CCNP Security certification: exams, cost and requirements
The CCNP Security certification requires two exams: the 350-701 SCOR core exam at $US400 (120 minutes) and one concentration exam of your choice at $US300 (90 minutes) — $700 in exam fees if you pass both first time. Cisco lists no prerequisites, grades pass/fail and keeps the certification valid for three years.
- Certification
- Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) SecurityCisco CCNP Security page, checked 8 October 2026
- Exams required
- Core exam 350-701 SCOR plus one concentration exam of your choiceCisco CCNP Security page, checked 8 October 2026
- Exam fees
- $US400 core + $US300 concentration — $700 in total, or Cisco Learning CreditsCisco CCNP Security page, checked 8 October 2026
- Duration
- SCOR 120 minutes · each concentration 90 minutesCisco CCNP Security page, checked 8 October 2026
- Languages
- English, Japanese (300-740 SSCA: English only)Cisco CCNP Security page, checked 8 October 2026
- Prerequisites
- NoneCisco states “Prerequisites: None” for every exam, checked 8 October 2026
- Grading
- Pass/fail, results online within 48 hoursCisco CCNP Security page, checked 8 October 2026
- Number of questions and passing score
- Not published by CiscoCisco exam policies: Cisco does not publish passing scores, checked 8 October 2026
- Valid for
- 3 years — renew with Continuing Education credits or examsCisco CCNP Security page, checked 8 October 2026
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Why you can trust these CCNP Security questions
What is the CCNP Security certification?
CCNP Security is the professional-level security track of Cisco Certified Network Professional. It sits above the associate tier and below CCIE Security, and it is aimed at engineers who design, implement and operate security across a network: firewalls, identity and access control, cloud and secure-access services, and endpoint protection.
Cisco’s wording for the structure is that you take a core exam and a concentration exam of your choice. There is no single “CCNP Security exam”. The core exam is 350-701 SCOR, Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies; the concentration is where you specialise.
Every exam you pass also earns its own Cisco Certified Specialist certification. Passing SCOR alone gives you Cisco Certified Specialist – Security Core, which is useful as a milestone, but it is not the CCNP. You need both exams for that.
Source: Cisco — CCNP Security certification. Checked 8 October 2026.
How much does the CCNP Security certification cost?
Cisco publishes the prices. The 350-701 SCOR core exam costs $US400, and each of the four concentration exams costs $US300, so the CCNP Security exam fees come to $700 if you pass both on the first attempt. Cisco Learning Credits can be used instead of paying cash.
Cisco does not publish a separate retake fee on these pages, and no student or member rate is stated. Budget for a retake at the same list price. Cisco’s policy on timing is published: after a failed professional-level written exam you wait five calendar days before retesting, and after passing an exam you cannot sit the same exam number again for 180 days.
Official training is sold separately from the exams. Cisco publishes no salary data alongside the certification, so this page does not attach a return-on-investment figure to the $700.
Source: Cisco — CCNP Security certification. Checked 8 October 2026.
What is the CCNP Security exam format?
SCOR runs 120 minutes; each concentration runs 90 minutes. SCOR and three of the four concentrations are offered in English and Japanese; 300-740 SSCA is English only. Grading is pass/fail, and Cisco states that results are available online within 48 hours.
Cisco does not publish how many questions each exam contains, and it does not list the question types on the certification page. Treat any fixed question count you see elsewhere as unsourced.
Delivery: Cisco states that all associate, professional and expert written exams are offered both in person and online, and registration runs through Pearson VUE. That covers SCOR and the concentration exams. Only CCIE lab exams are in-person only.
Source: Cisco — Online testing for certification exams. Checked 8 October 2026.
CCNP Security passing score
Cisco does not publish a passing score for SCOR or for any of the concentration exams. Its exam policy says why: exam questions and passing scores are subject to change and may vary from exam to exam, without notice, and passing scores are set by statistical analysis.
For preparation, that means there is no target percentage to aim at. A practice score of a certain percentage cannot be translated into “pass” or “fail”. The safer approach is to work through every topic area of the blueprint until you can explain why each answer is right, and to give the heaviest domain — Network Security at 25% — the most time.
Source: Cisco — Exam, Testing, and Certification Policies. Checked 8 October 2026.
What is on the CCNP Security exam?
