Cisco Systems is a company known as a giant in the tech industry. It specializes in the design and development of devices and technology for networking. Furthermore, Cisco presents a line of IT certifications and supplementary training, which have won the trust of employers and professionals worldwide.
General Overview of Cisco Certifications
Cisco provides a large number of certifications covering different technologies in different levels of expertise, from entry level to expert. The certifications can be classified into the 9 technologies namely:
- Cloud
- Data Center
- Collaboration
- Cybersecurity Operations
- Industrial/IOT
- Design
- Routing and Switching
- Service Provider
- Security
- Wireless
Apart from the above career certification paths, there are also specialist certifications under the following two categories:
- Technical Specialists
- Digital Transformation Specialists
Under these paths Cisco offers several credentials that represent a particular expertise level, namely:
- Entry (CCENT, CCT)
- Associate (CCNA, CCDA)
- Professional (CCNP, CCDP)
- Expert (CCIE, CCDE)
- Architect (CCAr)
So, there is a range of options you can choose from according to your career goals and field of interest. To be exact, there are over 26 different certification options under the categories mentioned above https://www.prepaway.com.
To earn any of Ciscocredentials, the candidate will have to take and successfully pass the required exams (one or more). For information on which exam you will have to take for each individual certification, refer to the official website.
Why Obtain a Cisco Certification?
According to the statistics of Global Knowledge in 2018, it was evident that certification made the employees 90% more effective. With a trusted and quality certification, employees will be able to better market their skills, receive higher salaries and promotions, and have better job satisfaction. On the other hand, employers and organizations who hire certified staff benefit from higher productivity and fewer skill gaps. Cisco, among other vendors, has acquired an upper hand in this field due to some of the following reasons:
The systematic layout of the certification pathways allows you to grow from a beginner to an expert in your field of specialization. The program allows you to gain first-hand experience in the field of interest and enables you to develop a skill set through practice.
Throughout the years, Cisco has created a name for itself. The company has built up a reputation and won the trust of the most prestigious organizations in the IT industry. Therefore, you can rest assured that your certification is acknowledged across the globe.
Since Cisco offers a wide range of certification options in a variety of technologies, this gives you extra flexibility when designing your career path allowing you to switch between jobs and career choices.
With Cisco certification, you can expect higher pay and promotions to come your way as you are able to advance in your career.
Cisco Certifications for Routing and Switching
Among the certifications mentioned previously, the credentials devoted to the routing and switching technology are the most popular. Routing and switching is a fundamental topic when it comes to setting up a network, and hence is a major part of business communications. A qualified and skilled professional in the routing and switching technology is able to save operating costs, improve security, enhance customer service and much more. Below is a list of the routing and switching certifications that Cisco offers along with the exams you are required to take:
- CCNA – 200-125 CCNA or 100-105 ICND1 and 200-105 ICND2 (Prerequisites – None)
- CCNP – 300-101 ROUTE, 300-115 SWITCH, and 300-135 TSHOOT (Prerequisites – CCNA R&S or any CCIE certification)
- CCIE –400-101 CCIE and CCIE R&S Lab Exam (Prerequisites – None)
Apart from these exams, you are required to satisfy certain criteria and prerequisites in order to be eligible for the program. You can refer to the official website for detailed information on each of the certifications individually.
Preparation for Cisco Certifications
The certification will be a measure of your skills and knowledge of the corresponding technology, so for you to earn the credential, you must be competent. Preparation and practice is the key to achieving the desired scores inyour certification exam/s. Below are some tips that you may find helpful for your training:
Cisco has compiled a set of training courses that provide comprehensive information on the essentials of each certification. These training programs are delivered in a variety of modes such as self-paced or instructor-led, which gives you the freedom to select the one that suits you best. The video tutorials, practice questions, and lab sessions available can be used to empower your preparation.
Forums and online communities dedicated to Cisco certifications can come in handy when you want to solve doubts that you’ve come across when practicing, to identify tactics that have produced results, and find out the best resources that have helped successful test takers.
Work on practice questions and try mock exams from up-to-date resources. Practicing will help you better familiarize with the exam structure and identify weak areas that you can improve on.
Exam dumps from reliable websites such as Prepaway can be a great resource for fresh and accurate practice questions. The major advantage of Exam Snap is that you obtain VCE files to simulate the real exam environment and interact with it. Your experiencewith VCE files will be very similar to reality: the layout of questions, timing, and questions formats are created to help you prepare for the main exam. This is a great method to test out strategies before the test and control anxiety by repeatedly engaging in the exam situation.
Conclusion
Cisco is a globally recognized provider of IT products and services. Among its services, it also offers certifications and training programs covering a wide range of technologies and expertise levels. Obtaining the right certification will enable you to empower your future and grow as a specialist in your field of interest by enhancing marketability, job success rates, and opportunities in the industry. Preparation will be a key to earn the qualification you desire, and with the help of great resources and tools like Exam Snap you too can develop a powerful profile.
