Cert News: New Cisco Certifications Coming

The certpocalyse is upon us. We're ready to go with new Cisco DEVASC 200-901 DevNet training and a CCNA 200-301 course. 

In 2019, Cisco Live kicked off with exciting news - the introduction of a new CCNA certification. Fast forward to 2024, and the CCNA continues to evolve with the latest advancements in the IT industry.

Designed to prepare professionals for associate-level IT job roles, the CCNA validates a broad range of knowledge and skills. The exam covers networking and security fundamentals, as well as automation and programmability.

And yes, you only have to take one exam, the Cisco Certified Network Associate (200-301 CCNA), to earn the new CCNA! Previously, candidates typically had to take multiple exams to earn CCNA certification.

While there are no prerequisites for the 200-301 exam, Cisco recommends at least one year of experience implementing and administering Cisco solutions, knowledge of basic IP addressing, and a solid understanding of networking basics.

The CCNA has replaced the following certifications:

• CCNA Cloud

• CCNA Collaboration

• CCNA Data Center

• CCDA

• CCNA Industrial

• CCNA Routing and Switching

• CCNA Security

• CCNA Service Provider

• CCNA Wireless

With this change, the Cisco certification map will look a lot different than it does right now.

Here's what the new Cisco certification path will look like:

Changes to the CCNP

In the chart above, you'll also notice a big change to the CCNP as well. Most CCNP certifications will also be retiring. Right now, networking professionals start a specialization track at the CCNA level.

For example, CCNA Security leads to CCNP Security. That's all about to change. Today, one CCNA (200-301 CCNA) covers networking basics and then you specialize at the CCNP level.

There are no formal prerequisites for the CCNP exams, which is another big change. But structurally they remain about the same as before. You are still required to pass a core exam and one of three to eight concentration exams to earn your CCNP.

Here's the complete list of the CCNPs:

• CCNP Enterprise

• CCNP Security

• CCNP Service Provider

• CCNP Collaboration

• CCNP Data Center

• Cisco Certified DevNet Professional

Passing any of these concentration exams will also earn you the Cisco Certified Specialist title. To become a Cisco Certified Specialist, you can take any exam, except the CCNA (which would make you a CCNA, not a specialist).

Changes to the CCIE

Cisco's commitment to evolving its certification structure extends to the pinnacle - the CCIE. As of today, the CCIE landscape features six specialized tracks, and the traditional CCIE written exams have been replaced. To earn your CCIE, you'll now embark on a journey that begins with passing the CCNP core exam, followed by the rigorous 8-hour lab assessment.

For instance, to earn the CCIE Security you'd have to pass the CCNP Security core exam (SCOR 300-701) and then sit for the 8-hour lab, CCIE Security v6.0. That's consistent across all the new CCIEs except CCIE Enterprise.

In the case of the Enterprise track, you have two options: CCIE Enterprise Wireless and CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure. Both of these tracks adopt the CCNP Enterprise exam (ENCOR 300-401) as their written exam and then diverge at the lab requirement. They each have a dedicated lab requirement specific to the track: CCIE Enterprise Wireless v1.0 and CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure v1.0.

Here's the complete list of the CCIEs:

• CCIE Enterprise Wireless

• CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure

• CCIE Security

• CCIE Service Provider

• CCIE Collaboration

• CCIE Data Center

New Cert Track: DevNet

Lastly, in 2020, Cisco introduced the DevNet certification track. While the DEVASC 200-901 exam went live in February 2020, you can still explore this exciting field by enrolling in our Cisco DevNet training to see what it has to offer.

The DevNet track combines programming (primarily with Python) and infrastructure.

There will be four levels to the DevNet track:

• Cisco Certified DevNet Associate (CCNA-level) – CBT Nuggets DevNet training

• Cisco Certified DevNet Specialist

• Cisco Certified DevNet Professional (CCNP-level)

• Cisco Certified DevNet Expert (CCIE-level)

These tracks follow the same conventions as the other five tracks. You can either take the associate-level core exam to get certified at the CCNA level, pass one exam to become a Specialist, or take two exams to earn the professional-level certification.

Here's what the DevNet learning track looks like:

Recap from Network Chuck

Here's the recap from CBT Nuggets trainer Chuck Keith (aka Network Chuck):

Stay tuned for CBT Nuggets training updates reflecting new CCNA exam. In the meantime, if you plan to march full steam ahead with your current CCNA studies, make sure you check out our Cisco CCNA training.