0.1 Cisco 350-401 ENCOR Exam Logistics, Blueprint Structure, and Certification Paths
Key Takeaways
Cisco 350-401 ENCOR v1.2 is a 120-minute exam that costs US$400 and is delivered by Pearson VUE at a test center or online through OnVUE.
Cisco does not publish the ENCOR question count or passing score; the score report shows pass or fail plus a performance breakout by exam section.
ENCOR v1.2 replaced v1.1 on March 19, 2026: wireless topics moved to the new CCNP Wireless track and Domain 6 became Automation and Artificial Intelligence (15%).
ENCOR groups its performance-based lab items at the start of the exam (first hour), and Cisco exams do not let you return to an earlier item.
Passing ENCOR earns the Enterprise Core specialist credential, meets the CCNP Enterprise core requirement, and opens a three-year window to pass the CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure lab.
Cisco 350-401 ENCOR Exam Logistics, Blueprint Structure, and Certification Paths
The Implementing Cisco Enterprise Network Core Technologies (ENCOR 350-401) exam is the core exam for the Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Enterprise certification and the qualifying exam for the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Enterprise Infrastructure lab. Cisco's v1.2 exam topics describe a 120-minute exam that tests dual-stack (IPv4 and IPv6) architecture, virtualization, infrastructure, network assurance, security, and automation. Version 1.2 replaced v1.1 on March 19, 2026; the last date to test on v1.1 was March 18, 2026.
Exam Facts at a Glance
| Exam parameter | Current fact (checked October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Exam code and version | 350-401 ENCOR v1.2 |
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Price | US$400, or Cisco Learning Credits; local taxes and currency can change the amount |
| Languages | English and Japanese |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE test center or OnVUE online proctoring |
| Item types | Multiple choice, drag-and-drop, and performance-based lab items |
| Number of questions | Not published by Cisco; forms vary, and lab items take far longer than multiple-choice items |
| Passing score | Not published; Cisco sets passing scores statistically and says they can change without notice |
| Score report | Pass or fail, plus a performance breakout by exam section |
| Retake after a fail | Wait 5 calendar days, counting from the day after the failed attempt |
| Retake after a pass | Wait at least 180 days before taking the same exam number again |
| Validity | 3 years; recertify with Continuing Education credits, exams, or a combination |
Many third-party sites quote a fixed question count or a cut score such as 825 out of 1000. Cisco publishes neither, so do not build your pacing plan around a number you cannot verify.
How the Exam Is Structured: Labs First
Since October 2024, Cisco has grouped ENCOR's performance-based lab items at the start of the exam. Cisco's announcement says candidates work through the labs in the first hour and the multiple-choice questions in the second hour. A lab item gives you a virtual topology with a working CLI; show and debug commands, the ? help, and tab completion all function. You are asked to configure, verify, or fix something, and the result is checked.
Cisco exams also do not allow you to go back to a previous item once you move forward, and there is no end-of-exam review screen. Treat every Next click as final.
Certification Paths That Use ENCOR
Passing 350-401 earns the Cisco Certified Specialist – Enterprise Core credential by itself. It also satisfies two larger goals:
- CCNP Enterprise core requirement. CCNP Enterprise requires ENCOR plus one concentration exam. Cisco's policy is that you must complete a certification's requirements within three years of passing its qualifying exam.
- CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure qualifying exam. After passing ENCOR you have three years to pass the 8-hour CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure lab. If the three years expire first, you must pass the qualifying exam again.
CCNP Enterprise concentration exams listed by Cisco in 2026:
| Concentration exam | Focus |
|---|---|
| 300-410 ENARSI | Advanced routing, VPN services, infrastructure security, and infrastructure services |
| 300-415 ENSDWI | Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN implementation |
| 300-420 ENSLD | Enterprise network design, including SD-Access |
| 300-435 ENAUTO | Enterprise automation and programmability |
| 300-440 ENCC | Designing and implementing secure cloud connectivity |
| 300-445 ENNA | Enterprise network assurance design and implementation |
Important
The March 19, 2026 update moved wireless out of CCNP Enterprise. The wireless concentration exams became WLSD 300-110 and WLSI 300-120 under the new CCNP Wireless certification, whose core exam is 350-101 WLCOR. WLCOR, not ENCOR, is now the qualifying exam for CCIE Wireless. Study materials that still list ENWLSD 300-425 or ENWLSI 300-430 as CCNP Enterprise concentrations are out of date.
