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Cisco CCNP Enterprise

Cisco

Complete guide to passing the Cisco CCNP Enterprise exam on your first attempt.

Very HardHigh Search Volume
Key Information at a Glance
Cost

$400+

Pass Rate

~35%

Validity

3 years

Region

Global

Provider

Cisco

Salary Impact

$100k-$150k

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Complete Overview

Cisco CCNP Enterprise is a professional-level networking certification earned by passing two exams: the 350-401 ENCOR core exam and one concentration exam of your choice. Cisco lists the core exam at 400 USD and every CCNP concentration exam at 300 USD, so the minimum outlay is 700 USD plus local tax, and that is before practice tests, lab licences or training.

Cisco states there are no formal prerequisites for CCNP Enterprise. The people who sit it usually have three to five years of hands-on experience implementing enterprise network solutions, which is the profile Cisco publishes on the CCNP Enterprise certification page. A CCNA is not required, although most candidates arrive with one because ENCOR assumes fluency with VLANs, OSPF and IPv4 or IPv6 addressing rather than teaching them.

ENCOR 350-401 runs for 120 minutes and is offered in English and Japanese. Cisco's CCNP Enterprise exams and training page states that grading is pass or fail and results are available online within 48 hours. Cisco does not publish passing scores for any of its exams, and it does not publish a question count for 350-401 either, so any specific number you see quoted for either figure did not come from Cisco. The current exam topics document is version 1.2, published by Cisco in 2025, and it splits the blueprint six ways: Infrastructure at 30 percent, Security at 20 percent, Architecture at 15 percent, Automation and Artificial Intelligence at 15 percent, Virtualization at 10 percent and Network Assurance at 10 percent.

The concentration exam is where you specialise. Cisco currently lists six for the Enterprise track: 300-410 ENARSI on advanced routing and services, 300-415 ENSDWI on Catalyst SD-WAN, 300-420 ENSLD on enterprise design, 300-435 ENAUTO on automation and programmability, 300-440 ENCC on secure cloud connectivity, and 300-445 ENNA on network assurance. Each runs 90 minutes. All six are offered in English and Japanese except ENNA, which Cisco lists in English only.

Passing ENCOR on its own earns the Cisco Certified Specialist - Enterprise Core certification, and passing any concentration earns its own Specialist badge, so a candidate who finishes both walks away with three credentials rather than one. ENCOR also satisfies the core requirement for CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure and CCIE Enterprise Wireless, which is why many people treat it as the first step of a longer route.

The certification is valid for three years. Cisco allows recertification by earning 80 Continuing Education credits, by retaking exams, or by mixing the two. Passing a professional-level core exam is itself worth 80 CE credits under Cisco's Continuing Education qualifying options, and a concentration exam is worth 40.

Why Get Cisco CCNP Enterprise Certified?

Two exams produce three credentials. ENCOR grants Cisco Certified Specialist - Enterprise Core, the concentration grants a second Specialist certification, and together they grant CCNP Enterprise.

ENCOR 350-401 doubles as the written requirement for CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure and CCIE Enterprise Wireless, so the 400 USD you spend on the core exam carries forward if you later attempt an expert track.

Cisco gives you six concentration choices, from 300-410 ENARSI on advanced routing to 300-445 ENNA on network assurance, so you can point the certification at the work you actually do.

The blueprint puts 15 percent on Automation and Artificial Intelligence, covering Python interpretation, JSON construction, YANG, EEM applets and REST APIs for Catalyst Center and SD-WAN Manager. That content maps directly to network automation engineer roles.

Passing the core exam earns 80 Continuing Education credits under Cisco's CE qualifying options, which is the full amount needed to recertify a professional-level certification for another three years.

Cisco publishes the full exam topics document as a free PDF with subtopics down to three levels, so you can audit your own readiness against the real blueprint rather than guessing.

Cisco offers all Associate, Professional and Expert written exams both in person and online, scheduled through the Certification Tracking System, and the current exams list shows ENCOR in English and Japanese.

Exam Format & Structure

Duration

120 minutes for 350-401 ENCOR. Each CCNP Enterprise concentration exam runs 90 minutes.

Questions

Not published by Cisco. Cisco does not disclose the number of items on 350-401 or on the concentration exams.

