Before You Start the CCNP, Read This CCNP Study Guide

You’ve been in networking for a few years now.

You’ve passed your CCNA. You’ve solved real problems. Written configs. Answered tickets. Maybe even trained junior engineers.

But lately, something’s shifted.

You’re not struggling — but you’re not growing either.

You’re in that weird in-between phase:

• Too advanced to be a beginner
• Too unsure to feel like a senior

You want more:

• More clarity in chaos
• More trust from your team
• More responsibility — maybe even a say in the design
• More mobility in your career
• And yes… more income

And you know deep down: You’ve hit the ceiling of what CCNA-level knowledge can do for you.

That’s why you’re here. That’s why you’re reading this.

Because something inside you is ready for the next level.

But CCNP isn’t just “more CCNA.” And if you treat it that way, you’ll get stuck — like most do.

This isn’t just another study guide. This is about upgrading how you think, how you train, and how you show up as an engineer.

Let’s go there together.

The Trap Most Mid-Level Engineers Fall Into

You don’t need more information. You need to think differently.

You’re already smart.

You’ve already proven you can pass exams.

You’ve already solved problems, answered tickets, maybe even mentored junior teammates.

So why do you feel… stuck?

Why does the CCNP still feel out of reach?

Why does your study plan fall apart after two weeks?

Why do you keep watching videos and still feel like nothing’s really clicking?

Because you’re doing what almost every mid-level engineer does:

You’re still thinking like a student.

The Student Mindset Is Safe. Familiar. Addictive.

• Watch another video
• Highlight a PDF
• Tell yourself you’re “almost ready”
• Plan. Re-plan. Then plan again.

But let me ask you something:

When was the last time you broke a lab on purpose… just to see what happens?

When was the last time you opened the CLI without a video, set up a topology, and built something from scratch — with no copy-paste?

When was the last time you actually enjoyed being confused… because you knew clarity was around the corner?

That’s the difference.

The CCNP Isn’t a Memory Game. It’s a Thinking Game.

At the CCNA level, most of your success came from repetition.

At the CCNP level, your success comes from reflection.

You’re expected to:

• Design, not just configure
• Troubleshoot, not just verify
• Justify, not just apply

And that requires a shift:

From consuming → to confronting

From following → to figuring it out

From “what should I do?” → to “what happens if I do this?”

Here’s the Real Danger

You can buy 3 courses.

Join 2 study groups.

Download 100 PDFs.

And still never reach CCNP-level skill.

Because you’re training like a certification collector,

not like an engineer in training.

And that’s not your fault.

That’s how most of us were taught to study.

But it’s not how you grow.

So What Now?

In the next section, we’ll break down how to shift from “studying” to “training.”

I’ll show you exactly what to practice, and how to do it without burning out — even if you have a full-time job and a life.

Because the CCNP isn’t about going harder.

It’s about going smarter.

Training for the CCNP — Not Studying for It

Because books don’t build engineers. Labs do.

If you’re still trying to pass the CCNP by watching videos, taking notes, and memorizing commands…

You’re going to get stuck.

And not because you’re not smart — but because the game has changed.

This isn’t school anymore.

This is engineering.

And engineers don’t study.

They train.

What’s the Difference?

Studying is passive:

– You read.
– You highlight.
– You nod along and say, “Oh yeah, that makes sense.”

Training is active:

– You break things on purpose.
– You rebuild them under time pressure.
– You troubleshoot problems you didn’t expect.
– You learn not just what works — but why it broke.

So what should your CCNP training actually look like?

You don’t need 12 hours a day.

You don’t need the “perfect study plan.”

You just need 3 things:

1. Scenario-Based Labs

Forget static labs that tell you exactly what to configure.

Those are for beginners.

What you need are labs like:

• “Fix this broken OSPF topology”
• “Redesign this network for faster convergence”
• “Migrate this dual-area setup to single-area without downtime”
• “Find and eliminate the loop that’s breaking BGP reachability”

The CCNP is full of topics — but it’s the combination of topics that makes you dangerous.

Don’t just practice features.
Practice situations.

2. A Consistent Weekly Rhythm

Real progress doesn’t come from big study weekends.

It comes from small, consistent, focused work.

Here’s a simple weekly flow that works for most working engineers:

1 hour a day beats 5 hours on Saturday — every time.

