Cisco Certified Network Professional Security Implementing and Configuring Cisco ISE

300-715 SISE · ● Active · Professional · Cisco

Concentration exam for CCNP Security. Tests implementation, configuration, and management of Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) for network access control, 802.1X authentication, guest management, BYOD, and Zero Trust architectures. Requires 350-701 SCOR as prerequisite core exam.

Exam facts

Vendor source — Cisco SISE Exam Page ↗ Exam objectives — Cisco Learning Network SISE Topics ↗ Official guide — Cisco SISE Exam Objectives ↗

About

The 300-715 SISE (Implementing and Configuring Cisco Identity Services Engine) is a concentration exam required to earn Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Security certification alongside the mandatory 350-701 SCOR core exam. Launched in 2020, it tests hands-on configuration and troubleshooting of Cisco ISE, the market-leading network access control and identity platform. Candidates must demonstrate expertise in ISE deployment architectures, 802.1X authentication flows, certificate management, policy frameworks, guest workflows, BYOD integration, TrustSec Security Group Tags (SGT), and integration with Cisco Software-Defined Access (SDA). This exam is ideal for identity and access management engineers, network access control specialists, and security architects implementing Zero Trust network strategies.

Domain context — Security

Identity Services Engine (ISE) is Cisco's core platform for network access control (NAC), policy enforcement, and identity management in enterprise networks. Covers wired/wireless authentication, guest lifecycle, BYOD workflows, and TrustSec-based segmentation.

Read full deep dive — Cisco Security ↗

Topics covered

Based on official Cisco exam blueprint:

• ISE Architecture & Deployment (20%)

  • Policy Service Nodes (PSN), Admin Node, Monitoring Node
  • High availability and deployment models
  • pxGrid architecture and Cisco ecosystem integrations
  • ISE personas (Admin, Policy Service, Monitoring)

• 802.1X Authentication & Protocols (25%)

  • EAP-TLS, PEAP, EAP-FAST, EAP-MD5 configuration
  • Certificate-based authentication and PKI integration
  • Authentication policy creation and enforcement
  • Wired and wireless 802.1X deployment

• Policy Sets & Authorization (20%)

  • Authentication and authorization policies
  • Network Device Groups and Conditions
  • Policy results and profiling integrations
  • Enforcement actions (CoA, quarantine)

• Guest Management & BYOD (15%)

  • Guest portal and sponsor portal configuration
  • Guest lifecycle workflows (creation, notification, expiry)
  • BYOD device registration and certificate provisioning
  • Personal Device Management (PDM)

• Device Profiling & Posture Assessment (10%)

  • Network device profiling rules and conditions
  • Client posture assessment and remediation
  • Integration with Third-party tools

• TrustSec & SDA Integration (10%)

  • Security Group Tags (SGT) and Scalable Group Policies (SGP)
  • Cisco Software-Defined Access (SDA) workflows
  • TrustSec enforcement and monitoring

Source: Cisco Learning Network SISE Exam Blueprint ↗

Common skills at Security · Professional

Shared content for the Security domain at Professional level — not specific to this cert.

• Network access control policy design
• PKI and certificate lifecycle management
• Authentication and authorization frameworks
• RADIUS and TACACS+ protocol operation
• Security policy implementation and enforcement
• Incident investigation and access revocation

Recommended courses at Security · Professional

Practice exams

Books

Typical job titles at Security · Professional

Cisco ISE Engineer · Network Access Control Engineer · Identity & Access Manager · Network Security Administrator · Zero Trust Architect · Senior Network Engineer (Identity & Access)

(Job titles drawn from current job-board postings that list CCNP Security or ISE certification as required or preferred.)

Salary

Note: ZAR conversions use approximate rate of 1 USD ≈ 18 ZAR (2026 rate).

Skills validated

Cert-specific technologies and protocols this exam tests.

• Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) 3.x architecture
• 802.1X protocol implementation
• EAP authentication methods (TLS, PEAP, FAST)
• RADIUS and TACACS+ protocol configuration
• PKI and X.509 certificate management
• Network Device Groups and Policy Conditions
• Authentication Authorization Accounting (AAA)
• Guest portal and BYOD workflows
• Device profiling and posture assessment
• Cisco TrustSec and Security Group Tags (SGT)
• Cisco Software-Defined Access (SDA) integration
• ISE troubleshooting and log analysis
• pxGrid and Cisco ecosystem integrations
• Certificate provisioning and lifecycle management

Related certifications

• Stacks with: Cisco CCNP Security SCOR 350-701 ↗ (required core exam)
• Alternate concentration: Cisco CCNP Security SCOR 350-701 ↗ (core) + SNCF or SESA
• Leads to: Cisco CCIE Security ↗
• Replaces: N/A — new exam introduced 2020
• Vendor overview: Cisco Vendor Overview ↗

Sources

• Cisco SISE Exam Page: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/training-events/training-certifications/exams/sise.html
• Cisco Learning Network SISE Topics: https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/s/sise-exam-topics
• Cisco SISE Exam Objectives: https://learningcontent.cisco.com/documents/marketing/exam-topics/300-715-sise.pdf
• Salary survey data: Glassdoor, Robert Half, Pnet, PayScale, IT Jobs Watch, Hays, LinkedIn, Seek

Last verified: 2026-05-02 Parent certification: Cisco CCNP Security ↗ Vendor overview: Cisco Security Overview ↗