Certification Timeline, resetting the clock

I was looking around this morning, having a difficult time finding a definitive answer, I'm sure its out there...

Do I have to complete all four CCNP exams within 3 years of my CCNA or does the clock reset with each passed NP level exam?

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Comments

dynamik

Each exam is valid for three years. Passing a professional-level exam will renew your associate and professional certifications, but it will not renew each individual exam. So yes, you do need to finish the entire track within three years.

Grigsby

If it renews my associates, why doesn't it reset the clock?

dynamik

Each individual exam is only valid for three years, and the only way to renew one of those is to retake it. That's just the way they have things set up.

astorrs

Let me break it down a little differently...

You achieve your CCNA, the "CCNA renewal clock" is set to 3 years

You pass 1st CCNP exam, the "CCNA renewal clock" is set to 3 years, the "CCNP completion clock" is set to 3 years

You pass 2nd CCNP exam, the "CCNA renewal clock" is set to 3 years, "CCNP completion clock" still counting down

You pass 3rd CCNP exam, the "CCNA renewal clock" is set to 3 years, "CCNP completion clock" still counting down

You pass the final exam before the "CCNP completion clock" runs out and achieve your CCNP, both the "CCNA renewal clock" and the "CCNP renewal clock" are set to 3 years

infraredxyz

Any 642-XXX exam will renew your CCNA for 3 years.
At a minimum, you could only pass a test every 3 years and take over a decade to get NP status.

astorrs

infraredxyz wrote:

Any 642-XXX exam will renew your CCNA for 3 years.
At a minimum, you could only pass a test every 3 years and take over a decade to get NP status.

You still have to pass all 4 CCNP exams within a 3 year period of the first exam though.

Grigsby

OK Thanks astorrs, that makes sense now. My concern was that I was not going to be able to knock out the remaining 3 CCNP exams that I need to take before my CCNA would expire. But that wont be a problem from what your saying. I would hate to have to re-take a CCNA exam in order to obtain CCNP status, LOL. Thanks for the help guys!

Paul Boz

infraredxyz wrote:

Any 642-XXX exam will renew your CCNA for 3 years.
At a minimum, you could only pass a test every 3 years and take over a decade to get NP status.

This is wrong information. It's been said numerous times in this thread that you have 36 months from the completion of the first CCNP exam to the last CCNP exam to achieve the certification.

kpjungle

How long have each of you with any CCNP exams, used for self-study before trying out for each exam? Trying to figure out a timeline for my studying.

networker050184

I studied about two to three months each for the BSCI and BCMSN, but it all depends on your prior knowledge. I had about six years Cisco experience when I started the CCNP. It might take someone with little Cisco knowledge a bit longer to get the topics down.

Paul Boz

I went with the three test route and would have completed it in eleven months but the local testing center closed and I lost my job so I was put off-track for two months.

scheistermeister

kpjungle wrote:

How long have each of you with any CCNP exams, used for self-study before trying out for each exam? Trying to figure out a timeline for my studying.

I took the composite CCNA exam after going through the Cisco Net Acad for CCNA and the first BSCI. That was 1/14/08; then I was still in the Net Acad and went through ISCW and BCMSN before I took the BCMSN on 6/11/11. Started studying on the 14th for ONT and hope to pass it tomorrow. If I do I plan to review the BSCI and ISCW and take them some time really soon.

tech-airman

scheistermeister wrote:

kpjungle wrote:

How long have each of you with any CCNP exams, used for self-study before trying out for each exam? Trying to figure out a timeline for my studying.

I took the composite CCNA exam after going through the Cisco Net Acad for CCNA and the first BSCI. That was 1/14/08; then I was still in the Net Acad and went through ISCW and BCMSN before I took the BCMSN on 6/11/11. Started studying on the 14th for ONT and hope to pass it tomorrow. If I do I plan to review the BSCI and ISCW and take them some time really soon.

scheistermeister,

Are you, um, "back from the future?"

scheistermeister

tech-airman wrote:

scheistermeister wrote:

kpjungle wrote:

How long have each of you with any CCNP exams, used for self-study before trying out for each exam? Trying to figure out a timeline for my studying.

I took the composite CCNA exam after going through the Cisco Net Acad for CCNA and the first BSCI. That was 1/14/08; then I was still in the Net Acad and went through ISCW and BCMSN before I took the BCMSN on 6/11/11. Started studying on the 14th for ONT and hope to pass it tomorrow. If I do I plan to review the BSCI and ISCW and take them some time really soon.

scheistermeister,

Are you, um, "back from the future?"

Whoops! No actually I didn't remember when I got my CCNA, so I logged into Cisco's site and copied and pasted the date from there... But I copied the expiration date instead of the date I got the cert. It should have been 6/11/08.

astorrs

Thanks, I thought I had slept through 3 years...