CCNP is one of the toughest exams and certification courses around the globe for IT and network professionals. Thousands of aspirants apply for this course from different walks of life every year.
We know that technology, security, and infrastructure needs are advancing rapidly, year on year. That is why IT and network professionals have to buckle up their knowledge.
CCNP, for that reason, becomes more difficult as it is a very demanding course. You need to learn the proper management of system networks to ace the exam. However, it also has multiple advantages because you become a network admin, developer, engineer, or architect.
Therefore, most students or learners keep up their knowledge with the online Spoto index platform. But if you’re new to the Cisco-owned and -backed exams, let’s rewind.
In this blog, let’s know further how difficult the CCNP exam is and more reasons behind its difficulty. From there on, you can prepare a schedule and see if you’re fit for this exam this year.
Reasons for CCNP Service Provider Exam For Being Difficult To Pass:
It has two exams which you need to pass.
The first exam is mandatory, and every CCNP or network security exam student must attempt and clear. For the CCNP Service Provider exam, that one is 350-501 SPCOR.
Next is the concentration exam. It’s the specialization exam that aspirants have to clear. They can choose which type of specialization they want from the Spoto website online when they are preparing for the test series.
Both of these exams are going to be rigorous. These exams test your basic, intermediate, and advanced-level knowledge of the network and security. These exams are time-bound and vary in difficulty levels.
Each exam will have a different kind of attention, knowledge, and skill set you need. That’s why it’s difficult for new students to ace the exam in one attempt. Often, students are seen preparing for test series exams before sitting for the final CCNP Service Provider certification papers.
Each exam is very costly to attempt.
Students take time to prepare and attempt these exams. Another reason for that behavior is the cost involved. Each core or the main exam costs about $400. While the other concentration or specialization exam is about $300.
The total cost is $700-800 per attempt. That means a lot to new students and young professionals in the network and security industry. Some of the costs might be manageable if you have started earning off-lately.
However, it’s best suitable for an experienced professional earning more than $1000 per month. That’s why they can easily sit for multiple attempts if their exams are not cleared in one shot.
You cannot always rely on free learning material online.
I would not advise you to take free courses or online material. Most of them are repetitive and redundant. The course material for the CCNP exam provided it is outdated. And each year, there is a new trend, policy, and concept added to the CCNP exam.
That makes it more challenging to track and trace for creating a benchmark. However, if you opt for Spoto exams and test series, there is still some scope.
That is because online paid test series and dump papers are much better. These are prepared by CCNP-verified professionals. Otherwise, multiple IT and network professionals help new aspirants in these paid courses.
They will familiarise students with the latest technology, skills, and trends they need to develop. This is not available on free courses online. So, often students opt for free materials to save costs.
But they end up wasting time and preparation. They are then unable to pass the CCNP Service Provider exams even with a sustainable score or grace marks.
Ultimately, even those students have to shift to paid plans. So, why waste time on the first attempt? Enrolling yourself in a trusted and verified CCNP test series is better.
You need to have at least 3-5 years of experience in the industry.
Cisco no longer limits anyone from attempting the exam. But professionals also suggest that you must have 3-5 years of experience in the IT, network, and service provider industry.
That will be one of the ways to improve your chances of scoring good marks in the application-based core and concentration exams.
Otherwise, these exams are nearly impossible to pass for youngsters with 0-1 year of experience.
