What would be the difference between the CCNA and a CCNP?

The Cisco certification program offers the path for anyone interested in making a career in technology. Cisco makes continual changes to its certification program for being aligned to job roles.

CCNA Overview:

CCNA is considered to be Cisco’s flagship networking certification. CCNA exam topics will include network access, network fundamentals, IP connectivity, IP services, security fundamentals, and programmability and automation. CCNA provides a broad introduction to modern networking. It would be covering wired and wireless network access in specific detail. It would be introducing the routing principles before covering IPv4/IPv6 static routing, OSPFv2, and FHRPs. It would be covering several IP services, which would be including DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), NAT (Network Address Translation), and QoS (Quality of Service). It would also be introducing network security as well as covers the topics such as ACLs (access control lists), VPNs (a virtual private network), AAA (authentication, authorization, and accounting), as well as secure wireless network access. Automation and programmability are the latest CCNA that would include network management, controller-based architectures, and APIs (Application Programming Interface) in SDN (software-defined networking). CCNA would be covering a lot of ground, but the focus is considered to be on switching, routing, wireless, and to some extent, security.

What is the Cisco Certified Network Professional Certification?

CCNP is considered to be Cisco’s professional-level networking certification. It authenticates the breadth and depth of your knowledge required in a technology area. CCNP would be offered in five tracks: Enterprise (think routing and switching combined with wireless), Security, Data Center, Service Provider, and Collaboration. You must pass two exams for achieving CCNP in any track: a core exam and a concentration exam. CCNP Enterprise is considered to be by far the most popular CCNP track. The CCNP Enterprise core exam would be testing your knowledge of implementing enterprise network technologies, consisting of dual-stack (IPv4 and IPv6) virtualization, architecture, network assurance, infrastructure, security, and automation. CCNP Enterprise has five concentration exams, which will cover advanced routing, network design, SD-WAN, wireless design, wireless implementation, and automation in enterprise networks. You would only require to clear one concentration exam, in addition to the core exam, for achieving CCNP Enterprise certification.

CCNA vs. CCNP: Differences and similarities

CCNA is considered an associate-level certification that will test your knowledge in a range of networking fundamentals. CCNP has deemed a much more advanced certification at the professional-level that requires a more in-depth understanding of networks. There would be no specialized CCNA tracks. CCNP isn’t considered to be a single certification such as CCNA. CCNP would be offered in five different tracks. For achieving the CCNP in any way, you are required to clear two exams, a core exam and a concentration exam. Each track will have its core exam and its selection of concentration exams for choosing from. The CCNP track that would resemble CCNA the most is CCNP Enterprise. Like CCNA, CCNP Enterprise focuses on switching, routing, and wireless though in much greater depth.

CCNA and CCNP exam difficulty levels compared

The associate-level CCNA is more comfortable to achieve than the professional-level CCNP. You need to pass one exam to achieve CCNA, compared with two exams required to achieve CCNP. Also, CCNP exams would be covering the advanced topics in much greater depth. However, keep in mind that would be the Candidates, CCNA is technically not an entry-level certification. So, any certification you choose, SPOTO IT Exam Dumps are considered to be the best one when it comes to preparation of the same.  

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