IT Certification Blog: Cisco Certified Design Professional (CCDP)
August 16, 2016
Organizations rely on network professionals to design and build networks that will strengthen the business. It’s essential for these networks to run smoothly in order for all parts of the organization to operate efficiently. Being that network professionals have an important role with the operations of the business, it’s also important for said professionals to reflect their expert skills. In this month’s certification blog, we will highlight the Cisco Certified Design Professional (CCDP) certification to learn more about how it can benefit network professionals.
What is the CCDP certification?
Cisco explains, “The Cisco Design and Architecture certification curriculum validates a network design engineer’s understanding of the latest design best practices throughout the entire design life cycle.” This curriculum offers certifications for entry-level professionals, all the way to experienced professionals.
The CCDP is the third tier certification among the other Cisco Design and Architecture certifications. Obtaining this certification reflects your understanding of modern Cisco networks and its architecture as the main focus areas are advanced addressing/routing solutions, advanced Enterprise Campus Networks, and enterprise data center integration strategies.
Professionals with at least 3 to 5 years of experience in roles such as Senior Network Design Engineer, Network and Solution Architect, and Principle Systems Engineer would gain the most value of the CCDP certification. PayScale also reports that network engineers and architects who are CCDP-certified earn on average between $60,000 – $150,000.
How can I get certified?
Before you can earn the CCDP certification, you must have a valid CCDA, CCNA Routing and Switching, or CCIE certification as a prerequisite. And, you will need to pass these three exams:
- 300-101 ROUTE
- 300-115 SWITCH
- 300-320 ARCH
Please note that the 300-320 ARCH exam has recently been updated with new testing topics, and a full list of those exam updates can be found here. The ROUTE and SWITCH exams have not been revised, so that material is still the same.
It’s also highly recommended that you take advantage of the classroom training sessions per each exam as they will best prepare you for the tests. Click here to find the trainings nearest to you, under the “Train” tab near the bottom of the page.
Recertification Process
The CCDP certification is good for three years, and if you want to renew your certification, you must do so before the certification expiration date. You must pass any one of these exams to become recertified:
- Current 642-XXX Professional-level or any 300-XXX Professional-level exam
- Current CCIE Written Exam
- Current CCDE Written Exam or any current CCDE Practical Exam
- Cisco Certified Architect (CCAr) interview and the CCAr board review to extend lower certifications
Take a look at our other certification profiles here.
Posted By: Jaclyn Roman