Duration:
Only 7 days
Study Mode:
Classroom
Next Date:
11/02/2025 (Tuesday)

Overview

The accelerated Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE) certification program prepares you for expert-level job roles in network architecture and designs. These roles often include integrating many different networking elements into a sustainable, manageable, and scalable architecture that supports the ever-growing needs of enterprises and customers. As one of the industry’s most respected certifications, the CCDE certification distinguishes you as a leader in designing complex network solutions.

Achieving the updated CCDE certification proves your skills designing and architecting complex Enterprise network solutions. To earn your CCDE, you pass two exams: first, a qualifying exam that covers core technologies and competencies required by every network designer, then an 8-hour practical exam that covers designing and architecting Enterprise networking solutions by analyzing business requirements and technical requirements and making design decisions based on many factors such as resiliency or cost.

  • First, take the qualifying exam, CCDE Written (400-007), which focuses on your understanding and skills within the realms of network design, technologies, translation of business and technical requirements into functional specifications, and business strategies.
  • Second, take the 8-hour, practical exam, CCDE v3.0 Practical exam. This exam covers several scenarios, one of which the candidate can select, providing the flexibility to include topics related to your area of expertise, in addition to validating core enterprise architecture technologies. The CCDE v3.0 Practical exam will be delivered at Cisco Certification centers.

At the end of this course, you’ll sit the Cisco exam, and achieve your Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE) certification. Through Firebrand’s Lecture | Lab | Review methodology, you’ll get certified at twice the speed of the traditional training and get access to courseware, learn from certified instructors, and train in a distraction-free environment.

 

Audience

This course is ideal for:

  • The CCDE is targeted to individuals with seven or more years of experience in designing and managing complex large scale networks.

 

Curriculum

Module 1: Business Strategy Design

  • Impact on network design, implementation, and optimization using various customer project management methodologies (for instance waterfall and agile)
  • Solutions based on business continuity and operational sustainability (for instance RPO, ROI, CAPEX/OPEX cost analysis, and risk/reward)

 

Module 2: Control, data, management plane and operational design

  • End-to-end IP traffic flow in a feature-rich network
  • Data, control, and management plane technologies
  • Centralized, decentralized, or hybrid control plane
  • Automation/orchestration design, integration, and on-going support for networks (for instance interfacing with APIs, model-driven management, controller-based technologies, evolution to CI/CD framework)
  • Software-defined architecture and controller-based solution design (SD-WAN, overlay, underlay, and fabric)

 

Module 3: Network Design

  • Resilient, scalable, and secure modular networks, covering both traditional and software defined architectures, considering:
  • Technical constraints and requirements
  • Operational constraints and requirements
  • Application behaviour and needs
  • Business requirements
  • Implementation plans
  • Migration and transformation

 

Module 4: Service Design

  • Resilient, scalable, and secure modular network design based on constraints (for instance technical, operational, application, and business constraints) to support applications on the IP network (for instance voice, video, backups, data centre replication, IoT, and storage)
  • Cloud/hybrid solutions based on business-critical operations
  • Regulatory compliance
  • Data governance (for instance sovereignty, ownership, and locale)
  • Service placement
  • SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS
  • Cloud connectivity (for instance direct connect, cloud on ramp, MPLS direct connect, and WAN integration)
  • Security

 

Module 5: 5.0 Security Design

  • Network security design and integration
  • Segmentation
  • Network access control
  • Visibility
  • Policy enforcement
  • CIA triad
  • Regulatory compliance (if provided the regulation

Exam Track

At the end of this accelerated course, you’ll sit the following exam at the Firebrand Training centre, covered Certification Guarantee:

Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE)

CCDE v3.0 Written exam (400-007)

  • The CCDE v3.0 Written exam (400-007) will validate that candidates have the expertise to gather and clarify network functional requirements, develop network designs to meet functional specifications, develop implementation plans, convey design decisions and their rationale, and possess expert-level knowledge.
  • Domains:
    • Business Strategy Design 15%
    • Control, data, and management plane design 25%
    • Network Design 30%
    • Service Design 15%
    • Security Design 15%
  • Duration: two-hour
  • Format: Multiple Choice, Closed Book
  • Questions: 90-110 Questions

 

 CCDE v3.0 Practical Exam

The CCDE v3.0 Practical Exam is an 8-hour scenario-based exam, that is built to be modular and provides you the flexibility to focus on your area of expertise, in addition to validating core Enterprise architecture technologies.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this accelerated course but CCDE candidates are recommended to have five to seven years of experience with designing and architecting network solutions, as well as engaging in other related activities, such as pre-sales work.

What's Included

Your accelerated course includes:

  • Accommodation *
  • Meals, unlimited snacks, beverages, tea and coffee *
  • On-site exams **
  • Exam vouchers **
  • Practice tests **
  • Certification Guarantee ***
  • Courseware
  • Up-to 12 hours of instructor-led training each day
  • 24-hour lab access
  • Digital courseware **

* For residential training only. Accommodation is included from the night before the course starts. This doesn't apply for online courses.
** Some exceptions apply. Please refer to the Exam Track or speak with our experts.
*** Pass first time or train again free as many times as it takes, unlimited for 1 year. Just pay for accommodation, exams, and incidental costs.

Benefits

Seven reasons why you should sit your course with Firebrand Training

  • Two options of training. Choose between residential classroom-based, or online courses
  • You'll be certified fast. With us, you’ll be trained in record time
  • Our course is all-inclusive. A one-off fee covers all course materials, exams**, accommodation* and meals*. No hidden extras.
  • Pass the first time or train again for free. This is our guarantee. We’re confident you’ll pass your course the first time. But if not, come back within a year and only pay for accommodation, exams and incidental costs
  • You’ll learn more. A day with a traditional training provider generally runs from 9 am – 5 pm, with a nice long break for lunch. With Firebrand Training you’ll get at least 12 hours/day of quality learning time, with your instructor
  • You’ll learn faster. Chances are, you’ll have a different learning style to those around you. We combine visual, auditory and tactile styles to deliver the material in a way that ensures you will learn faster and more easily
  • You’ll be studying with the best. We’ve been named in the Training Industry’s “Top 20 IT Training Companies of the Year” every year since 2010. As well as winning many more awards, we’ve trained and certified over 135,000 professionals

*For residential training only. Doesn't apply for online courses
**Some exceptions apply. Please refer to the Exam Track or speak with our experts

Think you are ready for the course? Take a FREE practice test to assess your knowledge!  Free Practice Test

Course Dates


Start
Finish
Status
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Prices
11/02/2025 (Tue)
17/02/2025 (Mon)
Open
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12/05/2025 (Mon)
18/05/2025 (Sun)
Open
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12/08/2025 (Tue)
18/08/2025 (Mon)
Open
Classroom
10/11/2025 (Mon)
16/11/2025 (Sun)
Open
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