Juniper Network Certification Guide 2023

Juniper Network assists companies in building a great and high-performance network, by providing networking equipment and services alongside their network Operating System is known as Junos.

Juniper Network has been around since the 90s, and they are a major player in the network sector, alongside their competitor company; Cisco.

What are Juniper Certifications?

Juniper Certifications are certifications offered by the Juniper Network Service Company to individuals, which exposes one to knowledge and insight into the Juniper Network’s product and services. These certifications are at various levels, ranging from Associate level, Specialist level, Professional level and Expert level.

Juniper certifications help to distinguish an individual, through exposure to in-depth knowledge about network services, with which one can serve employers or customers. The certification also allows one to work in a Juniper-based networking environment, where one can advance in his/her career.

The Juniper certification is a multi-tiered program, which includes both written and practical examinations.

Are Juniper certifications worth it?

Juniper certifications are highly rated in the networking sector and have been around since the 90s; they are highly reliable. In determining the kind of certification to get, to be certified as a service networker, there are certain criteria to determine whether a Juniper networking certification would be worth it for you, or not.

To start with, a Juniper certification is worth it if you are starting in IT and have an only fundamental knowledge of networking. Juniper certification courses would expose you to in-depth knowledge of in-network services, giving you a firm understanding of core practices.

Also, Juniper certifications would be relevant if you are Cisco-trained but need to learn how Junos and syntax works.  This is particularly important for people who are required to work with Juniper equipment in a new work environment, even though they are already knowledgeable in the use of other network services.

Why get a Juniper certification?

Getting a Juniper certification serves a lot of benefits for you, and some of these benefits shall be discussed as follows:

  1. Better Job Prospects: With a Juniper certification, you have better prospects at getting a great job, than someone who doesn’t have the certification. Employers are interested in candidates who are invested in their growth and who have gained knowledge through relevant certifications. This helps to position you for great job offers, as you seek employment opportunities.
  2. More competition: Getting a Juniper certification also makes you a desirable candidate for jobs in the market, due to the increase in your skill. More competition also means that you have the chance to bargain for premium working conditions, since you are well sought after.
  3. Recognition in the networking world: Juniper Certifications are well recognized in the network service sector, hence, holding a certification from this prestigious company would help you be recognized as an expert in the field.
  4. Stand out among your peers: This is another benefit that you stand to benefit from getting a Juniper certification. It distinguishes you from your peers in the industry.
  5. Maximum Utilization of Juniper Products: Another reason why you should get a Juniper certification is that it helps you use juniper products to a maximum level of expertise, since you are already vast in knowledge about how their tools work. 

How long do Juniper certifications last?

Juniper Certifications last for three years, and it is required that it is renewed within that duration of time, for it not to expire. Recertification can be done through examination or class attendance.

To recertify through examination, a Juniper certification holder can take an examination on the same level or at a higher level, within the same track, to renew their certification in the same track for another three years duration.

How hard is Juniper certification compared to Cisco?

trying to choose between whether to get a Juniper certification or a CISCO Certification, well, I think I have a solution for you. First of all, it is important to note that taking any of the certifications would require a great deal of effort and work from you, however, if you put in the work, you would surely excel at any.

Cisco and Juniper are both networking service companies with great credibility and many years of track record in the industry. They both have certifications starting from the Associate level to the Expert level, in various disciplines of networking.

In CISCO, there is the CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate)-> CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional)-> CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert).

For Juniper, there is JNCIA (Juniper Networks Certified Internet Associate)-> JNCIP (Juniper Networks Certified Internet Professional)-> JNCIE (Juniper Networks Certified Internet Expert).

The CCNA and JNCIA are the first and most commonly held certifications for both companies. However, based on the difficulty level, CISCO certifications are harder than Juniper certification. And this is due to the number of topics covered and the depth of the courses in CISCO. This does not make Juniper certifications shallow, as they also cover depth and core aspects in their courses too.

The CISCO examination is a two-exam path certification, while Juniper is a one-exam path certification.

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Where to find your juniper certifications?

After writing your Juniper certification examination, you should check your examination history and score, then proceed to download your certification.

You can get your Juniper certificates by logging into your CertManager account; then go to the ‘Certifications’ page to download your e-certificate.

What are the IT Juniper certifications called?

