Recently in CCNP Category

Some handy links I just discovered on Cisco's website for the new CCNP:

CCNP Cert Combination Tool: Figures out what CCNP exams to take based on what you have

ESIM Tutorial: A walk-through on how to work with the new CCNP question types

TSHOOT Demo Simulation: Give you an idea of the question types on the new TSHOOT exam (wow - this looks intense!)

Okay, here's the scoop:

• CCNP will now be three exams, ROUTE, SWITCH, and TSHOOT
• Exam price will increase from $150.00 to $200.00 per exam
• ROUTE and TSHOOT courses (typically 1 week Cisco official courses) are now supplemented with e-learning material (nearly 8 hours for ROUTE and 9 hours for TSHOOT) which is exam material
• Classes / Exams are becoming even MORE real-world (TSHOOT class is 92% hands-on)
• New ROUTE and SWITCH exam is available in March, TSHOOT is available in April.
• BSCI exam can substitute for ROUTE or vice versa
  
• BCMSN exam can substitute for SWITCH or vice versa
  
• ONT and ISCW exams can substitute for TSHOOT until end of July (ONT/ICSW exams expire then...BSCI and BCMSN are no longer offered after July 31, however can substitute for ROUTE / SWITCH for their entire 3 year expiration period).
• New CCNP exams now prepare you more for the CCIE R&S
  

I think this update is awesome...anything that maps to a more real-world environment is great! Less exams are also a good thing. Cisco has removed much of the CCNP overlap with CCVP (QoS is virtually gone, which is all the ONT exam really was in the first place).