Cisco

Cisco ENCOR remains one of the most important professional-level networking exams, but the version candidates face in 2026 is not the same blueprint that defined the early years of CCNP Enterprise. Cisco now labels the current exam 350-401 ENCOR v1.2. The exam still measures enterprise architecture, virtualization, infrastructure, assurance, security, and automation, but Cisco has removed the old wireless scope from ENCOR and moved wireless into a dedicated certification track. That change matters because older books, videos, and course notes can send candidates into topics that no longer belong on…

Cisco CCNA remains one of the core associate-level networking certifications in 2026. The current exam is Cisco CCNA 200-301 v1.1, covering network fundamentals, network access, IP connectivity, IP services, security fundamentals, and automation and programmability. Cisco has already announced the next refresh: the last date to test for v1.1 is February 2, 2027, and 200-301 CCNA v2.0 begins February 3, 2027. Candidates testing in 2026 should therefore prepare for the current v1.1 blueprint rather than mixing future v2.0 material into final review. The Cisco CCNA 200-301 exam is the current…

Cisco certifications remain relevant when their objectives match the networks and responsibilities an engineer actually works with. Cisco’s February 3, 2026 changes refreshed several tracks, particularly automation and cybersecurity, and made it more important to check current exam codes rather than assuming every historical credential is still offered. Their value is not guaranteed by brand recognition: it depends on what the assessment measures and what the holder can demonstrate. For employers, a credential can provide a common reference point for evaluating knowledge, but it cannot replace production experience. The useful…

Cisco’s certification portfolio changed materially in 2026, and the changes are bigger than a routine exam refresh. DevNet became the Automation certification family, CyberOps moved under CCNA and CCNP Cybersecurity branding, dedicated Wireless tracks returned, SCOR and other security exams were modernized, and AI-related skills spread into data center, design, automation, and expert-level programs. At the same time, Cisco announced a new CCNA exam for February 3, 2027 while keeping the current CCNA available through February 2, 2027. That gives candidates a long transition window rather than forcing an immediate…

Software-defined networking is no longer a separate “future” category inside Cisco networking. Its ideas are embedded across current enterprise platforms: centralized policy, controller-based operations, APIs, telemetry, automation, intent, fabric architectures, and software-defined WAN. For a Cisco professional in 2026, the important question is not whether SDN will replace traditional networking. It is how routing, switching, security, controllers, and automation fit together—and which decisions still require a strong understanding of the underlying network. SDN changed where network intent is expressed Traditional administration often starts with a device and a configuration line….

Cisco Certified Network Professional, or CCNP, is no longer one broad networking credential with a single fixed path. Cisco’s professional-level portfolio now spans multiple technology tracks, each built around a core exam plus one concentration exam. That structure gives candidates a common professional foundation inside a technology area while still allowing specialization around the work they actually perform. The current professional portfolio includes CCNP Automation, Collaboration, Cybersecurity, Data Center, Enterprise, Security, Service Provider, and Wireless. The exact exam codes and concentration choices vary by track, but the design principle is…

Cisco DevNet was one of the most important certification launches of 2020 because it formalized a career path for professionals who worked between software development and networking. The original DevNet Associate, Professional, and Expert credentials validated APIs, automation, application development, infrastructure as code, programmability, and the ability to build on Cisco platforms. The name has now changed. On February 3, 2026, Cisco replaced the DevNet certification track with CCNA Automation, CCNP Automation, and CCIE Automation. The transition did not erase the DevNet skill set; it moved those skills into Cisco’s…

Cisco certifications create business value when the skills behind them improve how a network is designed, changed, secured, and recovered. The benefit is not the logo on an employee profile. It is the operational behavior that develops when engineers understand the platform deeply enough to make better decisions under pressure. In 2026, Cisco’s certification portfolio spans enterprise networking, security, automation, data center, collaboration, service provider, and AI infrastructure. That breadth makes it possible to align training with an organization’s real technical risks instead of sending every engineer through the same…

Hands-on lab work is essential for Cisco certification because configuration and troubleshooting skills are difficult to build from reading alone. The challenge is choosing a lab platform that matches the exam, your hardware, your budget, and the level of realism you actually need. A CCNA candidate practicing VLANs and routing has different requirements from a CCIE candidate testing multi-device failure scenarios. The five tools below cover the main approaches: lightweight simulation, vendor-supported virtualization, open emulation platforms, and structured commercial labs. None is automatically “best.” The right choice is the one…

Cisco Certified Architect, usually shortened to CCAr, once represented the top of Cisco’s certification pyramid. It was built for people who could translate business strategy into an enterprise architecture and defend that architecture before senior technical and business reviewers. That made it fundamentally different from a routing exam, a configuration lab, or even a conventional design credential. The important 2026 fact is that CCAr is no longer an active Cisco certification. Cisco’s retired-certification record lists Cisco Certified Architect as retired on March 1, 2021. That means candidates cannot pursue CCAr…

Cisco’s certification portfolio changed significantly in 2026. DevNet credentials moved into the Automation track, wireless returned as a dedicated professional and expert path, cybersecurity adopted the familiar CCNA and CCNP naming, and several concentration exams were refreshed or retired. The Cisco certification catalog should control current planning because the right path depends on the work you want to perform: general networking, enterprise infrastructure, network security, wireless, automation, cybersecurity operations, collaboration, service provider, data center, or expert architecture. A current associate credential aligned with your next job can be more valuable…

Cisco’s security certification landscape in 2026 is fundamentally different from 2018. The current portfolio includes an entry CCST Cybersecurity credential, CCNA Cybersecurity for security-operations fundamentals, CCNP Cybersecurity for more advanced cyber-operations work, CCNP Security for network and cloud security engineering, CCIE Security for expert implementation, and a Cisco Certificate in Ethical Hacking for offensive-security skill development. That means there is no useful single ‘best’ Cisco security certification. The correct path depends on whether your job is security operations, network security engineering, expert implementation, or offensive testing. The internal Cisco security…

Cisco’s certification portfolio in 2026 is far broader than the classic CCNA-to-CCNP networking ladder. Cisco now has role paths across networking, cybersecurity, security engineering, automation, data center, wireless, collaboration, service provider, field technology, and AI infrastructure. Several exams were also renamed, replaced, or retired during 2026, so older career advice can point to certifications that no longer exist. The current Cisco certification role paths are best understood by job family. Start with the technology area you operate, then move from associate knowledge to professional specialization and expert implementation where that…

Cisco’s entry-level certification landscape no longer resembles a list of 2018 routing-and-switching badges. In October 2026, beginners can select Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) for networking, cybersecurity or IT support, or prepare directly for CCNA when their networking foundation is stronger. Cisco Field Technician is another role-specific path rather than a compulsory preliminary step. Choose by the problems you want to solve. A help-desk learner may need troubleshooting and end-user support; a technician visiting sites needs hardware service skills; a future network engineer should practice addressing, switching, routing, wireless and…

An article titled “Cisco Certifications Overview 2018” now spans several certification generations. Most of the track names from that era—CCENT, CCNA Routing and Switching, CCNA Security, CCNA Wireless, CCDP, and others—are historical. The modern portfolio uses a different structure and should be read from current Cisco program pages, not from an old pyramid. In 2026, Cisco organizes certifications around entry and specialist programs plus the familiar CCNA, CCNP, CCIE, and CCDE brands. The key change is that those names now cover a wider set of modern roles, including Automation, Cybersecurity,…