SCOR 350-701 v2.0 has been current since August 27, 2026. Use its six-domain blueprint to check study materials and practise applying security concepts. A qualifying earlier core pass can still count within its original window; a version update does not automatically require another core exam.
What the SCOR core exam covers
Passing SCOR earns the Security Core Specialist credential. CCNP Security also requires a concentration exam; CCIE Security has a separate practical assessment.
The current core exam lasts 120 minutes and is offered in English and Japanese. Cisco lists US$400 or Cisco Learning Credits; confirm the final booking price and appointment rules.
Cisco lists no formal prerequisite certification. Use the required objective verbs and your practical experience to judge preparation needs.
Official sources: Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies v2.0 (350-701) Exam Description — Official Cisco exam topics PDF, v2.0; CCNP Security - Cisco — Official CCNP Security certification page; Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies - Cisco — Official SCOR exam page
Which exam version applies to you
Candidates testing now prepare for v2.0. An existing v1.1 pass is not invalidated by the transition.
SCOR v1.1’s last test day was August 26, 2026, and v2.0 began the following day. Compare older resources with the current topics, especially cloud-delivered security, SSE and AI-related security concepts.
For CCNP Security, pass the core and a concentration within the three-year combination window. Cisco’s transition Q&A says earlier qualifying passes still count. Continuing Education credits can renew an existing certification but do not extend that exam-combination window.
SVPN’s last test day was August 26, 2026, with no direct replacement concentration. Cisco retained VPN fundamentals in SCOR and firewall VPN content in SNCF. Review the current concentration list when planning your next exam.
Official sources: Cisco Security Certification Updates: Your Questions Answered — Cisco Learning blog, August 2026
The six exam domains and their weights
The v2.0 blueprint weights Security Concepts at 20%, Network Security at 25%, Cloud Security at 15%, Secure Service Edge at 10%, Endpoint Protection and Detection at 15%, and Network Access, Visibility, and Enforcement at 15%.
Use the detailed v2.0 PDF as a task checklist. Security Concepts includes interpreting Python API scripts; automation is not restricted to a separate domain.
Secure Service Edge is a distinct domain, while the old standalone Content Security domain is absent. Review current topics and their placements instead of carrying forward old domain weights.
| Domain | Weight | Representative v2.0 topics |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 Security Concepts | 20% | Threats and vulnerabilities, CVE/CVSS prioritization, cryptography components (hashing, encryption, PKI, IPsec, TLS, post-quantum cryptography), VPN deployment types, zero trust, SAFE, Python API scripting |
| 2.0 Network Security | 25% | Intrusion prevention and firewall deployment, L2 hardening (DHCP snooping, DAI, storm control), AAA, secure management, access control policies and VPN on Cisco Secure Firewall |
| 3.0 Cloud Security | 15% | Shared responsibility models, cloud frameworks, CASB, Cisco Multicloud Defense and Secure Workload, Splunk log ingestion, eBPF, DevSecOps |
| 4.0 Secure Service Edge | 10% | SSE and SASE, Cisco Secure Access Secure Internet and Private Access, data loss prevention and AI guardrails, Investigate scores |
| 5.0 Endpoint Protection and Detection | 15% | EPP and EDR, MDM, posture assessment, Cisco Secure Client, Secure Endpoint, Secure Malware Analytics, Secure Email Threat Defense |
| 6.0 Network Access, Visibility, and Enforcement | 15% | ISE with 802.1X and MAB, CoA, exfiltration techniques, XDR and SIEM/SOAR with Splunk, Cisco Duo zero trust |
Official sources: Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies v2.0 (350-701) Exam Description — Official Cisco exam topics PDF, v2.0
Worked exercise: apply access policy without implicit trust
Being inside a network or using a company-owned device does not by itself authorize access to a resource.
The SCOR blueprint includes zero trust. NIST’s architecture guidance distinguishes authentication and authorization and rejects implicit trust based solely on network location or asset ownership.
This original exercise supplies a simplified fictional policy. It illustrates a decision principle, not a complete zero trust architecture or a live security configuration.
Practice exercise
A fictional application permits an access request only when all three checks pass: (1) current user and device authentication, (2) an entitlement for the requested operation on this resource, and (3) current device compliance. These are the only conditions for this exercise, with no exceptions. All requests originate on the corporate network from company-owned devices. A passes authentication and has read entitlement, but fails device compliance while requesting read access. B passes authentication and compliance and requests read access covered by its entitlement. C passes authentication and compliance but requests an admin operation while holding only read entitlement. Decide each request and identify its limiting condition.
Show answer
A is denied because compliance fails. B is allowed because all three checks pass. C is denied because the admin operation is not authorized by its read entitlement.
The rule requires the conjunction of all three conditions. Corporate location and company ownership add no exception. Authentication does not supply a missing entitlement or override failed compliance. If A later passes a fresh compliance check while its other required conditions remain satisfied, the stated policy permits that read request. Fixing device compliance would not give C admin entitlement. In real systems, evaluate the complete applicable policy and current signals; this simplified example does not establish that these three checks cover every risk.
Official sources: Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies v2.0 (350-701) Exam Description — Official Cisco exam topics PDF, v2.0; NIST SP 800-207: zero trust architecture principles — Zero trust (ZT) is the term
How to prepare for v2.0
Map resources to v2.0 and practise the specific explain, interpret, configure and troubleshoot tasks.
Read the current topic list and mark unfamiliar tasks. Review each resource against those tasks before deciding what to replace. The update does not make every explanation in an older book unusable.
Cisco announced v2.0 training for September 2026 and a practice exam by the end of 2026. Check what is actually available before planning or purchasing; an announced resource is not necessarily released.
In your own lab, state the expected behavior, collect relevant evidence and explain how a proposed correction follows from it. Mix conceptual interpretation with the configuration and troubleshooting tasks required by the blueprint.
Official sources: Cisco Security Certification Updates: Your Questions Answered — Cisco Learning blog, August 2026; Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies - Cisco — Official SCOR exam page
Plan your qualification path
Use the original pass dates to plan the next exam, and keep recertification separate from completing a qualification.
CCNP Security requires a valid core-and-concentration combination. Choose from Cisco’s current concentrations according to the skills you want to develop, while keeping the full SCOR scope in your core preparation.
For CCIE Security, SCOR is the qualifying core for the separate practical exam. Cisco’s transition Q&A gives a three-year lab-eligibility window from the core pass; renewing a certification with CE does not extend that window.
Official sources: Cisco Security Certification Updates: Your Questions Answered — Cisco Learning blog, August 2026; CCNP Security - Cisco — Official CCNP Security certification page; Implementing and Operating Cisco Security Core Technologies - Cisco — Official SCOR exam page
Preparation checklist
Check your version, topic coverage and any existing pass dates.
- Use the current v2.0 objective list and all six domain weights.
- Check older resources for gaps in SSE, cloud and AI-related security.
- Practise applying policies and interpreting evidence, alongside required lab tasks.
- Confirm which announced preparation resources are now available.
- Check appointment details and the validity of any pass you intend to combine.
Official sources: Cisco Security Certification Updates: Your Questions Answered — Cisco Learning blog, August 2026; CCNP Security - Cisco — Official CCNP Security certification page
Official sources
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