- SMBE here means Cisco Small and Medium Business Engineer, exam code 700-750, tied to the Cisco Small and Medium Business Engineer Specialization.
- The exam costs USD $80 plus tax, runs 90 minutes, and is offered in English and Japanese.
- It is a self-administered, non-proctored, open-book online exam completed within a two-day window of purchase.
- Nine of eleven objective areas carry 10% weight; Exploring Platforms and Understanding BVDs carry 5% each.
What the SMBE Actually Is
The acronym SMBE is shared by several unrelated credentials across different industries, so precision matters. On this site, SMBE refers to exactly one thing: the Cisco Small and Medium Business Engineer exam, code 700-750. It is associated with the Cisco Small and Medium Business Engineer Specialization, and it belongs to Cisco's 700-series of exams, which are priced and positioned for the partner channel rather than for general-purpose IT certification candidates.
If you are searching for a different SMBE, such as one from another certifying body, nothing in this article applies to it. The facts below come from Cisco's exam page, Cisco's published exam-objective outline, Pearson VUE's online delivery information, and Cisco's exam policy pages.
If you want other angles on the name itself, our companion pieces cover what SMBE stands for and the meaning of SMBE. This article focuses on what the credential is, how the exam works, and what you need to know before you commit.
Who the Exam Is Built For
Unlike associate- or professional-level Cisco certifications that test configuration depth on routers, switches, and wireless controllers, the 700-750 is oriented toward engineers who position, scope, and sell technical solutions to small and medium businesses. The objective headings make this clear: partnership opportunities with Cisco, business value demonstrations, engineering programs, and experience-centered topics like hybrid and remote workforce sit alongside security and application performance.
In practical terms, the exam suits:
- Pre-sales and systems engineers at Cisco channel partners who support SMB customers
- Technical consultants who advise smaller organizations on collaboration, security, and networking
- Partner engineers who need to demonstrate Cisco SMB competence as part of a partner program
- Engineers moving from generalist IT support into solution-oriented roles
Eligibility details are covered separately in our SMBE requirements guide. The short version: the exam is purchased and taken through Cisco's delivery channel, and Cisco's preparation path points to the course titled Small and Medium Business - Technical.
Exam Format, Fee, and Delivery
The logistics of this exam differ noticeably from a typical proctored test-center certification. Here is what Cisco and Pearson VUE publish:
| Item | Published detail |
|---|---|
| Exam code | 700-750 SMBE |
| Provider | Pearson VUE (Cisco 700-series channel-partner exam) |
| Fee | USD $80 plus tax |
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Languages | English and Japanese |
| Delivery | Self-administered, non-proctored, online |
| Reference materials | Open-book |
| Attempts per purchase | One |
| Completion window | Within two days of purchase |
| Retake wait after a fail | 48 hours |
| Official preparation | Small and Medium Business - Technical |
Pause and Resume Mechanics
Closing the browser pauses the exam clock. You can come back, but only while you remain inside the two-day delivery window and only for the time you have left. Pausing is not a way to buy extra minutes; it protects you from a dropped connection, not from running out of time. Treat the 90 minutes as a fixed budget.
Cost Considerations
At $80 plus tax, the exam fee is modest compared with many Cisco certifications, but it applies per purchase, and each purchase gives you a single attempt. A failed attempt means buying again after the 48-hour wait. For a full breakdown of what to budget, see the SMBE certification cost guide, and for scheduling specifics, the SMBE exam dates and scheduling article.
