certification
CCNP Security
Source-cited RoleMath page about CCNP Security.
Check if you’re ready ↓Researched by RoleMath Research. Every figure on this page traces to the official source shown next to it.
A stretch credential — plan for real background first.
CCNP Security assumes more background than a first-cert candidate typically has. Building hands-on practice first is the more efficient path; the domains below are your study map. RoleMath Difficulty methodology
Who this certification is designed for
The vendor’s stated audience, plus an honest fit for your starting point. No pass rates, no guarantees.
Per Cisco: Learners often also have three to five years of experience implementing security solutions. CCNP Security — official vendor page
Funding to check: exam and prep costs may be reachable through vouchers, WIOA, Workforce Pell, GI Bill, or employer education assistance — eligibility depends on your location, provider, and status. Compare funding options →
Difficulty profile
A cited estimate of what the exam requires, split into two honest lenses — not one number, not a pass rate. RoleMath Difficulty methodology
These are exam-structure lenses, not a pass rate or anything about you.
Cost & upkeep
Exam fee plus what it takes to keep it — the recurring cost most pages hide.
- Exam voucher (US)
- $700 CCNP Security — official vendor page
- Renewal (3-yr continuing education)
- Free Ciscorenews at no fee
- 3-year self-study cost
- $700
- Recertification terms
- Cisco associate and professional certifications are active for three years and can be recertified through qualifying exams, continuing education, or a combination. CCNP Security — official vendor page
No ROI math here — we never compare cost to a salary. training still needs verification. See the full cost breakdown →
Exam at a glance
How Cisco administers the exam — the logistics only. This is format, not a pass prediction, and it says nothing about how hard the material is for your background.
- Format
- Cisco certification exam
- Duration
- 90 minutes
Skills measured
The official objective domains and their exam weight — titles & weights only, straight from the vendor’s exam objectives. CCNP Security — official vendor page
Prerequisites
What's required vs merely recommended — stated plainly.
- Hard requirement
- Yes — see the vendor CCNP Security — official vendor page
Version & change log
Which version is current — so you prepare for the exam that’s live today, not a retired one.
- Current version
- Multiple Cisco exam-topic versions: Automating Cisco Security Solutions v1.1 (300-735); Designing Cisco Security Infrastructure v1.0 (300-745); Designing and Implementing Secure Cloud Access for Users and Endpoints v2.0 (SCAZT 300-740); Implementing Secure Solutions with Virtual Private Networks v1.1 (300-730); Implementing and Configuring Cisco Identity Services Engine v1.2 (300-715); Securing Email with Cisco Secure Email Gateway v1.1 (300-720); Securing Networks with Cisco Firewalls v1.2 (300-710); Securing the Web with Cisco Secure Web Appliance v1.1 (300-725)
What this proves — and how Cisco says to prepare
Cisco’s own framing of who earns it and what it signals, plus their free official study material. Quoted and cited — never dressed up as a job guarantee.
- Who the vendor built it for
- Best fit for security engineers working with Cisco security infrastructure, secure access, cloud/web/email security, VPN, firewall, and security automation tracks.
- What it signals you can do
- Certify your knowledge of designing and implementing secure architectures, users and devices, networks, applications, data, and more.
- Where it leads
- Professional security path; RoleMath should treat it as post-foundation, not entry-level.
Free official study material
Credential credit map
What this counts toward
RoleMath shows cited equivalency, baseline, stacking, and renewal signals as planning context. These are not hiring guarantees or universal transfer credits.
Recommended before
Vendor-recommended to earn before the target credential — not a hard requirement.
- CCIE Securitysource visible
Cisco certification map lists Security path levels Professional CCNP Security and Expert CCIE Security.
Official source
Equivalency, credit, and baseline mappings come from official/authoritative sources and are shown as planning context only. ACE recommendations are accepted at each institution's discretion; DoD baseline status must be confirmed against the current official DoD Cyber Exchange table; 'comparable scope' means similar role positioning, NOT an equivalence or substitution. No certification guarantees a job, salary, or outcome.
Every figure on this page, sourced
The claims above trace to these records — the source, and when it was last checked. If a figure has no row here, we did not publish it.
| ID | Supports | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCHEMA-CIT-1 | Schema citation | cisco-ccnp-security | Logged in source packet |
| SCHEMA-CIT-2 | Schema citation | View SCAZT exam topics | Logged in source packet |
| SCHEMA-CIT-3 | Schema citation | View SDSI exam topics | Logged in source packet |
| SCHEMA-CIT-4 | Schema citation | View SESA exam topics | Logged in source packet |
| SCHEMA-CIT-5 | Schema citation | View SISE exam topics | Logged in source packet |
| SCHEMA-CIT-6 | Schema citation | View SNCF exam topics | Logged in source packet |
| SCHEMA-CIT-7 | Schema citation | View SVPN exam topics | Logged in source packet |
| SCHEMA-CIT-8 | Schema citation | View SWSA exam topics | Logged in source packet |
| SCHEMA-CIT-9 | Schema citation | Designing and Implementing Secure Cloud Access for Users and Endpoints - Cisco | Logged in source packet |
| SCHEMA-CIT-10 | Schema citation | Designing Cisco Security Infrastructure (SDSI) - Cisco | Logged in source packet |
| SCHEMA-CIT-11 | Schema citation | Implementing and Configuring Cisco Identity Services Engine - Cisco | Logged in source packet |
| SCHEMA-CIT-12 | Schema citation | Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies - Cisco | Logged in source packet |
| SCHEMA-CIT-13 | Schema citation | Implementing Secure Solutions with Virtual Private Networks - Cisco | Logged in source packet |
| SCHEMA-CIT-14 | Schema citation | Securing Email with Cisco Email Security Appliance - Cisco | Logged in source packet |
| SCHEMA-CIT-15 | Schema citation | Securing Networks with Cisco Firepower - Cisco | Logged in source packet |
| SCHEMA-CIT-16 | Schema citation | Securing the Web with Cisco Web Security Appliance - Cisco | Logged in source packet |
| SCHEMA-CIT-17 | Schema citation | CCNP Security - Cisco | Logged in source packet |
Ready to see how this fits your background?
Find out if CCNP Security fits your background.