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Pick up to 3 certifications and compare them side-by-side on cost, exam format, recertification, salary signal, quality, and domain coverage.
Palo Alto · professional
PCNSEPalo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer
Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Engineer
Official pageComparing
Palo AltoPCNSE
› Cost
Exam fee
PCNSE$200
Exam fee
$200
Annual maintenance fee
PCNSE—
Annual maintenance fee
—
3-year cost of ownership
PCNSE$200
3-year cost of ownership
$200
› Exam mechanics
Pass mark
PCNSE70%
Pass mark
70%
Retake policy
PCNSE$175 fee · 14d wait
Retake policy
$175 fee · 14d wait
Study time
PCNSE100–200 hrs
Study time
100–200 hrs
Validity
PCNSE—
Validity
—
CPE / yr
PCNSE—
CPE / yr
—
Delivery
PCNSE—
Delivery
—
› Salary signal (US base)
Range
PCNSE$115K – $175K
Range
$115K – $175K
Median
PCNSE$138,000
Median
$138,000
Premium %
PCNSE—
Premium %
—
Role context
PCNSENetwork security engineer (Palo Alto-focused), US, 3–5 years.
Role context
Network security engineer (Palo Alto-focused), US, 3–5 years.
› Quality (4-axis rubric · 0–10)
Schema quality
PCNSE8.0
Schema quality
8.0
Practice evidence
PCNSE7.0
Practice evidence
7.0
Maintenance
PCNSE8.5
Maintenance
8.5
Market recognition
PCNSE8.0
Market recognition
8.0
Average
PCNSE7.9
Average
7.9
› Recognition & lifecycle
Recognition
PCNSEGlobal
Recognition
Global
ISO 17024 accredited
PCNSE—
ISO 17024 accredited
—
DoD 8140 baseline
PCNSE—
DoD 8140 baseline
—
Holders worldwide
PCNSE—
Holders worldwide
—
Current version
PCNSEPAN-OS 11.x aligned (2024-01)
Current version
PAN-OS 11.x aligned (2024-01)
› Domain coverage
A2Network Security
PCNSE● core
A2Network Security
● core
A6Identity & Access Management
PCNSE● core
A6Identity & Access Management
● core
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