Introduction to New Cisco CCNP Enterprise Certification and Cisco 300-425 Exam with Practice Tests Posted Jan 29, 2020

When Cisco made the announcement about the major revamp to its entire certification program, everyone was on the lookout for the changes. Well, no one really knew how extensive the changes would beuntil the vendor began to release its exams in batches. Now, it is clear that this is for a long haul. Cisco has completely changed its certification path, and the professionals can now look forward to earning the role-based credentials. So, what is the implication of these changes for the individuals who want to earn the CCNP certificate? Let’s start exploring!

Fate of Cisco CCNA certification track

As Cisco announced, all the CCNA credentials will be retired at the launch of the new certification program. This means that the different paths of CCNA will no longer be available, and there will be only single CCNA certificate. The certifications of the Associate level, including CCNA Routing & Switching, CCNA Security, CCNA Service Provider, CCNA Wireless, CCNA Data Center, CCNA Cyber Ops, CCNA Collaboration, CCNA Industrial, and CCDA, will be retired before the commencement of the new program. Now, you don’t need to worry if you already have any of these credentials. Cisco has made adequate arrangements for you to be transitioned into the new CCNA ones.

The new CCNA certification will replace the other tracks, and to earn this credential, the candidates should pass only one exam, Cisco 200-301. By passing this test, the students will earn the new certificate that covers a wide range of IT career fundamentals. It is important to mention that there is no prerequisite for taking this exam.

Overview of new Cisco CCNP certification

There have also been many changes to the CCNP certification path. For a start, you no longer need CCNA to pursue CCNP. Additionally, instead of different tracks in CCNA, the individuals who want to specialize can do this at the CCNP track. To earn any certificate of the Professional level, an individual will have to pass two exams: Coreand Concentration. The core test is the compulsory one while the candidates can choose the one they want from the list of concentration exams based on their career goals.

The new CCNP track that is slated to be launched on February 24, 2020,include CCNP Enterprise, CCNP Data Center, CCNP Security, CCNP Service Provider, CCNP Collaboration, and Cisco Certified DevNet Professional. The focus of this article is the first certification, which is CCNP Enterprise. Let’s look at this in detail.

Overview of CCNP Enterprise certification

The new CCNP Enterprise credential is designed for modern professional-level job roles in the field of enterprise networking technologies. It is essential to mention that this certificate features automation and programmability to enable the professionals to scale their networking infrastructure seamlessly. To earn this Cisco certification, one has to pass the core exam, which is Cisco 300-425 ENCOR. There are six different concentrations tests that you can choose to take in addition to the core one. They include:

• 300-410 (ENARSI);
• 300-415 (ENSDWI);
• 300-420 (ENSLD);
• 300-425 (ENWLSD);
• 300-430 (ENWLSI);
• 300-435 (ENAUTO).

This article focuses on the Cisco 300-425 ENWLSD exam. Let’s get right into it.

Introduction to Cisco 300-425 exam

Cisco 300-425 is a 90-minute exam that leads to the award of the CCNP Enterprise certification. The test validates the candidate’s knowledge of wireless network design, such as site surveys, mobility & WLAN high availability, and wired & wireless infrastructure. The first exam date will be February 24, 2020. Cisco recommends the training course (Designing Cisco Enterprise Wireless Networks) for the effective preparation process. It is important to mention that this training is not yet available but you can expect to have access to it through one of the authorized learning partners of Cisco. It is also worth noting that this course is an instructor-led training that will be delivered in the classroom-style learning environment.

In addition to the official training course, there are other resources that the students can explore to learn the exam objectives. Exam-Labs is a reputable platform that offers a wide range of prep tools. The candidates preparing for Cisco 300-425 can also find an extensive portfolio of study materials on this site.

Highlights of Cisco 300-425 exam objectives

To prepare for the test, there are the topic areas that the applicants must study and understand. The certification page has the full details of theseobjectives as well as the subtopics that the candidates need to go through before attempting Cisco 300-425. These subjects are highlighted below:

• Wireless Site Survey – 25%;
• Wired & Wireless Infrastructure – 30%;
• WLAN High Availability – 20%;
• Mobility – 25%.

The percentage associated with each of these topics indicates the weight of questions that may be expected from any delivery of the test. It is essential to emphasize that these are only the guidelines for the exam content and there may be other related objectives that may be included in particular delivery of the certification test. Additionally, these guidelines may change without notice. Therefore, it is recommended that you read through the subjects on the officialwebpage before you start your exam preparation.

As mentioned earlier, there is no formal requirement for taking the Cisco 300-425 exam. When you pass this testtogether with the core one, you will be awarded the CCNP Enterprise certification. Although there is no formal prerequisite, it is recommended that the candidates have about three to five years of work experience in implementing enterprise networking solutions.

Like other Cisco certificates, CCNP Enterprise will be valid for a period of three years. After this cycle, you will be required to recertify by retaking the concentration exam or by taking a higher-level test to progress in your certification path.

Conclusion

All in all, you still have time to prepare for the Cisco 300-425 exam. Take the training course, grab all the required materials you can get and be one of the first candidates to pass this certification test.