The Six v1.2 Domains
| Domain | Weight | What the official topics cover |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 Architecture | 15% | 2-tier, 3-tier, fabric, and cloud design; high availability (redundancy, FHRP, SSO); Catalyst SD-WAN and SD-Access working principles; interpreting QoS configurations |
| 2.0 Virtualization | 10% | Type 1 and Type 2 hypervisors, virtual machines, virtual switching; configuring VRF, GRE, and IPsec tunnels; LISP and VXLAN concepts |
| 3.0 Infrastructure | 30% | 802.1Q trunking and EtherChannel troubleshooting; RSTP, MST, and STP guards; EIGRP versus OSPF; OSPFv2 and OSPFv3; eBGP; PBR; NTP and PTP; NAT/PAT; HSRP and VRRP; multicast (RPF, PIM-SM, IGMPv2/v3, SSM, bidir, MSDP) |
| 4.0 Network Assurance | 10% | Debugs, conditional debugs, traceroute, ping, SNMP, and syslog; Flexible NetFlow; SPAN, RSPAN, and ERSPAN; IP SLA; Catalyst Center traditional and AI-powered workflows; NETCONF and RESTCONF |
| 5.0 Security | 20% | Lines, local users, and AAA; ACLs and CoPP; REST API security; threat defense, endpoint security, next-generation firewalls, TrustSec, and MACsec |
| 6.0 Automation and Artificial Intelligence | 15% | Python, JSON, and YANG; Catalyst Center and SD-WAN Manager APIs; REST response codes with Catalyst Center and RESTCONF; EEM applets; agent versus agentless orchestration tools |
What Changed from v1.1 to v1.2
- Wireless was removed. RF fundamentals, AP modes, roaming, WLAN configuration, and wireless security moved to the CCNP Wireless track.
- AI appears in two places. Domain 6 was renamed Automation and Artificial Intelligence, and topic 4.5 now asks how Catalyst Center applies configuration, monitoring, and management through traditional and AI-powered workflows. The individual Domain 6 topics (Python, JSON, YANG, controller APIs, response codes, EEM, orchestration tools) are still automation skills.
- Multicast grew. Topic 3.3.d now names SSM, bidirectional PIM, and MSDP alongside RPF, PIM-SM, and IGMPv2/v3.
- Product names were updated. The topics now use Catalyst SD-WAN, SD-WAN Manager, and Catalyst Center (formerly DNA Center).
Practical Candidate Scenarios
- Scenario A (engineer targeting CCNP): An engineer who runs a branch WAN passes ENCOR and then 300-415 ENSDWI, completing CCNP Enterprise with an SD-WAN focus.
- Scenario B (architect targeting CCIE): An architect passes ENCOR and books the CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure lab inside the three-year qualifying window, using that time to build hands-on speed on the same routing, SD-Access, and automation topics.
What is the dual certification milestone achieved by passing the Cisco 350-401 ENCOR exam?
It automatically awards the CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure credential, so the separate 8-hour practical lab exam is no longer required.
It earns the Enterprise Core specialist badge and meets the CCNP Enterprise core and CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure qualifying requirements.
It serves as a combined prerequisite for both CCNA Enterprise and CCNP Collaboration tracks.
It renews every associate-level certification for ten years without continuing education credits or any later recertification exam.
Under the ENCOR v1.2 exam topics, where does the blueprint explicitly mention AI-powered workflows?
In a new Domain 7 dedicated to generative AI and large language models
Only in topic 6.1, which now requires candidates to write and train their own machine-learning models in Python during the lab section
Nowhere; v1.2 removed the automation domain entirely and used the freed 15% to expand wireless design and RF troubleshooting coverage
In topic 4.5: how Catalyst Center applies configuration, monitoring, and management through traditional and AI-powered workflows
A candidate taking the Cisco 350-401 ENCOR exam encounters a challenging multi-part routing scenario on question 14. Which statement accurately describes the operational behavior of the Pearson VUE testing engine?
The candidate can flag the question for review and return to it at the conclusion of the exam before final submission.
The candidate may pause the examination timer for up to 5 minutes while analyzing the routing topology.
The exam engine uses strict forward-only progression, prohibiting backward navigation or reviewing previously submitted items.
The system automatically skips questions that take longer than two minutes and presents them again at the end of the test.
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.