1. Users must log in to the CE portal and accept the terms and conditions of the Continuing Education User Agreement to submit a claim for CE credits.
   • For validation purposes, CE claims MUST be submitted from the Cisco.com account used to complete the eligible activity. See FAQ for more info.
2. The Continuing Education program is open to individuals with associate, specialist, professional, or expert Cisco Certification(s) in active status.
   • Continuing Education activities must be completed prior to certification expiration.
   • If you've previously accessed the CE portal, you can submit a CE claim after your certification has expired, in accordance with the policies herein.
     • Any credits claimed after certifications have expired (for activities completed before expiration) will retroactively apply towards recertification based on the activity completion date.
3. Claims must be submitted for Continuing Education credit within 1 year (365 days) of completing an eligible activity. Claims cannot be submitted beyond the one-year window.
4. Continuing Education credits can only be claimed for completing the same training more than once if there has been a major revision since last completed/claimed. No credit can be claimed a second time for completing minor version updates of a training.
   • If credits were previously granted for v1.x, then credit CAN be claimed for later completing v2.x, v3.x, etc. of the same training (Ex. PRNE 1.0 and PRNE 2.0).
   • If credits were previously granted for v1.0, then credit CANNOT be claimed for later completing v1.1, v1.2, etc. (Ex. ENCOR 1.0, ENCOR 1.1, ENCOR 1.2).
   • Credits CANNOT be claimed for both Customer and Partner facing versions of the same course (e.g. A-SDA-FASTSTART/P-SDA-FASTSTART, or CUST-SDA-ISE/P-SDA-ISE).
   • Credits will be granted for completing Alpha trainings. Continuing Education credit will not be awarded for submissions of the formally released version of the same course.
5. Earned CE credits are valid for 3 years from the date the activity was completed.
6. Once criteria are met, recertification(s) will be automatically processed based on the date that the last qualifying activity is completed (see the recertification policy web page for the full recertification policy).
7. Credits will roll over or expire if a new recertification cycle starts:
   • CE credits are automatically applied towards recertification in the order in which they are earned and cannot be held for future use.
   • CE credits are first applied in increments of 5, followed by a smaller increment of 1-4 credits when necessary. Increments cannot be split and applied towards multiple recertification cycles.
   • Unapplied Continuing Education credits totaling 5 or more will roll over into the next recertification cycle and remain active until the credit expiration date.
   • Unapplied Continuing Education credits totaling 4 or less may not roll over.
8. There is no cap on the number of Continuing Education credits that can be earned from any item category.
9. Cisco reserves the right to reject, deny, or revoke any claims for CE credit that we deem to be inconsistent with the spirit of continuous learning or the values of the Continuing Education Program.

Eligible trainings are produced by Cisco or by Learning & Certifications Authorized Learning Partners/Providers. The assigned credit value can range from 4 to 64 credits, depending on the training.

Training types include:

• Instructor-Led/virtual Instructor-Led Trainings (ILT/vILT): in-person or virtual trainings delivered through Cisco or external authorized providers
• Digital/Self-paced e-learning (ELT/CDL/CPL), with labs (note: digital training courses labeled 'lite' or "NO LABS" are NOT eligible for CE credits)
• Derivative Works (custom instructor-led trainings developed by authorized learning partners using partial Cisco content)
• Workshops & Automation Bootcamps (focused technology specific instructor-led training events)
• Other trainings pre-approved by the Continuing Education Technical Committee

The current list of eligible Continuing Education items can be found in the CE Portal Item Catalog (*note, you must have an active associate, specialist, professional, or expert certification to access the CE portal).

Important:

• Credits will not be granted for items not included in the catalog.
• The Item Catalog is continuously updating and evolving; therefore candidates are encouraged to check the catalog often for new or updated items.
• There may be a delay in an item being listed or removed in our catalog for a specific training, version, or delivery option.
• CE eligible trainings are eligible regardless of delivery modality
• Credit values for a training may change between versions, and you can only claim credits for the same training more than once if you complete a new major version of that training. For example;
  
  • You cannot claim credits for v1.0, v1.1, and v1.2 of the same training, but you can claim credits for completing v1.0 and v2.0.
  • You cannot claim credits for both partner & customer facing versions of the same training where applicable.
• Only authorized deliveries are eligible for CE credits. Good resources for finding an authorized delivery include Cisco Digital Learning, the Cisco Learning Network Store, and the Cisco Learning Locator.
• In the context of the Continuing Education Program, “Cisco Direct Delivery” refers to any training delivered internally or externally through Cisco, regardless of modality. This includes:
  • All e-Learning/digital training (ELT) courses; even if purchased through an external learning provider
  • All Instructor-led trainings delivered by Cisco Learning Services, High-Touch Delivery, or other groups in Cisco not designated by their own item type in the CE Portal

Please be advised that inadequate completion violates the spirit and values of the Continuing Education program. Although a certificate of completion may be provided by your learning platform/provider once a certain threshold is met, to preserve the integrity of Cisco Certifications, the Continuing Education program has the right to enact a higher standard of completion. To avoid any potential sanctions, you are strongly encouraged to review and complete all materials and labs included in a training course.

A candidate can earn Continuing Education (CE) credits by participating as an Item Author for the development of Cisco Certification exams. This includes all Associate, Professional, and Expert level tracks. Credits will be granted for each item that is accepted according to the schedule below.

Interested in authoring items for Cisco Certification exams? Apply to be a Subject Matter Expert (SME) today!

Note: Only items authored directly for Cisco through our SME program above are eligible for CE credits. Items authored through external vendors (VAIs) are not eligible for CE credits.

Cisco Live events are a great way to earn continuing education credits.

A candidate who attended Cisco Live can earn credits for attending approved sessions.

Cisco Live eligible sessions include:

• Technical Breakouts (BRK)
• DevNet Workshops (DEVWKS) *other DEV classes are NOT eligible for credits
• Instructor-led Labs (LTR)
• Technical Seminars (TEC)- 4 & 8-hour sessions

Sessions must require attendees to badge-in and must be a minimum length of 45 min.

Credits are granted to candidates per the matrix below:

As a requirement of the validation process, you must badge into eligible Cisco Live sessions on site. Credit will not be granted to candidates who have not badged in. You must attend at least 75% of the session to earn credits.

Steps to claim credits for attending Cisco Live technical sessions: *please allow 2-3 weeks, after each event, for the corresponding Cisco Live item to be available in the CE portal for submissions

1. After attending Cisco Live, ensure you can login to the CE Portal from the Cisco.com account used to register for Cisco Live Event.
   • Cisco.com ID must be associated with Certification profile in the CertMetrics Tracking System. See our FAQs for more information.
2. Submit your claim for CE credits by selecting the Cisco Live item that matches your event location and date (e.g., Cisco Live US 2022)
   • Only submit ONE (1) claim. The system will award the total number of CE credits earned based on badge-in data from eligible sessions.