At present, recruitment companies look after the skills of their hiring individuals. For fulfilling the same perspective, many companies also offer free or paid certification courses for students to pursue.
The companies hire the students as interns and teach them the valuable skills and necessary qualities required in the field. One such is the CCNA and CCNP certification programs of the CISCO network.
Key Takeaways
- CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) is an entry-level certification, while CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional) is more advanced.
- CCNA focuses on foundational networking knowledge, whereas CCNP delves deeper into specific networking technologies.
- To obtain CCNP certification, candidates must first earn their CCNA.
CCNA vs CCNP
CCNA stands for Cisco Certified Network Associate, which is an entry-level certification program offered by Cisco for networking professionals. CCNP stands for Cisco Certified Network Professional, which is an advanced-level certification program offered by Cisco for networking professionals.
CCNA is the short-term for the Cisco Certified Network Associate. The company offers this certificate to the person who has completed their basic or entry-level training.
After completion of the training, he/she will be trained to manage up to a medium-sized network.
The above training is given by the well-trained engineers the company hires to build up a strong base from the root itself.
CCNP is the short-term used for the Cisco Certified Network Professional.
The company offers this certificate to the respective person who has qualified for the professional level of training or the second tier of the training.
After the training, the individual will be trained enough to manage the much-advanced network.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | CCNA | CCNP |
|---|---|---|
| Certification Level | Basic level or entry-level | Professional level |
| Basic Eligibility | No such requirement | Must have qualified CCNA or have any CCIE certificate |
| Module of Examination | Only one exam to be given | Approximately 3 to 4 exams are given depending on the certificate track |
| Level of Knowledge | Makes the basic strong and sharpens the root of the concepts. | Builds advanced knowledge and allows to work with advanced equipment. |
| Expected Job Roles | Helpdesk Engineer, Service Desk Technician, Second and First Line Support, Network Support Engineer, Network Engineer | Third Line Supports, Network Specialist, Network Analyst, System Engineer, and all the roles with CCNA eligible certificate |
| Expected Salary | Low | High |
| Cost of Certification | The charge is high. | The charge is low and the same for every module. |
What is CCNA?
CCNA is the certification program offered by CISCO Pvt Ltd. The company has three levels of a complete certification program, and the CCNA is the first level of it.
The CCNA is the abbreviation of the Cisco Certified Network Associate. The training of the program is provided with the required live devices and racks.
All the Network Bulls (NB) were highly qualified engineers who trained the new students.
The CCNA certificate is given to the individual who finally qualifies for the examination and will be able to manage, configure and install a network of medium size.
The examination fees are high for the CCNA certificate. And for qualifying for the examination, no such minimum eligibility criteria are required, which means anyone can opt for it.
The roles offered to the individual after receiving the certificate of CCNA are – Helpdesk Engineer, Service Desk Technician, Second and First Line Support, Network Support Engineer, Network Engineer, etc., and the salary expectation is low.
What is CCNP?
CCNP is the certificate program that CISCO Pvt Ltd also offers. The company has three examination tiers for completing the certification program, and the CCNP is the second level.
The CCNP is the abbreviation used for the Cisco Certified Network Professional. The training is done with a well-equipped advanced network and live devices.
All the training program is organized by the Network Bulls (NB), which has highly skilled and hardworking engineering which gives training to the students.
The certificate is provided to the individual after completion of the training.
CCNP training requires minimum eligibility for the interested candidate to have a CCNA certificate or any of the CCIE certificate tracks.
A minimum of 3-4 exams is given to complete the second tier depending on the certification track.
The job roles expected after completion of the certificate program are – Third Line Support, Network Specialist, Network Analyst, System Engineer, and all the roles with CCNA-eligible certificates. Also, the salary expected to be withdrawn is high after receiving the certificate.
Main Differences Between CCNA and CCNP
- The CCNA is the certificate that is given to an individual who has cleared the basic level or the entry level with flying colors, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the CCNP is the certificate that is given to the individual who has completed the training with advanced mode.
- The basic requirement for taking up the CCNA certificate is none which means anyone can opt for it, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the basic requirement for taking up the CCNP certificate is that the individual must have either the certificate of CCNA or any CCIE certification track.
- For a CCNA certificate, a person has to give a single examination while comparatively, on the other hand, for a CCNP certificate, a person has to take up approximately about 3 to 4 different examinations depending upon the certificate track.
