Jackey‘s Blog

CCNP certification is getting a new look at the end of 2007. The BSCI and BCMSN exams are being updated, and the CIT and BCRAN exams are being retired. Let's take a look at what to expect from the new BSCI exam.

According to Cisco's exam blueprint - admittedly a very broad blueprint at this time - the major new topics are IP version 6 (IPv6) and multicasting. The addition of these two topics will make an already demanding Cisco certification exam that much tougher, but this is a great change for the exam and for the candidate. IPv6 is just going to become more and more prevalent in today's networks, and multicasting is as well.

Multicasting for the Cisco CCNP BSCI exam is going to go far beyond what you learned about it in your CCNA studies. For the new BSCI exam, you'll need to know the different methods of creating multicast groups as well as assigning members to them. This material was previously limited to CCIE-level books, and while I don't look for the questions to be as hard as the CCIE written exam, multicasting is not an easy topic and should not be taken lightly by the CCNP candidate in 2007.

One major CCNP exam topic that isn't going anywhere is BGP. The Border Gateway Protocol has been a big part of previous BSCI exams, and that looks to continue.

If you're pursuing your CCNP certification in 2008, be sure to monitor Cisco's website for additions to the CCNP blueprint. It's obvious that Cisco has raised the bar for CCNP certification, and earning this important Cisco certification will in turn raise your market value and networking knowledge like never before. Watch for future tutorials examining the other three new CCNP exams!

Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of over 100 free certification exam tutorials, including Cisco CCNA certification test prep articles. His exclusive Cisco CCNA study guide and Cisco CCNA training is also available!

Cisco CCNP Certification Exams: 642-812, 642-892, 642-901, 642-845, 642-825, 642-891, 642-811, 642-821, 642-831.

CCNP certification validates a network professional's ability to install, configure and troubleshoot converged local and wide area networks with 100 to 500 or more nodes. Network Professionals who achieve the CCNP have demonstrated the knowledge and skills required to manage the routers and switches that form the network core, as well as edge applications that integrate voice, wireless, and security into the network.

Benefits of CCNP Certification

• In general, Cisco certification validates an individual's achievement, so it increases the holder's professional credibility by ensuring high standards of technical expertise.


• In particular, the Cisco CCNP certification indicates knowledge of networking for big enterprises. It also confirms the ability to work in organizations whose networks have 100 to more than 500 nodes.

How to prepare for CCNP?

You have identified your goal and are ready to prepare yourself for the highly recognized CCNP Certification Exam. You want to score high, the course is vast and the time is less. The question is:

• How to prepare fast and accurate?


• How to focus on important topics first, master them fast and retain what you've learnt?

Master the course and prepare scientifically with the help of Exam4sure CCNP Preparation Software.

Exam4sure Practice Exams for CCNP certifications are written to the highest standards of technical accuracy, using only certified subject matter experts and published authors for development.

They also offer free demo of each product. You can check out the interface, question quality and usability of our practice exams before you decide to buy CCNP exam simulators.

List of Exam4sure Cisco CCNP Certification Exams Practice Engine

» 642-812 BCMSN - Building Converged Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks

» 642-892 Composite

» 642-901 BSCI - Building Scaleable Cisco Internetworks

» 642-845 ONT - Optimizing Converged Cisco Networks

» 642-825 ISCW - Implementing Secure Converged Wide Area Networks

» 642-891 CCNP's Composite Exam

» 642-831 CCNP's Cisco Internetwork Troubleshooting (CIT)

» 642-821 CCNP's Building Cisco Remote Access Networks (BCRAN)

» 642-811 CCNP's Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks (BCMSN)

Exam4sure CCNP will certify that the successful candidate has knowledge and skills necessary to gather information from the technology basics to some of the more updated features and functions.

You can learn more about CCNP certification from Cisco Systems.