ProfessionalVendor-neutralCisco· issued from US

CCNP Sec

Cisco Certified Network Professional - Security

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Exam fee

$300

Ongoing

30 CPE/yr

Study time

200–400 hrs

Delivery

Test center

Validity

3 yrs (renewal cycle)

› Quality score

32.5 / 40

Four-axis SecProve rubric, each 0–10. SecProve editorial assessment — each axis carries a written justification so you can push back on any single call without dismissing the whole score.

Blueprint rigor

How well-defined and rigorous the exam blueprint is.

Cisco publishes detailed exam topics across core + concentration exams.

8.5/10

Practical evidence

Hands-on labs / written reports vs pure MCQ.

Cisco's exams include scenario-based simulations with virtualised devices.

7.0/10

Currency & upkeep

How aggressively content is kept current with the field.

Refreshed alongside Cisco platform updates (Firepower, Umbrella, ISE).

8.5/10

Market recognition

How often this signal actually moves a hiring decision.

Universal in Cisco-network shops; strong portability across enterprise networking roles.

8.5/10

› Exam format

Core exam (SCOR 350-701, 120 min.) + 1 concentration exam (optional). Multiple-choice + lab simulations.

Passing score

Variable (~825/1000 scaled)

Retake policy

Fee: $300 per attempt

Wait: 5d between attempts

5-day wait between attempts (varies by exam level).

› Recertification

Valid for 3 years. 80 CE credits over 3 years or higher-level Cisco exam.

› NICE Framework work roles

The NIST NICE work-role IDs this cert maps to. NICCS lookup.

DD-WRL-001IO-WRL-004DD-WRL-004

Recognition

Global

Exam languages

› Core domains covered

The 2 domains this cert is centrally about. Passing the exam demonstrates working knowledge of each.

A2Network Security

Firewalls, IDS/IPS, network segmentation, DNS security, SD-WAN, VPN, traffic analysis, wireless security.

A6Identity & Access Management

AuthN/AuthZ, SSO, MFA, PAM, RBAC/ABAC, identity governance, FIDO2/passkeys, plus non-human identity: service accounts, workload identity, agent / plugin identities.