Cisco Exam Information

About Career Certification Exams

The main requirement for obtaining Cisco Career Certifications such as CCENT, CCNA, CCDP and CCIE is to take and pass one or more certification exams and sign the Cisco Career Certifications and Confidentiality Agreement. Passing exams gives network professionals the chance to prove their networking knowledge and expertise.

What Are the Exams Like?

• Exams are proctored, timed, and delivered in a secure environment. Most exams last approximately one to two hours. Lab exams typically last eight hours.
• Candidates must acknowledge the Cisco Career Certifications and Confidentiality Agreement online at the authorized testing center prior to taking any Cisco Career Certification exam. If candidates do not accept this agreement they will be unable to proceed with the exam, no refund will be provided. Signing this legal agreement is required to be officially certified.
• Exams can be very challenging, going beyond simple recall and requiring candidates to engage in on the job types of problem solving. Questions include multiple-choice single answer, multiple-choice multiple answers, drag and drop, fill in the blank and simulations.
• Exams other than CCIE lab exams are delivered online, with questions in sequence, and do not allow a candidate to "mark" and return to an exam question.
• Candidates will be provided with an erasable note board and marker for notes and calculations to assist them as they answer the questions.
• Exams may contain non-scored items to collect performance data on new items. Non-scored items are not used in determining the passing score nor are reported in a subsection of the score report. All non-scored items are randomly placed in the exam with sufficient time calculated and given to complete the entire exam.
• At the completion of computer-based exams, candidates receive a score report along with a score breakout by exam section and the passing score for the given exam. Lab exams are Pass/Fail and results are available online (using login) within 48 hours.
• Cisco does not publish exam passing scores because exam questions and passing scores are subject to change without notice.

What Do They Cost?

• Computer-based certification exam prices range from £62 to £168, please see the table below for more detailed information. Vouchers can be purchased direct from Global Knowledge or via Pearson Vue Cisco’s Primary Test Delivery Partner.

How Do I Schedule Exams?

• To schedule and book your exams at one of our testing centres please call us directly on the telephone numbers below or alternatively contact VUE to schedule an exam at another VUE centre.

• Candidates who fail an exam must wait a period of five (5) calendar days, beginning the day after the failed attempt, before they may retest for the same exam.

What Do I Get When I Pass My Exams?

• After a candidate passes all exams required for a certification and signs the required agreements, Cisco will send a Cisco Career Certifications certificate identifying the candidate's Cisco Career Certification ID and valid certification dates. Allow 3-5 business days for electronic certificates and 6-8 weeks from the date the certificate was mailed for printed certificates.
• Certified candidates are authorized to use the appropriate Cisco Career Certifications logos indicating certification status. Prior to use, they must read and acknowledge the Cisco Career Certifications Logo Agreement. Logos can be ordered through the Cisco Career Certifications Tracking System.
• The Cisco Career Certifications Tracking System provides a record of both exam and certification status. Candidates and certification holders are expected to keep contact information up to date for receiving notifications from Cisco.

Do certification exams expire?

• CCENT, Associate and Professional level 642 exams are valid for three years from the date the exam was passed. Specialist focused certification exams are valid for two years from the date the exam was passed.
• Placing expiration dates on exams ensures that candidates starting a multi-exam certification such as CCENT, CCNP, CCDP, CCVP, CCSP and CCIP, complete the program within a specified time-frame. By passing all of the required exams within the specified time period as noted above, candidates demonstrate that they are tested on current content. In situations where the period exceeds three years, candidates will need to re-take those exams that expire.

CCIE Exams

Training is not the CCIE program objective. Rather, the focus is on identifying experts capable of understanding and navigating the subtleties, intricacies and challenges of end-to-end networking. To become certified, you must pass both a written qualification exam AND the corresponding hands-on lab exam.

Written Exams

Written exams are computer-based, multiple choice exams lasting two hours and available at hundreds of authorized testing centers worldwide. You must pass the written exam before you are eligible to schedule the lab exam

What Do They Cost?

• Computer-based certification exam prices range from £62 to £168, please see the table below for more detailed information. Vouchers can be purchased direct from Global Knowledge or via Pearson Vue Cisco’s Primary Test Delivery Partner.

How Do I Schedule Exams?

