Alright, let me make sure everyone knows this fact straight away: No matter how lofty your personal goals may be, the first hurdle we’ve all got to jump on our way to networking stardom is to conquer the all-important Cisco® CCNA test and get that certification. And all should agree that this must be achieved prior to talking the other professional level certifications, like CCNP, CCNP Wireless, CCSP and CCVP. But is it really? Is it actually the gatekeeper it’s believed to be?

It is true that the CCNA exam is a notoriously difficult test that can present a serious road block for some, but once you’ve nailed it, you can then get to work collecting all those other valuable certifications. And of course, we all know that Cisco certifications are the industry standard for networking professionals, but don’t you just sometimes wonder what Cisco is actually up to when it comes to all those different certification tracks? I know I do!

I blogged regarding the CCNA Concentrations (CCNA Wireless, Security & Voice) in an earlier post, and most of that information is still definitely valid, however, there have been some slight changes that I need to tell you about to clarify some increasingly common misconceptions. I get asked questions about this subject nearly every day, so here’s your intel…
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