Passing Score

Not published by Cisco. Cisco's testing policy states that passing scores are set through statistical analysis, are subject to change, and are not published because questions and cut scores vary between exam forms. Your score report shows a section-level performance breakout and the passing score used for your specific delivery.

Question Types

  • Cisco publishes no item-type breakdown for 350-401 or for the concentration exams
  • Multiple choice with a single correct answer
  • Multiple choice with multiple correct answers
  • Drag and drop items
  • Cisco publishes interactive certification exam tutorials so you can work the exam interface before the day

Delivery Method

Proctored, delivered by Pearson VUE either at a test centre or through online proctoring. Scheduling goes through the Cisco Certification Tracking System. Cisco's CCNP Enterprise exams and training page states that grading is pass or fail and results are available online within 48 hours, and Cisco's policy adds that you receive a score report at the end of the session with a performance breakout by exam section.

Exam Domains & Topics

Infrastructure
30%

The largest block on ENCOR, split across Layer 2 switching, Layer 3 routing and IP services. Cisco phrases much of this section as troubleshooting rather than configuration, so expect broken trunks, broken EtherChannels and broken adjacencies rather than blank configurations. BGP is limited to eBGP between directly connected neighbours.

Key Topics to Master:

  • Troubleshooting static and dynamic 802.1Q trunking
  • Troubleshooting static and dynamic EtherChannels
  • RSTP and MST plus root guard and BPDU guard
  • Comparing EIGRP and OSPF path selection, metrics and area types
  • OSPFv2 and OSPFv3 with multiple normal areas, summarisation and filtering
  • eBGP between directly connected neighbours and best path selection
  • Policy-based routing
  • NAT and PAT configuration, plus HSRP and VRRP
  • Multicast concepts including RPF check, PIM SM, IGMPv2 and v3, SSM, bidir and MSDP
Security
20%

Device access control and infrastructure hardening on IOS XE, plus descriptive coverage of enterprise security design. Two of the four subsections are configure and verify, and two are describe only, which changes how deeply you need to know each. REST API security appears here rather than in the automation domain.

Key Topics to Master:

  • Lines and local user authentication
  • Authentication and authorization using AAA
  • Access control lists
  • Control Plane Policing
  • REST API security
  • Threat defense and endpoint security components
  • Next-generation firewall placement
  • TrustSec and MACsec
Architecture
15%

Design principles for enterprise networks and the working principles of Cisco's two software-defined solutions. Cisco asks you to explain rather than configure here, so the questions test whether you can place vSmart, vBond and vManage correctly, or identify which SD-Access plane carries which function. QoS appears as interpretation of existing configurations.

Key Topics to Master:

  • Two-tier, three-tier, fabric and cloud enterprise designs
  • High availability through redundancy, FHRP and SSO
  • Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN control and data plane elements
  • Benefits and limitations of the Catalyst SD-WAN solution
  • Cisco SD-Access control and data plane elements
  • Traditional campus interoperating with SD-Access
  • Interpreting QoS configurations
Automation and Artificial Intelligence
15%

Renamed in the version 1.2 blueprint from the older automation-only heading. You interpret Python rather than write it, and you construct valid JSON rather than parse arbitrary payloads. EEM is the one place in this domain where Cisco asks you to construct working configuration rather than describe or interpret.

Key Topics to Master:

  • Interpreting basic Python components and scripts
  • Constructing valid JSON-encoded files
  • Principles and benefits of YANG data modeling
  • APIs for Cisco Catalyst Center and SD-WAN Manager
  • Interpreting REST API response codes and payload results
  • Constructing an EEM applet for configuration, troubleshooting or data collection
  • Comparing agent and agentless orchestration tools
Virtualization
10%

Device, data path and network virtualization in three subsections. Only the data path items are configure and verify, which means VRF, GRE and IPsec tunnelling are the parts you must be able to build. LISP and VXLAN are describe-level here, though they reappear as fabric mechanics inside the Architecture domain.

Key Topics to Master:

  • Type 1 and type 2 hypervisors
  • Virtual machines and virtual switching
  • VRF configuration and verification
  • GRE tunnelling
  • IPsec tunnelling
  • LISP as a network virtualization control plane
  • VXLAN encapsulation
Network Assurance
10%

Diagnostics and telemetry. This is the domain that most rewards command line familiarity, because the items lean on reading output from real tools rather than recalling definitions. Cisco Catalyst Center, formerly DNA Center, appears here with the version 1.2 addition of AI-powered workflows alongside traditional ones.

