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Certification path

The Cisco certification path: CCST, CCNA, CCNP and CCIE in order

Cisco’s networking certifications climb in four levels: CCST at entry level, CCNA at associate, CCNP at professional and CCIE at expert. CCNA and CCNP Enterprise list no formal prerequisites, so the order is a route you choose to follow (Cisco CCNA page and CCNP Enterprise page). Each rung, with its exams and validity:

Reviewed October 29, 2026

Index · 6 sections

The ladder at a glance

0000CCST Networking0010CCNA0020CCNP Enterprise0030CCIE
Figure 1.Cisco’s networking levels from entry to expert; CCNA is the associate rung.
  • 0000 Entry: exam 100-150, 50 minutes
  • 0010 Associate: exam 200-301, 120 minutes
  • 0020 Professional: ENCOR core plus one concentration
  • 0030 Expert: not covered on this site

What the first three rungs ask

Exams, time, Cisco list fees (US, plus tax) and validity, checked October 29, 2026
LevelCertificationExamsTime and feeValid for
EntryCCST Networking100-15050 min, US$1255 years if earned on or after July 15, 2025
AssociateCCNA200-301120 min, US$3003 years
ProfessionalCCNP Enterprise350-401 ENCOR plus one concentrationENCOR 120 min, US$400; concentration 90 min, US$3003 years

Local pricing varies. CCIE, the expert rung, is not covered here; its exams and terms are on Cisco’s certifications index.

Choosing where to step on

CCST Networking is the lowest rung. Cisco calls it “a first step toward CCNA certification” (Cisco CCST page), and it suits a reader who wants a shorter, cheaper checkpoint before the associate exam. It is optional: Cisco says the CCNA itself assumes little to no networking knowledge. CCNA vs CCST compares the two directly.

CCNA, exam 200-301, is the associate rung and the one this site maps; its next version keeps the same code (see the current CCNA version). Cisco’s certifications index now lists CCNA Automation and CCNA Cybersecurity beside it as separate certifications (Cisco certifications index); this site covers the networking exam only.

CCNP Enterprise takes two exams: the 350-401 ENCOR core and one concentration. ENCOR alone earns the Cisco Certified Specialist, Enterprise Core title. CCNA vs CCNP sets the two levels side by side. CCIE, Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert, sits above; this site lists no CCIE exam facts.

Added up at Cisco’s US list prices, the exam fees for the first three rungs come to US$1,125: US$125 for CCST Networking, US$300 for the CCNA and US$700 for the two CCNP Enterprise exams, each plus tax, with local pricing varying. Retakes, training and lab gear sit on top. Skipping CCST takes US$125 off that total; going straight to CCNP is allowed but leaves the associate material to learn inside ENCOR preparation.

Validity is not uniform either. A CCST earned on or after July 15, 2025 lasts five years; CCNA and CCNP last three. Because a higher-level exam renews what sits below it, an engineer who keeps climbing rarely needs a separate CCNA renewal step.

Where the ladder meets the job market

Certifications are one axis; job titles are another. The step from associate to professional usually tracks the step from administering networks to designing them, and BLS lists five years or more of related experience for computer network architects. The degree, lab and first-job layers that sit under the ladder are in how to become a network engineer.

Path questions

What is the first Cisco certification to get?

CCST Networking is the entry rung, but it is optional: Cisco sets no prerequisites for the CCNA.

Which certification comes after the CCNA?

On the enterprise track, CCNP Enterprise: the 350-401 ENCOR core plus one concentration exam. ENCOR on its own earns the Specialist, Enterprise Core title (Cisco).

What happened to DevNet and CyberOps?

Cisco’s certifications index now lists CCNA Automation and CCNA Cybersecurity and no longer names DevNet or CyberOps (Cisco). We have not confirmed a change date on a Cisco page.

References

  1. [1]Cisco: CCST Networking exam100-150 time, fee, “first step” wording. Checked October 29, 2026.
  2. [2]Cisco: CCNA certification page and FAQprerequisites, validity, recertification. Checked October 29, 2026.
  3. [3]Cisco: CCNP EnterpriseENCOR and concentration exams. Checked October 29, 2026.
  4. [4]Cisco: certifications indexCCNA Automation, CCNA Cybersecurity. Checked October 29, 2026.
  5. [5]Cisco: exam policiesvalidity periods. Checked October 29, 2026.

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