The Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Enterprise is one of the most recognized credentials for engineers who design, build, and support campus and WAN networks. The core exam, Implementing Cisco Enterprise Network Core Technologies (ENCOR 350-401), covers a lot of ground, from Spanning Tree and OSPF to SD-Access, Python, and REST APIs. That breadth can feel overwhelming at first.

The good news is that Cisco publishes exactly what ENCOR tests, and a study plan built around that blueprint gives you a clear path to passing on your first try. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the exam format, all six domains and their weights in the current v1.2 blueprint, the official resources worth bookmarking, and the questions candidates ask most often.

What Is the CCNP Enterprise Exam?

CCNP Enterprise is a professional-level Cisco certification. To earn it, you pass two exams: the ENCOR 350-401 core exam and one concentration exam of your choice. Most people who say they are studying for “the CCNP Enterprise exam” mean ENCOR, because it is required and it is the broader of the two.

ENCOR does more than earn you part of a CCNP. Passing it also earns you the Cisco Certified Specialist – Enterprise Core certification, and it qualifies you for the CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure lab. According to Cisco, ENCOR tests your knowledge of core enterprise network technologies, “including dual stack (IPv4 and IPv6) architecture, virtualization, infrastructure, network assurance, security, and automation.”

What Is the ENCOR 350-401 Exam Format?

Here is the exam at a glance, based on the Cisco ENCOR exam page and Cisco’s exam policies:

  • Exam code and version: 350-401 ENCOR, blueprint v1.2 (live since March 19, 2026).
  • Time: 120 minutes.
  • Questions: Cisco does not publish an official question count. Plan for roughly 90 to 110 questions and pace yourself at about one minute per item.
  • Question types: Cisco exams can include multiple-choice (single- and multiple-answer), drag-and-drop, and simulation-style items. You cannot go back to previous questions once you move on.
  • Delivery: Pearson VUE, at a test center or through online proctoring.
  • Languages: English and Japanese.
  • Fee: US$400 (or Cisco Learning Credits).
  • Passing score: Cisco does not publish passing scores. Cisco sets them statistically, and they can change without notice.
  • Results: You receive a score report at the end of the exam, with a performance breakdown by exam section.

Because you cannot revisit questions, time management matters. If a simulation or long scenario is eating your clock, make your best decision and move on.

What Changed in ENCOR v1.2?

Pocket Prep aligns to the ENCOR 350-401 v1.2 exam topics, which took effect on March 19, 2026. If you started studying with older v1.1 materials, these are the changes to know:

  • Wireless is gone. RF fundamentals, AP modes, roaming, wireless QoS, and wireless authentication were removed. Cisco moved that content to a new, dedicated CCNP Wireless track launched the same day.
  • The last domain was renamed “Automation and Artificial Intelligence,” and Catalyst Center topics now mention AI-powered workflows.
  • Multicast expanded to include SSM, bidirectional PIM, and MSDP alongside RPF, PIM-SM, and IGMPv2/v3.
  • Product names were updated to Catalyst SD-WAN, SD-WAN Manager, and Catalyst Center (formerly DNA Center).
  • Named orchestration tools were dropped in favor of a general comparison of agent vs. agentless tools.

The domain weights did not change.

What Is on the CCNP Enterprise ENCOR Exam?

The v1.2 blueprint has six domains:

  • 1.0 Architecture: 15%
  • 2.0 Virtualization: 10%
  • 3.0 Infrastructure: 30%
  • 4.0 Network Assurance: 10%
  • 5.0 Security: 20%
  • 6.0 Automation and Artificial Intelligence: 15%

Domain 1: Architecture (15%)

Architecture asks you to explain how enterprise networks are designed and why. It is mostly conceptual, but you need to understand how the pieces fit together.

  • Design models such as 2-tier (collapsed core), 3-tier, fabric, and cloud.
  • High availability techniques, including redundancy, first hop redundancy protocols (FHRP), and stateful switchover (SSO).
  • Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN control and data plane elements, plus its benefits and limitations.
  • Cisco SD-Access control and data plane elements, and how a traditional campus interoperates with SD-Access.
  • Interpreting QoS configurations.

Study tip: Be able to name which SD-WAN component does what (for example, the controller that distributes routes and policy vs. the edge devices that forward traffic) and which protocols SD-Access uses for its control plane (LISP) and data plane (VXLAN).

Domain 2: Virtualization (10%)

This domain covers virtualizing devices, data paths, and networks. It is small, but its topics show up again in Architecture and Security.

  • Type 1 and Type 2 hypervisors, virtual machines, and virtual switching.
  • Configuring and verifying VRFs.
  • Configuring and verifying GRE and IPsec tunneling.
  • Describing LISP and VXLAN.

What questions look like: Expect to read a GRE or VRF configuration and spot why a tunnel won’t come up or why routes are leaking between VRFs.

Domain 3: Infrastructure (30%)

Infrastructure is the biggest domain and the most hands-on. It covers the Layer 2, Layer 3, and IP services that keep an enterprise network running.

