Introduction to Cisco Certifications -

Cisco Certifications: An Introduction

Cisco is the premier name in Networking. And networks are the ‘glue’ that hold the internet, corporate intranets, corporate networks, LAN’s, WAN’s, Wireless Networks together. Therefore, Cisco certifications are essential for the IT Professional whose career shift is towards networking technologies and methodologies. Cisco has a range of certifications that covers a wide number of so-called ‘paths’ or ‘sub-branches’ in the field of Networking.

Cisco has divided its various certifications into five levels according to the aptitude and level of the Networking professional. Think of these like grades of increasing difficulty and diversity. Additionally each of the levels is divided into paths which cover a specific category or topic in Networking.

The Levels are (please note that Specialist Certifications are not a level but a group of different certifications of varying aptitude and skills and which allow networking professionals to specialize in a specific sub-topic):

• Entry
• Associate
• Professional
• Expert
• Architect

The Cisco Certification paths are:

• Routing & Switching
• Design
• Network Security
• Service Provider
• Storage Networking
• Voice
• Wireless

All certifications that come under Cisco Certifications (by level)

ENTRY
· (CCENT)

ASSOCIATE

· Design (CCDA)
· Routing and Switching (CCNA)
· Security (CCNA Security)
· Voice (CCNA Voice)
· Wireless (CCNA Wireless)

PROFESSIONAL

· Design (CCDP)
· Routing & Switching (CCNP)
· Security (CCSP)
· Service Provider (CCIP)
· Voice (CCVP)
· Wireless (CCNP Wireless)

EXPERT

· CCDE Design Expert
· CCIE Routing and Switching
· CCIE Security
· CCIE Service Provider
· CCIE Storage Networking
· CCIE Voice
· CCIE Wireless

ARCHITECT

· Cisco Certified Architect

SPECIALIST

· Advanced Routing and Switching
· Data Center
· Foundation for Channel Partners
· Unified Communications
· Security
· Wireless LAN