Training and Certification

I was just wondering if, beyond the differences in their list of objectives, the amount of effort to achieve the exams is the same, or can we say -SP is tougher ?

Hi,

This is the perfect spot for an "it depends". 🙂  It really depends how you measure amount of effort (feel free to ask again with more detail if you had something in mind).  In general, you should approach both exams the same, and easier/harder will largely depend on your comfort with the objectives.

Cheers,

Kieran Milne

Tech Lead, JNCP

Thanks Kieran for the reply.
That's ok as far as how one feels with the two options.
But the point I meant is as follows:
At a first glance, the exam objectives for -SP look longer: e.g. there is a whole section added -MPLS-, and also the one about VPNS, ...
There are lots of variations between the bullets of one another in the other sections, but does that compensate so that the two programs are equally long (amount of things to study)??
It seems to me that -SP is longer/harder than -ENT (assuming equal comfort with both).
Thank you,
Federico

I get the sense you are trying to pick what path to take in certification.  If so, difficulty level is kind of an irrelevent question because the two programs are about two different career paths.  You pick the certification track based on the work you want to demonstrate a competancy for.  The enterprise track is for supporting business internal networks and the service provider track is for building shared networks at telecom companies.

The other item to note is that the JNCIS-ER is being replaced by the JNCIS-ENT which combines switching and routing.  So there are a few more topics to cover in this track that you don't see in the JNCIS-ER.

So in picking a certification track the real question is where do you want to work building what kinds  of networks.  Then the selection of certification becomes more obvious.

Here is my question along these same lines. Which is required (or how many are required is perhaps the better metric) of a partner with Elite status?

I have much experience with Cisco in the Enterprise area. I have the JNCIA-Junos as well as a number of the other JNCIA paths (firewall, IDP, SSL, etc.). But what will my company need more? What number of JNCIS-SP does an Elite Partner require? Is it only a measure of the number of JNCIS certs, or perhaps JNCIS-SEC/ -SP/ -ENT's or does there need to be a mix of both? (say 2 JNCIS-SP, 2 JNCIS-ENT and 2 JNCIS-SEC?)

From this analysis, I can tell which is more valuable to my company, and can plan my study accordingly. If I had my druthers, I'd take the -ENT first, as there are online fast-track help for this and it's "closer" to what I've done with Cisco. But if my company needs another JNCIS-SP, I can do that first.

Any thoughts?

Regards,

-Ambi

The short answer in regards to Partner Elite status is "it depends" - in order to become an Elite Partner you need to have two engineers with JNCIA certifications in all of the appropriate categories for the Elite vertical market. So a Security Elite (SEC)  needs two engineers with JNCIA -IDP, UAC, SSL and two engineers with either JNCIS-SEC or JNCIA-FWV.

Elite Enterprise (ENT) two engineers with JNCIA-WX (WAN Accel); JNCIS-ENT / JNCIA-EX (for switching); JNCIA-ER / JNCIA-M / JNCIS-SEC / JNCIS-SP (for routing)

I can't remember the Advanced Elite track off the top of my head.

It used to be that these had to remain "current" for Elite status to be maintained but that requirement has changed. Elite status is now maintained by taking courses that count for continuing education credits (CEC).....

I track all this for my company so I know way to much about it 🙂

Hope that helps you.