- Exam Overview and What the Domains Actually Mean
- Domain 1: Software Development and Design (15%)
- Domain 2: Understanding and Using APIs (20%)
- Domain 3: Cisco Platforms and Development (15%)
- Domain 4: Application Deployment and Security (15%)
- Domain 5: Infrastructure and Automation (20%)
- Domain 6: Network Fundamentals (15%)
- How the Weighting Should Shape Your Study Order
- Question Formats You'll See on Each Domain
- Who Actually Tests on These Domains
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Understanding and Using APIs and Infrastructure and Automation each carry 20%, totaling 40% of the exam.
- The other four domains - Software Development and Design, Cisco Platforms and Development, Application Deployment and Security, and Network Fundamentals - each...
- Blueprint v1.1 governs the current 200-901 CCNAAUTO exam despite the exam-overview page still showing v1.0.
- Cisco's briefing describes single- and multiple-answer questions, drag-and-drop, script-completion tasks, and labs across these six domains.
Exam Overview and What the Domains Actually Mean
The 200-901 CCNAAUTO exam, officially titled Automating Networks Using Cisco Platforms, is built from six content areas that Cisco updated as part of the associate-level rename that took DevNet Associate (DEVASC) and turned it into CCNA Automation on February 3, 2026. The exam code stayed the same - 200-901 - but the domain structure and topic emphasis reflect the shift toward automation-first skills rather than general developer associate knowledge.
Each of the six domains has a fixed weight, and together they define exactly what Pearson VUE will test across the 120-minute session, whether you sit it at an authorized test center or through OnVUE online proctoring. If you're still mapping out your overall approach before diving into domain specifics, the CCNA Automation Study Guide 2026 walks through the full first-attempt strategy, while this article focuses purely on breaking down what each domain covers and how much of your exam it represents.
Domain 1: Software Development and Design (15%)
Software Development and Design
This domain establishes the coding and design fundamentals that everything else in the exam builds on. Candidates need working knowledge of how software is structured, versioned, and tested before it touches network infrastructure.
- Software design patterns and how they apply to automation scripts and tooling
- Version control workflows, including branching and merge concepts
- Code quality practices: linting, testing approaches, and error handling
- Data formats and structures commonly used in automation code
This isn't a general "learn to code" section - it's scoped to the software practices that automation engineers rely on daily. If you've never written a script before, this is the domain where you'll spend the most time before you're comfortable moving forward.
Domain 2: Understanding and Using APIs (20%)
Understanding and Using APIs
Tied with Infrastructure and Automation for the heaviest weight on the exam, this domain is the practical core of CCNA Automation. It tests whether you can actually consume, troubleshoot, and reason about APIs in real automation workflows.
- REST API concepts, HTTP verbs, status codes, and authentication methods
- Constructing and interpreting API requests and responses
- Working with API documentation to identify correct endpoints and parameters
- Handling errors, rate limits, and pagination in API-driven scripts
Key Takeaway
Because Understanding and Using APIs makes up a fifth of the exam on its own, hands-on API practice using Cisco DevNet Sandbox environments should be a recurring weekly activity, not a one-time review pass.
Domain 3: Cisco Platforms and Development (15%)
Cisco Platforms and Development
This domain grounds the exam in Cisco's own ecosystem - the platforms, controllers, and development tools you'll actually encounter when automating Cisco environments.
- Cisco platform APIs and how they differ from generic third-party APIs
- Development and testing tools used against Cisco platforms
- Model-driven programmability concepts as they apply to Cisco infrastructure
- Deploying and iterating on automation code targeting Cisco systems
Candidates coming from a pure software background sometimes underestimate this domain because it requires Cisco-specific familiarity rather than generic programming knowledge. Treat it as its own study block rather than an extension of Domain 1.
Domain 4: Application Deployment and Security (15%)
Application Deployment and Security
Automation code doesn't run in a vacuum - it has to be deployed, secured, and maintained. This domain checks whether candidates understand the operational and security side of shipping automation tools.
- Application deployment models and packaging approaches
- Security fundamentals for automation code and credentials
- Protecting APIs and automation pipelines from common vulnerabilities
- Monitoring and maintaining deployed automation applications
This is one of the domains most frequently underestimated by candidates who focus purely on scripting. Security-adjacent questions here are conceptual rather than deeply technical, but skipping this domain entirely is a common reason candidates leave points on the table - something covered in more depth in the How Hard Is the CCNA Automation Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
Domain 5: Infrastructure and Automation (20%)
Infrastructure and Automation
This is the second of the two 20% domains and, alongside APIs, forms the backbone of the exam's automation identity. It tests whether candidates can translate infrastructure concepts into automated workflows.
- Infrastructure as code concepts and configuration management approaches
- Automating network device configuration and state management
- CI/CD concepts as they apply to network and infrastructure automation
- Troubleshooting automated infrastructure workflows when they fail
Domain 6: Network Fundamentals (15%)
Network Fundamentals
Even though CCNA Automation is automation-focused, candidates still need baseline networking knowledge to understand what they're automating. This domain keeps the exam grounded in real network behavior.
- Core networking concepts: addressing, routing, and switching fundamentals
- Network device roles and how they interact in automated environments
- Interpreting network topology and state data programmatically
- Connecting networking concepts to automation and API-driven management
Candidates with a strong networking background often find this domain the easiest of the six, while candidates coming purely from software roles should not assume it can be skipped.
