Cisco certification is widely renowned in the IT industry due to its domain-specific products and technologies that find great use in several networking environments. Besides, Cisco also has its product line, which satisfies the need for diverse data requirements and cloud management centers.
Whether it be CCNA or any other path, it requires immense technical expertise to operate in the network environments, so Cisco introduced its certification programs. These technical certifications play a significant role in ramping up the domain knowledge of professionals.
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List of Cisco Certifications and Programs:
Cisco has several levels of certifications, which start from beginner-level courses and advance up to expert-level certifications. Before discussing the certification levels in detail, let us understand the several pathways of Cisco certifications.
Once you have decided to opt for Cisco certification, it is important that you list out the kind of certifications you wish to get and how they align with your career goals and professional aspirations. Cisco is the worldwide leading company in networking. The need for network professionals is growing by about 15% annually, and Cisco certifications are one of the most popular and valuable credentials in the networking world. If you want to receive monetary benefits and job satisfaction from your Cisco certification, it is necessary to have a valid and up-to-date Cisco certification.
Cisco offers several paths towards attaining skill and expertise in networking and other related technologies. The CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) and the CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional) certifications are aimed at those who aim to gain entry-level skills as network engineers or to work as junior network administrators. The CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert) certification program is for those whose goal is to gain skills as a design engineer.
Most basic certifications do not need any prerequisites, but candidates need to understand the basic concepts starting from the foundation level CCNA course.
Cisco currently offers the following certification programs:
- (CCNA) Cisco Certified Network Associate
- (CCDP) Certified Design Professional
- (CCNP) Cisco Certified Network Professional
- (CCDE) Cisco Certified Design Expert
- (CCDA) Cisco Certified Design Associate
- (CCAr) Cisco Certified Architect
- (CCT) Certified Technician
- (CCIE) Certified Internetwork Expert
- (CCENT)Certified Entry Networking Technician.
Overview of Programs:
Generally, individuals opting for a Cisco certification can make their journey with CCENT certifications, a basic certification level. After that, they can advance to the CCNA certification and continue with the CCNP course.
Besides, giving a CCNA exam strengthens the grip of professionals over the networking concepts, which further imparts confidence to advance to a higher level of certifications.
After taking the CCNA exam, candidates can get the CCIE certification which contains modules explaining network operations in detail. For those candidates more interested in network designs, CCENT should be their priority before moving onto the CCDA certifications.
For the said path, the expert level of certifications after the CCDA commences with the CCDE. It then advances over to the CCAr, which technically ends the certification path for the individual.
Those professionals who opt for the CCNA security path can further enhance their networking skills by taking an upper level of certification, i.e., CCNP certification.
Apart from the career-specific paths, individuals also opt for certifications that can only handle the learning gaps of technological products. In these certifications, there are again two broad categories, namely, technical and digital transformation.
So it depends on the individual whether they want to run data center services from the Cisco platform itself or transform their voicemail technologies in their work environment with Cisco products. Omit, there are a total of fifteen specializations to choose from, clubbed under the following:
Data Centre (FlexPod)
Collaboration
Operating System Software
Network Programmability
Internet Of Things
Service Provider
Thus, candidates taking CCNA security can also opt for different levels of certifications. Now we will discuss the same.
Entry-Level Certifications of Cisco:
Beginners with little experience in the IT industry but willing to work in the network environment can take the entry-level certifications. One of these certifications is CCNA routing and switching, which beginners can boost their foundational knowledge.
A professional opting for a Cisco entry-level certification can undertake two credentials: Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician and Cisco Certified Technician.
Associate Level Certifications of Cisco:
The two associate-level certifications are CCNA and CCNP. An individual opting for the mentioned certifications can find career opportunities in data centers, cyber operations, cloud infrastructure, wireless, network management, and other fields in the IT domain.
Cisco’s Professional and Expert Level Certifications:
The third and fourth levels of certifications are professional and expert-level certifications that individuals can choose. At the professional level, CCNP is the first offered certification. In contrast, the first certification offered at the expert level is Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert, i.e., the CCIE certification.
Conclusion:
Comparing these certifications’ costs with the benefits shows that the latter outweigh the costs by a considerable margin. Thus, start your Cisco certification journey today if you want to open the doors to the network and data center management field.
Koenig Solutions, one of the most prominent IT training centers worldwide, is the best destination to grow your career successfully at an affordable CCNA certification cost.
