CCNP Enterprise Bundle

The Cisco CCNP Enterprise certification proves that you have the right skills in working with enterprise networking solutions. This sought-after certificate is designed for those IT specialists who want to prove their skills in the ever-changing landscape of enterprise network technologies. It covers the core technologies and various enterprise focus areas that you can choose from if you know where you want to focus. Thus, it is possible to choose where to take your career with this option.

The vendor recommends that any interested individual has a good understanding of the exam topics before sitting for the prerequisite tests. Besides that, there are no official prerequisites that you need to meet before going for the CCNP Enterprise certification path. Usually, the potential candidates have 3 to 5 years of experience implementing enterprise networking solutions.

Exam Details

To get the CCNP Enterprise certificate, the students need to pass the Cisco 350-401 exam. This is a 120-minute test with about 100 questions that you should clear with about 820 points in total. It is available for taking in English and Japanese for $400. To be able to ace this qualification exam on the first try, you need to learn everything about the following domains:

• Automation – An individual should be able to interpret REST API response codes as well as results in payload while using RESTCONF and Cisco DNA Center. It is important to have the skills in interpreting the basic Python scripts as well as components and know how to construct the EEM applet for the automation of configuration, data collection, and troubleshooting;
• Virtualization – As for this topic, it covers the details of network virtualization concepts and device virtualization technologies. You need to have the skills in configuring data path virtualization technologies and verifying them. You should also know about VMs and virtual switching, VXLAN, VRF, LISP, and so on;
• Network Assurance – To succeed in this area, a potential candidate has to know about the possible network problems, how to diagnose them, and which tools to use. Thus, it is important to know about debugs and conditional debugs, ping, trace route, syslog, as well as SNMP. Knowing how to configure and verify IPSLA, SPAN, ERSPAN, RSPAN, Flexible NetFlow, and NetFlow is also vital;
• Security – As for this section, the learners need to have the skills in verifying and configuring the infrastructure security features, device access control, and wireless security features. They also have to be knowledgeable enough to describe the components of network security design;
• Infrastructure – This exam part offers you the biggest amount of questions to deal with. Therefore, it is important to know everything about IP services, Layer 3, wireless, and Layer 2. Each subtopic includes a variety of details that you need to know about;
• Architecture – You will also have the questions from this domain, which is why you should know about the working principles of Cisco SD-Access or Cisco SD-Access solutions as well as different design principles that should be used in an enterprise network. It also contains the details of software and hardware switching mechanisms, difference between the on-premises infrastructure deployment and Cloud deployment, and concepts of wireless/wired QoS.

After the core exam, you need to deal with one of the concentration tests. They focus on the emerging as well as industry-specific topics, including the details of network design, SD-WAN, wireless, and automation. The concentration exams include the following options:

• Cisco 300-410 – This test is about the implementation of Cisco Enterprise Advanced Routing & Services;
• Cisco 300-420 – Designing Cisco Enterprise Networks is the key skill that you should possess;
• Cisco 300-430 – This option is all about the implementation of Cisco Enterprise Wireless Networks;
• Cisco 300-415 – This exam covers the details of the implementation of Cisco SD-WAN Solutions;
• Cisco 300-425 – It is important to know about Cisco Enterprise Wireless Networks to clear this test;
• Cisco 300-435 – As for this exam, it is all about how to implement the automation for Cisco Enterprise Solutions.

Further Career Path

Being a certified specialist means that you have the skills relevant to the industry. Thus, it is important not to forget to recertify after obtaining your Cisco certificate. The CCNP Enterprise certification is valid for 3 years, which means that you have to take one of the concentration tests and earn 40 continuing education credits. To know how to obtain the credits, it is recommended that you visit the official webpage with the details of the Cisco Continuing Education program. If you maintain your certificate in time, you will be able to evolve when it is needed for the IT field and become a valuable asset for a company.