Cisco offers certifications in two areas, network installation/support and network engineering/design at three levels, associate, professional, and expert.
At the associate level Cisco offers CCNA and CCNA WAN Switching certification designed for those that want to be able to install, configure and operate LAN, WAN, and dial-up service for small networks. CCDA is geared towards candidates that want to be able to design these types of networks.
At the professional level Cisco offers CCNP and CCNP WAN Switching certification designed for those that want to be able to install, configure and operate LAN, WAN, and dial-up service for larger networks. CCDP and CCDP LAN Switching are offered for candidates that want to be able to design these types of networks.
At the expert level Cisco offers CCIE Routing and Switching, CCIE SNA/IP Integration, CCIE ISP Dial, and CCIE WAN switching designed for those that want to be able to operate highly complex network environments with specific protocols. CCIE Design is offered for candidates that want to design routed and switched networks with a very high degree of specialization.
It depends on the certification, but according to a recent salary survey by Certification Magazine the average salary for a Cisco certified professional is $59,550/yr. CCNAs make an average of $59,770 while starting salaries for CCIEs are over $100,000/yr. An average CCNA makes $9,967 more then before earning the certification and on average Cisco certified professionals make $10,606 more then they did before earning the certification (the most of any certification program!!).
Certifications are earned when a candidate passes one or more exams (some of the more advanced Cisco certifications also require lab work). Students can prepare for the exams in a number of ways, including instructor-led training, on-line training, self-study, and real world experience. Please check with Cisco for current exam requirements for certification.
No, you only need to pass the test to earn the certification. However, the exams are very challenging and most candidates, even those with many years of experience, find it very useful to take a training class before taking the exam.