Key Topics to Master:

  • Debugs, conditional debugs, traceroute and ping
  • SNMP and syslog
  • Flexible NetFlow configuration and verification
  • SPAN, RSPAN and ERSPAN
  • IP SLA configuration and verification
  • Cisco Catalyst Center for configuration, monitoring and management
  • NETCONF and RESTCONF configuration and verification

Recommended Study Plan

Week 1: Blueprint audit and lab build
8-10 hours
  • 1Download the 350-401 v1.2 exam topics PDF from learningcontent.cisco.com and mark every subtopic as configure, verify, describe or interpret
  • 2Decide your concentration now, because ENARSI, ENSDWI and ENAUTO pull your study in different directions
  • 3Stand up a lab: CML-Free from Cisco DevNet, a CML Personal licence at 199 USD per year, or EVE-NG with IOSv and IOSvL2 images
  • 4Take the Cisco U. pre-assessment for the CCNP Enterprise learning path to get a starting section profile
  • 5Register a Cisco account and complete your profile in the Certification Tracking System so you can schedule later without delay
Week 2: Layer 2 infrastructure
10-12 hours
  • 1Break and repair 802.1Q trunks in the lab: native VLAN mismatch, DTP mode mismatch, allowed VLAN list pruning
  • 2Build LACP, PAgP and static EtherChannels, then deliberately mismatch modes and read the resulting error output
  • 3Configure RSTP and MST across a three-switch topology and verify root bridge election after changing priority and path cost
  • 4Apply root guard and BPDU guard, trigger both, and practise err-disable recovery
  • 5Read the Layer 2 chapters of the ENCOR 350-401 Official Cert Guide from Cisco Press
Week 3: OSPF and EIGRP
10-12 hours
  • 1Build a multi-area OSPFv2 topology with point-to-point and broadcast network types and confirm adjacency states
  • 2Add OSPFv3 for IPv6 on the same topology and compare the LSDB
  • 3Practise inter-area summarisation, LSA filtering and passive-interface on the same lab
  • 4Compare EIGRP and OSPF path selection on an identical topology and document which protocol picks which path and why
  • 5Work through Cisco U. Learning Path modules on routing to bank Continuing Education eligibility
Week 4: BGP, IP services and multicast
10-12 hours
  • 1Configure eBGP between directly connected neighbours and step through the best path selection algorithm attribute by attribute
  • 2Configure policy-based routing and prove the path change with traceroute
  • 3Build static NAT, dynamic NAT and PAT, then verify the translation table under load
  • 4Configure HSRP and VRRP with preemption and object tracking, then fail the active router
  • 5Study PIM sparse mode, RPF check, IGMPv2 and IGMPv3, SSM, bidir and MSDP at describe level
Week 5: Virtualization
8-10 hours
  • 1Configure VRF-Lite with overlapping address space and verify separation with ping vrf
  • 2Build a GRE tunnel, then protect it with IPsec and verify the security association
  • 3Compare type 1 and type 2 hypervisors and virtual switching models against the blueprint wording
  • 4Read Cisco documentation on LISP map servers, map resolvers and the ETR to ITR path
  • 5Trace a VXLAN frame end to end and be able to name every header in the stack
Week 6: Architecture and SD-WAN
8-10 hours
  • 1Draw the Catalyst SD-WAN control plane from memory: vManage for management, vBond for orchestration, vSmart for control, WAN Edge for data
  • 2Draw the SD-Access planes from memory: LISP control, VXLAN data, TrustSec policy
  • 3Compare two-tier and three-tier campus designs and list where each fails to scale
  • 4Study SSO, stateful switchover and FHRP as three separate high availability mechanisms
  • 5Interpret sample QoS configurations and identify classification, marking, policing and shaping actions
Week 7: Security
10-12 hours
  • 1Configure line and local user authentication, then move authentication to AAA and verify the fallback path
  • 2Write and apply standard and extended ACLs, then verify hit counts
  • 3Configure Control Plane Policing and prove it drops the traffic class you targeted
  • 4Study TrustSec SGT propagation and MACsec key exchange at describe level
  • 5Review REST API security: authentication tokens, transport security, rate limiting
Week 8: Network assurance
10-12 hours
  • 1Configure Flexible NetFlow with a custom flow record and read the cache output
  • 2Configure local SPAN, RSPAN and ERSPAN and confirm each capture reaches the destination
  • 3Configure IP SLA with an ICMP echo operation and bind it to an object tracker
  • 4Configure NETCONF and RESTCONF on IOS XE and pull a running configuration through each
  • 5Use conditional debugs to isolate one interface or one neighbour instead of flooding the console
Week 9: Automation and artificial intelligence
8-10 hours
  • 1Read Python scripts that use the requests library and predict their output without running them
  • 2Write valid JSON by hand and validate it, since the blueprint asks you to construct rather than read
  • 3Explore Catalyst Center and SD-WAN Manager APIs on the free Cisco DevNet Sandbox
  • 4Write three EEM applets: one that logs on a syslog pattern, one that reacts to an interface event, one that collects show output on a timer
  • 5Compare Ansible as agentless against Puppet and Chef as agent-based
Week 10: First full assessment and ENCOR booking
10-12 hours
  • 1Take a full-length practice exam such as Boson ExSim-Max for 350-401 under 120-minute conditions
  • 2Score by domain and rank your six domains from weakest to strongest
  • 3Spend the rest of the week only on the two weakest domains
  • 4Book ENCOR through the Cisco Certification Tracking System for roughly two weeks out
  • 5Repeat the Cisco U. post-assessment and compare against your week 1 baseline
Week 11: ENCOR final review and sitting
10-12 hours
  • 1Re-lab every configure-and-verify subtopic once, timing yourself
  • 2Rebuild the Catalyst SD-WAN and SD-Access diagrams from a blank page
  • 3Take a second practice exam and require a clear margin above your first score before sitting
  • 4Sit 350-401 ENCOR and check the tracking system for the result within 48 hours
  • 5If you pass, claim the Cisco Certified Specialist - Enterprise Core credential from the tracking system
Week 12: Concentration exam sprint
12-14 hours
  • 1Download your chosen concentration blueprint, for example 300-410 ENARSI or 300-415 ENSDWI, and repeat the week 1 audit
  • 2Lab only the subtopics that ENCOR did not already cover, since the overlap is substantial for ENARSI
  • 3Take a concentration-specific practice exam under 90-minute conditions
  • 4Book the concentration exam at 300 USD while the core material is still fresh
  • 5After passing, confirm all three certifications appear in your Cisco Certification Tracking System profile

