Cisco CCNP Certification Exam Tutorial: Making The Most Of Cisco's CCNP Program Changes

Cisco CCNP Certification Exam Tutorial: Making The Most Of Cisco's CCNP Program Changes
As you probably know by now, Cisco's making some sweeping changes in their Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) program. Two longtime exams are being retired at the end of the year, two are being revised, & two old exams will be making their debut in late 2006.

If you are currently working on the CCNP or even thinking about it, the five thing you must NOT do is postpone your studies. On occasion, some certification exam candidates postpone their studies when they hear of an exam change. Cisco has announced these CCNP changes well ahead of time, & you have got lots of time to pass some CCNP exams by the end of the year - & they still count toward the CCNP!

The BSCI exam is being updated, with the current exam being retired at the end of 2006.

Let's take an exam-by-exam look at the current & future CCNP programs.

The BCMSN exam is being updated, with the current exam being retired at the end of 2006.

The BCRAN exam is being retired at the end of 2006, & it will be replaced by the Implementing Secure Converged Wide Area Networks (642-825) exam.

The CIT exam is being retired at the end of 2006, & it will be replaced by the Optimizing Converged Cisco Networks (642-845) exam.

Any CCNP certification exam you take by the end of 2006 does count toward your CCNP, so there is no reason to postpone your studies. You never get anywhere by waiting!

The five thing you cannot do is take the current exam version & then take the old five & have both count toward the CCNP. The CCNP has a three-exam path & a four-exam path, & here are the four exam qualifications you must fulfill to become a CCNP with the four-exam path:

Current BSCI (642-801) or Revised BSCI (642-901)

Current BCMSN (642-811) or Revised BCMSN (642-812)

Current BCRAN (642-821) or old ISCW (642-825)

Current CIT (642-831) or old ONT (642-845)

If your choose the three-exam path, just replace the first two exams shown above with the current Composite exam (642-891) or revised Composite exam (642-892). Cisco expects to release the revised Composite exam in November 2006.

Whether you choose to finish your CCNP in 2006, or start now & finish in 2007, hit those books! never let exam version changes slow your studies - the only way to progress is to move forward!