Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE)

Official Press Release from Cisco announcing the launch of the new CCDE certification
Overview of the program
- Prerequisites
- Part One: Written
- Part Two: Practical
Exam Preparation and Study Groups

Cisco Announces New Expert-Level Cert for Design: CCDE

1/22/08 — Cisco Systems today announced a new expert-level certification, the Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE), for high-level IT pros who design and architect enterprise networks.

The CCDE is modeled after the company's flagship Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) certification for high-level networking pros. Like the CCIE, the CCDE will have a qualification exam and an eight-hour hands-on exam. Pricing is the same: $315 for the qualification exam and $1,400 for the hands-on exam.

Unlike the CCIE -- which offers specializations for Routing & Switching, Security, Voice and other areas -- the CCDE will not offer tracks. "This is above the tracks," said Jeanne Dunn, senior director of learning at Cisco. "You have to know voice, have to know security, but it's at a higher level. To be a designer, they have to go beyond [to] see how it all works together."

And while the new title is technically the same level as the CCIE, according to Dunn, the CCDE will be more difficult to achieve. "You have to know what a CCIE knows to design, you have to have been there and done that," she commented. "Many people are going to take this are already CCIEs. That's [our] target audience -- [they've] done enough planning and architecture where they are the right candidates to be looking at this new credential."

Another difference is how the CCDE practical exam will work. While the CCIE focuses on hands-on lab work and troubleshooting -- candidates are required to travel to one of 10 Cisco labs worldwide with the equipment set up for this testing -- the CCDE will use scenarios and simulations focused on the planning and designing of architecting. It will be a "rich media experience," according to David Bump, Cisco certification portfolio manager.

And although the practical exam's development isn't far enough along (it's scheduled to be released in "fall 2008") to say how candidates will share their knowledge through the exam, the new format means Cisco can work with its standard exam delivery provider, Pearson Vue, to deliver the exam through its wider worldwide network when it does launch.

While the CCDE practical is a ways off, the new CCDE qualification exam -- 352-001 (ADVDESIGN) -- launched today in Pearson Vue testing centers worldwide. Objectives for the two-hour, 120-question exam are available here.

Candidates must pass the CCDE qualification exam in order to qualify for the practical. Like the CCIE qualification exams, passing the CCDE qualification automatically recertifies any associate- or professional-level Cisco certification candidates may hold.

For more information on the new title, go here.

- Becky Nagel

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Source: http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/ccde/index.html

CCDE Program Overview

CCDE Assesses advanced Network Infrastructure Design Principles and Fundamentals for large networks. A CCDE can demonstrate an ability to develop solutions which address planning, design, integration, optimization, operations, security and ongoing support focused at the infrastructure level for customer networks.

A CCDE candidate will be assessed on the following:

Gather and clarify network functional specifications.
Develop network designs to meet functional specifications.
Develop an implementation plan.
Convey design decisions and the rationale for the design decisions.

Prerequisites for CCDE

There are no formal prerequisites for CCDE certification. Other professional certifications or training courses are not required.

Recommended Training and Experience

It is expected that the candidate will have an in-depth understanding of the topics in the exam blueprints, a minimum of seven years job experience, and a thorough understanding of networking infrastructure principles. Please view the written exam information page for more details.

Step One: CCDE Written Exam

You must pass the two-hour, written qualification exam which covers advanced networking infrastructure design principles and concepts. Once you pass the qualification exam, you are them eligible to schedule the practical exam.

> Written Exam Information

Written exams are scheduled and taken at Pearson Vue, Cisco's authorized testing vendor. Please visit the link below for more details and to schedule exams. Be sure to use the same candidate ID number for every exam that you take. If you use a different ID number, you will create a different record in the CCIE database and you will need to contact CCIE support for help in merging the records.

> Schedule and Pay for Written Exam

Step Two: CCDE Practical Exam

The CCDE practical exam is still in development, however it will be an eight-hour exam that will test your ability to identify, manage, and create advanced solutions for large scale networks. You must pass the lab within three years of passing the written exam in order to achieve certification.

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Training Programs for CCDE Candidates

IPexpert plans to develop self-study preparation materials and instructor-led training courses to prepare CCDE candidates for the exams. Just as IPexpert has the CCIE training market in terms of quality and quantity of training solutions, we are committed to being the definitive resource in CCDE preparation as well.

Would you like to be notified when we release CCDE preparation materials? Please subscribe to receive our newsletter via email. Simply enter your email address in the field at the bottom-right corner of this page.

CCDE Discussion and Study Groups

IPexpert offers several outlets and options for those pursuing the Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE) and the various Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert (CCIE) certifications to gather and communicate...

Certification Talk is an online forum that allows you to post questions and receive answers from your peers, as well as the renowned CCIE instructors at IPexpert. Although this forum is intended for those using IPexpert products to study, registration is free and open to anybody. Get started now!

Online Study List allows you to subscribe to email lists that are specific to your track of study. You will receive a wealth of knowledge in your inbox every day. When you have a question of your own, simply write an email and send it to the list. The IPexpert instructors will receive the email along with many other CCIEs and those preparing for the lab as well. Subscribe right now for free!

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