CCNP Security SCOR and Concentration: What the Exam Really Covers

What is this page about?

A breakdown of the CCNP Security certification, which pairs the mandatory SCOR (350-701) core exam with one of six concentration exams and covers enterprise-scale security architecture, not just the access-control lists and port security of the associate tier. It explains what SCOR tests (cryptography and PKI, Cisco Umbrella DNS-layer security, the 20% network-security domain, ASA versus Firepower NGFW, and VPNs), compares the SVPN, SISE, and SSFIPS concentrations, maps the Cisco security products tested, and gives a preparation strategy.

What has been corrected on this page?

Every accepted correction to this page is recorded with the exact change, so readers can see how the page improved over time.

1. 11 July 2026 · corrected by Melik Can Sariyer

   2 flagged issues verified, plus 1 additional verified misattribution found during review: a quote attributed to 'Mike Garza, CCIE Security, CBT Nuggets instructor' (no locatable public record of this instructor) had no verifiable source and was de-attributed; a quote attributed to 'Jason Gooley... author of Practical Cisco Identity Services Engine' was checked against the real book -- titled 'Practical Deployment of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)' and actually authored by Andy Richter and Jeremy Wood, not Jason Gooley -- a genuine title/authorship misattribution, so both the quote and the incorrect authorship claim were removed.

   Before

   "SCOR's coverage of Cisco Umbrella trips candidates who haven't used it..." - Mike Garza, CCIE Security, CBT Nuggets instructor [...] "SISE is the hardest concentration to study without access to an ISE instance..." - Jason Gooley, CCIE Security, author of Practical Cisco Identity Services Engine [...] Jason Gooley's Practical Cisco Identity Services Engine - product-level reference beyond exam scope but builds real understanding

   After

   SCOR's coverage of Cisco Umbrella trips up candidates who haven't used it... [de-attributed, no byline] [...] SISE is widely considered the hardest concentration to study without access to an ISE instance... [de-attributed, no byline, false book credit removed] [...] Practical Deployment of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) by Andy Richter and Jeremy Wood - product-level reference beyond exam scope but builds real understanding

   Why: De-attributed an unverified quote credited to 'Mike Garza, CCIE Security, CBT Nuggets instructor' with no locatable public record of this instructor, and corrected a genuine book-title/authorship error: a quote and a resource-list citation both falsely credited 'Jason Gooley' as author of 'Practical Cisco Identity Services Engine.' The real book is titled 'Practical Deployment of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)' and is actually authored by Andy Richter and Jeremy Wood. Removed the unverified quote and incorrect attribution, and corrected the resource-list citation to the real title and real authors.

   View the full record →

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