and then Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE). In
the past, in order to become CCNP certified, a candidate
would had to have previously completed the CCNA
certification and be in current certified status prior to
completing the CCNP. In addition, for the CCIE, a
written qualification exam had to be completed prior to
attempting the CCIE lab exam. However, having CCNA
or CCNP certification was not necessary in order to
pursue the CCIE certification. Today, the certification
process has been greatly simplified. As mentioned
previously, Cisco has evolved the certification structure
and the prerequisites for each track.
There are five levels of accreditation for Cisco career
certifications. The following sections cover how the
process has evolved and ultimately created the ability for
candidates to “choose their own destiny” when it comes
to what certifications and skillsets they want to pursue.
Figure 1-2 shows the pyramid hierarchy used to describe
the five levels of accreditation in Cisco certifications:
Architect
Expert
Professional
Associate
Entry