3. A Lab Environment That Feels Real

You can’t train for a marathon by running in flip-flops.

And you can’t train for the CCNP in Packet Tracer.

If you’re serious, you need:

• Full CLI access
• Device-level behavior
• Ability to build, break, and scale topologies
• Routing, switching, security, and even automation in one place

That’s why most advanced engineers use tools like EVE-NG —

because it’s not just a simulator.

It’s a platform for skill-building.

Want a head start?

We’ve built a full CCNP training environment using EVE-NG with real-world scenarios already baked in.

So you can skip the setup and jump straight into the work that matters.

Check out the EVE-NG Full Pack for CCNP

Bottom Line:

You don’t become a better engineer by reading about labs.

You become one by living in them.

This isn’t about study hours.

This is about skill reps.

And the sooner you start training like a CCNP-level engineer, the sooner you’ll start feeling like one.

From Commands to Design Thinking

At some point, the question isn’t “Can I configure it?” — it’s “Should I?”

You’ve built labs.

You know the syntax.

You can set up OSPF, EIGRP, VLANs, ACLs — no problem.

But here’s the turning point:

CCNP-level engineers don’t just know how to configure features.

They know when to use them, why, and what happens next.

That’s design thinking.

It’s the Shift from “Doing” to “Deciding”

At the CCNA level, your job was to execute.

• “Configure this.”
• “Fix that.”
• “Make it work.”

But at the CCNP level — and especially in the real world — your value comes from decisions:

• “Which routing protocol is best here — and why?”
• “What are the trade-offs between single-area vs multi-area OSPF?”
• “How will this ACL affect future traffic flows?”
• “If this link fails, what happens — and how fast does it recover?”

These aren’t just technical questions.

They’re design questions.

And they change the way you train.

Real Design Thinking Starts With Scenarios Like This:

You’re handed a messy, undocumented network.

There are five routers running different protocols.

Some links are redundant. Some are legacy.

There’s NAT, ACLs, default routes, BGP peering…

And you’re told:

“We need better stability and faster failover — what would you recommend?”

No one’s asking for a command.

They’re asking for judgment.

How to Train Your Design Brain

Just doing labs won’t get you there.

You have to reflect on your decisions as you build.

Here’s how:

1. Always Ask “Why This, Not That?”

When you choose OSPF, ask:

• Why not EIGRP here?
• What would BGP look like in this case?
• What’s the convergence time difference?

2. Introduce constraints

Design without limitations is fantasy.

Limit yourself on:

• Bandwidth
• Number of hops
• Failure domains
• Compatibility with existing hardware

This forces creativity — and realism.

3. Play the “What If?” Game

After building a lab, change something:

• Kill a link
• Add a router
• Modify a prefix list

Then trace what breaks, what reroutes, and what doesn’t work anymore.

This is how you build predictive thinking — the essence of real engineering.

Want Labs That Actually Push Your Thinking?

Most labs just say: “Configure this.”

We believe the better question is:

“What would you do if this broke at 2AM?”

That’s why we built the EVE-NG Full Pack to include not just configs — but challenges, broken topologies, and design scenarios.

Because the real world doesn’t give you clean tasks.

It gives you problems.

And expects you to solve them — fast.

Final Thought

Config is easy.

Design is responsibility.

And if you want to level up, you need both.

The next section will help you build a sustainable, focused CCNP study plan — one that doesn’t burn you out or waste your time jumping between YouTube and PDFs.

Let’s lock in your 100-hour training map.

The 100-Hour CCNP Study Plan

You don’t need a full-time schedule. You need a full-focus system.

Let’s be real:

You’re busy.

You’ve got a full-time job, maybe a family, maybe freelance gigs, maybe just life.

You’re not trying to lock yourself in a room for 6 months straight.

You just want to get serious, build real skill, and actually finish what you start.

Good news?

You don’t need 1,000 hours.

You just need 100 focused, intentional hours — and a system that makes them count.

Why 100 Hours?

Because it’s realistic.

Because it creates momentum.

And because it’s enough to:

• Reinforce your CCNA foundations
• Go deep into routing, switching, security, and services
• Practice real troubleshooting and failure scenarios
• Learn to build and rebuild full environments from scratch
• Start thinking like a decision-maker, not just a doer

But Not All Hours Are Equal

Watching 100 hours of video ≠ building 100 hours of skill.

