A successful Cisco Certification student will retain the Cisco certification for two years only, in
the case of Specialist certifications, and three years only, in the case of Associate and Professional certifications. After this period the student must recertify their Cisco certification by retaking and passing the current exams for that certification, or by taking and passing the Cisco exams at a higher certification level. The Certified Internetwork Expert certification does not require recertification.

Cisco Examinations
The Cisco examinations vary from one certification to another although some exams are credit towards more than one certification. The examinations also vary in difficulty from one level of certification to the next. These examinations can be approximately between one and two hours long. The prices for these examinations also differ; though most will set you back approximately $125 US per examination for most exams and $300 USD for the CCIE certification exams. The examinations are usually computer based, proctored and delivered in a secure environment, although certain of the CCIE certifications also have a lab component to its requirements. Registration for Cisco examinations can be done on the Internet or by telephone in the United States and Canada. Alternatively you can visit www.prometric.com to locate your nearest testing center where you can register.

Preparing for a Cisco Certification:
Proper preparation is important for any Cisco certification. There are plenty of Cisco Certification study materials that you can use in preparation for your certification exams. These include the official Cisco Training courses and official Cisco Self Study Training Guides from Cisco Press, as well as Cisco braindumps that are available online. Generally, you should be familiar with the topics tested in the certification exam and should have some hands-on experience to be in good stead for any certification exam.