The concentration half is a choice between four exams, each $US300 and 90 minutes, and each earning its own Specialist certification: 300-710 SNCF, Securing Networks with Cisco Firewalls (Cisco Secure Firewall, formerly Firepower); 300-715 SISE, Implementing and Configuring Cisco Identity Services Engine; 300-740 SSCA, Designing and Implementing Secure Cloud Access for Users and Endpoints (English only); and 300-745 SDSI, Designing Cisco Security Infrastructure.
There is no default concentration. Pick the one that matches the platform you work on: firewall engineers lean to SNCF, network-access and identity engineers to SISE, teams moving users and endpoints to cloud-delivered security to SSCA, and architects to SDSI.
The core half is fixed. Cisco publishes the SCOR v2.0 exam topics with weightings, listed below. Network Security is the largest slice and Secure Service Edge the smallest. Cisco notes that the topics are general guidelines for the content likely to be on the exam and may change at any time without notice, so check the blueprint version before you buy study material.
- Security Concepts — 20%
- Network Security — 25%
- Cloud Security — 15%
- Secure Service Edge — 10%
- Endpoint Protection and Detection — 15%
- Network Access, Visibility, and Enforcement — 15%
Source: Cisco — 350-701 SCOR v2.0 exam topics (PDF). Checked 8 October 2026.
CCNP Security prerequisites and requirements
Cisco states “Prerequisites: None” for SCOR and for every concentration exam. There is no requirement to hold CCNA first, no degree requirement and no documented years of experience. The requirement is simply to pass the two exams.
There is one timing rule. Cisco’s policy says you must complete all requirements for a certification within three years of passing the corresponding qualification written exam. Pass SCOR, and the clock for your concentration exam starts.
Source: Cisco — Exam, Testing, and Certification Policies. Checked 8 October 2026.
How long is CCNP Security valid?
The certification is valid for three years. Cisco states that you can renew with Continuing Education credits or by retaking exams before they expire, and every CCNP Security exam is marked as usable toward recertification.
Cisco does not state the number of Continuing Education credits on the CCNP Security page. Check the recertification requirements in your Cisco account well before the three years run out.
Source: Cisco — CCNP Security certification. Checked 8 October 2026.
CCNP Security study materials and training
Cisco publishes the exam topics for SCOR and for each concentration, and those topic lists define the scope. Any study material should follow them, version by version.
Cisco’s own preparation routes are Cisco U. (guided learning paths and hands-on practice), instructor-led training through Cisco and its authorised Learning Partners, Cisco Press titles, and the Cisco Learning Network with SCOR study materials. The SCOR exam page also links a Cisco U. learning path and a practice exam.
Source: Cisco — 350-701 SCOR exam. Checked 8 October 2026.
CCNP Security vs CCIE Security, and CCNP Cybersecurity
CCIE Security is the expert tier above CCNP Security, and it shares the same core exam: 350-701 SCOR. Instead of a concentration exam, CCIE Security requires the CCIE Security lab exam v6.1, an 8-hour hands-on exam that Cisco prices at $US1,600. Passing SCOR therefore counts toward both certifications.
Do not confuse CCNP Security with CCNP Cybersecurity. In May 2025 Cisco announced it was rebranding its cybersecurity (formerly CyberOps) certifications under the CCNA and CCNP names, which created CCNA Cybersecurity and CCNP Cybersecurity. That announcement does not rename CCNP Security, which remains the SCOR-based track described on this page.
Source: Cisco — CCIE Security certification. Checked 8 October 2026.
CCNP Security practice questions
Certsqill’s CCNP Security practice questions explain each option — the correct one and why the others are wrong — and the bank is weighted the way Cisco weights SCOR, with Network Security at the top and Secure Service Edge at the bottom.
CCNP Security questions people ask
How much does the CCNP Security certification cost?
$700 in exam fees: $US400 for 350-701 SCOR plus $US300 for one concentration exam. Source: Cisco, checked 8 October 2026.
How many exams are required for CCNP Security?
Two: the 350-701 SCOR core exam and one concentration exam of your choice. Source: Cisco, checked 8 October 2026.
What are the CCNP Security concentration exams?
300-710 SNCF, 300-715 SISE, 300-740 SSCA and 300-745 SDSI. Source: Cisco, checked 8 October 2026.
