On August 13, we hosted a live session on the biggest update to the Cisco Security certification portfolio in more than six years, including Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies (SCOR) v2.0, changes to the CCNP Security concentrations, and what’s ahead for CCIE Security.

Nearly 80 questions came in from the audience—and since we couldn’t get to all of them live, we’ve pulled together the ten questions that mattered most, answered in one place. 

Watch the full session on demand.

1. What’s the timeline?

2. How big of a change is this?

SCOR v1.0 launched in February 2020, and in the six and a half years since, it has received one minor update. SCOR v2.0 is the first major revision of the blueprint.

If you’ve been studying against v1.1 material, treat SCOR v2.0 as new content rather than a refresh. The blueprint reflects how security is actually practiced today: cloud-delivered security, SSE, and AI-era infrastructure, rather than the 2020 product landscape.

In contrast, if you’re already studying Implementing and Configuring Cisco Identity Services Engine (SISE) or Designing Cisco Security Infrastructure(SDSI), carry on as planned. SDSI is unchanged, and SISE is a light refresh with current training already live. The substantive work is concentrated in SCOR and Designing and Implementing Secure Cloud Access for Users and Endpoints (SSCA, formerly SCAZT).

For Securing Networks with Cisco Firewalls (SNCF) and SSCA, keep reading!

3. I passed SCOR 350-701 v1.1 before August 27. Can I still earn my CCNP Security?

Yes. Your v1.1 pass still combines with any Security concentration exam to award the CCNP Security certification, including if you sit that concentration exam on or after August 27, 2026.

This works in both directions:

• Passed the core, still need a concentration? You’re fine. Take the concentration exam when you’re ready.
• Passed a concentration, still need the core? You’re fine. That still qualifies you for the CCNP Security.

Whenever you pass one CCNP-level exam, you have three years from that exam date to pass the other one and earn the certification. Version transitions don’t invalidate exams you’ve already passed. Nobody gets stranded. If you’re mid-journey, keep going.

4. What’s happening to the Implementing Secure Solutions with Virtual Private Networks (SVPN) exam (300-730), and where does VPN content go now?

The SVPN exam is being retired. The last day to test is August 26, 2026. There will be no direct replacement concentration exam.

The training isn’t going anywhere. The SVPN training course remains available through Cisco U. and through Cisco Learning Partners if you need to build or deepen VPN skills.

Why we made this change. Manually configuring VPNs is still a real skill that real people still do. Not everyone is running SASE with automatic cloud tunnels or SD-WAN with an orchestrator handling the overlay. But it’s a narrow skill, and we need a CCNP to demonstrate breadth. Being an expert in manual VPN configuration alone isn’t sufficient to warrant a professional-level credential in today’s job market.

Where the topics live now. You’ll still be tested on VPN material, which has been redistributed in:

• SCOR (core exam): VPN fundamentals remain a critical component of network security
• SNCF (firewall concentration): VPN configuration on FTD firewalls

5. I’m studying for the Securing Networks with Cisco Firewalls (SNCF) exam. Do I need to redo everything?

No. The exam is only a minor update; the training is what changed.

On the exam: SNCF was already Secure Firewall-focused. If you’ve been preparing, you’re on the right track. Do make sure you’re working with Firepower 10, the current code version.

On the training (this one’s a real improvement): Until now, learning Secure Firewall properly meant two separate five-day courses: Foundations (SFWIPF) and Advanced (SFWIPA). That made SNCF the only CCNP concentration in the entire portfolio requiring two 5-day courses.

When we looked at the data, not many people took the advanced course, often for entirely reasonable time and budget reasons, which meant candidates were arriving at the exam with genuine blueprint gaps.

So we’ve reshuffled the content into either a 5-day instructor-led course or a self-paced Cisco U. course, called SNCF. Going forward, course names match exam names across the board, so there’s no guesswork about which training maps to which exam.

Availability: end of calendar year 2026.