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Best Study Resources

350-401 ENCOR v1.2 exam topics

Official blueprint PDF

Cisco's own exam topics document, with domain weights and subtopics down to three levels of numbering. This is the only authoritative statement of what is on the exam.

Free

Cisco U. CCNP Enterprise learning path

Guided video and lab training

Cisco's own learning platform, with pre-assessments and post-assessments that let you skip material you already know. Eligible Cisco U. learning paths also count toward Continuing Education credits.

Subscription

CCNP and CCIE Enterprise Core ENCOR 350-401 Official Cert Guide

Book

Cisco Press title written by Brad Edgeworth, Ramiro Garza Rios, David Hucaby and Jason Gooley. Organised chapter by chapter against the blueprint, which makes gap auditing straightforward.

Paid

Cisco Modeling Labs Personal

Network simulator

Cisco's own simulator running genuine IOS XE images, sold through the Cisco U. store. CML-Free is a no-cost single-user option available through Cisco DevNet for smaller topologies.

199 USD per year for Personal, 349 USD per year for Personal Plus

Cisco DevNet Sandbox

Live API lab environment

Reservable and always-on sandboxes for Catalyst Center, Catalyst SD-WAN Manager and IOS XE devices with NETCONF and RESTCONF enabled. This is the practical way to work the 15 percent automation domain without owning hardware.

Free

Boson ExSim-Max for Cisco 350-401

Practice exam engine

Practice exams with per-item explanations that cite the reason each distractor fails. Useful mainly for pacing against the 120-minute clock rather than as a content source.

Paid

Cisco Learning Network Enterprise certifications community

Forum and study group

Cisco's own community, which the exams page describes as having over 1.2 million learners. Study groups, webinars and blueprint discussion threads for ENCOR and each concentration exam.

Free

Cisco U. practice exam for ENCOR

Readiness check

Cisco's own practice exam, listed on the ENCOR exam page as a readiness check before booking. Item style is closer to the real delivery than most third-party banks.

Paid

Cisco exam, testing and certification policies

Policy reference

The page that governs retakes, identification at check-in, embargoed countries, score reporting and the confidentiality agreement you must accept before the first question loads.

