Consult this section for current information on program policies for Cisco Career Certifications exams. Refer to the Certification Agreements link to review requirements for program participation and instructions on how to obtain and use marks and logos associated with it. Policy requirements for the CCIE program are described separately in the CCIE Policies.
Confidentiality
All content, specifically questions, answers and diagrams of the certification exams are the proprietary and confidential property of Cisco. They may not be copied, reproduced, modified, published, uploaded, posted, transmitted, or distributed in anyway without the express authorization of Cisco. Candidates who sit for Cisco exams must agree they have read and will abide by the terms and conditions of the Cisco Career Certifications and Confidentiality Agreement before beginning the certification exam. The agreement applies to all exams. Signing and adhering to this agreement is required to be officially certified and to maintain valid certification.
Conduct
Candidates must take no action to compromise the integrity or confidentiality of any Cisco certification exam or certification program. Prohibited actions are described in the Cisco Career Certifications and Confidentiality Agreement. Penalties for violating the policy can include up to and including a lifetime ban on all future exams and the nullification of all previous certifications.
Correspondence
All official correspondence to certified candidates is sent to the email and/or address recorded in the Cisco Career Certifications Tracking System. Candidates are responsible for updating their personal information in the Tracking System to ensure receipt of official correspondence. If you are a CCIE, please update the CCIE Program Database separately.
Privacy
Cisco respects your privacy and is committed to protect the personal information that you share with us. The Cisco Privacy Statement describes how we collect and use your personal information.
Candidate Identification and Authentication
The test center admission process requires the capture of a digital photo and digital signature from each candidate in addition to two types of personal identification. Both types of identification must have the candidate's signature and one must be a government-issued photo identification.
Candidate Photo on Score Report and Web
Upon exam completion, each candidate receives a score report imprinted with the digital photo that was captured during admission. Candidates may choose to share their photo-imprinted score reports with an employer or other third parties or to provide them with preferred online access at http://www.pearsonvue.com/authenticate for verification purposes. The Pearson VUE candidate tracking webpage is the official method for confirming online candidate photo and exam score results.
Preliminary Score Report
The score report notifies candidates that regardless of pass or fail results, an exam score may be revised anytime after testing, if there is evidence of misconduct, scoring inaccuracies, or aberrant response patterns. To obtain official exam results, candidates and their employers must verify scores online.
Exam Violations
Disclosure of exam content and other acts of misconduct are strictly prohibited as described in the Cisco Career Certifications and Confidentiality Agreement. Please report any suspicious activity to security-tipline@external.cisco.com.
Exam Recertification
Certification status for exams will expire after a period of time. Candidates with a valid certification must pass an exam designated for recertification to keep their status and reminders will be sent via your email address. Please refer to the About Recertification web site for the recertification requirements regarding your particular exam.
Retaking Exams
- Candidates may only take a beta exam once.
- Candidates who fail an exam must wait a period of five (5) calendar days, beginning the day after the failed attempt, before they may retest for the same exam.
- Once passed, a candidate must wait a minimum of 180 days before taking the same exam with an identical exam number.
- Candidates who violate these policies are in violation of the agreement. Such conduct is strictly prohibited as described in the Cisco Career Certifications and Confidentiality Agreement.
Exam Scoring
Passing scores are set by using statistical analysis and are subject to change. At the completion of the exam, candidates receive a score report along with a score breakout by exam section and the passing score for the given exam. Cisco does not publish exam passing scores because exam questions and passing scores are subject to change without notice.
Exam Retirement
When an exam retires it may be replaced by another exam and the previous exam will be phased out. Please refer to the Retired Certification Exam page for exam retirement information.
Logo Guidelines
Certified candidates may only use certification logos, certificates and other collateral as provided and in accordance with the published Logo Guidelines. Individuals or entities that misuse certification logos, certificates and/or other collateral may be subject to penalties up to an including a lifetime ban on all future exams and the nullification of all previous certifications. Please refer to the CCIE website for separate CCIE Logo Guidelines.
Exam Discounts, Vouchers & Promotional Codes
Neither Cisco nor Pearson VUE, its primary test delivery partner, guarantees the authenticity of discount vouchers or promotional codes that are obtained from outside individuals or entities.
Cisco recommends that vouchers be purchased directly through Pearson VUE. Individuals who use discount vouchers or promotional codes in an unauthorized way or who abuse the discount voucher or promotional code distribution process may have their exam results invalidated. They may also risk incurring a lifetime ban on all future exams and the nullification of all previous certifications. Cisco affiliated partners who abuse the discount voucher or promotional code distribution process may be subject to program sanctions, as well. Cisco will not replace any discount voucher that is determined to be fraudulent or to have been redeemed previously.
