300-415 · ● Active · Professional · Cisco
Exam facts
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Cost | USD $300 |
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Questions | 60–70 mixed format (multiple choice, multiple response, drag-and-drop, scenario-based) |
| Passing | 825/1000 scaled score |
| Format | Multiple choice, multiple response, drag-and-drop, scenario-based practical questions |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE (onsite and online via OnVUE) |
| Languages | English |
| Valid | 3 years |
| Renewal | Continuing Education (CE) credits or pass a higher CCNP concentration exam |
| Prerequisites | CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate) recommended; CCNP Enterprise Core (350-401 ENCOR) or equivalent networking experience expected |
| Released | 2019 (part of modernized CCNP Enterprise track) |
| Retiring | N/A (current and stable) |
Vendor source — Cisco CCNP Enterprise ↗
Official exam guide — 300-415 ENSDWI Exam Information ↗
Exam objectives — Implementing Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Solutions ↗
About
ENSDWI (Implementing Cisco SD-WAN Solutions) is a concentration exam for the CCNP Enterprise certification track. Launched in 2019 as part of Cisco's modernized CCNP redesign, it validates expertise in designing, deploying, configuring, and managing Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN solutions at enterprise scale. Candidates must hold or concurrently pass CCNP Enterprise Core (350-401 ENCOR) to earn the full CCNP Enterprise credential. ENSDWI is designed for mid-level network engineers transitioning into SD-WAN and wide-area network (WAN) specialization, with typical prerequisites of 3–5 years of networking experience.
Domain context — Networking / SD-WAN
Software-defined wide area networks (SD-WAN) and modern WAN architectures: design, deployment, and management of carrier-agnostic, policy-driven, application-aware WAN overlays. Includes network architecture, multicloud connectivity, branch office consolidation, security integration (SASE), and operational visibility.
Read full deep dive — Cisco Networking Ecosystem →
Topics covered
Official exam blueprint (subject weights):
- SD-WAN Architecture (20%) — Architecture models, components (Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager, vSmart, vBond, WAN Edge routers), design principles, redundancy, high availability.
- Controller Deployment (15%) — Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager deployment, clustering, Day 0 configuration, licensing, multi-tenant environments.
- WAN Edge Router Deployment (20%) — Router provisioning, onboarding, policy enforcement, VPN tunnels, interface configuration, bandwidth shaping.
- Policies and Traffic Management (20%) — Application-aware routing, traffic engineering, QoS policies, class maps, policy objects, rate limiting.
- Security and Quality of Service (15%) — Firewall integration, intrusion prevention, SSL inspection, SASE concepts, QoS, encryption, threat defense.
- Management and Operations (10%) — Monitoring, device health, real-time monitoring, Cisco DNA Center integration, troubleshooting, event logging.
Source: Cisco 300-415 ENSDWI Exam Topics ↗
Common skills at Networking · Professional
Shared technical competencies for WAN and enterprise network professionals at CCNP level — not specific to ENSDWI.
- Wide-area network (WAN) design and optimization
- SD-WAN architecture and deployment methodologies
- Multi-cloud connectivity and hybrid WAN strategies
- Application-aware routing and traffic engineering
- Network policy design and enforcement
- QoS implementation across hybrid networks
- Security integration in modern WAN architectures
Recommended courses at Networking · Professional
| Provider | Title | Cost | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco Learning Network (Official) | Implementing Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Solutions (ENSDWI) | Free (with Cisco account) | ↗ |
| CBT Nuggets | CCNP Enterprise 300-415 ENSDWI v1.2 | ~$280/year | ↗ |
| Pluralsight | Cisco ENSDWI 300-415 for CCNP Enterprise | ~$29–$299/month | ↗ |
| Udemy | CCNP Enterprise: Cisco SD-WAN Solutions (300-415 ENSDWI) | ~$15–$100 | ↗ |
| UniNets | ENSDWI 300-415: Implementing Cisco SD-WAN Solutions | ~$400–$600 | ↗ |
Course-selection rule: Each course must focus specifically on ENSDWI (300-415), not generic Cisco or CCNP generalist content. The Cisco Learning Network official track is free and current; paid third-party alternatives add hands-on labs, deep-dive modules, and instructor support.
Practice exams
| Provider | Title | Cost | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| NWExam | ENSDWI 300-415 Sample Questions and Practice Exam | ~$50–$100 | ↗ |
| ExamTopics | Cisco 300-415 Exam Info and Free Practice Test | Free (community) | ↗ |
| MeasureUp | Official Cisco 300-415 ENSDWI Practice Tests | ~$100–$150 | ↗ |
| How2Pass | CCNP 300-415 ENSDWI Practice Test Questions | ~$50–$80 | ↗ |
Books
| Title | Author | Publisher | Year | ISBN | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco Software-Defined Wide Area Networks: Designing, Deploying and Securing Your Next Generation WAN with Cisco SD-WAN | Jason Gooley, Dana Yanch, Dustin Schueman, John Curran | Cisco Press | 2020 | 978-0-13-653317-7 | ↗ |
| 300-415: Implementing Cisco SD-WAN Solutions (ENSDWI) Certification Exam Guide | Anand Vemula | Independent | 2024 | 979-8-3-10515-314 | ↗ |
| Exam CCNP Enterprise 300-415 ENSDWI - Implementing Cisco SD-WAN Solutions | Ger Arevalo | Independent | 2020 | 978-1-09-228857-8 | ↗ |
Book rule: The Cisco Press title is the official vendor-aligned reference; independent study guides supplement and offer exam-focused preparation. All titles remain current for ENSDWI 300-415 in 2026.
