Cisco CCNP Security Certification Guide

Which concentration exams can you choose?

Cisco's concentration roster for the Security track evolves, so check the live exams-and-training page before booking. As of 2026 the options have included:

• 300-710 SNCF — Cisco Secure Firewall (next-generation firewall deployment and management)
• 300-715 SISE — Identity Services Engine (ISE): network access control and identity
• 300-730 SVPN — VPN implementation (site-to-site and remote access)
• 300-740 SCAZT — cloud access security and zero-trust architecture
• 300-745 SDSI — Designing Cisco Security Infrastructure, added to the roster on 20 May 2025
• 300-735 SAUTO — security automation (note that Cisco retired several standalone automation specialist certifications in February 2026, so confirm this exam's current status directly with Cisco)
• 300-720 SESA and 300-725 SWSA — email and web security; the underlying appliance products have reached end-of-sale, so verify these exams are still bookable before planning around them

How should you pick one?

Match the concentration to the technology you can actually practise on. Security exams reward configuration-level familiarity, and that is hard to fake with reading alone:

• Running Cisco firewalls daily? SNCF converts existing experience into exam readiness faster than anything else.
• Administering or deploying ISE? SISE — widely regarded as one of the most career-relevant choices, because identity and network access control sit at the heart of zero-trust projects.
• Working towards security architecture rather than operations? The design-focused SDSI or zero-trust-oriented SCAZT align with that trajectory.
• No strong signal from your environment? Choose the technology your employer plans to deploy next — a concentration you can lab against at work pays for itself twice, once in the exam and once in the job.

What does CCNP Security cost?

CCNP Security is widely reported at Cisco's standard professional-level pricing: US $400 for the SCOR core and US $300 for a concentration, so about US $700 minimum in exam fees. Prices vary by country and region and taxes may apply, so confirm your local fee in Pearson VUE at booking time. Budget for the surrounding costs too: study materials, lab access to security platforms (often the hardest part to arrange outside work), and the possibility of a retake — Cisco's policy imposes a 5-calendar-day wait after a failed written exam and charges full price again.

On the earnings side, use published data cautiously. The Skillsoft IT Skills and Salary Survey (fielded May–September 2024, published 2025) reported a US average of $168,159 for CCNP Security holders — but Skillsoft flags that figure as drawn from fewer than 100 responses, and pay varies substantially by location, experience and role. Treat it as one indicative data point, not an expectation.

How long is CCNP Security valid, and how do you renew?

Three years, like all Cisco certifications. You renew by any of:

• earning 80 Continuing Education (CE) credits;
• passing one professional core exam;
• passing two concentration exams;
• an approved combination of CE credits and exams.

Cisco's renewal mechanics work in your favour if you hold multiple certifications: exam passes and CE activity renew all lower or equal active certifications, and each renewal extends validity three years from the renewal date. CE credits expire three years after the activity that earned them and can each be claimed once — the official Continuing Education policy page carries the current rules.

Who is CCNP Security for — and who should look elsewhere?

A strong fit if:

• You work hands-on with Cisco security products — firewalls, ISE, VPN infrastructure — or your target role does.
• You want the professional credential that matches network security engineering, and possibly a future CCIE Security (SCOR already qualifies you for the lab).
• You have the fundamentals and a few years of exposure, so the "no prerequisites" door is one you can walk through rather than fall through.

Probably the wrong track if:

• Your goal is SOC analysis, threat detection and incident response — that's the Cybersecurity (formerly CyberOps) track's territory, and one sentence here can't do the differences justice.
• Your environment is barely Cisco. The concepts transfer, but the exams test Cisco's implementations; engineers in heterogeneous or non-Cisco shops should weigh whether a vendor-specific professional cert serves them.
• You're earlier in your journey than this level assumes. There's no rule against attempting SCOR without associate-level knowledge, but there's also no mercy in the exam for missing fundamentals — an associate certification such as the CCNA first is the saner sequence for most people.

Whether any CCNP-level investment repays its cost and study time in your specific situation is a bigger question than track selection — is CCNP worth it for network engineers? takes on that verdict directly.

Readiness checklist before booking SCOR

Run through this honestly before spending $400:

1. Blueprint audit. Open Cisco's official 350-701 topic list and rate yourself per domain. More than a couple of domains you couldn't explain to a colleague means you're studying, not scheduling.
2. Hands-on access. You have somewhere — work environment, lab, virtual platform — to actually configure firewall policy, identity-based access and VPNs. Reading about ISE is not the same as troubleshooting a failed authentication flow.
3. Fundamentals intact. Routing, switching and core protocols at associate depth still come back quickly. SCOR builds security on top of networking; both layers get tested in practice.
4. Timed benchmark. A full-length, timed practice test scores consistently well across domains — not just an untimed average propped up by your strongest topic.
5. Concentration decided. You know which concentration follows and roughly when, so momentum from SCOR study carries forward instead of dissipating.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a CCNA before CCNP Security?

No. There have been no formal prerequisites for Cisco's professional-level written exams since February 2020. Cisco recommends several years of relevant experience, and the exam content assumes associate-level networking knowledge, but nothing is enforced.

Does passing SCOR alone get me anything?

Yes — a Cisco Certified Specialist certification, plus eligibility for the CCIE Security lab exam. It also counts towards renewing your lower or equal active Cisco certifications.

Can I take the exams online?

Yes. Both SCOR and the concentration exams are delivered by Pearson VUE, either at a test centre or from home via OnVUE online proctoring with its identity and room-scan requirements.

Is CCNP Security the same thing as Cisco's Cybersecurity certifications?

No. CCNP Security certifies network security engineering on Cisco security platforms. The CCNA/CCNP Cybersecurity certifications (renamed from CyberOps in February 2026) certify security operations — SOC analysis, monitoring, forensics and incident response.

Deciding your next step on the Cisco security path

CCNP Security is the natural credential for engineers whose work is Cisco security infrastructure: two exams, roughly US $700 in fees, three years of validity, renewable without re-testing via CE credits, and a straight line onwards to CCIE Security if ambition strikes. The track rewards people who can pair the blueprint with real configuration time — so your practical next moves are to read the current SCOR topic list, shortlist the concentration your environment supports, and only then build the study calendar. If you're still weighing this track against its enterprise-networking sibling, resolve that first with the dedicated comparison; a certification chosen to match your actual work is the one you'll finish.