The Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) certification program has been available since the early ’90s. This long-standing certification has maintained a high degree of credibility and is recognized as a certification that lives up to the name “expert.” The CCIE certification process requires passing a computer based test and then a two-day hands-on lab. Recertification is required every two years to ensure that the individual has kept skills up-to-date.

Many problems were created by having one highly credible, but difficult to pass, certification. One problem was that there was no way to distinguish between someone who is almost ready to pass CCIE and a novice. The CCIE lab test is meant to prove that the individual not only has mastery of many topics, but the ability to learn and unravel situations quickly and under pressure. Many highly respected engineers have failed the CCIE lab on the first try. Employers wanting to reward employees based on certification, employers looking at prospective new employees, and network managers trying to choose between competing consulting companies have had too few Cisco-related certifications on which they could base their decisions. In an effort to solve these problems, Cisco Systems has created several new “Cisco Career Certifications.” Included in these new certifications is a series of certifications related to routing and switching.