Cisco Design Certifications

Start Your Cisco Design Certification Here

Skilled IT professionals are needed to keep up-to-date with fundamental network design requirements. Develop the skills to meet these challenges head on.

New certification requirements start Feb 24, 2020.

Overview

The Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE) is for expert-level network design engineers, expert-level network leads of IT infrastructure teams, and expert-level network leads of architecture teams working in job roles that require them to translate business needs, budget, and operational constraints into the design of a converged solution.

Prerequisite

There are no formal prerequisites for CCDE. No specific training or other professional certifications are required.

Step One: CCDE Written Exam

The 2-hour, written qualification exam covers network design in the areas of routing, tunneling, Quality of Service (QoS), management, cost, capacity, and security. You must pass the written exam before you are eligible to schedule the CCDE practical exam.

 

Written Exam Information

Schedule and Pay Information for the Written Exam

Step Two: CCDE Practical Exam

The 8-hour Practical exam tests your ability to perform design analysis, justify design requirements, and develop a design implementation based on best practices. Only candidates that have a passing score on the CCDE Written Exam may register for the CCDE Practical Exam.

Practical Exam Information

Schedule and Pay Information for the Practical Exam

Recertification

Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE) certifications are valid for two years. To recertify, pass ONE of the following before the certification expiration date:

 

Pass any current CCIE Written Exam OR CCIE practical exam, or

Pass the current CCDE Written Exam OR current CCDE Practical Exam, or

Pass the Cisco Certified Architect (CCAr) interview AND the CCAr board review to extend lower certifications