The Cisco Designing Cisco Data Center Unified Computing (exam code 642-998) is the exam you pass to earn the Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Data Center (legacy track) certification, a credential at the Professional level. It is also connected with related credentials such as CCNA Data Center, CCNP Data Center. If you are mapping out a certification path with Cisco, this exam is a milestone worth planning around.

The 642-998 exam includes 55-65 (typical range, may vary) questions, and you have 90 minutes to complete them. With that many questions on the clock, pacing is part of the challenge: divide your time into rough blocks as you go, and flag the items that stall you so you can circle back at the end instead of burning minutes on a single question. A week or two before your exam date, sit at least one full timed session in the PrepAwayPDF test engine under the same time limit, so the pace feels familiar rather than frantic on the day.

You need Variable scaled score (typically around 750/1000, Cisco does not publish exact passing score) to pass the 642-998 exam, and the official registration fee is USD 250 (historical pricing, varies by region and time). That fee is due again in full for every retake, which makes thorough preparation the cheaper investment by far. Before you book your seat, test yourself with the PrepAwayPDF practice questions until you are scoring comfortably above the passing mark on a consistent basis — it is the simplest way to avoid paying for the same exam twice.

No strict prerequisite; recommended knowledge of CCNA-level networking and basic data center/server virtualization concepts.

Eligibility rules can be adjusted by Cisco over time, so before you register, confirm the current requirements on the official exam page: view the official 642-998 exam information.

You can book the 642-998 exam through the official registration channels below:

• Cisco Certification Exam Registration (Pearson VUE)
• Cisco Learning and Certifications Portal

How the exam is taken: Computer-based exam delivered via Pearson VUE (test center or online proctored depending on availability).

Cisco lists the following official training options for candidates preparing for this exam:

• Cisco Learning Network
• Cisco UCS Design training resources

Once you have worked through the training, measure your readiness with the 182 practice questions from PrepAwayPDF — they show you exactly which topics still need attention before you book the exam.

Yes. PrepAwayPDF offers a free PDF demo of the 642-998 practice questions, so you can judge the quality of the material firsthand before paying anything. Every purchase also includes 365 days of free updates — if Cisco changes the exam during that year, your material changes with it. And when the free update period expires, you can extend it at a 50% discount from within your member zone.

Every 642-998 purchase at PrepAwayPDF is backed by a 100% Money Back Guarantee: if you take the corresponding exam within 60 days of your purchase and do not pass, you can apply for a full refund. The guarantee has clear conditions — it does not apply if you sit the exam within 3 days of purchase, if you downloaded the material but never actually took the exam, or to free materials and expired orders, and the candidate name must match the payer name. To file a claim, send a scan of your exam enrollment slip together with your official Score Report PDF within 2 days of the exam; claims are processed within 7 days. If you would rather not take a refund, you can exchange the product instead and receive two additional exam preparation products of equal value for free, while your original product keeps its update service. Delivery itself is instant: your material is available for download right after payment and is also sent to your email within one minute — if it has not arrived within 2 hours, contact our customer service. There is no limit on how many computers you can install it on.

The official Cisco Designing Cisco Data Center Unified Computing outline divides the exam content into 6 main domains. The first three are:

• Data Center Networking Design for UCS
• Design Considerations and Best Practices
• Virtualization in UCS Environments

That is only the headline view — scroll back up to the Exam Topics section on this page for the complete domain-by-domain breakdown before you plan your study schedule.