1/29/2003 -- Cisco announced recently that it is offering beta versions of two new exams; one for its Cisco Certified Design Professional (CCDP) certification, the other for its Cisco Certified Internetwork Professional (CCIP) title.

The CCIP exam, Configuring BGP on Cisco Routers (BGP), is currently being offered at Vue and Prometric testing centers worldwide (exam #641-661). According to Cisco, the exam will serve as a "qualifying" exam for the CCIP title. It will be available in beta form through February 18 at a discounted price of $50. Those who pass will receive credit toward CCIP certification, the company said. More information on participating in this beta can be found here.

The CCDP exam, Designing Cisco Network Service Architectures (ARCH), is also described as a "qualifying" exam. This beta (exam # 641-871) will launch on Feb. 3 and last through Feb. 26. Like the other beta, the exam is being offered at Vue and Prometric testing centers for $50 U.S., and those who pass will receive credit toward the CCDP. For more information on this exam, click here. - B.N.