CCNP Data Center certification: exams, cost and exam topics
The CCNP Data Center certification requires two exams: the 350-601 DCCOR core exam at $US400 (120 minutes) and one of five concentration exams 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) Data CenterCisco CCNP Data Center page, checked 8 October 2026
- Exams required
- Core exam 350-601 DCCOR (v1.1) plus one concentration exam of your choiceCisco CCNP Data Center page and DCCOR exam page, checked 8 October 2026
- Exam fees
- $US400 core + $US300 concentration — $700 in total, or Cisco Learning CreditsCisco CCNP Data Center page, checked 8 October 2026
- Duration
- DCCOR 120 minutes · each concentration 90 minutesCisco CCNP Data Center page, checked 8 October 2026
- Languages
- English; the DCCOR exam page also lists JapaneseCisco CCNP Data Center page and DCCOR exam page, checked 8 October 2026
- Prerequisites
- NoneCisco CCNP Data Center page, checked 8 October 2026
- Grading
- Pass/fail, results online within 48 hoursCisco CCNP Data Center 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 Data Center page, checked 8 October 2026
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Why you can trust these Cisco CCNP Data Center questions
What is the CCNP Data Center certification?
CCNP Data Center is Cisco’s professional-level certification for data center engineers. It covers the network, compute and storage networking that make up a data center, together with the automation and security that run across them — and, with the DCAI concentration, the infrastructure behind AI workloads.
It is earned with two exams. The core exam, 350-601 DCCOR (Implementing and Operating Cisco Data Center Core Technologies), is the same for everyone; the concentration exam is your choice from five. Passing DCCOR alone earns Cisco Certified Specialist – Data Center Core, and each concentration earns its own Specialist certification too. The CCNP itself requires both.
In the Cisco ladder, CCNP Data Center sits between the associate tier and CCIE Data Center. DCCOR is also the qualifying core exam for CCIE Data Center, so the same exam serves both paths.
Source: Cisco — CCNP Data Center certification. Checked 8 October 2026.
How much does the CCNP Data Center certification cost?
Cisco prices 350-601 DCCOR at $US400 and each concentration exam at $US300. The CCNP Data Center exam fees therefore add up to $700 if you pass both on the first attempt. Cisco Learning Credits can be used instead of cash.
Cisco does not publish a separate retake fee, and the certification page states no student or member rate. The retake rules are published: five calendar days’ wait after a failed professional-level written exam, and 180 days before you may retake an exam number you have already passed.
Training is sold separately from the exam fees. Cisco does not publish salary data with the certification, so no salary figure appears here.
Source: Cisco — CCNP Data Center certification. Checked 8 October 2026.
What is the CCNP Data Center exam format?
DCCOR runs 120 minutes; each concentration runs 90 minutes. The certification page lists the exams in English, and the DCCOR exam page lists DCCOR in English and Japanese. Grading is pass/fail, with results online within 48 hours.
Cisco does not publish how many questions each exam contains, and it does not describe the item types on the certification page. Any question count you see quoted is not a Cisco statement.
Cisco states that all associate, professional and expert written exams are offered both in person and online, with registration through Pearson VUE — DCCOR and the concentrations included. Only expert lab exams, such as the CCIE Data Center lab, are in-person only.
Source: Cisco — Online testing for certification exams. Checked 8 October 2026.
CCNP Data Center passing score
There is no published passing score for DCCOR or the concentration exams. Cisco’s exam policy states that passing scores are set by statistical analysis and that Cisco does not publish them, because exam questions and passing scores are subject to change and may vary exam to exam, without notice.
For preparation, that removes the idea of a target percentage. A practice percentage measures one question set, not Cisco’s cut. The better guide is the blueprint: Network and Compute are each a quarter of DCCOR, Storage Network a fifth — leaving a gap in any one of them is the risk, not a few points of average.
Source: Cisco — Exam, Testing, and Certification Policies. Checked 8 October 2026.
What is on the CCNP Data Center exam?
The concentration half offers five exams, each $US300 and 90 minutes: 300-610 DCID, Designing Cisco Data Center Infrastructure; 300-615 DCIT, Troubleshooting Cisco Data Center Infrastructure; 300-620 DCACI, Implementing Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure; 300-635 DCNAUTO, Automating Cisco Data Center Networking Solutions; and 300-640 DCAI, Implementing Cisco Data Center AI Infrastructure.
Pick by role: design work points to DCID, operations and troubleshooting to DCIT, ACI fabrics to DCACI, automation to DCNAUTO, and AI cluster infrastructure to DCAI. DCNAUTO also appears as a concentration option for CCNP Automation.
The core half is DCCOR, and Cisco publishes the v1.1 exam topics with the weightings below. Cisco describes them as general guidelines that may change at any time, so confirm your material targets v1.1.
- Network — 25%
- Compute — 25%
- Storage Network — 20%
- Automation — 15%
- Security — 15%
Source: Cisco — 350-601 DCCOR v1.1 exam topics (PDF). Checked 8 October 2026.
CCNP Data Center prerequisites and requirements
Cisco lists “None” as the prerequisite for DCCOR and every concentration. No earlier certification, no degree and no set number of years is required; the requirement for CCNP Data Center is passing the two exams.
