An expert-level, two-exam credential — plan for both the core and the lab.
The call: Take it only if Cisco’s recommended expert background describes you and you are prepared for both the qualifying core exam and the required CCIE lab or practical exam. Build professional-level depth first if either condition does not describe you.
Learners are recommended to have five to seven years of experience with designing, deploying, operating, and optimizing security technologies and solutions.
Choose another path when
The vendor’s recommended background does not describe you, or the credential is not used in your target lane.
Exam / lifecycle status
The full CCIE credential requires Cisco’s qualifying core exam and lab or practical exam; exact current versions are not recorded in this lifecycle field. Cisco Current Exams List · checked
Vendor requirement / guidance
Formal prerequisite: No formal prerequisites. Vendor guidance: Learners are recommended to have five to seven years of experience with designing, deploying, operating, and optimizing security technologies and solutions. Cisco Current Exams List · checked
Cisco states most Cisco certifications are active for three years; use the Cisco recertification policy for credential-specific recertification options. Cisco renewal terms · checked
Sequence or alternative
No reviewed sequence edge is recorded; use the readiness evidence before choosing a next credential.
Full exam logistics, study routes, citations, and evidence follow below.
Certification details change. Always confirm final pricing, availability, and credential terms on the official provider page linked in the sources below before you pay for anything.
Preparation decision
Choose preparation only after the credential fits
Start free when you can. Pay for structure only when you can name the constraint it solves. Plan team training from a shared capability requirement, not from a course catalog.
Self-study baseline
Start with the official scope and free preparation
Best when your schedule is flexible and you can practice independently. Use the exam objectives, free resources, and hands-on work before assuming a class is necessary.
Investigate instruction when a deadline, feedback, instructor access, lab access, or accountability is the gap. Price alone does not establish quality or a likely outcome.
No source-dated comparison is published for this credential yet.
Team or employer plan
Define the requirement before requesting quotes
Name the role, starting level, hands-on requirement, delivery format, seat count, and deadline first. That turns a vague course request into a comparable training brief.
Paying yourself? Check employer reimbursement and public funding eligibility before using debt. Compare funding routes →
Who this certification is designed for
The vendor’s stated audience, plus an honest fit for your starting point. No pass rates, no guarantees.
Per Cisco: Learners are recommended to have five to seven years of experience with designing, deploying, operating, and optimizing security technologies and solutions. Cisco Current Exams List · checked
What Cisco asks for
Recommended background:Learners are recommended to have five to seven years of experience with designing, deploying, operating, and optimizing security technologies and solutions. [vendor page]A recommendation, not a registration requirement.
Prerequisites: No formal prerequisites.
The exam we have details for — this credential requires 2 exams, and the length below describes only the one our source names
Cisco states most Cisco certifications are active for three years; use the Cisco recertification policy for credential-specific recertification options. Cisco renewal fees · checked
We publish no ROI or payback figure for this credential. Paid training prices are not included in this credential cost view. The renewal cost is not recorded and can depend on the renewal route; confirm the current price of the route you choose before budgeting.
Exam logistics
Exam at a glance
How Cisco administers the exam — the logistics only. This is format, not a pass prediction, and it says nothing about how hard the material is for your background.
Duration
120 minutes
Languages
English, Japanese
Testing provider
Pearson VUE
Delivery
Cisco exams are delivered by Pearson VUE three ways: at an Authorized Test Center, online-proctored from home via OnVUE, or self-administered online for 700-series exam codes only.
Online proctoring
For the OnVUE online option: a government photo ID matching your booking name, a quiet distraction-free space, a 360-degree room scan, a single display only, an empty desk (computer plus a beverage), check-in starting 30 minutes early, and a connection of at least 6 Mbps down / 2 Mbps up.
Policies change; verify delivery, ID, room-scan, reschedule, and refund rules on the official page before you book or pay. See exam-day logistics →
25%Security ConceptsPlain-English orientation: use this as the topic area to study for 1.0 Security Concepts. The official objectives define the exact vendor tasks.Cisco Current Exams List (350-701 SCOR) · checked
20%Network SecurityPlain-English orientation: use this as the topic area to study for 2.0 Network Security. The official objectives define the exact vendor tasks.Cisco Current Exams List (350-701 SCOR) · checked
15%Securing the CloudPlain-English orientation: use this as the topic area to study for 3.0 Securing the Cloud. The official objectives define the exact vendor tasks.Cisco Current Exams List (350-701 SCOR) · checked
15%Endpoint Protection and DetectionPlain-English orientation: use this as the topic area to study for 5.0 Endpoint Protection and Detection. The official objectives define the exact vendor tasks.Cisco Current Exams List (350-701 SCOR) · checked
15%Secure Network Access, Visibility, and EnforcementPlain-English orientation: use this as the topic area to study for 6.0 Secure Network Access, Visibility, and Enforcement. The official objectives define the exact vendor tasks.Cisco Current Exams List (350-701 SCOR) · checked
10%Content SecurityPlain-English orientation: use this as the topic area to study for 4.0 Content Security. The official objectives define the exact vendor tasks.Cisco Current Exams List (350-701 SCOR) · checked
Prerequisites
What's required vs merely recommended — stated plainly.
What Cisco lists as prerequisites
What we found on the vendor eligibility page: No formal prerequisites.
“Recommended” is the vendor’s guidance, not a formal prerequisite. Confirm current exam availability on the official page before scheduling.
What this proves — and how Cisco says to prepare
Cisco’s own framing of who earns it and what it signals, plus official study material previously recorded as free. Access can change; verify the current free label on the provider page before relying on it. Quoted and cited — never dressed up as a job guarantee.
What the qualifying core exam covers
Test your knowledge of implementing and operating core security technologies, including network, cloud, and content security, endpoint protection, and more.
Not sure if CCIE Security is the right next step for you?
Answer a few quick questions and we’ll map your background against the exam’s published domains and the vendor’s recommended prep — a study order and a sequencing read, not a score or a pass prediction. Everything you need to decide is already above; open this only if you want a personalized plan.
Security Concepts25%
Network Security20%
Securing the Cloud15%
Endpoint Protection and Detection15%
Secure Network Access, Visibility, and Enforcement15%
Content Security10%
Where to go next
These pages draw on the same sourced data, and are the closest to what you just read.
Go deeper on this
vendor roadmapCisco certification roadmapcost breakdownCCIE Security — what the exam costs
Zoom out
belongs to vendorCisco Certifications
Core source records
This table lists the page’s core content records and when they were checked. Claim-specific citations appear beside the relevant text and may not be repeated here.
ID
Supports
Source
Checked
CIT-01
Public official credential page for CCIE Security.