IT & Networking
CompTIA A+ Certification Guide for Beginners
·10 min read
What CompTIA A+ covers, how the 220-1201 and 220-1202 exams work, and a step-by-step plan to earn the certification as a complete beginner.
Continue readingWhat Comes After CCNA?
Compare the certification options after CCNA — CCNP Enterprise, Security, the Automation track and CCNA Cybersecurity — and pick the right direction.
Liam Anderson · 5 min read
Short answer: after the CCNA, most people choose one of four directions — CCNP Enterprise if you want to go deeper into routing and switching, CCNP Security if you want to engineer security infrastructure, the Automation track (formerly DevNet) if you want network programmability at the centre of your work, or CCNA Cybersecurity (formerly CyberOps Associate) if you want to pivot towards SOC and security-operations roles. None requires the CCNA as a formal prerequisite, and all sit within Cisco's standard three-year validity and renewal system.
Congratulations, first, on passing — and a warning second: the post-CCNA decision is where a lot of momentum quietly dies. Candidates spend months deciding instead of weeks, or start a CCNP core exam by default and stall. This article compares the realistic options so you can commit to one.
The four main directions compared
| Option | What it is | Exams involved | Cost (US list, 2026) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCNP Enterprise | Professional-level routing, switching, SD-WAN | 350-401 ENCOR core + one concentration | $400 core + $300 concentration (varies by region) | Infrastructure engineers continuing the CCNA lane |
| CCNP Security | Network-security engineering on Cisco products | 350-701 SCOR core + one concentration | Standard CCNP pricing widely reported — confirm on Cisco's site | Engineers who want firewalls, identity and VPNs as the day job |
| CCNA Automation (ex-DevNet Associate) | Network programmability, APIs, Python, infrastructure-as-code | Single exam, 200-901 | $300 widely reported (varies by region) | Engineers betting on automation-first networking |
| CCNA Cybersecurity (ex-CyberOps Associate) | Security operations and SOC analysis | Single exam, 200-201 lineage | $300 widely reported (varies by region) | CCNA holders pivoting into blue-team security roles |
Prices vary by country and change; confirm current fees on Cisco's certification pages before booking.
Option 1: CCNP Enterprise — the default continuation
For most CCNA holders who enjoy the material they just studied, CCNP Enterprise is the natural next step. It extends the same discipline to professional depth: one core exam (350-401 ENCOR, 120 minutes) plus one 90-minute concentration you choose — options include advanced routing (300-410 ENARSI, the most popular pick), SD-WAN (300-415 ENSDWI), design, wireless and automation, though the roster changes, so check Cisco's live list. Two structural sweeteners: passing ENCOR alone earns a Cisco Certified Specialist badge, and ENCOR doubles as the CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure qualifying exam.
Be aware that ENCOR moved to exam topics v1.2 in March 2026, which removed wireless from the core and increased SD-WAN, automation and AI-assisted-operations emphasis — older study materials may not reflect this. The full structure and costs are unpacked in our CCNP Enterprise certification guide.
Choose this if your current or target role is network engineering on enterprise infrastructure, and the CCNA topics you enjoyed most were routing, switching and network design.
Option 2: CCNP Security — engineering the defences
CCNP Security (core 350-701 SCOR plus one concentration) is the network-security engineering track: designing and operating Cisco firewalls, identity services, secure access and VPNs. It suits CCNA holders who found the security fundamentals domain the most interesting part of the exam and want to build defences rather than monitor them. Concentration options span firewall, ISE, VPNs, automation and cloud/zero-trust exams — the roster shifts, so verify what is bookable before planning. Our CCNP Security guide covers the track in full.
One distinction matters enormously here: CCNP Security is not the same career as security operations. If what draws you is detection, investigation and incident response, look at the Cybersecurity track below instead.
Choose this if you want to stay an infrastructure engineer, but with security appliances and policy as your specialism.
