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Juniper · Networking · Expert

Juniper JNCIE-SP exam guide

Exam JPR-962

JNCIE-SP is Juniper's expert-level service provider credential, earned by building and troubleshooting a multi-router Junos SP network in a 6-hour hands-on lab. It proves you can run IS-IS/OSPF, BGP, MPLS, L2/L3 VPNs, EVPN, multicast and CoS under time pressure, which still matters for carriers, cloud backbones and large WANs running Junos in 2026.

QuestionsSee official page
Time limit360 minutes
Passing scoreSee official page
Exam fee$1,600 USD
Valid for3 years
DeliveryHands-on lab exam delivered and proctored by Juniper Networks; seats are scheduled through Juniper's certification program

Format: Hands-on lab: configure and troubleshoot a service provider network built on vMX virtual routers. Fee note: Juniper lists JNCIE exams at $1,600 plus applicable taxes.

Who it's for

Senior network engineers who already hold JNCIP-SP and operate Junos-based provider, backbone or large enterprise WAN networks day to day.

What the exam covers

Device Infrastructure (system features, control plane protection, automation scripts, interfaces)—
IGP (OSPF, IS-IS, routing policy)—
BGP (route reflection, confederations, multihoming, path selection, policy)—
MPLS (LDP, RSVP-TE, seamless MPLS, high availability)—
VPNs (Layer 3 VPN, VPLS, L2circuit, L2VPN, EVPN)—
Multicast (NG-MVPN, PIM-SM, PIM-SSM, Anycast RP/MSDP)—
Class of Service (classification, scheduling, rewrite, CBF)—

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

Eligibility & prerequisites

Required: Active JNCIP-SP certification.

Recommended: Several years of hands-on Junos service provider routing; Juniper recommends its JNCIE-SP bootcamp and self-study lab bundle as preparation.

Keeping it active

Valid 3 years from the date earned or recertified. Recertify before expiry by passing a qualifying exam listed on Juniper's recertification page; recertifying resets the 3-year clock. An expired certification cannot be recertified and the track must be restarted.

Skills & careers

Skills it validates

  • Designing and troubleshooting IS-IS and OSPF in multi-area SP cores
  • BGP route reflection, confederations and policy at scale
  • MPLS LDP/RSVP-TE signaling and traffic engineering
  • Building L3VPN, VPLS, L2circuit and EVPN services
  • NG-MVPN and PIM multicast deployment
  • Junos CoS classification, scheduling and rewrite rules
  • Fast, accurate Junos CLI configuration under time limits

Job roles

Senior Network Engineer (Service Provider)Backbone/IP Core ArchitectMPLS Network EngineerNetwork Operations Escalation EngineerTelecom Network ConsultantPrincipal Network Engineer

Where it fits in your path

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

Build my study plan

  1. Weeks 1-3: Re-baseline JNCIP-SP topics; rebuild an IS-IS/OSPF + BGP core in vMX (vLabs or EVE-NG) and write your own policy templates.
  2. Weeks 4-6: MPLS deep dive: LDP, RSVP-TE with explicit paths, fast reroute and seamless MPLS; verify every label path with show route table mpls.0.
  3. Weeks 7-9: VPN services: L3VPN (including inter-AS options), VPLS, L2circuit and EVPN; build each from scratch at least three times.
  4. Weeks 10-11: Multicast (PIM-SM, SSM, Anycast RP/MSDP, NG-MVPN) and CoS (classifiers, schedulers, rewrite, CBF).
  5. Weeks 12-14: Full 6-hour mock labs end to end, timing each section and practising recovery from broken configurations.
  6. Week 15: Weak-area drills, configuration speed work with groups and apply-path, then book the lab.

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

  • Read the whole task list first and map dependencies: IGP and BGP faults cascade into every VPN and multicast task.
  • Use commit confirmed and frequent commits with comments so a bad change never costs you the rest of the lab.
  • Verify against the exact task wording: route tables, LSP state and VPN reachability are what the graders check.
  • Master configuration groups and set-style copy/paste; typing speed in Junos CLI is a real time factor.
  • Leave time at the end to re-verify earlier tasks, because later changes such as policy or CoS can silently break them.

Frequently asked questions

How much does the JNCIE-SP lab cost?

Juniper lists JNCIE exams at $1,600 plus applicable taxes per attempt.

Is JNCIE-SP harder than CCIE Service Provider?

Both are expert-level hands-on labs of similar scope. JNCIE-SP is purely Junos-based and is 6 hours; which feels harder usually depends on whether you work daily in Junos or IOS XR.

Do I need JNCIP-SP first?

Yes. An active JNCIP-SP certification is the prerequisite for the JPR-962 lab.

How long is JNCIE-SP valid?

Three years. You must recertify before it expires; an expired JNCIE cannot be recertified and you would have to restart the track.

Is JNCIE-SP worth it in 2026?

Yes for engineers at carriers, ISPs, cloud backbones and Juniper partners, where it is a recognised marker of senior SP routing ability; it is less relevant outside Junos-heavy environments.

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