New CCNA-level exams + changes to CCNA Exam Price

127.0.0.1

On June 24, 2008, Cisco will introduce the CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, and CCNA Wireless concentrations--the smart way for individuals to establish a deeper level of expertise in these three important areas of Cisco network technology.

Built upon Cisco’s most popular career certification—CCNA—these new new concentrations are relevant, role-based, and designed with the growing knowledge requirements of IT professionals and organizations in mind. These highly specialized associate-level concentrations represent areas of rapid development in technology convergence that makes up today’s sophisticated network environments and also offer a career stepping stone to the professional-level credentials.

IT professionals wishing to broaden or specialize their skills to further differentiate themselves in the marketplace will find these concentrations a valuable addition to their knowledge arsenal.

According to the recent Forrester Consulting study conducted on behalf of Cisco, there is a pervasive need for stronger networking skills across multiple functional areas within IT organizations now and in the future:

* Dedicated security roles are expected to exist in 80% of the companies studied within five years, while today only 46% of the surveyed companies have such a role.
* Of the IT managers surveyed, 69% expect to have a dedicated voice specialist role within their IT organization within five years; only 40% of respondents have them today.
* One-third of the global companies surveyed currently have a dedicated wireless role, a figure expected to double to 66% over the next five years.

Tomorrow Cisco will announce these three new CCNA Certifications! The CCNA Voice and CCNA Wireless will be available on June 24, but the CCNA Wireless exam will be available July 25.

You can check out the full exam topics/blueprint and descriptions for these exams at the below links:
- CCNA Wireless Exam Topics
- CCNA Voice Exam Topics --> CCNA Voice Practice Exams
- CCNA Security Exam Topics

NOTE: Passing the CCNA exam is a prerequisite to taking these new exams!

Cisco will be INCREASING the price of the CCNA 640-802 exam from $150 to $250! The price for the ICND 1 and ICND 2 exams will remain $125.

CCNP Exam price will increase from $225 to $300! Four exam option for CCNP certification – BSCI (642-901), BCMSN (642-812), ISCW (642-825), & ONT (642-845) remain at $150 USD each.

hypnotoad

Certifications: The only Cisco product with 3 digits in the price tag! (almost)

So is CCNA Security the new CCSP-Securing Network Devices (SND)?

astorrs

nl wrote:

Certifications: The only Cisco product with 3 digits in the price tag! (almost)

So is CCNA Security the new CCSP-Securing Network Devices (SND)?

Not sure which exam it will be. But here is a quote from the associated training course:

Implementing Cisco IOS Network Security (IINS) v1.0 ias an instructor-led course presented by Cisco training partners to their end-user customers. This five day course focuses on the necessity of a comprehensive security policy and how it affects the posture of the network. Learners will be able to perform basic tasks to secure a small branch type office network using Cisco IOS security features available through web-based GUI’s (Cisco Router and Security Device Manager [SDM]) and the command-line interface (CLI’s) on the Cisco routers and switches.

sthomas

I know I am still somewhat new to the Cisco world but is this even real? The links above do not take you to a cisco site. If you click on one of the links at the bottom it takes you to a blog. At the bottom of the blog it does have a link for example http://www.cisco.com/go/ccnawireless but when you click on that link it takes you to cisco's site and says "The Page You Have Requested Is Not Available". It just seems a little weird to me but I am probably wrong but just curious if this is correct or not.

astorrs

Yes it is legit. If you do a quick Google search you will find lots of major training companies offering the courses in the near future and some well known blogs with some of the same information.

Edit: Here's a PPT file from Cisco's site mentioning them: http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/netacad/downloads/ppt/ATDirectionAndFAQs_CATC.ppt

127.0.0.1

sthomas wrote:

I know I am still somewhat new to the Cisco world but is this even real? The links above do not take you to a cisco site. If you click on one of the links at the bottom it takes you to a blog. At the bottom of the blog it does have a link for example http://www.cisco.com/go/ccnawireless but when you click on that link it takes you to cisco's site and says "The Page You Have Requested Is Not Available". It just seems a little weird to me but I am probably wrong but just curious if this is correct or not.

This link WILL work, but only on June 24, when Cisco officially announces these news. But websites around the web have already been posting this, so it is legit. I noticed a Cisco Press URL that listed the books for the new CCNA exams, here is the link:

(CCNA Security Exam)
http://www.ciscopress.com/bookstore/product.asp?isbn=9781587202209

(CCNA Voice Exam)
http://www.ciscopress.com/bookstore/product.asp?isbn=9781587202070

(CCNA Wireless Exam)
http://www.ciscopress.com/bookstore/product.asp?isbn=1587202115

I did some more Googling and found that Chris Bryant blogged about it at http://www.thebryantadvantage.(BLOGSPOT).com also. He will be creating tutorials around August for these new exams.

networker050184

Wow I didn't think these were ever going to become a reality. I heard rumors in the past about entry level voice certs from Cisco. I might have to check that one out.

astorrs

127.0.0.1 wrote:

... Chris Bryant blogged about it at http://www.thebryantadvantage.(xxxx xxxx xxxxx).com also...

I love how Blog Spot (a part of Blogger) in general is now considered spam and gets blocked. Google sure has made a mess of things since their acquisition.

127.0.0.1

astorrs wrote:

127.0.0.1 wrote:

... Chris Bryant blogged about it at http://www.thebryantadvantage.(xxxx xxxx xxxxx).com also...

I love how Blog Spot (a part of Blogger) in general is now considered spam and gets blocked. Google sure has made a mess of things since their acquisition.

I agree, Chris Bryant should host his blog on his own website so we can link to it on TechExams without it getting censored.

aragoen_celtdra

Very interesting info. Thanks for posting it OP. I'm gonna have to check those out.

