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Cisco · Cybersecurity · Professional

Cisco SDSI: Designing Cisco Security Infrastructure exam guide

Exam 300-745 SDSI

SDSI (300-745) validates designing Cisco security infrastructure: secure network and application architecture, risk management, event handling, requirements gathering, AI, automation and DevSecOps. With SCOR it earns CCNP Security and suits engineers moving into security architecture.

QuestionsSee official page
Time limit90 minutes
Passing scoreSee official page
Exam fee$300 USD
Valid for3 years
DeliveryProctored at a test center or online, scheduled through Cisco's certification portal

Format: Multiple choice (single and multiple answer), drag-and-drop, and simulation/testlet-style items; pass/fail. Fee note: Cisco Learning Credits accepted.

Who it's for

Senior security engineers and architects who translate business requirements into security designs.

What the exam covers

Secure Infrastructure Design—
Application Security Design—
Risk Management—
Security Event Handling—
Requirements Gathering—
AI, Automation and DevSecOps—

A dash means the vendor does not publish a weight for that domain.

Eligibility & prerequisites

Required: None.

Recommended: Three to five years of security implementation experience, including design work.

Keeping it active

Passing earns a Cisco Certified Specialist credential valid 3 years (renew with 40 CE credits or by passing a qualifying exam). The exam itself also counts toward recertifying CCNP/CCIE.

Skills & careers

Skills it validates

  • Translating business and compliance requirements into security designs
  • Segmentation and secure infrastructure architecture
  • Application and workload security design
  • Risk assessment and control selection
  • Security event handling and SOC integration design
  • Automation, AI and DevSecOps in security design

Job roles

Security ArchitectNetwork Security ArchitectSecurity ConsultantPre-Sales Security EngineerSenior Security Engineer

Where it fits in your path

You are here

Cisco SDSI: Designing Cisco Security Infrastructure

Planning a degree too? See how this cert earns college credit in the College Credit Navigator.

Build my study plan

  1. Week 1: Design methodology and requirements gathering; review Cisco SAFE architecture.
  2. Week 2: Infrastructure and segmentation design; application security design.
  3. Week 3: Risk management frameworks and event handling design.
  4. Week 4: AI, automation and DevSecOps in security; scenario practice exams.

Make it yours: pick your exam date and weekly hours. We'll split your time by domain weight and give you a printable plan.

Exam-day tips

  • Answers depend on stated requirements; identify constraints first.
  • Learn the Cisco SAFE model; design questions often reflect its places-in-network approach.
  • Expect few configuration items; focus on choosing the right design.
  • Know common risk frameworks and how controls map to them.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the SDSI exam cost?

US$300 per attempt, or Cisco Learning Credits.

Does SDSI alone give me CCNP Security?

No. CCNP Security requires the core exam plus one concentration exam. Passing SDSI by itself earns a Cisco Certified Specialist credential.

What is the passing score?

Cisco does not publish passing scores or question counts; the score needed varies by exam form and is reported as pass/fail with a section breakdown.

How hard is SDSI?

It is a 90-minute professional-level exam that assumes CCNA-level knowledge plus hands-on experience with the relevant Cisco security platform. Candidates without real lab time usually struggle.

SDSI or another concentration?

Choose SDSI if you are heading toward architecture or pre-sales; choose SNCF or SISE for hands-on implementation roles.

Official page: www.cisco.com. Reviewed November 2026. Vendors change fees and objectives, so confirm with the vendor before you book. Spot something out of date? Tell us.