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Cisco · Advanced networking

Cisco CCNP Enterprise

Enterprise networking in greater depth, with a core exam and a concentration that shapes your specialism.

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Understand the subject

Enterprise networking in greater depth, with a core exam and a concentration that shapes your specialism.

Apply it to the work

Useful when network engineering involves difficult routing faults, changes across several sites or explaining the operational cost of a design.

Build practical evidence

Have CCNA-level networking firmly in place. Choose the concentration around the networks you operate, then lab the failures you are likely to meet.

What you will learn to do

Understand the subject

Enterprise networking in greater depth, with a core exam and a concentration that shapes your specialism.

Apply it to the work

Useful when network engineering involves difficult routing faults, changes across several sites or explaining the operational cost of a design.

Build practical evidence

Have CCNA-level networking firmly in place. Choose the concentration around the networks you operate, then lab the failures you are likely to meet.

Certification essentials

Requirements, costs and keeping it current.

Check the vendor record and ongoing commitment alongside the career guidance.

Pricing view
Market

Vendor record

Live

CCNP is a family of professional tracks. For example, CCNP Enterprise requires the 350-401 ENCOR core exam plus a chosen concentration exam. A core pass alone is a Specialist credential, not the full CCNP. Select the specific track rather than treating CCNP as one universal exam.

Source: Cisco · Read 19 September 2026

Sourced fields only; this does not mean every exam detail has been verified. Pricing and renewal policies have their own sources and check dates. Confirm the currency, tax and final booking total with the vendor.

Role-fit guidance is TechWaymark editorial interpretation. It is separate from the recorded vendor facts and does not measure hiring outcomes.

Costs and renewal

Exam cost
US$700 total exam fees
Exam format
Core + concentration exam · TechWaymark-held detail; confirm the exam version with the vendor
Keeping it current

Renew within 3 years through eligible exams or 80 Continuing Education credits. Budget for the selected exams or training; some eligible learning may be free.

Renewal sources & exceptions

Complete the requirements before expiry; an expired credential requires the full certification exam process again.

Renewal policy checked 2026-09-28. Check the linked provider policy for current fees and eligibility.

US$400 core exam plus US$300 concentration, before tax. The total assumes one attempt at each required exam; training and retakes are separate. Vendor price checked 2026-09-24. Check the vendor record before booking.

Current vendor pricing source ↗
Preparation and practical skills

Recommended prior knowledge

  • CCNA-level knowledge
  • Hands-on enterprise routing/switching
  • Comfort with Python for network automation

Common misconceptions

  • CCNP without ops exposure retains poorly.

What this cert does NOT guarantee

  • Architect roles automatically

Practical skills that matter

  • BGP / OSPF design
  • MPLS basics
  • Network automation with Python/Ansible
  • Troubleshooting at scale
Alternatives and related certifications

Where this fits

This cert
Cisco CCNP Enterprise
  • Top of this lane

Alternative routes

No single right path. These adjacent options reach similar roles.

  • Cloud networking specialty
    If your org is cloud-first, AWS/Azure networking specialties may pay more.
  • Vendor mix (Juniper / Arista)
    JNCIS-ENT and Arista certs are valuable in service-provider and hyperscale environments.

Adjacent & overlapping

  • JNCIS-ENT
  • AWS Advanced Networking
  • Cisco DevNet Associate
  • JNCIS-ENT
Career outcomes and limitations

Realistic first roles

Senior Network Engineer
Network Architect
Network Automation Engineer
UK role salary estimate
£55k–£82k
TechWaymark practitioner estimate, not survey data. Varies meaningfully by country and employer tier.

How people actually get here

  • CCNA + 2–4 yrs ops
  • Service provider engineer
  • Datacenter network engineer
Market saturation · Moderate

Real-world career variations

Enterprise NetEng
Network architect
Network automation engineer

Timeline expectations

  1. Months 0–2Foundation reading, concepts, vocabulary.
  2. Months 2–4Hands-on labs, documented home projects.
  3. Months 4–6Practice exams, weak-area drills, exam.
  4. Post-examUse target vacancies to guide applications and projects. There is no guaranteed time to a first role.

Study resources

Study options

Choose the right mix for your goals and experience. Links below go to official and third-party resources.

Guided study

Structured resources from established providers can help build knowledge and skills.

Compare study options →

Third-party providers. Commercial terms, pricing and availability apply.

Practice environments

Explore suitable environments for practical work. Check the tools, features and access you need.

Compare practice resources →

External resources. Check current costs and access requirements.

Resources are selected for relevance. Compare access, syllabus coverage and total cost; a listing does not imply a commercial partnership.

Compare the resources for Cisco CCNP Enterprise
Exam topicsProvider source

Cisco CCNP Enterprise ENCOR 350-401 exam topics

Reading

Free resource; confirm current access terms
View resource
Learning pathProvider source

Cisco U. ENCOR learning path

Video + Labs

Check the resource provider for current local pricing
View resource
BookExternal resource

Cisco Press CCNP ENCOR OCG (350-401)

Reading

Check the resource provider for current local pricing
View resource
CourseExternal resource

INE CCNP Enterprise (ENCOR + concentrations)

Video + Labs

Check the resource provider for current local pricing
View resource
LabsExternal resource

Cisco CML / EVE-NG

Hands-on

Check the resource provider for current local pricing
View resource

Check the current syllabus, access terms and total cost before choosing. Resource inclusion does not guarantee exam success.

Optional home projects

Build something you can explain.

Ideas to explore after choosing a certification, using your own tools and keeping evidence of your work.

Example project evidence
Project evidence map (example)
Route-selection analysisScope and inputs
Failure timeline and corrected configurationDecisions and reasoning
Evidence record (example)
EvidenceWhat to capture
Route-selection analysisShow the inputs, scope and decisions behind this record. The explanation distinguishes learned routes from installed forwarding paths.
Failure timeline and corrected configurationInclude the evidence supporting your conclusion. The test records convergence behaviour and any transient loss.

Explain route selection during a link failure

An enterprise network has two paths to a branch. A link failure causes unexpected routing, and the engineer must explain control-plane and forwarding behaviour.

Local lab Your own tools Evidence guidance
View project guide
Track this certification

Editorial route and career guidance. No separate external evidence review is recorded for this assessment.

Editorial evidence review: pending · UK market. Vendor facts and prices elsewhere on this page have their own sources and check dates.