March 1, 2023
April 2023
The Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Cybersecurity and Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Networking certifications are entry-level certifications. These certifications will provide the basic knowledge and training required for candidates to progress to CCNA and CyberOps associate-level certifications.
The Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) certifications are non-progressive and are not steppingstones to Cisco associate-level career paths.
The new Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) certifications provide the basic knowledge and training required for candidates to progress to CCNA and CyberOps associate-level certifications.
These entry-level certifications target late high-school, secondary and immediate post-secondary students, technical schools, and entry-level IT and Networking professionals.
Individuals interested in starting or shifting to a career in IT.
Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Networking:
The Networking Technician certification prepares candidates for roles such as entry-level network technicians and customer support technicians, as well as students and interns with at least 150 hours of instruction and hands-on experience.
Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Cybersecurity:
The Cybersecurity Technician certification prepares candidates for an entry-level Cybersecurity position, such as a Cybersecurity Technician, Cybersecurity Analyst, or Tier 1 Help Desk Support role.
No, but they do provide the foundation and knowledge needed to prepare candidates for CCNA and CyberOps associate-level certifications.
CyberOps Associate
CCNA
No
No
The fees for the CCST exams is $125 USD.
Yes, same as our other Cisco certification exams.
These Cisco exams can be purchased from Certiport through the following methods:
The duration is 50 minutes; number of questions will vary.
These exams will be delivered by Certiport and can be administered through Certiport Authorized Testing Centers (CATCs).
Educational institutions and Cisco Networking Academies can register to become a CATC and administer the exams through the process outlined here.
The exams will also be available through Certiport’s OnVUE platform, their online testing platform, which offers online proctoring for individual candidates.
Candidates can prepare for the exams with training courses from Cisco Networking Academy. Learners can take free, online, self-paced training courses through the Skills for All platform or take instructor-led classes through a local academy.
To register for the exams, candidates will need to create a Certiport candidate profile, even if they have an existing Cisco Certification candidate profile. This will not create a duplicate profile in the Cisco Certification system.
Cisco Certified Support Technician certification exams will be released in English, with additional languages to follow.
Certiport provides accommodations to individuals with documented disabilities who demonstrate a need for such. For example, applicants with documented medical, sensory, motor, psychiatric, or learning conditions may request extra testing time or a separate testing room.
Entry-level knowledge will be required to pass the exam. Candidates should review and understand the exam topics before attempting the exam.
Unlimited
Immediately after completing the exam the candidate will be presented with a score report showing their Pass or Fail status.
Training courses are available through Cisco Networking Academy as free, online, self-paced courses through the Skills for All platform or as instructor-led classes through a local academy.
Self-paced training for the Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Cybersecurity certification is available through the Junior Cybersecurity Analyst Career Path on Skills for All from Cisco Networking Academy.
Self-paced training for the CCST Networking certification is available in English with additional languages to follow. See the Network Technician Career Path on Skills for All from Cisco Networking Academy for latest language availability.
The self-paced online learning is currently offered in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. More languages will be offered in the future.
The self-paced online training is free.
Costs for instructor-led courses through an academy are determined by the educational institution.
Yes, self-paced online training courses are available through Skills for All from Cisco Networking Academy. Candidates also have the option to take instructor-led training courses from a local academy.
The self-paced, online Junior Cybersecurity Analyst Career Path takes approximately 120 hours to complete.
The self-paced, online Network Technician Career Path takes approximately 70 hours to complete.
Lifetime Certification and Digital Badge
Certified candidates can download a PDF file of the certification/digital badge from the Certiport system. Post launch, candidates will be able to log into their Cisco.com profile and retrieve this information.
Yes
The Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) certifications are valid for your lifetime. There is no expiration date for CCST certifications.
Recertification is not required because the Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) certifications are valid for a lifetime.
Recertification is not required since these Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) certifications are valid for a lifetime.
No. Continuing Education credits will not be earned by achieving these certifications.
No. Please refer to Recertification Policy for more details.
The IT Specialist – Cybersecurity certification has transitioned to the Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Cybersecurity certification.
Yes, candidates that have earned the IT Specialist – Cybersecurity certification from Certiport, will have the option to convert to the Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Cybersecurity certification. More information will be provided on the conversion process at a later date.
More information will be provided to candidates after the Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) Cybersecurity certification exam is released March 1, 2023.
Yes. Cisco Networking Academy courses align to these entry-level certifications.
Discounts are not available directly to students or instructors.
For educational institutions, there are various flexible pricing models available, including licensing options.
Yes, an academy can easily become a Certiport Authorized Testing Center (CATC) through the process outlined here.
Through becoming a CATC, academies will join a network of over 15,000 CATCs worldwide.
Benefits include:
No, when you purchase exam vouchers for a specific program, they are only able to be used under that specific program.
For more information, regarding voucher usage, please contact your Certiport Territory Manager.