Cisco’s policy does set a deadline: all requirements must be completed within three years of passing the corresponding qualification written exam. Pass DCCOR, and your concentration has to follow within that window.
Source: Cisco — Exam, Testing, and Certification Policies. Checked 8 October 2026.
How long is CCNP Data Center 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 it marks each CCNP Data Center exam as usable toward recertification.
The certification page does not state how many Continuing Education credits are required. Confirm the requirement in your Cisco certification account well before the expiry date.
Source: Cisco — CCNP Data Center certification. Checked 8 October 2026.
CCNP Data Center study materials and training
Cisco’s exam topics for DCCOR and for each concentration define what can be examined, so every other resource should be checked against them.
Cisco’s own preparation options are a Cisco U. learning path titled Implementing and Operating Cisco Data Center Core Technologies, instructor-led training through Cisco and authorised Learning Partners, Cisco Press books, and the Cisco Learning Network with discussions, virtual events and study resources.
Source: Cisco — 350-601 DCCOR exam. Checked 8 October 2026.
CCNP Data Center vs CCIE Data Center
Both start with 350-601 DCCOR. For CCNP Data Center you add a 90-minute concentration exam at $US300. For CCIE Data Center you add the CCIE Data Center Lab Exam v3.1 instead — an 8-hour hands-on exam at $US1,600, taken in person.
Because DCCOR qualifies for both, it is the natural first exam whichever level you are aiming for. The difference between the two certifications is the lab: CCNP stays with written exams, CCIE requires a full day of hands-on work.
Source: Cisco — CCIE Data Center certification. Checked 8 October 2026.
CCNP Data Center practice questions
Certsqill’s CCNP Data Center practice questions explain every option, and the bank follows Cisco’s DCCOR weightings — network and compute first, automation and security after.
CCNP Data Center questions people ask
How much does the CCNP Data Center certification cost?
$700 in exam fees: $US400 for 350-601 DCCOR plus $US300 for one concentration exam. Source: Cisco, checked 8 October 2026.
What are the CCNP Data Center concentration exams?
300-610 DCID, 300-615 DCIT, 300-620 DCACI, 300-635 DCNAUTO and 300-640 DCAI. Source: Cisco, checked 8 October 2026.
How long is the DCCOR exam?
120 minutes. Each concentration is 90 minutes. Source: Cisco, checked 8 October 2026.
What is the CCNP Data Center passing score?
Cisco does not publish passing scores; they are set statistically and may change without notice. Source: Cisco exam policies, checked 8 October 2026.
How many questions are on DCCOR?
Cisco does not publish a question count for DCCOR or the concentrations, checked 8 October 2026.
Are there prerequisites for CCNP Data Center?
No. Cisco lists “None” for every exam. Source: Cisco, checked 8 October 2026.
How long is CCNP Data Center valid?
Three years. Renew with Continuing Education credits or by retaking exams. Source: Cisco, checked 8 October 2026.
Is there a CCNP Data Center exam on AI infrastructure?
Yes: 300-640 DCAI, Implementing Cisco Data Center AI Infrastructure, is one of the five concentrations. Source: Cisco, checked 8 October 2026.
The CCNP Data Center syllabus: core plus one concentration
There is no single CCNP Data Center syllabus — there are two, because the certification takes two exams. The core, 350-601 DCCOR v1.1, has its own exam topics PDF with five domains: network and compute at 25% each, storage network at 20%, and automation and security at 15% each. The concentration you choose — design, troubleshooting, ACI, automation or AI infrastructure — has a separate topics list.
Pick the concentration that matches your work before you start studying, so that both syllabi reinforce each other rather than competing for your time.
Source: Cisco — 350-601 DCCOR v1.1 exam topics (PDF). Checked 8 October 2026.
CCNP Data Center boot camp or self-paced?
A CCNP Data Center bootcamp compresses the material into a short, intensive block, which suits engineers who already run Nexus, UCS or ACI environments and need structure and lab access. If the technologies are new to you, a bootcamp alone rarely covers the breadth of the DCCOR core plus a concentration.
Cisco’s own options are Cisco U., instructor-led training through Cisco and authorised Learning Partners, Cisco Press titles and the Cisco Learning Network. If you book a boot camp, check that it is run by an authorised Learning Partner, that it states which exam and version it covers, and how much hands-on lab time is included.
Source: Cisco — CCNP Data Center certification. Checked 8 October 2026.
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. Dumps also cannot show whether their answers are correct for the current exam version.
Source: Cisco — Exam, Testing, and Certification Policies. Checked 9 October 2026.
CCNP Data Center salary
Cisco does not publish a CCNP Data Center salary figure, and we do not quote unofficial estimates. Pay depends on role, region and experience; the certification is one signal among several. What Cisco does publish is the cost side: US$400 for the core and US$300 for the concentration, with a three-year validity.
Source: Cisco — CCNP Data Center certification. Checked 8 October 2026.
More CCNP Data Center questions
Is there one syllabus for CCNP Data Center?
No. The 350-601 DCCOR core exam and each concentration exam have their own exam topics.
Does Cisco publish CCNP Data Center salary data?
No. Cisco publishes no salary data with the certification, checked 8 October 2026.