How long is the SCOR exam?
120 minutes. Each concentration exam is 90 minutes. Source: Cisco, checked 8 October 2026.
What is the CCNP Security passing score?
Cisco does not publish passing scores; its exam policy states they are set statistically and may change without notice. Source: Cisco exam policies, checked 8 October 2026.
Does CCNP Security have prerequisites?
No. Cisco states “Prerequisites: None” for every exam. Source: Cisco, checked 8 October 2026.
How long is CCNP Security valid?
Three years. Renew with Continuing Education credits or by retaking exams. Source: Cisco, checked 8 October 2026.
Can I take the CCNP Security exams online?
Yes. Cisco states all associate, professional and expert written exams are offered in person and online. Source: Cisco, checked 8 October 2026.
Where the Cisco certification CCNP Security fits
Within Cisco’s portfolio, the Cisco certification CCNP Security sits at the professional level of the security track, between the associate level and CCIE Security. It is built for engineers who already work with firewalls, identity, VPNs or cloud security and want a credential that matches that depth — the core exam is broad, and the concentration lets you prove one specialism.
Because 350-701 SCOR is also the qualifying exam for CCIE Security, passing it serves two goals at once: it is half of CCNP Security and the entry ticket to the CCIE Security lab.
Source: Cisco — CCNP Security certification. Checked 8 October 2026.
Choosing Cisco CCNP Security training
Cisco CCNP Security training comes in two parts, because the certification does: one block for the 350-701 SCOR core and one for the concentration you pick. Plan them separately. The SCOR exam topics PDF is the syllabus for the core; each concentration has its own exam topics list.
Cisco’s own routes are Cisco U. learning paths, instructor-led training through Cisco and its authorised Learning Partners, Cisco Press titles and the Cisco Learning Network. When you compare a CCNP Security course from a Learning Partner, check which exam and which exam-topics version it covers — SCOR is currently v2.0, with Secure Service Edge as its own 10% domain.
Source: Cisco — 350-701 SCOR v2.0 exam topics (PDF). Checked 8 October 2026.
Is a CCNP Security bootcamp the right choice?
A CCNP Security boot camp packs the material into a few intensive days. That can work if you already handle most SCOR topics at work and need structure and lab time to close gaps. It works less well if the topics are new to you, because the core alone spans six domains from network and cloud security to endpoint protection.
Before booking any bootcamp, check three things: whether it is delivered by an authorised Cisco Learning Partner, whether it covers the core, a concentration or both, and how much hands-on lab time it includes with the current Cisco Secure Firewall, ISE and cloud security products.
Source: Cisco — CCNP Security certification. Checked 8 October 2026.
CCNP Security dumps and Cisco’s exam policy
Cisco’s policies state that exam content is Cisco’s confidential property and may not be copied, published or distributed, and that disclosure of exam content is strictly prohibited. Penalties can include a lifetime ban on all future exams and the nullification of all previous certifications — which for a CCNP candidate means the certifications you already hold.
Dumps also cannot tell you whether their answers are right or which exam version they come from. With SCOR on v2.0, older material is a real risk.
Source: Cisco — Exam, Testing, and Certification Policies. Checked 9 October 2026.
CCNP Security salary and whether it is worth it
Cisco does not publish a CCNP Security salary figure, and we do not quote unofficial estimates. Pay depends on role, region and experience more than on any single certification.
Whether CCNP Security is worth it is easier to judge by your work: if you operate Cisco security products — Secure Firewall, ISE, secure access — the core plus the matching concentration certifies exactly what you do. If you want to go on to CCIE Security, SCOR is required anyway. If your environment is mostly non-Cisco, a vendor-neutral security certification may fit better.
Source: Cisco — CCNP Security certification. Checked 8 October 2026.
More CCNP Security questions
Do I need separate CCNP Security courses for each exam?
Usually yes. The certification consists of the 350-701 SCOR core exam and one concentration exam, and each has its own exam topics. Plan training for both.
Is there a CCNP Security syllabus?
Yes. Cisco publishes exam topics for each exam; for the core it is 350-701 SCOR v2.0 with six weighted domains.
Does Cisco publish CCNP Security salary data?
No. Cisco publishes no salary data with the certification, checked 8 October 2026.