  • Troubleshooting static and dynamic 802.1Q trunking and EtherChannels.
  • Configuring and verifying RSTP and MST, plus enhancements such as root guard and BPDU guard.
  • Comparing EIGRP and OSPF: path selection, load balancing, metrics, and area types.
  • Configuring OSPFv2/v3 with multiple areas, summarization, and filtering.
  • Configuring eBGP between directly connected neighbors, including best path selection.
  • Policy-based routing, NTP and PTP, NAT/PAT, HSRP and VRRP, and multicast.

Study tip: Nearly a third of your score comes from this domain. Labbing it is the single best use of your time.

Domain 4: Network Assurance (10%)

Network Assurance is about seeing what the network is doing and finding problems fast.

  • Diagnosing problems with debugs, conditional debugs, traceroute, ping, SNMP, and syslog.
  • Configuring and verifying Flexible NetFlow and IP SLA.
  • Configuring SPAN, RSPAN, and ERSPAN.
  • Describing how Cisco Catalyst Center applies configuration, monitoring, and management using traditional and AI-powered workflows.
  • Configuring and verifying NETCONF and RESTCONF.

What questions look like: A scenario asks you to capture traffic from a switch in another building. You need to know that RSPAN carries it over a VLAN, while ERSPAN encapsulates it in GRE across a routed network.

Domain 5: Security (20%)

Security is the second-largest domain. It mixes configuration tasks with network security design concepts.

  • Device access control with lines, local users, and AAA (authentication and authorization).
  • Access control lists (ACLs) and Control Plane Policing (CoPP).
  • REST API security.
  • Security design components: threat defense, endpoint security, next-generation firewalls, TrustSec, and MACsec.

Study tip: Practice reading ACLs line by line, including the implicit deny at the end, and know how method lists control the order in which AAA tries TACACS+, RADIUS, and local authentication.

Domain 6: Automation and Artificial Intelligence (15%)

You don’t need to be a developer, but you do need to read and interpret basic code and API output.

  • Interpreting basic Python components and scripts.
  • Constructing valid JSON.
  • Describing data modeling languages such as YANG.
  • Describing APIs for Cisco Catalyst Center and SD-WAN Manager, and interpreting REST API response codes and payloads.
  • Building Embedded Event Manager (EEM) applets.
  • Comparing agent vs. agentless orchestration tools.

What questions look like: You may be shown a JSON snippet with a missing comma or bracket, or asked what an HTTP 401 vs. 404 response means.

How Should You Use the ENCOR Blueprint to Build a Study Plan?

Treat the v1.2 exam topics as your master checklist. Every item in it is fair game, and anything not in it (like wireless) shouldn’t take up your time.

  1. Take a baseline. Answer a mixed set of questions before studying so you know where you stand.
  2. Weight your time. Infrastructure (30%) and Security (20%) together make up half the exam. Give them the most hours, but don’t skip the 10% domains.
  3. Map every miss. Tie each wrong answer to a blueprint item, such as “3.2.c eBGP best path,” so you can see patterns.
  4. Lab the configuration topics. Items that say “configure,” “verify,” or “troubleshoot” are best learned on a virtual lab platform such as Cisco Modeling Labs.
  5. Finish with mixed, timed practice. This builds pacing for a test that doesn’t let you go back.

What Official Resources Should You Use?

  • ENCOR 350-401 v1.2 exam topics (PDF), the official blueprint.
  • Cisco ENCOR exam page, for pricing, languages, and training options.
  • Cisco exam, testing, and certification policies, for retakes, scoring, and ID rules.
  • The official Cisco course, Implementing and Operating Cisco Enterprise Network Core Technologies, available through Cisco U. and Learning Partners.
  • CCNP and CCIE Enterprise Core ENCOR 350-401 Official Cert Guide, 2nd Edition (Cisco Press), a commonly used reference. Because it predates v1.2, skip its wireless chapters.

Frequently Asked Questions About the CCNP Enterprise Exam

What is the passing score for ENCOR?
Cisco does not publish passing scores. It sets them statistically, and they can vary. Aim to score comfortably above 80% on practice sets before you schedule.

Are there prerequisites for ENCOR?
No. Cisco lists no formal prerequisites, though the exam assumes solid CCNA-level knowledge and hands-on experience.

How long do I have to wait to retake ENCOR?
If you fail, you must wait five calendar days, starting the day after your attempt, before retesting.

When do I get my results?
Immediately. You get a score report at the end of the exam with your performance by section.

Is wireless still on the CCNP Enterprise exam?
Not on ENCOR v1.2. Wireless now has its own CCNP Wireless track with a separate core exam (350-101 WLCOR).

How long is CCNP Enterprise valid?
Three years. You can recertify with 80 Continuing Education (CE) credits, by passing qualifying exams, or by combining the two. See Cisco’s recertification policy.

Do I have to pass ENCOR and a concentration exam at the same time?
No. You can take them in either order. Each exam you pass also earns its own Specialist certification.

Start Preparing for the CCNP Enterprise Exam With Pocket Prep

Pocket Prep’s Cisco CCNP Enterprise practice questions give you 850 ENCOR-style questions aligned to the v1.2 blueprint, each with a detailed explanation, plus a full-length mock exam to test your pacing. Start with Weakest Subject quizzes to find your gaps, then use Timed Quiz or Mock Exams to get comfortable with testing conditions. Consistent practice will help you walk into exam day with confidence.