Difference between CCNA and CCNP

Posted by naveen on April 7th, 2021

The main difference between CCNA and CCNP is the certification level; CCNA is the associate-level certification that validates professionals on the foundation skills of routers and switches. CCNP is an advanced and professional level certification to validate the in-depth skills on WAN and LAN. It differs in learning curve, prerequisites, exam type, difficulty level, and career scope. These two certifications help the students to get specialized in implementing, maintaining, and planning high-end network products and solutions. It brings a wide range of opportunities for freshers and working professionals with a promising future through continuous learning and updates.

Learning Curve of CCNA and CCNP

CCNA has an easy learning curve that requires only studying switching and routing fundamentals along with practical implementations. It may take 3 months to learn them and prepare for Cisco examinations. It covers networking fundamentals, LAN switching technologies, routing technologies, WAN technologies, infrastructure services, infrastructure security, and infrastructure management.

CCNP requires clearing of CCNA certification along with a minimum of three years working experience in the field to appear for Cisco examinations. It also requires in-depth knowledge of LAN and WAN along with a clear understanding of routing protocols like EIGRP and OSPF, Redistribution, BGP (Border Gateway Protocol), and Best Path Selection. It may require 4 to 10 months to learn the CCNP concepts completely with hands-on exposure.

Prerequisites for learning CCNA and CCNP

There are no hard prerequisites for learning CCNA certification training as it is the beginning for all advanced level examinations. It is very useful for freshers who have the passion to become Network Engineers with top niche skills required for working in top companies.

A prerequisite for learning CCNP is CCNA certification along with basic knowledge in networking fundamentals. The student can learn CCNP concepts easily if they have experience for about 3 months in the networking field.

Exam type of CCNA and CCNP

CCNA has two options to choose from for the exam such as CCNAX (CCNA Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices: Accelerated) and ICND1 / ICND2 Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part1 and Part2. It can be chosen from subcategories such as Cloud, Collaboration, Cyber Ops, Data Center, Industrial, Routing and Switching, Security, Service Provider, and Wireless. These exams have a minimum of 45 questions and a maximum of 75 questions that should be completed in 75 to 90 minutes.

CCNP has two main programs such as CCNP and CCDP (Cisco Certified Design Professional) and it requires passing three certification exams on the subcategories like Cloud, Collaboration, Data Center, Routing and Switching, Security, Service Provider, and Wireless. These examinations cover a minimum of 15 to a maximum of 80 questions and should be completed in 75 to 125 minutes according to the number of questions.

All these CCNA and CCNP exams have unique exam codes with suffixes of category names to indicate the exam types. The student can go forward with numerous other certifications like CCENT, CCT, CCIE, CCDE, CCAr, and so on as per their interests.

Difficult Level of CCNA and CCNP

CCNA allows the students to take one exam from two options along with expertise in basic IP addressing and good knowledge in networking fundamentals. CCNP requires the students to pass three exams that come under switch, root, and tshoot on 7 major categories. When comparing the difficulty level of two examinations, CCNA is easier than CCNP but it can be possible through complete hands-on exposure.

Career Path of CCNA and CCNP

CCNA provides the students a great start to working as Network Technician, Helpdesk Engineer, Service Desk Engineer, Network Support Engineer, and First and Second Line Support. Top companies are employing certified professionals who have a strong skill set to manage IT infrastructure and provide an average salary of ,945 for freshers.

CCNP brings tremendous job opportunities such as Third Line Support, Network Engineer, IT Team Leader, Network Analyst, Network Specialist, and Systems Engineer. CCNP professionals are earning around ,544 in global industries through certification and expertise.

Conclusion

CCNA and CCNP certifications add value to your profile and make you shine in your networking career for sure. We have given here basic details of CCNA and CCNP exams along with differences in learning curve, career path, prerequisites, and exam details. We hope this would help you to choose a good career in the networking field with validated skills through examinations. The learning of CCNA and CCNP is easy when you choose the Best CCNA Training Institute in Chennai who provides satisfying hands-on exposure for clearing the exam in a single attempt. Stay tuned for our blogs to know more about IT careers.