Posted by Chad Weaver on Thu, Mar 04, 2010
As a professional in the
IT Support field I spend a lot of time studying to advance my skill set. I have recently received my CCNA from Cisco. I have been spending my evenings working on the first of the 3-4 tests that I need to pass to reach a CCNP. Recently, Cisco announced information that I feel important enough to share with others, if you are not yet aware. The current CCNP is going to become obsolete on the 31
st of July. They announced that they have worked on a new, updated track that will better reflect the skills needed by someone holding a professional level certification. The first two tests, Route and Switch, replace the current BSCI and BCMSN. Both are very similar to the previous track, and if you can pass the current exams, they will count for the newer versions of the exams that will be available shortly. ONT and ISCW are being replaced entirely, with the new exam labeled TSHOOT. This exam will present the tester with a case study to resolve to prove the level of their skills.
So what should a tester do if they are in various places in the CCNP track? Well, as for me and others just starting out (but putting in a lot of hours studying either BSCI or BCMSN), they should finish one or both of the exams if they can before the July cutoff. If you are already on to the last two that are being replaced entirely, there are two options. One is to complete the 2 tests before the cutoff. The other is to go for the TSHOOT as soon as it is available, if it isn't already. Either way you will be able to finish your certification and get the CCNP under your belt. I hope this information helps someone out there set the track they are going to follow. Learningnetwork.cisco.com provides great information on all their certification tracks and would be a great place to find more information on the exams that are offered.
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