SecProve
ProfessionalVendor-neutralCisco· issued from US

CCNP Sec

Cisco Certified Network Professional - Security

Cisco Certified Network Professional - Security

Official page at Cisco↔ Compare with another cert
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
en

› 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.

› Prerequisites

Experience

No formal prerequisites. Recommended: CCNA + 3–5 years network security experience.

› Progression

requiredrecommended

Where this cert fits in the typical learning path. Required edges are vendor-gated; recommended edges reflect de facto industry progression.

Required prereqs (0)

No vendor-gated prereqs.

Recommended priors (1)
CCNACisco
CCNP Sec
Cisco
Required by (0)

No certs require this one.

Recommended next (1)
CCIE SecCisco

› Study materials

Curated starting points. Not exhaustive — vet each against your learning style and the current exam version.

Official guides
  • Official Cert Guide (CCNP Security) — Cisco Press
Training providers
Practice tests
  • Pearson Test Prep Practice Tests
  • Boson ExSim-Max
Free / community

› Version & lifecycle

Current version
SCOR + concentration exam
Released
2024-02

› Salary signal

Network security engineer (Cisco-stack), US, 4-6 years.

$110K–$165K
median $130K

Robert Half Salary Guide + Glassdoor 'Network Security Engineer' aggregations · 2024 · US base only · p25–p75 range

› How it compares

vs
PCNSE

Cisco-stack (CCNP Sec) vs Palo-stack (PCNSE) — pick by your gear.

↔ Compare side-by-side
vs
CCIE Sec

CCNP Security is the professional tier; CCIE Security is the expert tier above.

↔ Compare side-by-side

› Common exam traps to study

Cybersecurity cert exams reuse the same 25 distractor patterns over and over — category confusion, RTO vs RPO, IDS vs IPS, MD5 vs SHA-256, and more. Once you can name the trap, you stop falling for it. Each archetype page covers what it is, the specific pairs candidates confuse, and how to avoid it.

Browse all 25 cert-exam trapsStart with: BEST vs correct

See this cert’s domains highlighted on the interactive map, or compare it against the rest of the catalog.

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