10/30/2002 -- On Dec. 12, Juniper Networks will add a new mid-level lab exam to its M-series certification program.

The Juniper Networks Certified Internet Professional (JNCIP) certification will require candidates to pass a one-day, hands-on lab exam, held at a Juniper networks facility.

The JNCIP will also serve as a prerequisite for Juniper's highest level of certification, the Juniper Networks Certified Internet Expert (JNCIE) title

The JNCIE is currently a two-day lab exam. However, when the JNCIP debuts, the JNCIE will be shortened to one day to accommodate the new JNCIP title. "We're not leaving anything out of the JNCIE," a spokesperson for Juniper told CertCities.com. "It will still take two [lab days] to earn the JNCIE."

The JNCIE currently costs $1,250. The spokesperson said that fee will not change with the debut of the JNCIP, which will also cost $1,250.

Juniper's Certified Internet Specialist (JNCIS) title will become the prerequisite for the JNCIP when the new lab goes live. Currently, it's the prerequisite for the JNCIE.

The company previously announced a new entry-level certification, the Juniper Networks Certified Internet Associate (JNCIA). It is not required for any higher-level Juniper designation.

According to Juniper's Web site, since its certification program's debut last year, 386 people have earned its JNCIS title, and 87 have passed its JNCIE lab exam.

More information about Juniper's certification program can be found here. -B.N.