Analyse. Design. Decide. Defend.
From configuring networks to designing them: requirements, trade-offs and a design you can defend. One design exam, one credential.
- Intake
- Monday 1 February 2027
- Duration
- 26 weeks, in one class
- Rhythm
- Online group session every two weeks (3 h), 30-min 1:1 every week
- Exams
- On location in the Netherlands
- Credential
- NDL Network Design Associate (NNDA)
Built for people who want a clear route.
- Network engineers who want to move into design and architecture
- Pre-sales and consulting engineers who write designs for customers
- Engineers an employer wants to grow into a design role
What you need to start
CCNA-level knowledge or hands-on network experience, and 8 to 10 hours a week for the Track.
Your ladder
Six months, one plan.
Every month has one topic and one assignment. The exams sit where the plan says they sit.
- When you enrolPreparation module From the day you enrol: the Enterprise Network Design Fundamentals course on Network Design Labs and a baseline design check.
- Intake · Mon 1 February 2027Kickoff for the whole class The first online group session: the plan, the rhythm and how to use the labs.
- Month 1Requirements analysis Business goals, technical requirements and constraints. Reading a customer brief the way a designer does.
- Month 2Design fundamentals Hierarchy, modularity, addressing plans and redundancy, and why each choice has a price.
- Month 3Campus and data centre design Layer 2 and layer 3 boundaries, high availability and failure domains.
- Month 4WAN and branch design Transport choices, SD-WAN concepts, resilience and the cost of each option.
- Month 5Method and documentation Top-down design, high-level and low-level design documents, and trade-offs written down.
- Month 6Design cases and defence Full design cases under time pressure, and defending your choices out loud.End of the month: NNDA Exam · Design. A written design case from requirements to a high-level design, followed by a design defence with an examiner.
- CredentialNDL Network Design Associate (NNDA) You receive the NNDA when you pass the design exam. It is listed on the public NDL verification page.
Practical exams, on location.
You receive the NNDA when you pass the design exam. It is listed on the public NDL verification page.
A written design case from requirements to a high-level design, followed by a design defence with an examiner.
The first attempt at every exam is included. A resit is paid separately.
The rhythm that keeps you going.
Group session every two weeks
3 hours online with your class and your instructor: new material, worked examples and the assignment for the next two weeks.
A 1:1 every week
Book 30 minutes with your instructor every week. A week you skip does not carry over to the next.
Questions by email
Between sessions you ask your questions by email. You get an answer within one working day.
Labs that check themselves
Many lab assignments on Network Design Labs check your work automatically, so you see straight away what works.
Peer review
Some assignments you review with a classmate. Explaining your choice is part of learning it.
6 months NDL All-Access
Every course, lab and practice exam on Network Design Labs for the length of the Track.
Possible directions.
Job titles are examples of possible directions, not guaranteed outcomes. Where you go depends on your experience, what you can show and what employers need.
Start on Monday 1 February 2027.
Pay online and your preparation module opens the same day. The payment page runs through Stripe: card, iDEAL and other methods. You receive a receipt and an invoice by email.
Introductory price for the intake of Monday 1 February 2027
€3,569.50 incl. 21% VAT
One payment. Everything unlocks from the day you enrol.
6 × €635.25 incl. 21% VAT · €3,150 in total excl. VAT
Six monthly payments. Each payment unlocks that month's materials and sessions. The plan runs for the full six months.
From the second intake: €3,950 excl. VAT in full, or 6 × €695 excl. VAT.
Included
- The preparation module, from the day you enrol
- 13 online group sessions of 3 hours, every two weeks
- A 30-minute 1:1 with your instructor, every week
- Assignments with feedback, auto-checked labs and peer review
- The first attempt at the NNDA exam, on location in the Netherlands
- 6 months of Network Design Labs All-Access
- Progress reports for your employer, if your employer pays
Not included
- A resit is paid separately.
- Exam Training on location is an optional module, booked separately.
- Travel to the exam location.
At checkout you confirm that you want access to the course materials straight away. Your right of withdrawal for the digital materials ends once access is given; for the live sessions, private customers keep 14 days. Introductory price for this intake. From the second intake: €3,950 excl. VAT, or 6 × €695. All rules
Can I get a refund?
Digital course materials work like a sealed product: once opened, they can't be returned. That's why you confirm at checkout that you want access straight away. For the live sessions, private customers keep a 14-day right of withdrawal, paying only for what was already delivered.
Is an NDL certification a Cisco certification?
No. NDL certifications are issued by Network Design Labs and assess competence against the NDL scheme. They are not Cisco certifications and not accredited qualifications. The Tracks build skills that also help with Cisco exams.
What happens if I miss a week?
You catch up with the material and the assignment of that session on Network Design Labs. A 1:1 you don't book in a week does not carry over, and the deadlines stay, so plan your study time from the start.
How much time does it take?
Plan 8 to 10 hours a week: one group session every two weeks, your 1:1, and assignments and labs in between.
What if I fail an exam?
The first attempt at every Track exam is included. A resit is paid separately. Optional Exam Training on location helps you prepare for it.
Can my employer pay?
Yes. Choose to buy as a business on the payment page and enter the company name and VAT number. EU businesses with a VAT number pay no Dutch VAT (reverse charge). Prefer an invoice in full or in two parts (at the start and in month 3)? Email academy@networkdesignlabs.com.
Where are the exams?
On location in the Netherlands. You receive the address and the time with your exam invitation.
Why is the price lower for the first intake?
The first intake runs at an introductory price of €2,950 excl. VAT. From the second intake the price is €3,950 excl. VAT.