Option 3: The Automation track — the former DevNet path
If you have heard that "DevNet was retired", the truth is a rename: on 3 February 2026 Cisco rebranded the DevNet certifications as the Automation track. DevNet Associate became CCNA Automation, keeping the same 200-901 exam (now coded CCNAAUTO), with DevNet Professional and Expert becoming CCNP and CCIE Automation. Existing DevNet holders were automatically recognised under the new names. The 200-901 content covers Python-based automation, REST APIs, NETCONF/RESTCONF and YANG, and infrastructure-as-code tooling including Terraform.
As a second associate-level certification, CCNA Automation pairs unusually well with a fresh CCNA: you already understand what is being automated, and the combination signals exactly the profile that automation-heavy employers are hiring for. The trade-off is that a sideways associate step delays professional-level depth. See our Cisco DevNet certification guide for the track in detail.
Choose this if you enjoy scripting, want APIs and pipelines in your daily work, or your employer is investing in network automation now.
Option 4: CCNA Cybersecurity — the SOC pivot
The former CyberOps Associate — renamed Cisco Certified Cybersecurity Associate in January 2025 and then CCNA Cybersecurity in February 2026 — is the security-operations option: a single 120-minute exam in the 200-201 CBROPS lineage covering SOC-analyst fundamentals, refreshed alongside the rename with AI-assisted SOC, automation and zero-trust content. It leads towards security monitoring and incident-response roles rather than network engineering, and for CCNA holders it is the cleanest bridge out of pure networking into cybersecurity. Our Cisco CyberOps certification guide covers who it suits.
Choose this if you want to change discipline, not just deepen one — networking knowledge is a genuine advantage in a SOC, and this route converts it.
Other options worth a sentence each
Beyond the big four: CCNP Data Center, Collaboration and Service Provider serve specific employer types (large data centres, unified-communications estates, carriers) and make sense mainly when your job already points there. The full Cisco hierarchy is mapped in our Cisco certifications explained pillar, and if you want rankings by career goal rather than a comparison, see the best Cisco certifications for networking careers.
A quick decision method
Answer three questions in order:
- Deepen or pivot? Deepen networking → CCNP Enterprise or Security. Pivot → Automation or Cybersecurity.
- Build or operate? Building infrastructure → Enterprise/Security/Automation. Operating and defending → Cybersecurity.
- What can you practise at work? Whichever remaining option your employer's environment lets you touch daily wins. Exam knowledge you can rehearse in production sticks; pure-lab knowledge fades.
Whichever you pick, the mechanics stay familiar: Pearson VUE booking, three-year validity, and — usefully — any professional-level pass renews your CCNA automatically. How this choice fits the longer arc towards senior roles is a bigger question than this article's scope; our CCNA career path guide maps the full multi-year ladder.
Committing to your direction
The best next certification after CCNA is the one aligned with the work you can actually do in the next twelve months — not the one with the most impressive name. Pick using the three questions above, put a provisional exam date in the calendar, and start with a diagnostic: a set of practice questions for your chosen exam will show you how far your CCNA knowledge already carries you. ExamPractice has free sample questions for the 200-901 CCNA Automation exam and the 200-201 Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals exam among its Cisco exam pages, with fuller sets and timed simulation for subscribers. Momentum, not perfection of choice, is what separates the people who are CCNP-certified in two years from the ones still deciding.
Exam facts in this guide were checked against official certification-provider pages on . Fees, exam codes and policies change — confirm on the provider’s own site before you book.
Put it into practice
Test what you have just read
Reading about an exam only takes you so far. Work through practice questions for your certification and find the gaps before exam day does.
You may also like
IT & Networking
CompTIA Network+ Certification Guide
·10 min read
What CompTIA Network+ covers, how the N10-009 exam works, who should take it and a practical preparation plan — everything in one guide.
Continue reading
IT & Networking
CompTIA Security+ Certification Guide
·9 min read
What CompTIA Security+ is, the SY0-701 exam format and cost, who the certification suits, and a practical five-step route to earning and keeping it.
Continue reading