Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)

The CCNP is the intermediate, professional-level certification in Cisco’s Network Installation and Support track (aka Routing and Switching). As with Cisco’s other professional-level certs, the CCNP certifies its holders in “journeyman” or “advanced” networking knowledge. CCNPs can install, configure, operate and troubleshoot LAN, WAN and remote-access services for organizations with up to 500 network nodes. It also requires strong working knowledge of an impressive laundry list of networking protocols, technologies and services, including IP, EIGRP, extended access lists, route redistribution, RIP, route summarization, OSPF, VLSM, BGP, serial protocols, frame relay, HDLC, DDR, PSTN, PPP, VLANs, Ethernet, access lists, 802.10, and transparent and translational bridging.

The broad range of topics helps explain why three or four exams are required to obtain the CCNP.  The exams are as follows:

Four Exam Track for CCNP:
642-901 Building Scalable Cisco Internetworks (BSCI) 
642-812 Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks (BCMSN) 
642-825 Implementing Secure Converged Wide Area Networks (ISCW) 
642-845 Optimizing Converged Cisco Networks (ONT) 

Three Exam Track for CCNP:
642-892 Composite exam for Building Scalable Cisco Internetworks (BSCI)/Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks (BCMSN) 
642-825 Implementing Secure Converged Wide Area Networks (ISCW) 
642-845 Optimizing Converged Cisco Networks (ONT) 

CCNP certifications are valid for three years. To recertify, pass any 642 exam that is part of the professional level curriculum after 01/01/06, or pass a current CCIE or CCDE written exam.