Cisco VoIP Certifications
Voice over IP (VoIP) networking requires a specialized skill set that is built on data networking knowledge and skills. Cisco certifications validate a voice networking professional's specialized skill set specific to Cisco products and provide an advantage to those who obtain them. These certifications help hiring managers make dependable hiring decisions based on unbiased information.
Cisco Voice Networking Certifications Available
Cisco Certified Networking Associate - Voice (CCNA – Voice) – There are two options when earning the CCNA-Voice certificate as described below:
- Enterprise option: This option assesses skills related to the Cisco Unified Communications Manager(CUCM) product which is typically used by large companies, colleges and governments.
- Commercial option: This option validates skills needed when working with the Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express(Cisco UME) and Cisco Unity Express (CUE). These products are typically used by medium and small organizations that have fewer than 2000 employees.
Cisco Certified Voice Professional (CCVP) - This certification validates advanced knowledge and skills in implementing, operating, configuring and troubleshooting a converged IP network.
Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert – Voice (CCIE - Voice) – For experienced professionals who work in an enterprise environment, this certification validates expert knowledge and skills of VoIP solutions.
Preparing for Exams
Courses that prepare people for these certification exams are available at community colleges, online schools, independent training centers, Cisco authorized training centers and Cisco's own training centers. Various types of training are available including traditional classrooms, online classes, employer-based training, boot-camp style training and self-study videos.
Prices for a traditional class may run about $3000 for a 40 hour CCNA-Voice course. A boot-camp style course may have a price in the range of $4000 - $5000 for a one-week boot-camp, including air-fare and lodging. Self-study video prices for the CCNA-Voice course are about $400 to $500. Prices for the professional and expert level certifications are higher since they cover more material.
Exam Content
CCNA – One exam needs to be passed to obtain this certification. Candidates must choose to pursue either the commercial or enterprise version of the certificate.
- Enterprise – The CVOICE exam validates the candidate's knowledge and skills of topics such as foundational elements of VoIP calls, dial plans, gateways, gatekeepers and IP-IP gateways. The CVOICE exam is also required for the CCVP certification. This option is appropriate for those working with large-scale implementations.
- Commercial - The Implementing Cisco IOS Unified Communications (IIUC) exam covers basic IP telephony installation, configuration and maintenance skills when using Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express (Cisco UME) and Cisco Unity Express (CUE) in a small to medium sized implementation.
CCVP- Five exams must be passed in order to receive the CCVP certification, as described below.
- CVOICE – This exam is also required for the Enterprise version of the CCNA-Voice certification and is described above.
- Implementing Cisco Unified Communications Manager Part 1 – This exam tests a person's knowledge of deploying the Cisco Unified Communications Manager in single-site and centralized call processing environments.
- Quality of Service (QoS) - This exam validates that the candidate has the knowledge and skills to configure and troubleshoot Cisco routers running Quality of Service protocols in service provider and enterprise environments. Topics include IP QoS, classification and marking mechanisms, queuing mechanisms, traffic shaping and policing mechanisms, congestion avoidance, link efficiency mechanisms, modular QoS command line interface and QoS best practices.
- Implementing Cisco Unified Communications Manager Part 2 – This exam covers multi-site implementation topics including authentication, encryption, transport layer security, video conferencing and others.
- Troubleshooting Cisco Unified Communications Systems – This exam validates hands-on skills and knowledge needed to troubleshoot Unified Communications Systems implementations.
CCIE - This certification requires a candidate pass a two-hour written qualification exam before taking the eight-hour hands-on lab exam. The lab exam must be taken within 18 months of passing the written exam. The written exam covers topics such as CallManager, QoS, telephony, infrastructure and application protocols, Cisco Unity Express, and Integrated Contract Distribution.
The lab exam includes a typewritten Core Knowledge component which consists of four open-ended questions which the test-takers are given 30 minutes to complete. During the rest of the exam, the candidates are asked to configure and troubleshoot a Cisco enterprise voice solution over an IP network to given specifications.
Taking Exams
All exams must be taken at one of 3000 Pearson Vue testing locations available worldwide. Due to equipment requirements, locations where expert level lab exams can be taken is more limited than for written exams. Written exams have recently been in the price range of about $80 to $325 and the price for lab exams has been about $1400. The prices of all exams are subject to change.
Maintaining Certifications
The CCNA-Voice and CCVP certifications are valid for three years. To maintain these certifications, a certificate-holder must pass the same exams again or pass any other written exam which is at the same level or higher, before the certificate's expiration date. The CCIE-Voice certification is valid for two years and can be maintained by passing any expert level written or lab exam before the expiration date. All certifications at the same level or below that are held by the person will be automatically re-certified.
Who Should Get Cisco Voice Certification?
CCNA – Voice - This certification is appropriate for those who have some VoIP experience but do not yet have advanced skills. It does require that the general CCNA certification be obtained as a prerequisite.
CCVP – This certification is for voice professionals with advanced understanding of the Cisco Unified Communications Manager. This certification requires that five separate exams be passed so a high level of commitment is needed to achieve this certification. The only prerequisite is the general CCNA certification.
CCIE - Voice – Those who have significant experience with Cisco VoIP technologies may want to consider this certification. There are no specific prerequisites but only those with a great deal of knowledge and experience will want to attempt this certification.
Evaluating Training Options
- Style of Training – Finding the right type of training to match a person's learning style is important, especially for the more challenging subjects. While self-study videos may work for some students and some courses, a traditional classroom or boot-camp may be better suited for other students and for the more difficult exams.
- Cost - If a person's company is not paying for training and cost is an issue, they may want to consider using self-study videos, at least for the subjects they have the most experience with.
- Exam Guarantee - Some training providers offer a guarantee that their students will pass the exam or they will provide re-training for free. These guarantees usually have stringent requirements such as perfect attendance.
About Cisco
Cisco Systems is a public, multi-national corporation that is the world-wide leader in networking for the internet. It was founded in 1984 by a group of Stanford computer scientists and became a publicly traded company in 1990.
Online Course Finder
Find the path to your
education in 3 easy steps.