The Eleven Exam Objective Areas
Cisco publishes a two-page exam-objective outline for the 700-750 listing eleven headings with weights that total 100%. Nine headings share the highest weight of 10% each, while two carry 5% each. That flat distribution has a practical consequence: no single area dominates, so you cannot afford to skip any of them.
| # | Objective area | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Partnership Opportunities with Cisco | 10% |
| 2 | Enabling People, Enhancing Workspaces | 10% |
| 3 | Exploring SMB Experiences | 10% |
| 4 | Navigating Hybrid Workforce Experiences | 10% |
| 5 | Adapting to Remote Workforce Experiences | 10% |
| 6 | Securing the Modern Workplace | 10% |
| 7 | Implementing SMART IT | 10% |
| 8 | Enhancing Application Performance | 10% |
| 9 | Exploring Platforms | 5% |
| 10 | Understanding Business Value Demonstrations (BVDs) | 5% |
| 11 | Introducing Engineering Programs | 10% |
Partnership and Programs (Domains 1 and 11)
Two of the eleven headings are about the Cisco relationship itself rather than technology. Together they account for 20% of the exam.
- Partnership Opportunities with Cisco covers how partners engage with Cisco in the SMB space
- Introducing Engineering Programs covers the engineering programs candidates are expected to recognize
- These areas reward familiarity with Cisco's partner ecosystem, which you will not absorb from technical labs alone
Workforce Experience (Domains 2, 3, 4, and 5)
Four headings frame the SMB customer through the experience they are trying to deliver to employees and clients.
- Enabling People, Enhancing Workspaces focuses on the physical and collaborative workplace
- Exploring SMB Experiences looks at what small and medium businesses need and expect
- Navigating Hybrid Workforce Experiences addresses mixed in-office and remote operation
- Adapting to Remote Workforce Experiences addresses fully distributed work
Security and Infrastructure (Domains 6, 7, and 8)
These three headings carry the most traditional technical content.
- Securing the Modern Workplace addresses protecting users, devices, and access in SMB environments
- Implementing SMART IT covers simplified, manageable IT for smaller teams
- Enhancing Application Performance addresses keeping business applications responsive
Platforms and Value (Domains 9 and 10)
The two lightest headings, at 5% each, still deserve attention because they tend to connect the technical story to the customer conversation.
- Exploring Platforms covers the Cisco platforms relevant to SMB solutions
- Understanding Business Value Demonstrations (BVDs) covers how value is demonstrated to a customer
For a deeper walk through each heading, read our complete guide to all 11 SMBE content areas.
What Open-Book Really Changes
Cisco lists the exam as open-book and non-proctored. That fact shapes how you should think about preparation, but it is easy to misread.
What open-book does not mean: it does not mean you can learn the material during the exam. Ninety minutes is a short window, and hunting for answers on unfamiliar topics will consume it quickly. Candidates who treat the open-book format as a substitute for study tend to run short of time.
What open-book does change: raw memorization of product names, program terms, or feature lists matters less than knowing where to look and how to interpret a scenario. An exam like this tends to reward candidates who understand how Cisco frames SMB solutions, who can map a customer situation to the right objective area, and who can recognize the vocabulary of partner programs and business value demonstrations.
Key Takeaway
Build a small, organized reference of your own, such as a one-page glossary of program terms and platform names per domain, and practice finding information quickly. Open-book speed comes from familiarity, not from searching cold. Our SMBE cheat sheet is a useful starting point for what belongs on that page.
Cisco also states that its exam objectives are guidelines: related topics may appear, and the objectives may change. The headings are not an allocation of preparation-course time. Treat the outline as a map of what to cover, not a guarantee of what exactly will be asked.
Because the question count is not published for this exam, avoid planning your pacing around a number you may have read elsewhere. Instead, practice working steadily and flagging time-consuming items. To gauge realistic difficulty, see how hard the SMBE exam is.
Where the Credential Gets Used
The SMBE is a channel-oriented credential, so its value shows up mostly in the Cisco partner ecosystem rather than in general IT job postings. Typical places you will see it relevant:
- Cisco partners serving SMB customers: managed service providers, resellers, and integrators that sell Cisco networking, security, and collaboration to smaller organizations
- Pre-sales engineering roles: positions where you scope solutions, run demonstrations, and explain business value
- Partner enablement and technical consulting: roles that support a firm's standing within Cisco's partner programs
One nuance worth knowing: partner-organization renewal is separate from an individual's exam status. Cisco's sources reviewed here do not assert an exact individual renewal interval, so check Cisco's current policies rather than assuming a number. Your employer's partner requirements may drive when and why you are asked to take the exam.
