ROUTE,SWITCH,TSHOOT frequency

I'm confused about the three exams required for the CCNP. I know the order I want to take them in - I've heard that ROUTE is much more difficult and that much of the studying can be done in GNS3 (haven't quite yet built out my pimped-out lab setup....so close).

The question is, how much time can pass in between exams? Can I study for JUST the ROUTE exam, then when I pass, move on to studying for SWITCH? Or is there a time limit that can be spent in between each exam? I mean, I'm sure there is but I can't find what it is.

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nel

hey man,

once you pass an exam for the CCNP i believe you get a period of 36 months to achieve the remaining two as this is the re certify period. Then once you have the ccnp and pass an exam on the same cert level or higher, that clock resets back to 36 months. Im not entirely sure how it works when using NP exams in other cert tracks such as the DP. i would like to know that myself.

About Recertification - IT Certification and Career Paths - Cisco Systems

Mierdin

So you get 3 years after each exam, and taking another exam renews all prior passed CCNP exams for another 3 years?

Up until the last exam is passed, which gets you the CCNP, which also renews the 3 years?

Seems so unlike Cisco...

Bl8ckr0uter

Nel is correct.

Check your PM. I need to ask you something.

Panzer919

Mierdin wrote: »

Seems so unlike Cisco...

Not really, the rule of Cisco is that if you pass a test at or above the same level as your current certification, it renews everything. I know a lot of people who will take the CCDA to renew their NA because it's easier. Same goes for NP level, I know people who start taking either the DP or the IP tests just to keep the one NP current. A person may not be trying to get the full NP, just renew their NA so they took a higher test.

Mierdin

Panzer919 wrote: »

Not really, the rule of Cisco is that if you pass a test at or above the same level as your current certification, it renews everything. I know a lot of people who will take the CCDA to renew their NA because it's easier. Same goes for NP level, I know people who start taking either the DP or the IP tests just to keep the one NP current. A person may not be trying to get the full NP, just renew their NA so they took a higher test.

I was referring to the fact that they let you take as long as 3 years in between tests. I do agree that taking the higher tests to renew the lower level certs is a much better choice.

ColbyG

Mierdin wrote: »

So you get 3 years after each exam, and taking another exam renews all prior passed CCNP exams for another 3 years?

Up until the last exam is passed, which gets you the CCNP, which also renews the 3 years?

Seems so unlike Cisco...

No. You get three years per exam you pass. Passing another exam does not reset the counter for the previous exam. Each pro-level exam will renew certs pro-level and beneath for three years.

So if you take ROUTE in January of 2012, you have three years from that date to pass the rest of the CCNP exams before you'll need to retake ROUTE. If you pass SWITCH in February of 2013, you still only have three years from January 2012 to complete all the exams for CCNP before needing to retake ROUTE.

Does that make sense?

Panzer919

This should help

Mierdin

ColbyG wrote: »

No. You get three years per exam you pass. Passing another exam does not reset the counter for the previous exam. Each pro-level exam will renew certs pro-level and beneath for three years.

So if you take ROUTE in January of 2012, you have three years from that date to pass the rest of the CCNP exams before you'll need to retake ROUTE. If you pass SWITCH in February of 2013, you still only have three years from January 2012 to complete all the exams for CCNP before needing to retake ROUTE.

Does that make sense?

That clears it up for me. Still though, that kind of forces you to get all three in relatively the same time frame. It would suck to have to juggle all three exams while trying to study for CCIE. On average, how long does it take to prepare for each exam?

ColbyG

Mierdin wrote: »

That clears it up for me. Still though, that kind of forces you to get all three in relatively the same time frame. It would suck to have to juggle all three exams while trying to study for CCIE. On average, how long does it take to prepare for each exam?

For the CCNP, they're giving you a year per exam. That's more than fair, IMO. As for how long it takes, that's very subjective. Someone with very little experience/knowledge would take much longer than an engineer who's been working with the technology for awhile. Why are you studying for the CCIE and the CCNP? There is a lot of overlap, but I would pick one and focus exclusively on that. Personally, I think nearly everyone should do the CCNP before the IE. The IE is a very long road and the getting the CCNP along the way gives you something to show for all the time and effort you've put in. It also helps get and keeps jobs.

If you don't have a lot of experience, wait awhile. It took me about a year frome the time I got my CCNA. I wasn't working with the technology heavily and therefore didn't feel confident enough to dive in.

Mierdin

ColbyG wrote: »

Why are you studying for the CCIE and the CCNP?

I'm not. I'm just starting to get into the CCNP and I was referring to a situation where someone waits a year in between exams to renew the CCNP they already had. They'd have to bother with continuing to take CCNP exams while they studied for their CCIE. I was just speculating.

I do have the opportunity to work with this kind of stuff as a profession so we'll see. I just wanted to start to get to know ROUTE to see exactly how much I was chewing off.

ColbyG

Ah, okay. Well jump into it and knock the exams out!

Ps. Nice blog.

Mierdin

ColbyG wrote: »

Ps. Nice blog.

Back at ya!