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All About the Cisco Certified
Network Professional and Design
Professional Certification
The Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) and the Cisco Certified Design
Professional (CCDP) certifications prove that an individual has completed rigorous testing
in the network arena. In addition, the CCNP and CCDP certifications are becoming more
important than ever because Cisco is providing greater and greater incentives to their
partners that have employees with CCNP- and CCDP-level expertise.
The CCNP and CCDP tracks require the candidate to be comfortable with advance routing
techniques, switching techniques, and dial-up or Remote Access Server (RAS) technology.
On top of those areas, the CCNP must be able to, without a book, configure and troubleshoot
a routed and switched network. In addition, the CCDP must digest a vast quantity of user
requirements and prepare a scalable design that fits the customer needs and requirements.
The CCNP is a hands-on certification that requires a candidate to pass the Cisco Internetwork
Troubleshooting exam, which is also called the Support exam. The emphasis in the exam is
on troubleshooting the router if the configuration for it has failed. CCNP is currently one of
the most sought after certifications, short of the Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert
(CCIE).
The CCDP track focuses on designing scaleable networks using routing and switching
technologies. The exam places heavy emphasis on the interplay between routed and routing
protocols. This track has a more theoretical final exam--the Cisco Internetwork Design
(CID) exam. This certification is very important to the pre-sales engineer and the design
engineer who want to prepare a network on paper, but who do not want to focus on the
minor details of the syntax within the router.
Because both the CCNP and CCDP certifications are the same except for the final test, it
should not be suprising that a CCNP can produce a solid, scalable design and that a CCDP
can configure a router. The core issue between the certifications is the focus that the
candidate wants to take into the business world.
The CCNP and CCDP tracks are daunting at first glance because they both require a
number of tests. To become a CCNP or CCDP, a candidate must first be a Cisco Certified
Network Associate (CCNA). The CCNP and CCDP certifications require study and
proficiency in the three areas of advanced routing, in switching and RAS, and a
specialization in either design or troubleshooting.
Neither CCNP or CCDP certification is a "one test and I'm home" exam. Each exam for
these certifications is difficult in its own right because of the depth of understanding needed