The 350-401 ENCOR exam no longer tests wireless. Cisco's v1.2 blueprint spends its 120 minutes on six domains (architecture, virtualization, infrastructure, network assurance, security, and automation and AI), and Cisco says the wireless material from v1.1 now belongs to its dedicated wireless certifications. If your notes still have a thick chapter on RF and AP modes, that time now belongs somewhere else.
What actually changed in ENCOR v1.2?
Wireless is gone from the exam, and the automation domain now carries "Artificial Intelligence" in its name. Everything else is the familiar enterprise core: SD-WAN, SD-Access, routing, switching, services, assurance and security.
Cisco states the wireless change on its own training page. The official ENCOR course "contains Wireless content from the v1.1 exam," and learners may skip those sections because that content "has been moved to dedicated Wireless certifications and is not covered in the ENCOR v1.2 exam."
The AI wording shows up in two places:
- Domain 6 is now called Automation and Artificial Intelligence.
- Objective 4.5 asks you to describe how Cisco Catalyst Center (formerly DNA Center) handles configuration, monitoring and management "using traditional and AI-powered workflows."
That's a smaller change than the headlines suggest. You aren't asked to build machine learning models. You are asked to understand what Catalyst Center automates and how its AI-assisted workflows differ from the manual ones.
How are the 350-401 domains weighted?
Infrastructure alone is worth 30%, and security adds another 20%. Together they make up half the exam, so they deserve half your study hours.
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1.0 Architecture | 15% |
| 2.0 Virtualization | 10% |
| 3.0 Infrastructure | 30% |
| 4.0 Network Assurance | 10% |
| 5.0 Security | 20% |
| 6.0 Automation and Artificial Intelligence | 15% |
These weights come from Cisco's v1.2 exam topics document. Cisco adds its usual caveat: the list is a general guideline, related topics can appear, and the document can change without notice.
Where should the old wireless study time go?
Put it into Infrastructure first. That domain is the biggest single block, and its objectives are "configure," "verify" and "troubleshoot" tasks rather than "describe" tasks. Those verbs mean you need hands-on time, not just reading.
The Infrastructure objectives break into three groups:
- Layer 2: troubleshoot 802.1q trunking and EtherChannels; configure and verify RSTP and MST, including root guard and BPDU guard.
- Layer 3: compare EIGRP and OSPF; configure OSPFv2/v3 with multiple areas, summarization and filtering; configure eBGP between directly connected neighbors; describe policy-based routing.
- IP services: NTP and PTP, NAT/PAT, HSRP and VRRP, and multicast (RPF check, PIM SM, IGMP v2/v3, SSM, bidir and MSDP).
Multicast is the item people skip most often, because few enterprise engineers run it every day. It sits in the largest domain, so skipping it is an expensive gamble.
After Infrastructure, look at Security. Objective 5.4 lists threat defense, endpoint security, next-generation firewalls, and TrustSec and MACsec. Those are "describe" items, so a clear mental model of each is enough. Objectives 5.1 and 5.2 are hands-on: lines and local users, AAA, ACLs and CoPP.
Which topics catch experienced engineers out?
Assurance and automation. Both are only 10–15% each, yet many candidates who configure routers daily have never run the tools involved.
Network Assurance asks you to configure and verify Flexible NetFlow, SPAN/RSPAN/ERSPAN, IPSLA, and NETCONF and RESTCONF. Automation and AI adds reading Python, writing valid JSON, the ideas behind YANG, the Catalyst Center and SD-WAN Manager APIs, REST API response codes, EEM applets, and agent versus agentless orchestration tools.
A quick self-test: can you write an EEM applet from memory that runs a show command and emails or logs the result when an interface goes down? Can you look at a RESTCONF reply and tell a 201 from a 204? If not, those are points you can win back in a weekend of lab time.
Before you book, work through an objective-by-objective ENCOR v1.2 syllabus and mark each line red, amber or green. The red lines are your study plan.
What are the exam logistics?
ENCOR is a 120-minute exam delivered in English and Japanese. It costs US$400, and you can pay with Cisco Learning Credits.
Passing it earns the Cisco Certified Specialist – Enterprise Core. It is also the core exam for CCNP Enterprise, and it serves as the qualifying exam for CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure. Cisco doesn't publish a question count or a fixed passing score, so treat any exact number you see online as an estimate.
When the red lines on your checklist turn green, try free 350-401 sample questions to check your timing before the real exam.
Want a short prep overview first?
This NWExam video walks through a general approach to preparing for the CCNP Enterprise core exam. It was recorded before v1.2, so use it for study habits and check topics against the current blueprint.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is wireless still on the 350-401 ENCOR exam?
No. Cisco says the wireless content from ENCOR v1.1 has moved to its dedicated wireless certifications and is not covered in the v1.2 exam.
2. How long is the ENCOR exam?
The 350-401 ENCOR v1.2 exam lasts 120 minutes. Cisco offers it in English and Japanese.
3. Which ENCOR domain carries the most weight?
Infrastructure, at 30%. It covers Layer 2, Layer 3 and IP services such as NAT, HSRP, VRRP and multicast.
4. How much does the 350-401 exam cost?
Cisco lists the price as US$400. You can also pay with Cisco Learning Credits.
5. What does passing 350-401 ENCOR give you?
It earns the Cisco Certified Specialist – Enterprise Core. It also counts as the core exam for CCNP Enterprise and as the qualifying exam for CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure.
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