Paul Boz

I may snag the security version.

Not sure why Cisco is raising the prices though, they're the same exams and it doesn't cost any more to administer them. Heck, it probably costs less given that they've substantially reduced the number of testing centers..

astorrs

That reminds me.

mikej412, not only will you need to add CCENT, now you'll have 3 more checkboxes to fill in the Cert Manager.

ajs1976

I have been waiting to see if they would introduce something like this. I'm going to look into the CCNA:Security when more information is released.

networker050184

I wonder how these exams will work. Are these going to be an additional exam along with the regular CCNA exam(s)? Such as ICND1, ICND2 and then then the voice/wireless/security exam to be CCNA voice/wireless/security, or will it be ICND1 followed by the voice/wireless/security exam to be CCNA voice/wireless/security....

ITdude

I am pretty sure that you are required to have a CCNA before you can attempt any of the specialties.

astorrs

Yes the vanilla CCNA is a prerequisite.

networker050184

So its just an add on to the CCNA rather than a new associate level certification.

I guess a new way for Cisco to make money on exams

nicklauscombs

I think its a great idea to let people (who may not work with the technologies all that much) get some wireless, voice and security knowledge without going into the professional level depth

kpjungle

I dont suppose you need to take these three as a prerequisite to doing CCNP level exams if you have the standard CCNA? also, increasing the CCNP exam to $300, if each of the four required exams are still $150, what exam are they talking about there?

nicklauscombs

I assumed the one that would move up to $300 would be the composite

GT-Rob

They are talking about the composite exam (bsci+bcmsn). Basically what it means now is that it is no cheaper to take composite exams now.


It is interesting they are doing this, and makes sense. There is a big jump from CCNA to something like CCVP, and I think it is good to bridge it like that. Its also a way to push themselves farther into those markets.

CCNA wireless though? yuck! lol

kpjungle

GT-Rob wrote:

They are talking about the composite exam (bsci+bcmsn). Basically what it means now is that it is no cheaper to take composite exams now.


It is interesting they are doing this, and makes sense. There is a big jump from CCNA to something like CCVP, and I think it is good to bridge it like that. Its also a way to push themselves farther into those markets.

CCNA wireless though? yuck! lol

Ah, right forgot about that one. Must be one bad a** exam (bsci+bcmsn)

dynamik

I might have missed it, but these are going to be all new exams, right? Or are they just going to take one or two of the pro-level exams and give you an extra designation for completing those?

Personally, I'd rather spend my time working towards one of the pro exams than go for another associate-level cert. I'm actually kind of surprised that these are being received so favorably, especially by the hardcore Cisco guys. Maybe I'm just out of the loop and don't get it

GT-Rob

from the sounds of it there will be 3 new 640-xxx level exams.


I personally probably would never do one, as I too would rather jump right too pro level. If I was just getting into Cisco now, it may be different.


I wonder if they will make them a prerequisite though?

ChrisBryantCCIE12933

127.0.0.1 wrote:

astorrs wrote:

127.0.0.1 wrote:

... Chris Bryant blogged about it at http://www.thebryantadvantage.(xxxx xxxx xxxxx).com also...

I love how Blog Spot (a part of Blogger) in general is now considered spam and gets blocked. Google sure has made a mess of things since their acquisition.

I agree, Chris Bryant should host his blog on his own website so we can link to it on TechExams without it getting censored.

Thanks for pointing that out - I didn't realize that was happening!

Chris Bryant
CCIE #12933

shednik

Awesome CCNA Security is on my list now

astorrs

ChrisBryantCCIE12933 wrote:

Thanks for pointing that out - I didn't realize that was happening!

Chris Bryant
CCIE #12933

Hi Chris, welcome to the forums.

astorrs

dynamik wrote:

I might have missed it, but these are going to be all new exams, right? Or are they just going to take one or two of the pro-level exams and give you an extra designation for completing those?

Personally, I'd rather spend my time working towards one of the pro exams than go for another associate-level cert. I'm actually kind of surprised that these are being received so favorably, especially by the hardcore Cisco guys. Maybe I'm just out of the loop and don't get it

If you were gaining experience in the networking field these associates level "specialties" will help distinguish you from the other candidates.

Many people on the forums have posted about either their own (or their best friends, cousins, roommate who knows a guy) difficulty in getting work as a CCSP or CCVP in that field without any actual work experience. These exams might help increase your chances, become a CCNA Voice and then get a junior voice job, build up 2 years of experience while you do your CCVP and you will be way more likely to land a job.

My 2c.

nicklauscombs

astorrs wrote:

Many people on the forums have posted about either their own (or their best friends, cousins, roommate who knows a guy) difficulty in getting work as a CCSP or CCVP in that field without any actual work experience. These exams might help increase your chances, become a CCNA Voice and then get a junior voice job, build up 2 years of experience while you do your CCVP and you will be way more likely to land a job.

My 2c.

+1

not to mention it lets you "test the waters" to see if you enjoy voice or security before embarking on the professional level route

dynamik

Good points. I didn't mean for that to sound condescending (my post seemed kind of negative after re-reading it). That was a sincere question.

astorrs

dynamik wrote:

Good points. I didn't mean for that to sound condescending (my post seemed kind of negative after re-reading it). That was a sincere question.

Oh I didn't think it was at all, I just wanted to reply because I could see others probably thinking the same thing.

With all the recent posts along the lines of "I'm a MCSE/JNCIE/CCIE with no experience and I can't get a job for some reason", I thought I'd point out how these specializations might help prevent people from going cert crazy without any practical experience to stand on.