David Sudjiman

Cisco just announces CCNP updates. You can get the information from this link. Unfortunately, the information is not made quite obvious. Well, at least I got this information from a forwarded email that explains a lot more than the website.

Current CCNP exams like BSCI (642-801), BCMSN (642-811), BCRAN (642-521), and CIT (642-511) will have to be passed by 31 December 2006, otherwise candidates are required to sit for the updated exams.

----- Forwarded message from <removed> -----
Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2006 06:00:40 -0400 (EDT)
From: Cisco Systems <removed>
Reply-To: <removed>
Subject: Cisco Announces CCNP Certification Updates and new CCNP Prep Center
To: <removed>

<removed>

Dear <removed>,

Cisco Announces CCNP Certification Updates Cisco announces
comprehensive updates to its premier CCNP professional-level
networking certification. The new program provides networking
professionals with the knowledge and skills required to deploy and
maintain fully integrated network infrastructure services and
applications.

Integrated Networking Expertise in Demand The new CCNP program
maintains its focus on the advanced skills required to manage the
routers and switches that form the network core, but also expands to
include techniques to deploy and support wireless, voice, and
security applications on the network edge. Network professionals who
achieve the new CCNP certification will demonstrate the skills and
knowledge required to fully utilize Cisco intermediate session
routing (ISR) routers, which provide wire-speed delivery of
concurrent data, voice, video, and wireless services applications. By
 passing the exam, you will also demonstrate the expertise necessary
to integrate and manage converged networks, quality of service (QoS),
and virtual private networks (VPNs).

CCNP Certification Curriculum Four recommended training courses and
four required exams comprise the new CCNP certification curriculum. A
valid CCNA certification is a prerequisite for taking the CCNP
exams.

New Required Exams as of August 15, 2005 | Exam Topics 

- 642-901 BSCI | Building Scalable Cisco Inter-networks ISR routers, updates to
Cisco IOS Software 12.4 routing protocol, routing authentication
security, multicast routing, IPv6 

- 642-812 BCMSN | Building Cisco Multilayer Switched Networks  High availability,
new wireless LAN fundamentals for Airespace thin-client, voice, and Cisco IOS switch
security 

- 642-825 ISCW | Implementing Secure Converged Wide-Area
Networks  Cable and DSL broadband access, Multiprotocol Label
Switching (MPLS)/MPLS VPN fundamentals Cisco IOS Security featuring
S2S VPN (IPsec and generic routing encapsulation/IPsec [GRE/IPSEC]),
Cisco Easy VPN, Cisco IOS Firewall, Cisco IOS Intrusion Prevention
System (IPS), Cisco AutoSecure, Role-Based CLI Access, and Cisco
Security Device Manager (SDM) 

- 642-845 ONT | Optimizing Converged Cisco Networks Voice over IP (VoIP)
fundamentals, techniques to address VoIP challenges, concepts and
implementation methods for quality of service (QoS), wireless security
standards, and Cisco wireless LAN (WLAN) networks

Previous Exams Count for Three Years Towards Completion of CCNP
Certification Visit the Certifications Online Support tool
(http://www.cisco.com/go/certsupport) and locate the mix and match
tables to find out how you can combine exams that you may have
already taken with the new exams to achieve your CCNP
professional-level certification. All recommended training associated
 with the retiring exams will expire on October 15, 2006. The last
day to test for the retiring exams will be December 31, 2006.

Course| Course Retirement| Current Exams| Current Exams: Last Day to Test
BSCI  | October 15, 2006 | 642-801      | December 31, 2006
BCMSN | October 15, 2006 | 642-811      | December 31, 2006
BCRAN | October 15, 2006 | 642-521      | December 31, 2006
CIT   | October 15, 2006 | 642-511      | December 31, 2006

New CCNP Prep Center To assist networking professionals who are
preparing for the CCNP exam, the CCNP Prep Center
(http://www.cisco.com/go/prep-ccnp) is now live. Open to Cisco
Certification candidates and those who are already certified, the
CCNP Prep Center provides CCNP certification candidates access to a
wide variety of resources, including practice questions, labs,
simulations, tips, expert advice, success stories, and peer
discussion forums. The CCNP Prep Center also allows networking
professionals to easily access information and formal training from
Cisco Learning Solutions Partners.

Updates to CCIP and CCDP Certification Programs Cisco CCIP and
CCDP professional-level certification programs have also been
updated to include the newly revised Building Scalable Cisco
Inter-networks (BSCI) exam and recommended training. Network
professionals pursuing CCIP and CCDP certifications will benefit from
these curriculum updates, which provide the up-to-date knowledge
required to install, support, and optimize ISR routers using Cisco
IOS 12.4 routing protocol, routing authentication security, multicast
routing, and IPv6.

For More Information Visit the Certifications home page for more
information on CCNP, CCIP, and CCDP programs as well as all
certifications offered by Cisco. For instant answers to your
certification questions, visit the Certifications Online Support
tool. http://www.cisco.com/go/certsupport