Table of contents
- How ENCOR and a concentration exam complete the CCNP Enterprise path
- What passing ENCOR awards before the full CCNP Enterprise credential
- The enterprise technology areas ENCOR brings together
- What the CCNP Enterprise exam requirement costs
How ENCOR and a concentration exam complete the CCNP Enterprise path
ENCOR is the shared core exam
The 350-401 ENCOR exam is the core exam in the CCNP Enterprise path. It is a 120-minute exam that tests overall knowledge of implementing core enterprise networking technologies. That makes ENCOR the exam to identify first when mapping the certification requirement.
The core exam establishes the shared part of the path, but it does not complete the full CCNP Enterprise requirement by itself.
A concentration exam completes the two-exam requirement
You need to pass two exams to earn the CCNP Enterprise: the core exam and a concentration exam. In this path, ENCOR is the core exam, while the second exam is selected from the available concentration options.
The available choices include ENARSI for Advanced Routing, SD-WAN 300-415, Wireless 300-430, and Automation 300-435. These examples show the practical structure of the path: ENCOR covers the shared core, and the concentration exam is the additional exam that completes the two-exam requirement.
The concentration step has a time window
After passing the core exam, you have three years from the pass date to take a concentration exam and earn the CCNP Enterprise. The timing check is therefore straightforward: pass ENCOR, select a concentration exam, and complete that exam within the three-year period.
What passing ENCOR awards before the full CCNP Enterprise credential
The immediate credential is Cisco Certified Specialist - Enterprise Core
A passing score on the core exam earns the Cisco Certified Specialist - Enterprise Core certification. This is the credential awarded at the core-exam stage.
The Specialist credential and the full CCNP Enterprise credential represent different points in the same path. Passing the core exam provides the Specialist certification, while CCNP Enterprise still requires the two-exam combination of a core exam and a concentration exam. The concentration step therefore remains necessary after the Specialist credential is awarded.
The enterprise technology areas ENCOR brings together
ENCOR's named coverage spans six enterprise technology areas: architecture, virtualization, infrastructure, network assurance, security, and automation. The useful way to read that scope is as a broad core covering several parts of enterprise networking, rather than as a single specialty exam.
The percentages identify how the core scope is distributed: architecture is 15 percent, virtualization is 10 percent, infrastructure is 30 percent, network assurance is 10 percent, security is 20 percent, and automation is 15 percent. Together, these named areas account for the complete topic distribution stated for the ENCOR core exam.
For a reader deciding how ENCOR relates to the rest of the path, the distinction is important. The six areas describe the shared core exam. The concentration choices, such as Advanced Routing, SD-WAN, Wireless, and Automation, are the separate second-exam options used to complete the CCNP Enterprise requirement. ENCOR's breadth does not eliminate the need to select one of those concentration exams.
Architecture, virtualization, and infrastructure define the core network scope
Architecture, virtualization, and infrastructure make up 55 percent of the ENCOR distribution: 15 percent for architecture, 10 percent for virtualization, and 30 percent for infrastructure. These figures identify the largest combined portion of the named core coverage.
A reader checking the scope of ENCOR should therefore treat these as three distinct parts of the shared core: architecture is one area, virtualization is another, and infrastructure is a third. They belong to the ENCOR stage of the path rather than replacing the later concentration choice.
Network assurance and security address operational visibility and protection
Network assurance represents 10 percent of the exam, and security represents 20 percent. Both are named areas within the ENCOR core coverage, so the core exam includes more than architecture, virtualization, and infrastructure alone.
This distinction helps place security and network assurance correctly in the certification path. They are part of the shared ENCOR scope. A concentration exam is still required separately to complete the two-exam CCNP Enterprise requirement.
Automation is part of the core exam rather than an optional add-on
Automation represents 15 percent of the ENCOR exam and is one of its six named technology areas. The authorized coverage also identifies automation and security among the foundational enterprise networking concepts covered by the core exam.
Automation should therefore be counted when assessing the scope of ENCOR. It is present in the shared core, while Automation 300-435 is also named as one of the concentration options. Those are separate roles in the path: automation is included in ENCOR's core coverage, and the named concentration exam is an available second-exam choice.
What the CCNP Enterprise exam requirement costs
ENCOR is the $400 core-exam component
The 350-401 ENCOR core exam costs $400. This is the core-exam portion of the required exam fees for the CCNP Enterprise path.
The core fee should be kept separate from the concentration fee when calculating the total. The core exam always costs $400, and the concentration exam always costs $300, regardless of the track.
The $300 concentration exam brings required exam fees to $700
The concentration exam costs $300. Adding that fee to the $400 ENCOR fee produces a total of $700 in exam fees for the CCNP Enterprise requirement.
The calculation is:
- ENCOR core exam: $400
- Concentration exam: $300
- Total exam fees: $700
The total covers the required exam fees. It does not include training, practice exams, lab access, taxes, discounts, or retake costs.