Free

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Studying BGP to CCIE depth for ENCOR. The blueprint limits BGP to eBGP between directly connected neighbours, best path selection and neighbour relationships.

Cap your BGP effort at that scope for ENCOR. Route reflectors, confederations and iBGP full mesh belong to 300-410 ENARSI and to the CCIE lab blueprint, not to the core exam.

Treating the Layer 2 subtopics as configuration questions. Cisco wrote 3.1.a and 3.1.b as troubleshoot, not configure.

Practise repair rather than build. Have a lab partner or a script break trunking and EtherChannel, then diagnose from show output alone. The exam gives you a broken state and asks what is wrong.

Skipping the Automation and Artificial Intelligence domain because it looks like developer work. It is 15 percent of the exam, the same weight as Architecture.

You do not need to write production Python. The blueprint says interpret scripts, construct JSON and construct an EEM applet. Three weekends on DevNet Sandbox covers it.

Studying the version 1.0 or 1.1 blueprint from an older cert guide or a stale blog post. Version 1.2 renamed domain 6, added AI-powered Catalyst Center workflows and renamed DNA Center.

Work from the version 1.2 PDF on learningcontent.cisco.com. Note that the Cisco exam page still shows a v1.1 label in places, so trust the dated topics document over the marketing page.

Assuming the wireless concentration exams are still part of CCNP Enterprise. Cisco's current exams list places 350-101 WLCOR, 300-110 WLSD and 300-120 WLSI under CCNP Wireless.

Pick from the six Enterprise concentrations Cisco lists today: ENARSI, ENSDWI, ENSLD, ENAUTO, ENCC and ENNA. If wireless is your target, the CCNP Wireless track is now a separate certification.

Booking the concentration exam months after ENCOR and losing the overlap. ENARSI in particular reuses OSPF, EIGRP and BGP knowledge you had loaded for the core exam.

Schedule the concentration within four to six weeks of passing ENCOR. Cisco gives you three years to finish, but the marginal study cost climbs sharply once the routing detail fades.

Passing ENCOR and then sitting it again too soon for recertification. Cisco requires a minimum of 180 days before retaking the same passed professional exam with an identical exam number.

Plan recertification through 80 Continuing Education credits, or through a different exam. Passing a professional core exam is worth 80 CE credits, and a concentration exam is worth 40.

Memorising multicast configuration syntax. The blueprint word for 3.3.d is describe, covering RPF check, PIM SM, IGMP v2 and v3, SSM, bidir and MSDP.

Learn what each mechanism does and when you would choose it. Spend the saved lab hours on the configure-and-verify items in IP services, which carry the same domain weight and demand syntax.

Arriving at a Pearson VUE centre with one form of identification. Cisco requires two, both bearing your signature, one of them a government-issued photo ID.

Pack a passport or driving licence plus a signed credit card or similar second document. The check-in process also captures a digital photo and signature, and a mismatch ends the appointment.

Exam Day Tips

  • 1

    Bring two forms of identification, both signed, with at least one government-issued photo ID. Pearson VUE captures a digital photo and a digital signature at admission alongside both documents.

  • 2

    You may not carry anything into the room. Cisco's policy names notes, documentation, watches, laptops, keyboards, pagers, PDAs and mobile phones specifically, and you may not carry anything out either.

  • 3

    Read and accept the Cisco Certifications and Confidentiality Agreement before starting. Cisco's policy is explicit that declining it ends the exam with no refund of the fee.

  • 4

    Budget your 120 minutes against domain weight, not question order. Infrastructure is 30 percent of the exam, so a disproportionate share of items will be Layer 2, Layer 3 and IP services.

  • 5

    Decide in advance the maximum time you will give any single item and hold to it. The blueprint writes most of the Infrastructure subtopics as troubleshoot, configure or verify, and those are the items that run long.

  • 6

    Work through Cisco's certification exam tutorials before the day so the first drag and drop item you meet is not on the live exam. The tutorials cover the item formats and the exam interface.

  • 7

    Expect describe-level questions to be worded as scenarios. When a question asks which SD-Access plane carries a function, it is testing the blueprint mapping, not command syntax.

  • 8

    Your score report prints a section-level breakout and the passing score for your specific delivery. Photograph or keep it, because a failed attempt tells you exactly which of the six domains to rebuild.

