Cisco Certifications - CCIP Certification

Cisco CCIP Certification

(Please note that this is a Professional Level certification as per the levels defined by Cisco for its certifications. These are Entry, Associate, Professional, Expert, Specialist and Architect.)

What is this Cisco CCIP Certification all about?

The Cisco CCIP certification is part of the ‘Professional Level’ of cisco Certifications. Starting from the Cisco CCENT certification (which was an Entry Level certification) we move on to the Cisco CCDA and CCNA Certifications (which were Associate Level certifications) and now the Professional Level certifications. These Certifications can be thought of as a build up on the Associate Level certifications.

The Cisco CCIP Certification is a Professional Level certification that can be thought of as a further specialization from basic Networking Skills. It generally covers Infrastructure IP Networking solutions and is for those Networking Professionals who are part of a ‘Service Provider’ Organization.

The Cisco CCIP Curriculum covers the following with regards to Advanced Service Provider Infrastructures. Thus a Cisco CCIP Certified Networking Professional will have the ability to comprehensively:

• IP routing
• IP QoS
• BGP
• MPLS.

What are the Pre-requisites of Cisco CCIP Certification?

According to Cisco, “Valid CCNA or any CCIE Certification can act as a pre-requisite.”

However, we do also recommend that any person who sits for the exam in this certification come fully prepared for the exam. Allot yourself at the very least a few months to prepare for the exam. Additionally, we would recommend any individual who would like to get certified with this Certification to possess the Cisco CCDA Certification (which is an Associate Level certification that deals with Basic Network Design concepts and skills).

Who is the Cisco CCIP Certification for?

The Cisco CCIP Certification is for those Networking Professionals who are working in or would like to work in an Organization that is a Service Provider and deals Cisco Infrastructure IP Solutions.

This is particularly for all Networking Professionals with a career orientation towards Infrastructure IP Solutions.

Why should I get certified? What benefits are there?

In case you are a basic Networking Professional who has the Cisco CCNA Certification then this Certification is essential for you to further your career. Just as Doctors study further and become General Surgeons and then further sit for exams on specific surgeries of organs in the human body like the heart, so do Networking Professionals require further specialization and advancement of their skills. This Certification will allow you to work in Organizations, as mentioned above, which are Service Providers.

The benefits will be that you will now have a broader selection of career paths that will be higher paying than your existing job. Additionally, you will have that edge that is required during job selections – since employers look for what makes you as a networking professional unique.

Cisco Certification Exams in General

What Are the Exams Like?

• The duration of most theoretical exams is one to two hours. Lab (practical) exams typically last eight hours.
• Questions include multiple-choice single answer, multiple-choice multiple answer questions, drag and drop, fill in the blank and simulations.
• Exams other than CCIE lab exams are delivered online

What Do They Cost?

• Computer-based certification exam prices range from $80 to $325 US dollars or equivalent worldwide. The ICND1 and ICND2 exams are $125 USD, the CCNA exam is $250 USD and the professional level CCNP and CCDP Composite exam is $300 USD, and CCIE written exams are $350 USD. Payment is made directly to the authorized test delivery partner Pearson Vue.
• CCIE lab exams are $1,400 USD. Payment is made online via credit card or wire transfer
  
  

How do I take the exams?

Exams are regularly administered worldwide by Pearson VUE http://www.vue.com/cisco which is Cisco’s examination delivery partner (just as Prometric is Microsoft’s partner). Pearson VUE routinely organizes exams on various dates

How do I prepare for the exams?

1. Training through Institutions – The authorized source for Cisco IT training delivered exclusively by Certified Cisco Instructors. For a list of Cisco Learning Partners, use the Learning Partner Locator.

2. Training through Books – A variety of Cisco Press titles may be available for this exam. These titles can be purchased through the Cisco Marketplace Bookstore, or directly from Cisco Press.

3. Resources, Assistance and guidance through the online Cisco Learning Network 

4. Exam Cram Books - Exam Cram has a wide array of preparation tools for the popular CCNA, CCNP, and CCSP certifications, including simulation-based practice questions along with other late-stage study vehicles to get you ready for test time.

5. Safari Bookshelf - The premier electronic reference library for programming and IT professionals with more than 1,200 titles.

6. Cisco Networking Academy - http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/netacad/index.html

7. Cisco Certification Study Groups – https://cisco.hosted.jivesoftware.com/groups

What certifications and exams come under Cisco CCIP Certification?

There are two possible options that consist of a number of exams each. These are:

1. Option 1: 642-901 BSCI OR 642-892 Composite AND 642-642 QOS , 642-661 BGP and 642-611 MPLS
2. Option 2: 642-901 BSCI OR 642-892 Composite AND 642-642 QOS, 642-691 BGP+MPLS

Option 1:

OR

AND

642-642 QoSQuality of Service Exam

AND

642-661 BGPConfiguring BGP on Cisco Routers

AND

642-611 MPLSImplementing Cisco MPLS

Option 2:

642-901 BSCIBuilding Scalable Cisco Internetworks

OR
642-892 Composite BSCI and BCMSNComposite Exam

AND

642-642 QoSQuality of Service Exam

AND

642-691 BGP + MPLSBGP + MPLS Exam

Validity of the Cisco CCIP Certification

This Certification is valid for upto 3 years after the certification has been awarded. After 3 years any and every networks professional will have to re-sit an exam in the Professional Level category of Cisco Certifications so as to be re-certified. Cisco has created this system to ensure that all network’s professionals stay up to date with latest trends and changes in networking technologies and standards.

Resources for the Exams

1. Several Resources are available at the Cisco Learning Network - https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/community/certifications/ccip
2. Cisco Certification Exams Tutorial -http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/learning_certification_exam_tutorial.html

http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/le2/le37/le8/learning_certification_type_home.html