For role-focused discussion, see our pages on SMBE jobs, SMBE salary expectations, and the broader question of whether the SMBE certification is worth it. We deliberately avoid quoting salary figures here because Cisco does not publish any for this credential.
Sequencing the Domains in Your Prep
You do not need an elaborate plan, but the order in which you tackle the eleven areas can make the material stick better. The flat 10% weighting means coverage matters more than depth in any single area. One sensible sequence groups related headings so concepts build on each other:
Frame the customer and the partnership
- Exploring SMB Experiences (Domain 3) to understand the customer context first
- Partnership Opportunities with Cisco (Domain 1) and Introducing Engineering Programs (Domain 11), since program terminology is easy to forget if left to last
Workforce experience topics
- Enabling People, Enhancing Workspaces (Domain 2)
- Navigating Hybrid Workforce Experiences (Domain 4), then Adapting to Remote Workforce Experiences (Domain 5), so you can compare the two models directly
Technical depth
- Securing the Modern Workplace (Domain 6)
- Implementing SMART IT (Domain 7) and Enhancing Application Performance (Domain 8)
Platforms, value, and review
- Exploring Platforms (Domain 9) and Understanding Business Value Demonstrations (Domain 10)
- Build your open-book reference page and take timed practice sets against a 90-minute budget
The reasoning: starting with customer context and partnership terms gives you vocabulary that the later technical domains reuse, and leaving the two 5% areas for the end lets you tie platform knowledge to value demonstrations as a final synthesis. If you already work in an SMB-focused partner role, compress this plan and spend extra time on the programs and BVD material, which hands-on technical experience rarely covers. For a fuller approach, see the SMBE study guide and the overview of SMBE training options. When you want to test yourself under realistic conditions, our SMBE practice tests are built around these eleven areas.
What Is and Is Not Published
Candidates often search for numbers that Cisco simply does not release. Being clear about the gaps will save you from trusting unreliable figures.
A Note on Exam Duration
You may encounter older material suggesting this exam runs 60 minutes. An earlier 2024 SMB requirements document was reported to estimate that figure, but it could not be independently retrieved. The current Cisco exam page and the current exam-objective PDF both specify 90 minutes, so plan around 90 minutes. The objective outline itself carries 2019 and 2023 copyright footers, so confirm details on Cisco's pages before you purchase, since Cisco may change the objectives.
Where to Verify Everything
- Cisco's exam page for exam code, course, and language details
- Cisco's exam-objective PDF for the eleven headings and weights
- Pearson VUE's Cisco online delivery page for the purchase window and pause/resume behavior
- Cisco's exam policies page for retake and scoring rules
- Cisco's certification FAQ for fee and provider details
Because a failed attempt requires a 48-hour wait and a new purchase, it is worth confirming the current terms on those pages immediately before you buy. For related definitions, you can also browse what SMBE certification is and our main SMBE certification overview.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here it means Cisco Small and Medium Business Engineer, exam code 700-750, associated with the Cisco Small and Medium Business Engineer Specialization. Other credentials use the same acronym, but none of their details apply to this exam.
The exam costs USD $80 plus tax under Cisco's 700-series channel-partner rate, and it lasts 90 minutes. It is offered in English and Japanese. Each purchase covers one attempt.
No. It is a self-administered, non-proctored, open-book online exam delivered through Pearson VUE. You must complete it within two days of purchase, and closing your browser pauses the clock rather than resetting it.
Failed attempts require a 48-hour wait before retesting. Since each purchase allows one attempt, a retake means a new purchase. Cisco does not publish a passing score, so the policy details are best confirmed on Cisco's exam policies page.
Nine of the eleven objective areas are weighted equally at 10%, including partnership, workforce experience, security, SMART IT, application performance, and engineering programs. Exploring Platforms and Understanding Business Value Demonstrations are 5% each. Cisco notes these are guidelines and may change.