  • 9

    If you fail, the wait is five calendar days beginning the day after the attempt before you can retake 350-401. Book the retake immediately while the section breakout is still in front of you.

Career Paths & Salary Ranges

Network automation engineer

Cisco names this role directly on the CCNP Enterprise certification page. The work uses Python, REST APIs and orchestration tools to replace repeated manual configuration, which maps onto the 15 percent Automation and Artificial Intelligence domain and onto the 300-435 ENAUTO concentration.

$100k-$150k

Senior network engineer

Runs routing, switching and IP services for a multi-site enterprise. The ENCOR Infrastructure domain at 30 percent is effectively this job description, from EtherChannel and MST through OSPF areas and eBGP peering to NAT, HSRP and VRRP.

$100k-$150k

Systems engineer

Cisco lists systems engineer as a CCNP Enterprise role. The job spans network, compute and virtualization boundaries, which lines up with the Virtualization domain covering hypervisors, virtual switching, VRF and tunnelling.

$100k-$150k

SD-WAN deployment engineer

Deploys and operates Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN overlays: vManage templates, vBond onboarding, vSmart policy and WAN Edge provisioning. The 300-415 ENSDWI concentration is built specifically for this role.

$100k-$150k

Network support technician

Cisco lists this as a CCNP Enterprise role. The work is connectivity triage and device troubleshooting, and it leans on the Network Assurance domain: conditional debugs, SPAN captures, IP SLA and Flexible NetFlow.

$100k-$150k

Prerequisites & Requirements

  • None. Cisco states on the CCNP Enterprise certification page that there are no formal prerequisites, and CCNA is not required despite being widely assumed.
  • Cisco's published learner profile is three to five years of experience implementing enterprise network solutions.
  • You must be able to pass both a core exam and one concentration exam. Cisco gives you three years from passing the qualification exam to complete the remaining requirements.
  • You must hold a Cisco account and a completed profile in the Cisco Certification Tracking System before you can register for any exam.
  • Residents of embargoed countries and territories listed in Cisco's testing policy, including Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Belarus and Russia, are prohibited from testing with Cisco.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does CCNP Enterprise cost in total?

The minimum is 700 USD plus local tax: 400 USD for the 350-401 ENCOR core exam and 300 USD for one concentration exam. Cisco publishes these figures in the pricing table on its exams page, where CCNP core exams are listed at 400 USD and CCNP concentration exams at 300 USD. Cisco Learning Credits can be redeemed instead of a credit card. Pearson VUE lists local currency pricing for other countries, and Cisco notes that prices may change without notice.

What happens if I fail ENCOR 350-401?

You must wait five calendar days, beginning the day after the failed attempt, before you can retake the same exam. There is no cap on the number of attempts, but you pay the full 400 USD each time. Your failed score report includes a section-level performance breakout showing how you did in each of the six domains, which is the most useful diagnostic you will get since Cisco does not release item-level feedback.

Is CCNA a prerequisite for CCNP Enterprise?

No. Cisco states there are no formal prerequisites for CCNP Enterprise. Most candidates hold a CCNA because ENCOR assumes you already know VLANs, subnetting, basic OSPF and IPv6 addressing, but Cisco does not check for it at registration. If you are starting cold, treat CCNA content as assumed knowledge rather than as exam content.

How long is CCNP Enterprise valid, and how do I recertify?

Three years from the date you earn it. Cisco gives three routes: earn 80 Continuing Education credits, retake a qualifying exam, or combine credits and exams. Passing a professional-level core exam is worth 80 CE credits on its own under Cisco's CE qualifying options, and a professional concentration exam is worth 40. Eligible Cisco U. learning paths, instructor-led training and Cisco Live technical sessions also earn credits.

How many Continuing Education credits can I earn from Cisco Live?

Between 1 and 10 credits per session depending on session type and level. Cisco's qualifying options table gives a 1000-level Technical Breakout 1 credit and a 3000-level eight-hour Technical Seminar 10 credits. You must badge in on site to a session of at least 45 minutes and attend at least 75 percent of it. Eligible session types include Technical Breakouts, DevNet Workshops, Instructor-Led Labs, Technical Seminars, Capture the Flag and Cisco U. theater sessions.

What identification do I need at the test centre?

