Update (8:00pm PDT February 24, 2020): The new Cisco Certification Structure is now in effect and several people have already attempted and passed the new exams, including the DevNet Associate. The CCNA Cyber Ops has changed to Cisco Certified CyberOps Associate and will be like the new Cisco DevNet Certification track (CyberOps Associate, CyberOps Professional, etc).
Cisco Live US 2019 was held June 10-13, 2019 and there were some major announcements during the conference. For those of you that do not know, Cisco Live is the annual conference that Cisco Systems has for partners, customers and IT professionals. This conference is in a different city each year and this year, Cisco Live was in San Diego, California. There are three (3) Keynote sessions at each Cisco Live: Opening, Technology and Celebrity/Closing Keynote. The Opening and Technology Keynotes usually have announcements about new technology and services. There was a major announcement from Chuck Robbins, Chairman and CEO of Cisco, in the Opening Keynote.
Current Certification Structure
The current certification suite consists of several specializations in all three tiers [Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) and Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE)], as you can see from the first picture in this post. In order to get any of the CCNA certifications, the person needs to have passed the ICND1 exam and receive the Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT). For people to get the CCNP certification in their respective specialization, they need to have a valid CCNA in that specialization or any CCIE certification. There are no prerequisites for the CCIE certifications.
Cisco Live US 2019 Opening Keynote Announcement
In the keynote, Mr. Robbins introduced a new certification structure, along with new certifications from Cisco DevNet. The announcement came near the end of the keynote and it took a lot of people by surprise. As I watched over the next few days at Cisco Live and on social media, I noticed a lot of mixed reactions. The new certification suite is a big change for Cisco as it overhauls the certification structure and brings it up to the most current standards in the technology industry. There has been talk among peers that Cisco needs to update some of the certifications as they are a bit outdated. This announcement confirms that Cisco listened to their customers and updated, not only the certifications, but also the structure.
New Certification Suite
The new certification suite discontinues the Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT) certification and replaces it with the Cisco Certified Technician (CCT). The CCT certifies the person has "the skills to diagnose, restore, repair, and replace critical Cisco networking and system devices at customer sites." All of the CCNA specializations (Security, Wireless, Data Center, Collaboration, Service Provider, Cloud, Routing & Switching, etc.) of the current structure will be combined into one CCNA certification with only one exam to pass to receive the new CCNA.
At first, the announcement suggested that the recently new CCNA Cyber Ops was going to be combined into the new CCNA certification. A few days after the announcement, there was talk about it being separate from the new CCNA certification and there has been a lot of confusion on this. A lot of people are hoping that the Cyber Ops is separate from the new CCNA as it would seem like it will lose its value if combined with the new CCNA. There was a Cisco TV event called the Cisco Certification Community Event where the leaders of Learning @ Cisco discussed the new certification structure. A viewer posted a question about the Cyber Ops certification and the response was pretty incredible (in my opinion). They stated that the Cyber Ops will not be a part of the new combined CCNA due to the certification not being for a "networking role." They are figuring out where to place Cyber Ops and how it will align with the rest of the new structure.
Update: It is now official that the CCNA Cyber Ops will not be combined into the new CCNA certification and there will not be any changes to this certification.
New CCNP Structure
At the professional level, CCNP is changing to just two exams in each specialization: the technology core exam and one of the concentration exams available in the specialization. The current (prior to February 24, 2020) structure for CCNP has eight (8) specializations: Design (CCDP), Cloud, Collaboration, Data Center, Routing & Switching, Security, Service Provider, and Wireless. The new structure (February 24, 2020) consists of five (5) specializations: Enterprise, Security, Service Provider, Collaboration, and Data Center. Each specialization has concentration exams that people can choose from to gain their CCNP certification, as follows:
Enterprise: six (6) concentration exams
Data Center: five (5) concentration exams
Security: six (6) concentration exams
Service Provider: three (3) concentration exams
Collaboration: four (4) concentration exams
New CCIE Structure
The new CCIE structure will have six (6) specializations: Enterprise Infrastructure, Enterprise Wireless, Data Center, Security, Service Provider, and Collaboration. The major difference between the current CCIE certification structure (prior February 2020) and the new structure, is that you can take the technology core from the CCNP section and take the specialization lab to receive the CCIE. There will no longer be a CCIE written exam, only the technology core exam for CCNP and CCIE. If you pass the CCIE written by February 24, 2020, then you will be eligible to take the lab and not have to take the technology core exam. If you pass both the written and lab to receive your CCIE before February 2020, you will still have the CCIE. Those with a CCIE Wireless certification will receive the CCIE Enterprise Wireless certification and people who have the CCIE Routing & Switching certification will receive the CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure certification.