- The skills expected to be achieved by the individual after completion of the training is that he/she can manage, configure, and install a network of medium size whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the skills expected to achieve by the individual after completion of the training is the advance knowledge of the network.
- The roles expected for jobs after receiving the CCNA certificate are – Helpdesk Engineer, Service Desk Technician, Second and First Line Support, Network Support Engineer, and Network Engineer, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the roles expected for jobs after receiving the CCNP certificate are – Third Line Supports, Network Specialist, Network Analyst, System Engineer, and all the roles with CCNA eligible certificate.
- The salary expected to be withdrawn after receiving a CCNA certificate is low, while comparatively, on the other side, the salary expected to be withdrawn after receiving a CCNP certificate is high.
- The cost of the certificate or the fee of the examination is more for a CCNA certificate while comparatively, on the other hand, the cost of the certificate or the fee of the examination is less and the same for every module.
- http://tehnodrom.narod.ru/communication/books/cisco/Telecom/CCNP_Switching.pdf
- https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=_nHIaB4ibjsC&oi=fnd&pg=PT9&dq=difference+between+ccna+and+ccnp&ots=HK-KzyXrHy&sig=UPW7Re3FN-3bG8X-FJAYNt7BLzM&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=difference%20between%20ccna%20and%20ccnp&f=false
- https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/54481687/Cisco_CCNA_in_60_Days-with-cover-page-v2.pdf?Expires=1638194690&Signature=co-2Q839eXseQkPbDEON-T552EBC9MxJvvqBai4YKYFNZ3R2DJT9HiWZ~mBFGnsG3vByT1RQSr2HKL2o2ammpdfLgQav2frbJUuhQ1TOixjtsDBSDgfPS5-8Fxk-gnlqvD4H3L5E5ME33nCZxk~oLJmmnBq2MGJ~iYaoAcxkN4vb74DucBlyT4PzbbcBw528z14G26SCOQWKjMPOuUa9HFtCZXWCyU89bOOQm6ej0prCA56jguIK-j0dJCCyNGFqv~dGvm8oYjX67nK20qzEf2wWIx0r4ha0yNnG4FaJBkzJApxfvw2xOVkTEbJQFePzLxvYHYl1ZYjt4Tga98jOLw__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA
- https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=_9YIqk4Vde0C&oi=fnd&pg=PR25&dq=difference+between+ccna+and+ccnp&ots=E9Q0–MWW0&sig=QDlXqN1N1uIw3nPKnpIEBmBNUJQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=difference%20between%20ccna%20and%20ccnp&f=false
Last Updated : 13 July, 2023
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
The detailed comparison of CCNA and CCNP certifications in this article is very insightful.
This comprehensive comparison table of CCNA and CCNP is very helpful for understanding the differences between the two certifications.
This is very informative as it provides detailed comparison between CCNA and CCNP certifications.
I found the article to be quite helpful, especially the comparison table. It made it easier for me to understand the key differences between CCNA and CCNP.
I appreciate the references provided in the article. It adds credibility to the information presented.
I believe that it is really important for the companies to offer free or paid certification courses for students to pursue. This way, the students could get valuable skills and necessary qualities while still studying. It’s a win-win situation.
Yes, it is a good way to train new professionals, and it is also good for the company to have skilled candidates for future hires.
The article presents a comprehensive overview of CCNA and CCNP certifications, effectively highlighting their distinctions.
Good article, I always like to read informative and factual articles like this one.
This post is extremely useful for those who want to pursue CCNA or CCNP. The detailed information about skills, jobs, and expected salary is very valuable for people considering these certifications.
Absolutely, it’s great to have all this information in one place.
Oh, I was actually thinking about pursuing these certifications, but I didn’t know about the differences. This really helped me make a decision.
This article is a great source of information for professionals seeking to understand the differences between CCNA and CCNP. It’s clear and concise.
I love how this post provides the differences between CCNAand CCNP in a clear and concise way.
This is a very well-detailed post. It is very useful for those considering which certification is the best for their career’s needs.
I don’t think the post is that useful. Cisco certification is already a well-known path to pursue for a career in networking. There’s not much new information here, so I believe it is not worth reading.
I agree, it’s important for people to know the details before making such an important decision.