The Path to Becoming a Cisco Certified Network Professional

Traditional college is not an option for most tech professionals, thanks to the popularity of certification programs. This is a possibility if you’re interested in a career in the technology field. Becoming a Cisco Certified Network Professionals is a great path to a rewarding career. However, you must sit through several exams to earn your certification. Or, you can take a shortcut through the Cisco Network Academy if you qualify.

What does a Cisco Certified Network Professional do?

A Cisco Certified Network Professional has control of Cisco-based networks. They manage, implement, plan, and troubleshoot these networks on a regular basis. After certification, a CCNP can specialize in a certain area such as security, wireless, or voice.

A CCNP could work as a network administrator, network engineer, or information technology manager for a corporation or small business. The median salary of a network administrator was $75,790 in 2014, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A computer network architect had a reported annual salary of $98,430 that same year. However, the qualifications for these positions differ since a network architect requires five years of experience in the industry.

Costs of CCNP Training

One downside to CCNP training is the costs of each of the exams. You may have to spend over $1,000 from becoming CCNA certified to becoming CCNP certified. This is not considering the cost of the training materials and possible retake fees for each of the exams.

It’s important that you study and prepare for each of the certification exams. To minimize the costs of retake fees, take your time between each exam. Don’t rush into an exam just to get your certification in less time.

You should absorb the wealth of resources you get from your training materials. There are plenty of websites that offer materials and practice tests. There are also online stores that sell guidebooks on passing the CCNP exam.

The path to becoming a Cisco Certified Network Professional

To become a Cisco Certified Network Professional, you would have to pass the ICND1 exam which allows you to become a Cisco Certified Entry Network Technician. The exam lasts about an hour or so and contains 45 to 55 questions. You would have to pay $125 for each attempt.

After passing this exam, you would have to take the ICDN2 exam, which consists of 50 to 60 questions and costs $125 for each attempt. When you pass both exams, you would then take the CCNA exam, which consists of 50 to 60 questions and costs $250 for each attempt.

Once you become a CCNA, you would have to take three more exams to become a CCNP. The exams include:

• 642-902 ROUTE

• 642-813 SWITCH

• 642-832 TSHOOT

The path to becoming a CCNP is not as complicated as you think. It’s actually relatively simple as long as you practice for the tests and study the materials. The benefits of becoming a CCNP are ideal, so there’s no need to avoid the exams because of test anxiety. Once you become a CCNP, you have access to more jobs than you would as a CCNA.

Taking the shortcut to the CCNP Exam

Sometimes taking each of the exams can seem overwhelming. If you’re interested in becoming a CCNP, then you should join the Cisco Network Academy. But first, you must become a Cisco Certified Network Associate or Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert. This program consists of four courses: Routing, Routing II, Switching, and Maintaining and Troubleshooting IP Networks.

After you complete each of the courses, you must take three exams at the ECPI University Professional Development Center to receive your CCNP examination. It’s a better alternative to sitting through six exams.