Cisco · 2026 Edition
A complete preparation guide written by Cisco-certified engineers. Covers the exam format,all 5 blueprint domains, a week-by-week study plan, and proven tips for passing first time.
4–6 months
Prep time
Advanced
Difficulty
90
Exam questions
Variable
Pass mark
Exam code
350-601
Full name
CCNP Data Center
Vendor
Cisco
Duration
120 minutes
Questions
90 items
Passing score
Variable
Domains covered
5 blueprint domains
Recommended experience
3+ years of data centre networking or UCS administration experience
Typical prep time
4–6 months
CCNP Data Center validates skills across Cisco's NX-OS switching, UCS compute, MDS storage networking, and data centre automation. It is the credential for engineers operating large-scale Cisco DC environments.
Job roles this opens
Domain percentage weights are not currently available for this exam. The checklist below is still useful for planning your study.
Passing score: Cisco passing scores vary by exam version and are not always publicly listed. Check the official Cisco exam page before booking.
Month 1
Data Center Networking: NX-OS, VLANs, vPCs, FabricPath, ACI fundamentals
Tip: 350-601 DCCOR is the core exam — you also need one concentration (DCIT, DCACI, DCAUI, DCXL, or DCICT). Confirm your track before starting. ACI is by far the most popular concentration.
Month 2
Compute: UCS architecture, service profiles, policies, templates
Tip: UCS service profiles are the most heavily tested compute concept. Understand the difference between a hardware-bound profile and a template-derived profile, and what happens during server replacement.
Month 3
Storage Networking: Fibre Channel, FCoE, zoning, MDS switches
Tip: FC port types (N-port, F-port, E-port, TE-port) and hard vs soft zoning are consistently tested. Know that hard zoning enforces access at the ASIC level; soft zoning is enforced by the name server.
Month 4–5
Automation: Ansible for NX-OS, Python, ACI REST API
Tip: NX-OS automation questions focus on the NX-OS Ansible modules and YANG data models. Know how to use nxos_command and nxos_config modules at a conceptual level.
Month 6
Full exam practice and concentration track depth
Tip: DCCOR covers 5 domains but Network (30%) and Compute (30%) together make 60% of the score. Do not deprioritise either one.
Virtual Port Channel (vPC) is one of the most heavily tested NX-OS technologies. Know the vPC peer-link, peer-keepalive, and what happens when the peer-link fails (orphan ports).
ACI policy model: tenant → VRF → bridge domain → EPG → contracts. Understand the provider/consumer contract model before sitting the exam.
UCS fabric interconnects operate in end-host mode by default — they do not participate in Spanning Tree. Know what this means for loop prevention in an ACI or traditional DC.
FCoE requires DCB (Data Center Bridging): PFC (Priority Flow Control) to eliminate FC frame drops and ETS (Enhanced Transmission Selection) for traffic prioritisation. Know these as prerequisites for FCoE.
CCNP DC requires the 350-601 DCCOR core plus one concentration exam — plan two separate Pearson VUE bookings.
Apply everything in this guide with adaptive practice questions, detailed answer explanations, and domain analytics.
Deep-dive explanations of the key topics tested on 350-601 — with exam key points and common misconceptions.