New DevNet Certifications
Each year at Cisco Live US, the Cisco Champions meet with Susie Wee, SVP and CTO Cisco DevNet, to discuss things going on in the Cisco DevNet and Susie asks the Champions what they would like to see in the next year. Last year, the Cisco Champions requested DevNet certifications as a formal way of recognition of the skills everyone receives from the DevNet Learning Labs. Susie and the DevNet team delivered their promise within a year and it is definitely what a lot of people have been wanting.
There will be three (3) DevNet certifications available starting February 24, 2020: DevNet Associate, DevNet Specialist, and DevNet Professional. DevNet Expert will be offered in the future as it is still in development. The DevNet Associate certification is the entry-level certification that is for individuals who are in a developer role and have one or more years of hands-on experience with the development and maintenance of applications built on top of Cisco platforms. The DevNet Specialist certification is for developers that have three to five years of experience with application development, operations, security, or infrastructure. The DevNet Professional is for developers who have three to five years of experience in designing and implementing applications built on Cisco Platforms.
The Associate certification validates that you have core knowledge of Cisco platforms, working with applications, APIs and Cisco's programmability strategy. The following are the exam topics, and percentage of the exam, for the Associate certification:
1.0 Software Development and Design - 15%
2.0 Understanding and Using APIs - 20%
3.0 Cisco Platforms and Development - 15%
4.0 Application Deployment and Security - 15%
5.0 Infrastructure and Automation - 20%
6.0 Network Fundamentals - 15%
The exam is 120 minutes and it will test that you have an associate level of knowledge in the above topics in.
The DevNet Specialist certification validates that the person has software development skills in emerging focus areas. There are nine (9) focus areas that a person can choose from:
Automation Specialist
Automating and Programming Cisco Enterprise Solutions (ENAUTO 300-435)
Automating and Programming Cisco Security Solutions (SAUTO 300-735)
Automating and Programming Cisco Service Provider Solutions (SPAUTO 300-535)
Automating and Programming Cisco Collaboration Solutions (CLAUTO 300-835)
Automating and Programming Cisco Data Center Solutions (DCAUTO 300-635)
Software Specialist
Developing Applications using Cisco Core Platforms and APIs (DEVCOR 300-901)
Implementing DevOps Solutions and Practices Using Cisco Platforms DEVOPS 300-910)
Developing Solutions Using Cisco IoT and Edge Platforms DEVIOT 300-915)
Developing Applications for Cisco Webex and Webex Devices (DEVWBX 300-920)
When you pass one of these exams, you will receive the Cisco DevNet Specialist certification. If you pass one of the Automation Specialist exams and the Technology Core exam, you will receive the CCNP certification AND the Cisco DevNet Specialist certification.
This certification can be received by taking, and passing, the DevNet Core (DEVCOR 300-901) exam and one of the concentration exams (noted above). This will acknowledge that the certification holder has specialized knowledge in regards to the design and development of applications Cisco APIs and platforms, and the deployment and management of applications on the Cisco infrastructure. Some of the job roles that are supported by this certification are as follows:
Developer / Sr. Developer
Software Engineer
Security Automation Engineer
Associate Site Reliability Engineer (SRE)
DevNet Expert
The DevNet Expert certification is currently in development and will be announced as soon as it is ready. Stay tuned on the website below for information becoming available regarding this certification.
For more information about these certification, check out the DevNet Certification page!
Recertification (all Cisco certifications)
The current recertification policy for all certifications, except for the CCIE, require you take a same level exam or a CCIE exam. The CCIE certifications are the only certifications that can be renewed by taking an exam or getting continuing education (CE) credits. Recertification at the CCIE level using CE credits require the CCIE holder to pay an administrative fee for the duration of the certification period.
On February 24, 2020, the recertification policy is changing. All certifications will be active for three (3) year and there will be more options for certified individuals to recertify. The continuing education option for the CCIEs will be expanded to all certifications and there will no longer be an administrative fee for the continuing education option. Everyone with a CCNP and CCIE certification can choose the exam recertification route, continuing education route or a mix of both. For example, if a CCNP individual only has 40 CE credits and needs to recertify within a month or so, this person can take one of the concentration exams to finish the requirement for recertification.
My Opinion On The Announcement
I believe that this is a good change for Cisco as the certifications need to be updated with the most recent information and technology. I was a little hesitant about this announcement but then realized that it is better to change the certification structure and try to stay ahead of the curve. I was real upset to hear that the CCNA Cyber Ops was going to be combined into the new CCNA certification but then found out they were not going to combine it and it was definitely a relief. I really love the new recertification policy because I will be able to apply what I am already doing towards the renewing of my certifications. I am so excited about the new DevNet certifications and definitely looking forward to going for the DevNet Associate certification.
I hope this information has helped you in understanding more of the new Cisco certification structure that will be effective on February 24, 2020. Comments (appropriate) and questions are welcome.
Resources:
CCNA Study Group: https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/groups/ccna-study-group
DevNet Certifications Study Group: https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/groups/devnet-certifications-study-group