Two forms of personal identification, both bearing your signature, with at least one being a government-issued photo ID. Pearson VUE also captures a digital photo and a digital signature during admission, and the photo is printed on your score report. You must sign the Cisco candidate rules agreement digitally with the test administrator before entering the testing room.

Can I take ENCOR online instead of at a test centre?

Yes. Cisco offers all Associate, Professional and Expert written exams both in person and online, scheduled through the Cisco Certification Tracking System. Only Expert-level lab and practical exams are in-person only. Online proctoring has its own environment requirements, which Cisco documents on its online exam testing page.

What is the passing score for 350-401?

Cisco does not publish it. The company's testing policy states that passing scores are set through statistical analysis, are subject to change, and vary from exam to exam without notice, which is why they are not disclosed. Your score report shows the passing score used for your specific delivery alongside your section breakout, so you learn the number only after you sit.

How many questions are on the ENCOR exam?

Cisco does not publish a question count for 350-401. The only figures Cisco publishes are the 120-minute duration and the domain weights. Numbers circulating on third-party sites are estimates from candidate reports, not vendor data. Plan your pacing against the clock and the domain weights rather than against an assumed item count.

Can I use a calculator or reference materials during the exam?

No. Cisco's policy states that candidates are not allowed to bring anything into the exam room or take anything out, and it names notes, documentation, watches, laptops, keyboards, pagers, PDAs and mobile phones. Any on-screen tools you get are provided inside the exam delivery software itself.

Are testing accommodations available, and do they cost extra?

Yes, and no. Cisco provides reasonable accommodations for Associate, Professional and Specialist exam appointments and charges no additional fee for them. You must contact Cisco before taking the test, and additional documentation may be required. Cisco publishes an accessibility contact address for accommodation questions.

How long does it take to get results?

Cisco's CCNP Enterprise exams and training page states that grading is pass or fail and results are available online within 48 hours. At the end of the session you receive a score report with a performance breakout by exam section. Within 24 hours of passing a certification exam Cisco emails you the steps to claim the certification, and the certification kit contains a PDF certificate, a downloadable logo, a Credly digital badge and the option of a printed certificate shipped in six to eight weeks.

How does CCNP Enterprise compare with CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure?

They share the same core exam. ENCOR 350-401 satisfies the written requirement for both, which means the 400 USD you spend counts twice. CCNP then requires a 300 USD concentration exam of 90 minutes, while CCIE requires an eight-hour hands-on lab exam costing 1,600 USD. Cisco's recommended experience is three to five years for CCNP and five to seven years for CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure.

Which concentration exam should I choose?

ENARSI 300-410 if your work is routing and troubleshooting, since it overlaps most with ENCOR and is usually the shortest additional study. ENSDWI 300-415 if you deploy Catalyst SD-WAN. ENSLD 300-420 if you design rather than operate. ENAUTO 300-435 if you write automation. ENCC 300-440 for cloud connectivity, and ENNA 300-445 for assurance work. All six run 90 minutes at 300 USD, and all are offered in English and Japanese except ENNA, which Cisco lists in English only.

Does passing ENCOR give me anything if I never sit a concentration exam?

Yes. Passing 350-401 on its own earns the Cisco Certified Specialist - Enterprise Core certification, which is a standalone credential with its own logo and digital badge. It also counts toward recertification of other Cisco certifications you hold, and it stays valid as a CCIE or CCNP qualification exam for three years.

What happens if my ENCOR pass expires before I finish the concentration?

You have to pass ENCOR again. Cisco's policy states that Associate, Professional, Specialist and Expert-level written exams are valid for three years, and that all certification requirements must be completed within three years of passing the corresponding qualification exam. If the three years elapse without certifying, the qualification exam must be retaken and paid for again.

Can I retake ENCOR immediately to recertify after passing it?

No. Cisco requires a minimum wait of 180 days before taking the same passed Associate, Professional, Specialist or CCDE written exam with an identical exam number. If you want to recertify sooner, pass a different current exam or accumulate the 80 Continuing Education credits required for a professional-level certification.

What does the exam cover that is new in version 1.2 of the blueprint?

Domain 6 was renamed Automation and Artificial Intelligence. Section 4.5 now asks you to describe how Cisco Catalyst Center applies configuration, monitoring and management using traditional and AI-powered workflows, and the product name changed from Cisco DNA Center to Cisco Catalyst Center throughout. Section 6.4 references APIs for Catalyst Center and SD-WAN Manager rather than the older product names.

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