The IT Juniper Certification courses are called different names, based on the certification track and certification level. The following are the Juniper certification tracks:

Juniper Automation and DevOps Certification Track: This certification track in Juniper exposes one to understanding automation tools and frameworks and concepts and practices related to DevOps. There are two certifications in this track, and they are:

  • Juniper Networks Certified Associate: Automation and DevOps (JNCIA-DevOps)
  • Juniper Networks Certified Specialist: Automation and DevOps (JNCIS-DevOps)

Juniper Cloud Certification Track: Here, candidates are exposed to the cloud’s function, and the technologies supporting it. The three network frameworks which power the cloud are explored, and they are Network Functions Virtualization (NFV), Software-Defined Networking (SDN), Software-Defined Wide Area Networking (SD-WAN).

There are four certifications in the track, and they are:

  • Juniper Networks Certified Associate: Cloud (JNCIA-Cloud)
  • Juniper Networks Certified Specialist: Cloud (JNCIS-Cloud)
  • Juniper Networks Certified Professional: Cloud (JNCIP-Cloud)
  • Juniper Networks Certified Expert: Cloud (JNCIE-Cloud)

Juniper Data Center Certification Track: Here, candidates are exposed to the software that runs the Juniper Networks Equipment, known as Jun-OS. There are four certifications under this track, and they are:

  • Juniper Certified Associate: Junos (JNCIA-Junos)
  • Juniper Certified Specialist: Enterprise Routing (JNCIS-ENT)
  • Juniper Networks Certified Professional: Data Center (JNCIP-DC)
  • Juniper Networks Certified Expert- Data Centre (JNCIE-DC)

Juniper Design Certification Track: The design certification track exposes candidates to design engineering and how to create and build networks from scratch.  There are four certifications in this track, and they are as follows:

  • Juniper Networks Certified Design Associate (JNCDA)
  • Juniper Networks Certified Design Specialist: Data Center (JNCDS-DC)
  • Juniper Networks Certified Design Specialist: Service Provider (JNCDS-SP)
  • Juniper Networks Certified Design Specialist: Security (JNCDS-SEC)

Juniper Enterprise Routing and Switching Certification Track: At the specialist level in this track, one is exposed to advanced concepts such as IP Multicast, Spanning tree, Class of Service (CoS). There are three certifications in this track, and they include:

  • Juniper Certified Professional: Enterprise Routing and Switching (JNCIP-ENT)
  • Juniper Certified Expert: Enterprise Routing and Switching (JNCIE-ENT)
  • Juniper Certified Specialist: Enterprise Routing and Switching (JNCIS-ENT)

Juniper Junos Security Certification Track: Here, knowledge and practices related to Security shall be explored and taught. There are four certifications in this track, which include:

  • Juniper Networks Certified Associate: Security (JNCIA-SEC)
  • Juniper Networks Certified Specialist: Security (JNCIS-SEC)
  • Juniper Networks Certified Professional: Security (JNCIP-SEC)
  • Juniper Networks Certified Expert: Security (JNCIE-SEC)

Juniper Service Provider Routing and Switching Certification Track: There are three certifications in this track, and they are as follows:

  • Juniper Networks Certified Specialist: Service Provider (JNCIS-SP)
  • Juniper Networks Certified Professional: Service Provider (JNCIP-SP)
  • Juniper Networks Certified Expert: Service Provider (JNCIE-SP)

READ ALSO: Top 20 Cybersecurity Interview Questions

How do I get Juniper certified? Give a Step-by-Step guide on How to get Juniper Network Certification

In getting Juniper certified, the following steps can be taken to actualize your dream of being Juniper certified in the networking world.

Step 1: Decide and choose your preferred Juniper certification track, which would be determined by your career goals and your area of specialization in the networking service sector. This can be seen above, where the various Juniper certification tracks and their certifications have been listed.

Step 2: Prepare for your examination by taking live pieces of training, engaging in self-paced courses, reading books, practising questions, etc. After you decide on the certification track you want to be certified in, you must start preparing for it, by getting resources that would broaden your knowledge and skill to enable you to pass the exam.

Step 3: Register for the examination, and then go for it. Your examination could be either a written or lab exam, online or in-person, and could be taken at any certified centres around you.

Step 4: After writing the exam, you can check for your score and get your certification.

Conclusion

Juniper certifications are well sought for in the network service industry, as they give you an edge over other candidates who may not be skilled in using the Juniper Network Service.

In comparison with their competitor, Cisco, Juniper has also been around for years and have built credibility over time, which makes them a voice in the sector.

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