles, network security, and endpoint security.
Exam investment: USD 125
The CCNA Automation certification validates the skills and knowledge required to develop and maintain applications built on Cisco platforms. It is ideal for software developers, network engineers, and IT professionals who want to enhance their skills in network automation and programmability.
Exam investment: $300 USD
The CCNP Collaboration certification by Cisco validates advanced knowledge and skills in designing, deploying, configuring, and troubleshooting Cisco Collaboration and Unified Communications applications, devices, and networks. It is ideal for collaboration engineers, network engineers, and system engineers who want to advance their careers in managing and supporting collaboration solutions. For this certification you will need to take the core exam, CLCOR, and then one of the concentration exams.
Exam investment: $300 USD per exam
The CCNP Service Provider certification validates the skills and knowledge of service provider network engineers to configure, implement, and troubleshoot complex service provider network infrastructures. It is ideal for network engineers, network architects, and network administrators who want to advance their careers in the service provider industry. For this certification you need to take the core exam, SPCOR, and the one of the concentration exams.
Exam investment: $400 USD
The Cisco DevNet Professional certification validates the skills of developers and network engineers who develop and manage network applications, and automate network infrastructure. This certification is ideal for professionals who want to develop and deploy applications on Cisco platforms. To earn this certification you will need to pass the core exam, 350-901 DEVCOR, as well as one of the concentration exams.
Exam investment: Core exam: $400, Concentration exam: $300
Customer leaders describe Cisco training value in operational terms — faster troubleshooting, clearer onboarding, and a defensible view of who's ready to own which part of the network. That's the outcome leadership cares about, not seat-time or completion percentages.
Role-based paths
Match Cisco certs to the actual roles your team holds. Each path bundles the right certs plus the operational depth engineers need day-to-day.
The routing, switching, SD-WAN, and architecture certs your network team should hold. CCNA establishes the team's shared baseline; CCNP Enterprise proves senior capability for design and operations.
The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification validates a professional's ability to install, configure, operate, and troubleshoot medium-size routed and switched networks. It is ideal for network engineers, network administrators, and support technicians looking to enhance their skills and advance their careers in networking.
Exam investment: 300 USD
The CCNP Enterprise certification validates the skills and knowledge of network engineers to design, deploy, and manage complex enterprise networks, including infrastructure, routing, and security. It is ideal for network engineers, network administrators, and other IT professionals who want to advance their careers in enterprise networking. For this certification you will need to take the core exam, ENCOR, and then one concentration exam.
Exam investment: $400 USD
The Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Networking certification validates foundational networking knowledge and skills, making it ideal for individuals starting a career in IT or seeking to enhance their networking capabilities. It covers basic networking concepts, including network access, IP connectivity, and IP services.
Exam investment: USD 125
Defend the Cisco-firewall stack with CCNP Security and the CyberOps-aligned CCNA Cybersecurity. Pairs with the CCST Cybersecurity on-ramp for new SOC hires.
The Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Cybersecurity certification is designed to validate foundational skills in cybersecurity. It is ideal for individuals starting their careers in cybersecurity or those looking to enhance their understanding of cybersecurity fundamentals. The certification covers essential topics such as security principles, network security, and endpoint security.
Exam investment: USD 125
The CCNA Cybersecurity certification validates the skills and knowledge required to detect and respond to cybersecurity threats, and is ideal for security analysts, incident responders, and security engineers who want to demonstrate their skills in threat detection, analysis, and response.
Exam investment: 300 USD
The CCNP Security certification validates the skills required to secure and manage network infrastructure, and to respond to security threats. It is ideal for network security engineers, security analysts, and other security professionals who want to advance their careers. In order to obtain this certification you will need to pass the core exam, 350-701 SCOR, as well as one concentration exam.
Exam investment: $400 for SCOR, $300 for SNCF and SISE
UCS, ACI, Nexus, and storage capability for teams operating Cisco data-center infrastructure. CCNP Datacenter is the professional-level baseline.
The CCNP Datacenter certification validates the skills and knowledge of IT professionals in designing, implementing, and managing modern data center infrastructure. It is ideal for data center architects, engineers, and network administrators who want to demonstrate their expertise in data center design, security, and management. This certification is designed for professionals who want to advance their careers in data center management and architecture. For this certification you will need to take the core exam, DCCOR, and then one concentration exam.
Exam investment: $300 USD
Bring NetDevOps practices to the network team. CCNA Automation and DevNet Professional cover Python, APIs, and infrastructure-as-code on Cisco platforms.
The CCNA Automation certification validates the skills and knowledge required to develop and maintain applications built on Cisco platforms. It is ideal for software developers, network engineers, and IT professionals who want to enhance their skills in network automation and programmability.
Exam investment: $300 USD
The Cisco DevNet Professional certification validates the skills of developers and network engineers who develop and manage network applications, and automate network infrastructure. This certification is ideal for professionals who want to develop and deploy applications on Cisco platforms. To earn this certification you will need to pass the core exam, 350-901 DEVCOR, as well as one of the concentration exams.
Exam investment: Core exam: $400, Concentration exam: $300
Voice, video, and unified communications platforms (CUCM, Webex, CLACCM) for teams supporting hybrid-work collaboration infrastructure.
The CCNP Collaboration certification by Cisco validates advanced knowledge and skills in designing, deploying, configuring, and troubleshooting Cisco Collaboration and Unified Communications applications, devices, and networks. It is ideal for collaboration engineers, network engineers, and system engineers who want to advance their careers in managing and supporting collaboration solutions. For this certification you will need to take the core exam, CLCOR, and then one of the concentration exams.
Exam investment: $300 USD per exam
For teams operating service-provider networks: SPCOR core plus advanced routing and automation specializations.
The CCNP Service Provider certification validates the skills and knowledge of service provider network engineers to configure, implement, and troubleshoot complex service provider network infrastructures. It is ideal for network engineers, network architects, and network administrators who want to advance their careers in the service provider industry. For this certification you need to take the core exam, SPCOR, and the one of the concentration exams.
Exam investment: $400 USD

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Networking & Network Security

Data Center & Network Design

Cisco Collaboration & Microsoft Teams Administration
Team outcome
Structured networking and infrastructure paths give teams a shared baseline before outages, migrations, and escalations test them.
Best fit for: leaders reducing single points of failure across network, cloud, security, and systems administration responsibilities.
Common questions IT directors ask when evaluating Cisco training for their team.