• To schedule and book your exams at one of our testing centres please call us directly on the telephone numbers below or alternatively contact VUE to schedule an exam at another VUE centre.

• Candidates who fail an exam must wait a period of five (5) calendar days, beginning the day after the failed attempt, before they may retest for the same exam.

Scheduling and Payment

You will need to have the correct written exam number to register. You must also use the same candidate ID number for all exams that you take, to ensure your results appear in your CCIE profile.

* As of February 1, 2007, available only for recertification

Retakes

Candidates must wait five days between written exam attempts. Once a candidate has passed the exam, he or she may not take the same exam again (for recertification purposes) for at least 180 days.

Expiration

Candidates must make an initial attempt of the CCIE lab exam within 18 months of passing the CCIE written exam. Candidates who do not pass must re-attempt the lab exam within 12 months of their last attempt in order for their written exam to remain valid. If a candidate does not pass the lab exam within three years, the written exam expires and must be passed again before the candidates will be allowed to schedule the lab.

Beta Exams

Each written exam version is offered first in beta form at a discounted cost of $50 USD. Beta exams are scheduled as you would other written exams and are available at all worldwide testing locations. A passing grade on the beta qualifies a candidate to schedule the lab exam. Results, however, are typically not available until six to eight weeks after the close of the beta. A candidate may attempt the beta exam only once during the beta period.

CCIE Lab Exams

Lab exams are eight-hour, hands-on exams that test the ability to configure and troubleshoot networking equipment and software. The topics covered on lab exams can be found on the Track Details pages, links provided on this page. Not all exams are offered at all Cisco CCIE lab locations; please consult Lab Exam Locations for specific details.

Scheduling and Payment

A valid passing score on a written exam is required to schedule a lab exam. Written exam scores are automatically downloaded from testing vendors, but may take up to ten days to appear in your file. You will need the identification number you used to register for the written exam, the date of your passing exam and your passing score.

Exams must be paid for at least 28 days before the scheduled lab date, or the reservation will be automatically cancelled. You will only receive one email notification reminding you to make your payment. You can verify the payment due date on an exam by logging in and viewing your Certification Status. Payment options depend on the location of the lab exam, as indicated in the table below.

Payment processing generally takes one to seven days, so be sure to initiate the process well in advance of the payment due date. All payments will be posted exactly 28 days prior to your scheduled lab date, regardless of when you initiate the process. Invoices will not be issued until the payment is processed.

Cost of Lab Exam

Lab exams cost $1,400 USD each, not including travel and lodging. Costs may vary due to exchange rates and local taxes (VAT in Brussels and GST in Sydney). You are responsible for any fees your financial institution may charge to complete the payment transaction.

Payment Options for Lab Exam

Lab Exams: Rescheduling, Cancellations and Refunds

Important Restrictions

Cancellations or changes to the date, location, or exam type must be made at least 28 days prior to the scheduled exam date. Cancellations or changes are made online by logging in and editing your Certification Status. If you have already paid and cancel at least 28 days before the exam date, you are eligible for a full refund by contacting CCIE customer support through the Certifications Online Support tool.

Entrance Visas

It is strongly recommended that, if you require an entrance visa to attend the lab, you apply for the visa 10-12 weeks before the scheduled lab date. If you do not obtain the required visa, you must still cancel your lab at least 28 days in advance to receive a refund.

Lab Exam Grading

Each question on the lab has specific criteria. The labs are graded by proctors who ensure all criteria are met and points are awarded accordingly. The proctors use automatic tools to gather information from the routers to perform some preliminary evaluations, but the final determination of a correct or incorrect configuration is done by a trained proctor.

Results

You can view your lab exam results online (login required), usually within 48 hours. Results are Pass/Fail and failing score reports indicate major topic areas where additional study and preparation may be useful.

Reevaluation of Results

If you are concerned your results are in error, you may request a "reread" until 14 days after your lab date via an email to ccie-lab@cisco.com. Each reread costs $250.00 USD and consists of a proctor loading your configurations into a rack to recreate the test and re-score the entire exam. This process may take up to three weeks after receipt of payment.

The result of a reread is an updated score report that lists success rates for each major area. Be aware that the scores may decrease. Exams receive a Pass mark only when the total exam score exceeds 80%. Before requesting a reread, consider that historically only 0.3% of rereads have been changed from Fail to Pass.