Typical job titles at Networking · Professional
SD-WAN Engineer · Senior Network Engineer (SD-WAN) · SASE Architect · WAN Architect · Network Operations Engineer (SD-WAN) · Enterprise Network Engineer (WAN Specialist)
(Job titles drawn from current job postings listing 300-415 ENSDWI or SD-WAN expertise as required or preferred.)
Salary
| Region | Range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| USD | $120,000 – $160,000 annually (SD-WAN premium) | ZipRecruiter SD-WAN Engineer ↗ · Glassdoor SD-WAN Network Engineer ↗ · KORE1 Network Engineer Salary Guide ↗ |
| ZAR | R540,000 – R780,000 annually (senior network engineer equivalent; SD-WAN premium ~10–15%) | PayScale ZA ↗ · CareerJunction Networking Roles ↗ |
| GBP | £75,000 – £100,000 annually (SD-WAN premium for senior roles) | IT Jobs Watch Network Architect ↗ · Hays Technology Salary Guide ↗ |
| EUR | €90,000 – €125,000 annually (DE/NL/FR average; SD-WAN premium) | Payscale.com Europe ↗ |
| AUD | A$160,000 – A$210,000 annually | Seek Salary Guide ↗ |
Salary rule: SD-WAN expertise commands 10–20% premium over general network engineering roles due to specialization and strategic WAN importance. Ranges reflect mid-to-senior level professionals and junior WAN architects. Variation reflects geography, employer size, cloud-integration depth, and SASE exposure. ZAR figures assume 2026 exchange rates (~17–18 ZAR/USD).
Skills validated
ENSDWI-specific technologies and operational competencies:
- Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager (formerly vManage) design, deployment, and administration
- Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Controller (vSmart) policy orchestration and tunnel establishment
- Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Border Router (vBond) authentication and discovery
- WAN Edge router (cEdge, vEdge) provisioning and onboarding
- VPN segmentation and multi-tenant deployments
- Application-aware routing (AppRoute) and traffic engineering
- QoS (DiffServ) in SD-WAN overlays
- Security in SD-WAN: firewall integration, intrusion prevention (IPS/IDS), SSL inspection, SASE concepts
- Encryption and authentication protocols (IPsec, TLS)
- Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN policies: traffic, device, and service-level policies
- Bandwidth management, traffic shaping, and flow optimization
- Monitoring and troubleshooting with Cisco DNA Center and real-time telemetry
- Cloud integration (Azure, AWS, Google Cloud) via SD-WAN
- Migration from legacy WAN to SD-WAN architectures
- High availability, redundancy, and disaster recovery in SD-WAN
Related certifications
- Prerequisite for: CCNP Enterprise title (requires ENCOR 350-401 + ENSDWI 300-415); CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure or Service Provider paths
- Stacks with: Cisco CCNP Enterprise Core (ENCOR 350-401) ↗ (mandatory co-requirement) · Cisco CCNP Enterprise Routing (ENARSI 300-410) ↗ · Cisco CCNP Enterprise Wireless (ENWLSI 300-430) ↗ · Cisco CCNP Enterprise Automation (ENAUTO 300-435) ↗
- Equivalents at this level: Juniper JNCIP (WAN/SD-WAN specialization) · Arista Certified Engineer (ACE) · Meraki Systems Engineer Certified (MSEC)
- Vendor overview: Cisco Enterprise Networking Overview ↗
Sources
- Cisco CCNP Enterprise: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/training-events/training-certifications/certifications/expert/ccnp-enterprise.html
- 300-415 ENSDWI Exam Information: https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/s/ensdwi-exam-topics
- Implementing Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Solutions (Official Course): https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/training-events/training-certifications/training/training-services/courses/implementing-cisco-sd-wan-solutions-ensdwi.html
- Cisco Software-Defined Wide Area Networks (Cisco Press): https://www.ciscopress.com/store/cisco-software-defined-wide-area-networks-designing-9780136533177
- CBT Nuggets CCNP Enterprise 300-415 ENSDWI: https://www.cbtnuggets.com/it-training/cisco/ensdwi-300-415
- Pluralsight Cisco ENSDWI 300-415: https://www.pluralsight.com/paths/cisco-ensdwi-300-415-for-ccnp-enterprise
- NWExam 300-415 Practice Questions: https://www.nwexam.com/cisco/300-415-implementing-cisco-sd-wan-solutions-ensdwi
- ExamTopics 300-415: https://www.examtopics.com/exams/cisco/300-415/
- ZipRecruiter SD-WAN Engineer Salary: https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Sd-Wan-Engineer-Salary
- Glassdoor SD-WAN Network Engineer Salary: https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/sd-wan-network-engineer-salary-SRCH_KO0,23.htm
- IT Jobs Watch: https://www.itjobswatch.co.uk
- Hays Technology Salary Guide: https://www.hays.co.uk
Last verified: 2026-05-01
Parent ecosystem: Cisco Networking Ecosystem
Parent domain: Networking
Vendor overview: Cisco Overview