It’s finally done. I successfully cleared the Cisco CCNP ENCOR (350-401)! This exam is a beast, and honestly, the preparation took a lot of effort. Since there isn’t just one ‘right way’ to study for it, I wanted to share what worked for me.

In this post, I’ll break down exactly what resources I used, how I leveraged AI to speed up my learning, and my honest experience taking the exam from home.

📚 The Study Stack

I used a mix of official Cisco materials and modern tools to get the job done. Here is the list of resources I used that got me across the finish line:

• Cisco U - CCNP ENCOR Digital Course: My starting point in the learning process.
• Official Cert Guide (OCG): Used for targeting specific knowledge gaps.
• AI Assistants (ChatGPT & Gemini): My on-demand study partners.
• Cisco CML (Cloud Modeling Labs): Essential for custom labbing and on hands experience.
• Kevin Wallace Deep Dive Series (YouTube): Great for complex topics.
• Cisco Configuration Guides: Public documentation for the nitty-gritty details.

🧠 The Learning Strategy

I didn’t just read the book cover to cover. Instead, I used a layered approach to ensure I understood the concepts rather than just memorizing them.

1. The Foundation

I started by completing the Cisco U ENCOR digital course. This gave me a solid baseline. Whenever I felt the course didn’t go deep enough, or I was struggling with a concept, I turned to the Official Cert Guide and read those specific chapters.

2. The Deep Dives

Some topics are just harder to grasp than others. For these, I used Kevin Wallace’s YouTube Deep Dive Series. His explanation of OSPF, for example, was instrumental in helping me visualize how the protocol actually works.

3. Practical Labbing (The “Secret Sauce”)

While the Cisco U course included labs, I needed more. I spun up Cisco CML to build my own environments. Creating my own topologies forced me to troubleshoot my own mistakes. This is where the knowledge really started to “stick.”

🤖 Leveraging AI as a Study Partner

One of the biggest game-changers for me was using ChatGPT and Google Gemini. I didn’t use them to cheat; I used them to understand.

• Concept Clarification: If I was stuck on the logic behind OSPF to BGP route redistribution, I asked the AI to explain it in simple terms.
• Custom Cheatsheets: I asked the AI to generate structured cheatsheets for protocols like OSPF. These included:
  • Configuration command overviews.
  • Key data (Administrative Distance, Metrics).
  • Conceptual summaries.
  • Practical Examples: I had the AI generate simple topology examples with CLI configurations that I could then build in CML.

Download here my generated OSPF Cheatsheet

My Prompt (Google Gemini 3)

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You are an export network engineer.
I am studying for the CCNP ENCOR 350-401 exam and I need you to create a OSPF cheatsheet for me with the following structure and correct information.

Structure:
OSPF Configuration Commands Overview
OSPF-Routing Concepts
OSPF Administrative Distance, OSPF Metric
Practical OSPF example in a minimal network topology with 2 routers

🏠 The Exam Experience (Pearson OnVUE)

Due to a lack of available spots at local testing centers in Frankfurt, I decided to take the exam from my home office.

The Setup & Check-in

The process requires downloading a secure client for a pre-check.

⚠️ Tip: Run the system test early! The software flagged my VMware DHCP service, and I had to deactivate it before the check would pass.

On exam day, the check-in involved uploading photos of my room and desk, and showing my workspace to a proctor via webcam.

The Verdict

Taking the exam at home was a surprisingly positive experience. Being able to use my own monitor, keyboard, and mouse made me feel much more comfortable and relaxed compared to the cramped peripherals often found in testing centers.The exam requires lots of knowledge from lots of different technical domains (Wireless, Routing, Switching, Security, SDA, Automation), this made it very hard to remember everything. It is important to have good understanding of these technologies to be able to answer specific question with exclusion procedure.

Seeing that “Pass” on the screen after studying alot was an incredible feeling.

Good luck to everyone currently studying for the ENCOR! It’s a beast of an exam, but with the right labbing and resources, it is absolutely doable.

Thanks for reading, Christopher