New CCNP Voice Certification Exams

From CCVP to CCNP Voice

Just a few months ago, Cisco announced updates to their voice certification track. These changes include a change in the certification name from the existing Cisco Certified Voice Professional (CCVP) to Cisco Certified Network Professional – Voice (CCNP Voice).

Along with the change in name for the professional track is the introduction of a number of new exams at both the associate and professional levels.

New Cisco Voice Exams

• CCNA Voice Exam Changes

In the past the requirements for obtaining a Cisco Certified Network Associate – Voice (CCNA Voice) Certification included an existing CCNA certification and the successful completion of either the Cisco Voice over IP (CVOICE v6 – 642-436) or Implementing Cisco IOS Unified Communications (IIUC – 640-460) exams.

Both the CVOICE v6 and IIUC exams are scheduled to be retired on February 28, 2011 and the Introducing Cisco Voice and Unified Communications (ICOMM – 640-461) exam replaces them.

The new ICOMM exam is available now and a valid CCNA certification remains as a prerequisite for the exam.

• CCNP Voice Exam Changes

At the professional level there are a number of changes, starting with the introduction of five new exams. The old exams used to obtain the CCVP are listed below and are scheduled to retire on February 28, 2011:

• Cisco Voice over IP (CVOICE v6)
• Implementing Cisco Unified Communications Manager Part 1 (CIPT1 v6)
• Implementing Cisco Unified Communications Manager Part 2 (CIPT2 v6)
• Troubleshooting Cisco Unified Communication Systems (TUC)
• Quality of Service (QoS – Will not be retired but no longer will be used for CCNP Voice certification)

The new CCNP Voice exams have already been introduced and include:

• Implementing Cisco Unified Communications Voice over IP and QoS (CVOICE v8)
• Implementing Cisco Unified Communications Manager Part 1 (CIPT1 v8)
• Implementing Cisco Unified Communications Manager Part 2 (CIPT2 v8)
• Troubleshooting Cisco Unified Communications (TVOICE v8)
• Integrating Cisco Unified Communications Applications (CAPPS v8)

Transitioning from CCVP to CCNP Voice

The bigger question at this point is how those currently involved in obtaining their CCVP certification will be affected by this change. The nice part of the transition from CCVP to CCNP Voice is that it is actually rather straightforward.

The old and the new exams line up as shown in the following table.

If you pass one (or more) of the old exams before February 28, 2011 you will be able to use them towards your CCNP Voice certification for three years after the pass date. Any exams not passed by the time that the old exams are retired will require the successful completion of the new matching exam. Which means that starting March 1, 2011 if you still need to complete any exam(s) for the CCNP Voice track you will have to take the new exams.

CCNP Voice Recertification

As with all other professional level certifications the CCNP Voice program provides the ability to recertify if done before the exams expire (three years). There are a number of different tracks to recertification, these include:

• Passing any current 642 professional level exam
• Pass any current CCIE written exam
• Pass any current CCIE lab exam
• Pass the current CCDE written exam
• Pass the current CCDE practical exam
• Pass the Architect and the Architect board review

Cisco’s voice certification track is certainly a little easier to understand than that of their security track but as with any change, frustrations are possible. What makes the changes to their voice certification track nice is that there are no ‘lost’ exams, each old exam matches with a new one and can be used if passed towards the new certification.

Hopefully this article has made the new path towards CCNP Voice a little easier to understand. Leave me a comment if you have any specific questions.

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