Cisco Certification
Part II: The Career Certifications

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The D Program

The Engineering & Design path starts off with the CCDA. This designation basically follows that of the CCNA, but with a design slant. You'll need to display the expertise to design a small network, not just run it. Again, this requires passing one exam.

The CCDP designation is intended to demonstrate an ability to design larger, more complex networks. To qualify for this one, you have to hold the CCDA and the CCNA, plus pass four more exams, covering routing, switching, remote access, and design. Once again, the highly ambitious can take a combo-exam that wraps three of the four into one longer exam.

Special Skills

You can jump back and forth between these paths if you wish. Some people earn the CCNA, then CCDA, then CCNP, then CCDP, for example. Along the way you might decide to detour into Cisco's newest certification program: Cisco Qualified Specialist. The CQS program is intended to indicate special expertise in particular area (at the moment you can choose from Cable, Security, or SNA/IP). It used to be that you could add a specialty once you earned your CCNP or CCDP, but Cisco recently redesigned this part of their offering so now the only required prerequisite is a CCNA. The specialist designations vary in the number of additional exams necessary. Some require just one, while others require up to four.

Whichever certification(s) you choose, it's important to understand up front that this is an ongoing commitment. Cisco career certifications have to be renewed every three years, with the exception of the specialist designations, which must be renewed every two years. Renewal basically requires passing one additional exam.

Exams for these certifications vary in price, but typically cost $100-$200 in the U.S. (a bit more elsewhere). Exams are administered through Prometric and VUE testing networks, both of which have testing centers worldwide.

The Cisco career certification program provides a path of learning that didn't previously exist for IT professionals in the internetworking area. These certifications are valuable in their own right, and they can also be used as a ladder of knowledge you can climb in pursuit of Cisco's highest designation, the CCIE. More on that in the next part of this series on Cisco certification.

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Part I - Program Overview
Part II - The Career Certifications
Part III - Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert

Cisco CertificationPart II: The Career Certifications

The D Program

Special Skills

Cisco Certification
Part II: The Career Certifications