Cisco, the worldwide leader in technology that powers the Internet, has partnered with Certiport to create the Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) certification program. The Cisco Certified Support Technician Cybersecurity exam is already available, and we’re excited to announce the launch of the Cisco Certified Support Technician Networking certification. Dive into the new exam below.
What is the Cisco Certified Support Technician certification?
The Cisco Certified Support Technician certification program includes two exams designed to validate work-ready skills and knowledge to help learners find a job in the field of networking and cybersecurity.
Why create the Cisco Certified Support Technician certification?
The CCST Networking exam was created by a team of subject-matter experts from diverse careers and industries (including Cisco employees, networking professionals, hiring managers, professors, teachers, and the experts at Certiport) to ensure the certification effectively bridges the gap between education and the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the workplace. It helps prepare learners for high-demand roles in networking, including analysts, auditors, support specialists, and technicians.
What topics are covered in the Cisco Certified Support Technician Networking exam?
The Cisco Certified Support Technician Networking certification covers six main topics, with coordinating sub-topics:
Standards and Concepts
- Identify the fundamental conceptual building blocks of networks
- Differentiate between bandwidth and throughput
- Differentiate between LAN, WAN, MAN, CAN, PAN, WLAN
- Compare and contrast cloud and on-premises applications and services
- Describe common network applications and protocols
Addressing and Subnet Formats
- Compare and contrast private addresses and public addresses
- Identify IPv4 addresses and subnet formats
- Identify IPv6 addresses and prefix formats
Endpoints and Media Types
- Identify cables and connectors commonly used in local area network
- Differentiate between Wi-Fi, cellular, and wired network technologies
- Describe endpoint devices
- Demonstrate how to set up and check network connectivity on Windows, Linux, Mac OS, Android, and Apple iOS
Infrastructure
- Identify the status lights on a Cisco device when given instruction by an engineer
- Use a network diagram provided by an engineer to attach the appropriate cables
- Identify the various ports on network devices
- Explain basic routing concepts
- Explain basic switching concepts
Diagnosing Problems
- Demonstrate effective troubleshooting methodologies and help desk best practices, including ticketing, documentation, and information gathering
- Perform a packet capture with Wireshark and save it to a file
- Run basic diagnostic commands and interpret the results
- Differentiate between different ways to access and collect data about network devices
- Run basic show commands on a Cisco network device
Security
- Describe how firewalls operate to filter traffic
- Describe foundational security concepts
- Configure basic wireless security on a home router (WPAx)
What are the benefits of certifying?
In a world where competition for jobs, pay increases, and academic success continues to increase, the Cisco Certified Support Technician certifications offer hope because they are a credible, third-party assessment of a learner’s skill and knowledge of networking.
“These certifications can help candidates get their first job in the IT industry and really be the start of their careers. By fostering these relationships with learners, it is going to help them progress through not only Cisco career certification program, but build the entire pathway for candidates IT careers,” explains Jaci Featherly, Cisco Global Certification Program Manager.
By earning a Cisco Certified Support Technician Networking certification, students open career and additional learning opportunities. Students may choose to continue to advanced certifications, such as the Cisco Certified Network Associate certification and Cisco Professional certifications. Students could also confidently enter the workforce, prepared to succeed in roles such as Network Support Technician, IT Support Technician, Help Desk Technician, and IT Support Specialist.
What are the prerequisites to certifying?
Learners that earn the Cisco Certified Support Technician Networking certification are expected to have the required knowledge and work-ready skills necessary to launch a career in networking through at least 150 hours of instruction. No additional exam prerequisites are required to sit for the certification exam.
Is there courseware available for the exam?
Certiport has partnered with many curriculum providers to provide learning materials for the Cisco Certified Support Technician certifications in networking and cybersecurity. By working with high quality curriculum producers, Certiport can help supplement the learner experience in the classroom. We currently have learning materials available through our partners LearnKey and Networking Academy. Learn more about curriculum options for your classroom here.
Are there practice tests available for the exam?
Yes. Certiport offers CertPREP Practice Tests, powered by GMetrix, that will prepare students for their CCST Networking certification exam (and is also available for the CCST Cybersecurity exam). You can get more details about Cisco Certified Support Technician practice tests here.
Have additional questions about the certification program? Reach out to your Certiport Territory Manager here or access your free digital information kit on the program here.