Congratulations to Our October ENCOR Graduates
Five days, fifty hours, and one of the toughest core exams in the Cisco catalog. Our October 5–9 ENCOR class just wrapped up, and I want to recognize the people who put in the work.
Congratulations to Carlos Munoz, Daniel Marchetti and Rory Santos. You each completed the Cisco CCNP Enterprise training camp in Implementing and Operating Cisco Enterprise Network Core Technologies (ENCOR). I'm proud of how hard you pushed this week.
Our Graduates
Carlos Munoz, CCNP Enterprise ENCOR Training Camp, October 5–9, 2026
Daniel Marchetti, CCNP Enterprise ENCOR Training Camp, October 5–9, 2026
Rory Santos, CCNP Enterprise ENCOR Training Camp, October 5–9, 2026
What They Went Through
ENCOR (exam 350-401) is the core exam for CCNP Enterprise, and it covers a lot of ground. Cisco's v1.2 blueprint covers six domains: Architecture, Virtualization, Infrastructure, Network Assurance, Security, and Automation and Artificial Intelligence. Infrastructure alone is 30% of the exam. We rebuilt this camp around v1.2, so this group trained on the current blueprint, including the AI-powered workflows in Catalyst Center.
Enterprise architecture and campus design
The week opened with the big picture: the Cisco Enterprise Architecture model, two-tier vs. three-tier campus design, where the Layer 3 boundary belongs, and how SD-Access, Catalyst SD-WAN and cloud connectivity fit into the modules.
Switching, from the CAM table up
Then we went under the hood. We investigated the CAM table, looked at the control plane vs. the data plane and analyzed Cisco Express Forwarding. After that came VLANs and 802.1Q trunks, and spanning tree in depth: STP elections step by step, RSTP tuning, MST, PortFast, BPDU Guard and Root Guard. EtherChannel came next, including the troubleshooting.
Routing: OSPF, EIGRP and BGP
The routing days are where ENCOR earns its reputation. The class built multiarea OSPF, then tuned, summarized and filtered it, and implemented OSPFv3. They compared EIGRP with OSPF, worked through EIGRP metrics, path selection and IPv6 support, and then moved into BGP: neighbor types, path attributes, all thirteen steps of best path selection, and a single-homed eBGP build. Policy-based routing was in the mix as well.
Hands on, every day
None of this was slides-only. The class worked through hands-on Discovery labs, from "Investigate the CAM" to "Configure and Verify Single-Homed EBGP," troubleshooting broken VLANs, trunks and EtherChannels along the way. That hands-on time is what makes the exam questions familiar on test day.
What's Next for Our Graduates
- Book the exam while it's fresh. Passing 350-401 ENCOR, plus one concentration exam such as ENARSI or ENSLD, earns the CCNP Enterprise certification.
- Drill the weak spots. The thinQmaster ENCOR practice exam preview is free and shows where to focus.
- Remember the retake guarantee. Every thinQtank student can retake the course for 24 months. If you want another pass at OSPF or BGP before the exam, come back.
Want to Be in the Next Graduating Class?
Our next CCNP Enterprise ENCOR class starts October 12. If you also want the design concentration, look at the CCNP Enterprise Camp (ENCOR + ENSLD). Military and veteran funding is accepted. See the funding options.
Carlos, Daniel, Rory: well done. Now go pass that exam and let me know when you do.
— Scott