6. What’s SSCA, and why the rename from SCAZT?

The concentration formerly known as SCAZT is now SSCA. The exam number and title are unchanged: “300-740 Designing and Implementing Secure Cloud Access for Users and Endpoints.”

Two reasons for the rename: the new acronym is easier to say and reflects a genuine change in scope. The old exam covered two quite different areas: secure cloud connectivity and security operations/incident response. In most organizations those are two different personas. Unless you work somewhere very small, you probably do one or the other, not both.

The new focus: SSCA concentrates on SSE and Cisco Secure Access, getting endpoints and users, wherever they are, to the applications they need, securely.

7. Does the SCOR v2.0 exam change affect the CCIE Security lab?

There is no direct impact. SCOR remains the qualifying exam for the CCIE Security practical, and the two follow separate review and update cycles. A SCOR v2.0 release does not trigger a change to the practical exam.

Separately, an AI-infused Design, Deploy, Operate, and Optimize (DOO) Module is planned for the CCIE Security practical (lab) exam. That work is independent of the SCOR update.

We heard the CCIE questions loud and clear: blueprint publication timing, software version currency, and which products are in and out of scope. Those decisions sit on the CCIE update cycle, and we’ll communicate them through the Cisco Learning Network as they’re finalized. It’s worth noting that passing SCOR is only part of preparing for the practical; there’s substantial preparation beyond the written qualifying exam either way.

8. My SCOR pass is a few years old. Do Continuing Education (CE) credits extend it?

No, and this is the most commonly misunderstood rule in the program.

Continuing Education Credits recertify certifications you already hold. If you’re a CCNA, CCNP, Specialist, or CCIE today, CE credits earned on Cisco U. or elsewhere will renew that certification. You never have to sit another exam. You can recertify by exam if you prefer, but it isn’t required.

CE credits do not extend an exam window. The three-year clock between your core and your concentration is fixed from your exam date. CE credits renew a certification you have; they don’t buy more time to earn one.

The same applies to CCIE lab eligibility. Your written qualifying exam makes you eligible for the practical for three years from the pass date, and recertifying your CCNP with CE credits does not extend that. These are two separate clocks.

One piece of good news: if you hold a valid SCOR v1.1 pass, it qualifies you for the CCIE Security lab even after the CCIE Security exam update, as long as you’re still inside your window. A version change doesn’t invalidate a qualifying exam you’ve already passed.

9. Will recertification require passing SCOR v2.0?

No. A new exam version does not force you into taking a new exam.

To recertify, you simply need to earn the required number of Continuing Education credits on or before your expiration date. CE credits are only used recertify an active Cisco certification. They can’t be spent as currency toward Cisco U. subscriptions or training courses.

10. What study resources are available for SCOR v2.0?

Start with the Cisco Learning Network. On the CCNP Security page, navigate to the Learning Resources tab, where you’ll find preparation materials for the track.

Video exam-prep series: Kyle Winters is publishing an exam-prep series on the Learn with Cisco YouTube channel, releasing weekly in the run-up to launch, with each episode covering a different domain of the new blueprint. Short, digestible episodes with preparation tips and things to watch for. Several are already out—view the SCOR Exam Topics Series.

Cisco U. SCOR v2.0 training releases in September 2026. Also already available: Cisco Duo Identity and Access Management | DUOIAM Learning Path (covering Zero Trust, SSO, and MFA), plus free tutorials on AI security, the LLM Top 10 vulnerabilities, and cloud-delivered FMC. Learn network security on Cisco U.

Read: Fortify the network fabric with security training | Cisco U. August 2026

Instructor-led training also releases in late September. Visit the Cisco Learning Locator to find a course.

A SCOR Practice Exam will be available on Cisco U. by the end of the calendar year 2026. Visit the Cisco U. Store

Still have questions?

Our CCNP Security and CCIE Security communities are actively discussing the v2.0 transition. Join the conversation on the Cisco Learning Network.

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