nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Help me understand Cisco's cert rules

TenisuBaka

Hey guys,

I think the severity of my miscalculation is really hitting me now. Please clarify and help me sort out my situation.

I mentioned before that I went Cisco cert crazy in 2007, but stopped for a few years. My error is that I thought I had 3 years from the date of the last test passed to finish a certification. So I passed BSCI, BCMSN, and CVOICE 642-632 (5.0 I think).

My BSCI is the first xP test I took, which expires this June 12. I have since gotten busy with TSHOOT, and if I am lucky, I will pass before June and finish my CCNP.

....... But, what about the other certs?
If I do pass TSHOOT and get the CCNP, will the June 12 date for BSCI still apply for CCDP, and CCIP? In other words, am I going to have to end up doing ROUTE anyway if I want to pursue those?

Also, there wasn't a CCNA Voice when I started studying for it in 2007. CCNA Voice is a requirement to pursue CCVP, right? Yet, my understanding is that getting the CCNA Voice is just passing CVOICE, so does that mean I have CCNA VOICE, or it only applies to the new 642-636 (6.0) version?

Anyway, the 3-year anniversary for when I passed CVOICE is August or September, so I really doubt I would be able to finish CCVP by then anyway.

So basically, even if I do manage to pass TSHOOT before June 12 and get CCNP, I basically have to start over back at zero for any other xP certs, is this understanding correct?

Man, I am so upset with myself for letting this happen.

Find more posts tagged with

SAVE $250 on Your CISCO Boot Camp — Use Code "EXAM26"

Exclusively for TechExams members for Infosec Boot Camps starting before April 30, 2026

View CISCO Boot Camps

Comments

ColbyG

Your exam is valid for three years after you pass it.

To get the CCNA: Voice with CVOICE, you have to take the new version, from my understanding.

miller811

you are correct, each individual exam has a shelf life of three years from the date you passed it. Combined they will give your xP certification a three year bump, but the individual exams will expire on the three year date.

mikej412

Unless money is really tight, it's probably worth going for TSHOOT to try and finish the CCNP now. Worst case you get a good refresher on your old BSCI & BCMSN knowledge and you get a good look at TSHOOT and know what to expect next time.

As for the CCVP, if you're planning the "Enterprise Track" it may be worth taking the "updated" CVOICE exam to earn the CCNA:Voice prerequisite -- and it would get you back into "thinking Voice."

You can't change you past decisions and choices -- so get over them. Look at where you're at now and where you would like to be -- then figure out the best path to try to get there.

trackit

mikej412 wrote: »

You can't change you past decisions and choices -- so get over them. Look at where you're at now and where you would like to be -- then figure out the best path to try to get there.

totally agreed

TenisuBaka

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Well, now that I think about it, it makes sense. If a pass of an exam always reset the 3 year timer, someone could take 10 years to get a CCNP or something like that.

Mike,

What exactly did you mean by the enterprise track for CCVP? Are there multiple tracks for CCVP?? I thought there was just CCVP. Please tell me more about that.

And, of course you are right. Anyway, I tend to do these kind of things quite frequently. And yes, by the time I feel confident to take TSHOOT by studying the TSHOOT material along with restudying BSCI and BCMSN, I probably could just walk the ROUTE without much trouble anyway.

Kinda ticks me that I have to retake CVOICE though. It is such a basic intro test, most of which I already know from my telco background. Anything different from the one I took and the new one?

For now though, back to TSHOOT!

mikej412

TenisuBaka wrote: »

What exactly did you mean by the enterprise track for CCVP? Are there multiple tracks for CCVP?? I thought there was just CCVP. Please tell me more about that.

The 640-460 IIUC exam for the CCNA:Voice covers the UC520 which is good for small business -- and basically competes with the legacy key systems. When they decided that passing the CVOICE exam could also earn the CCNA:Voice, making the 640-460 CCNA:Voice exam redundant, they justified it by saying the 640-460 was for Small Business and the CVOICE CCNA:Voice option was for those on the "Enterprise Track" -- in other words, people planning to get the CCVP.

TenisuBaka wrote: »

Kinda ticks me that I have to retake CVOICE though. It is such a basic intro test, most of which I already know from my telco background. Anything different from the one I took and the new one?

They did move a bunch of the Gateway/GateKeeper stuff to CVOICE, so the 640-460 exam for the CCNA:Voice seems to have become the "entry level" voice course. Not sure how quickly (or deeply) they go over the voice basics now in the updated CVOICE exam, but they've probably added enough new stuff into the 642-436 to keep you busy studying for a while.

ColbyG

TenisuBaka wrote: »

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Well, now that I think about it, it makes sense. If a pass of an exam always reset the 3 year timer, someone could take 10 years to get a CCNP or something like that.

I'm not sure if I understand you right here, but I'll clarify.

Exams are ONLY good for 3 years. You don't renew exams by passing another exam (like certs). So if you pass ROUTE tomorrow and do nothing for 2.9 years, then take SWITCH, your ROUTE exam still expires when the clock hits 3 years.

It could take someone 10 years to get the CCNP, but they'd be retaking exams every 3 years.

Forsaken_GA

This is why it's important to time your exams accordingly if you're going to be taking multiple certs that require a specific exam. When I realized I was going to have to retake BSCI, I purposely left it as the last exam because I knew I was also going to be pursuing CCDP and CCIP, so I wanted the maximum amount of time for that result to be valid for other tracks