CCNP

CCNP

Offered by Cisco

Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Enterprise is Cisco's professional-level enterprise networking certification. You earn it by passing a core...

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CCNP exam at a glance

Format

Core exam 350-401 ENCOR: multiple choice, drag-and-drop, and performance-based labs, plus a separate concentration exam of your choice

Duration

ENCOR: 120 minutes (concentration exam duration varies)

Delivery

Pearson VUE test center or online proctored

Passing score

Cisco does not publish an official passing score

Exam cost

$400 USD for ENCOR, plus the concentration exam fee (typically another several hundred dollars)

Validity

3 years; renew by exam or continuing education

Prerequisites

None required; CCNA knowledge is strongly recommended

About the CCNP certification

Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Enterprise is Cisco's professional-level enterprise networking certification. You earn it by passing a core exam — Implementing Cisco Enterprise Network Core Technologies (350-401 ENCOR) — plus one concentration exam in a track such as routing, SD-WAN, or automation.

ENCOR v1.2 (effective March 19, 2026) is 120 minutes and also serves as the CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure qualifying written exam. There is no formal CCNA prerequisite, but CCNA-level skills are assumed.

Who it’s for: Network engineers designing and operating enterprise campus, WAN, and campus-fabric networks.

Official exam page· Details verified 2026-08

What the CCNP exam covers
  • Architecture
    15%
  • Virtualization
    10%
  • Infrastructure
    30%
  • Network Assurance
    10%
  • Security
    20%
  • Automation and Artificial Intelligence
    15%
How to study for the CCNP
  1. 1Treat ENCOR as the core: dual-stack architecture, switching/routing, SD-WAN/SD-Access, security, and automation.
  2. 2Lab Layer 2/3, OSPF/EIGRP/BGP, and overlay fabrics — infrastructure is 30% of ENCOR.
  3. 3Pick a concentration exam that matches your job (for example enterprise advanced routing or SD-WAN).
  4. 4Use Cisco's official exam topics for ENCOR v1.2 (wireless moved to a separate track in v1.2).
  5. 5Practice performance-based configuration and verification, not only theory quizzes.
CCNP — frequently asked questions

Is CCNA required for CCNP?

Not formally. You can sit ENCOR without CCNA, but the core exam assumes that foundation. Most candidates take CCNA first.

Is ENCOR enough for CCNP?

No. ENCOR plus one concentration exam earns CCNP Enterprise. ENCOR alone earns the Cisco Certified Specialist – Enterprise Core designation.