So here’s how to structure your time to get the most out of every minute:

Phase 1 (Hours 0–30): Core Reinforcement

You’re not “relearning CCNA.”
You’re laying the groundwork for advanced scenarios.

• OSPF single/multi-area
• EIGRP + redistribution
• VLANs, trunks, EtherChannel
• ACLs, NAT
• STP variations

Focus on:

• Building labs without guides
• Repeating configs from memory
• Predicting traffic flow before testing it

Phase 2 (Hours 30–60): Real Troubleshooting

Here’s where things break — on purpose.

Build failure into your labs:

• Misconfigured interfaces
• Routing loops
• Redistribution filters
• ACL blocks
• Broken adjacencies

Your job isn’t to “make it work.”

It’s to figure out why it doesn’t.

This is where engineers are made.

Phase 3 (Hours 60–90): Design Under Pressure

Now you’ve got configs and troubleshooting under control.

It’s time to design, justify, and adapt.

Build labs where:

• There are multiple valid solutions
• You have to choose between trade-offs (speed vs stability, redundancy vs simplicity)
• You explain why you chose what you did — even to yourself

This is where clarity and confidence start kicking in.

Phase 4 (Hours 90–100): Full-Scale Simulation

Now it’s time to simulate the real exam — and the real world.

• Rebuild networks from scratch, blind
• Time yourself
• Disable hints
• Work through documentation and topology maps
• Do a peer review if possible

You’re not “reviewing” anymore.

You’re operating.

How to Track It All (Simply)

Don’t over-engineer your study log.

Use a Google Sheet, Notion, or just a notebook. Track:

• Hours logged
• Topics covered
• Labs completed
• Confidence level (1–10)
• Notes on what broke, and how you fixed it

If you track it, you’ll stick to it.

Final Word on the Plan

You don’t need more time. You need more intention.

Show up for 100 hours — and you’ll be 10x more skilled than when you started.

The CCNP is earned in the quiet hours.

The focused hours.

The hours where no one’s watching — except the CLI.

What Comes After the CCNP

The certification is just a checkpoint. The real journey starts here.

So you’ve done it — or you’re about to.

You’ve worked through complex topologies.

You’ve debugged broken OSPF neighbors at 2AM.

You’ve trained for 100+ hours.

And now, you’re holding (or chasing) your CCNP.

Now what?

The truth?

You’re standing at a fork in the road.

And the choice you make now will shape the next 5–10 years of your career.

Let’s talk about the real options.

Option 1: Go Deeper — CCIE

You’ve got momentum.

You’ve built a rock-solid foundation.

Now you want to be in the top 1%.

The CCIE isn’t just harder.

It’s another level of mental and technical mastery — and psychological pressure.

But if you’re ready, the leap is worth it.

Before You Chase the CCIE, Read This

This guide breaks down what the CCIE really demands — and how to avoid the traps most candidates fall into.

Option 2: Go Broader — Specialize

Maybe you’re not ready for the CCIE grind. That’s okay.

Instead, now is a great time to pick a lane and go deep:

• Security
• Collaboration
• Wireless
• Automation (DevNet)
• Cloud/Hybrid Network Architecture

Every one of these has value in the real world.

Every one opens up job paths that are high-paying, high-impact, and future-proof.

And now that you’ve got the CCNP, you have the credibility to move into any of them.

Option 3: Apply It — In the Field

The best way to solidify your CCNP-level skills?

Use them.

• Join infrastructure projects
• Audit existing networks
• Offer design proposals
• Mentor junior engineers
• Troubleshoot beyond your comfort zone
• Migrate old tech
• Prove to yourself (and others) that your knowledge is applied, not just learned

Don’t underestimate the power of real-world experience.

Sometimes, it’s more valuable than any certification.

Final Thought

The CCNP doesn’t make you a senior engineer.

But it gives you the tools to become one.

And how you use those tools — that’s where the real work begins.

You can go deeper.

You can go broader.

You can go practical.

Just don’t go back to being passive.

You’ve earned your spot in the next league.

Now own it.

Let’s build real skills. One lab at a time.

— Ali Mansouri

Founder, Dynamips™