How the Weighting Should Shape Your Study Order
With six domains and two of them carrying a combined 40% weight, the smartest study order isn't alphabetical or sequential - it's weighted. Spending equal time on all six domains ignores the fact that Understanding and Using APIs and Infrastructure and Automation are worth as much as the other four domains combined.
| Domain | Weight | Relative Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Understanding and Using APIs | 20% | Highest |
| Infrastructure and Automation | 20% | Highest |
| Software Development and Design | 15% | High |
| Cisco Platforms and Development | 15% | High |
| Application Deployment and Security | 15% | High |
| Network Fundamentals | 15% | High |
A practical way to apply this: build your first study block around the two 20% domains, then rotate through the remaining four 15% domains, and reserve your final review week for weak spots across all six. If you want a structured week-by-week breakdown built specifically around this weighting, the CCNA Automation Study Guide 2026 lays out a full timeline.
Understanding and Using APIs + Infrastructure and Automation
- Work through REST API request/response construction in DevNet Sandbox
- Practice infrastructure-as-code scripting against sandbox network devices
Software Development and Design + Cisco Platforms and Development
- Review version control workflows and coding fundamentals
- Practice against Cisco platform-specific APIs and tools
Application Deployment and Security + Network Fundamentals
- Cover deployment models and automation security concepts
- Reinforce core networking knowledge tied to automation scenarios
Full Review and Weak-Spot Repair
- Revisit domains with the lowest self-assessed confidence
- Run timed practice sessions replicating the 120-minute format
Question Formats You'll See on Each Domain
Cisco's 2026 exam briefing confirms that the 200-901 CCNAAUTO exam uses a mix of question types rather than a single format applied uniformly. Across the six domains, expect:
- Single-answer and multiple-answer questions - the most common format, used across all domains to test conceptual and applied knowledge
- Drag-and-drop matching - frequently used for domains like Network Fundamentals and Cisco Platforms and Development, where matching concepts to definitions or workflows is natural
- Script-completion tasks - most relevant to Software Development and Design, Understanding and Using APIs, and Infrastructure and Automation, where candidates fill in missing code logic
- Lab-based tasks - hands-on scenarios that can span multiple domains simultaneously, such as authenticating to an API and then automating a configuration change
Because format varies by domain, practicing only multiple-choice questions leaves gaps. If you're unsure exactly what score threshold you need to clear across this mixed format, the CCNA Automation Passing Score 2026 breakdown explains how Cisco's pass/fail scoring works.
Who Actually Tests on These Domains
The domain mix explains why CCNA Automation sits at the intersection of networking and software roles. Employers hiring for network automation engineer, DevOps-adjacent networking, and infrastructure automation positions look for exactly the blend these six domains test: enough coding fundamentals (Domain 1) to write maintainable automation, enough API fluency (Domain 2) to integrate with platforms, enough Cisco-specific platform knowledge (Domain 3) to work in Cisco environments, enough deployment and security awareness (Domain 4) to ship safely, enough infrastructure-as-code skill (Domain 5) to scale automation, and enough networking grounding (Domain 6) to know what's actually being automated.
If you're weighing whether this domain mix aligns with your career goals, the CCNA Automation Jobs overview and the Is the CCNA Automation Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 article both dig into how these six domains map to real hiring criteria. For a broader definition of the credential itself before you commit study time, see What Is CCNA Automation?.
There are no formal prerequisites or mandatory training tied to any of the six domains, so candidates arrive with wildly different starting points - some from networking backgrounds needing more work on Domains 1, 2, and 5, others from software backgrounds needing more work on Domains 3 and 6. Once you've mapped your own gaps against the six domains, running full-length practice exams on our CCNA Automation practice test platform is the fastest way to see which domains actually need more attention versus which ones just feel unfamiliar on paper.
Key Takeaway
Because the exam-overview page and exam-topics page can display different blueprint version labels, always cross-check domain details against the exam-topics page and treat any older DEVASC-era practice material as needing revalidation against the current six-domain structure.
After passing, the certification stays active for three years, with associate-level renewal requiring 30 Continuing Education credits - including the option to earn all 30 by passing another associate-level exam. None of that changes the domain weighting for your initial attempt, but it's worth knowing before you plan how much of your study material you'll reuse down the line. For the full cost picture across registration, retakes, and renewal, see the CCNA Automation Certification Cost 2026 breakdown, and if you're comparing this to other associate-level options, the CCNA Automation Requirements 2026 guide covers eligibility in full. You can also run timed, full-length simulations covering all six domains directly on our practice exam site before you book your Pearson VUE session.
Frequently Asked Questions
Two domains tie for the highest weight: Understanding and Using APIs and Infrastructure and Automation, each worth 20%, together accounting for 40% of the 200-901 CCNAAUTO exam.
No. Understanding and Using APIs and Infrastructure and Automation are each 20%, while Software Development and Design, Cisco Platforms and Development, Application Deployment and Security, and Network Fundamentals are each 15%.
The rename to CCNA Automation (CCNAAUTO) took effect February 3, 2026, keeping the same 200-901 exam code. The current domain structure is governed by blueprint v1.1, per the exam-topics page and June 2026 Cisco Live briefing, distinct from the exam-overview page's v1.0 label.
There are no formal prerequisites for the exam, but Domain 6 assumes baseline networking knowledge. Candidates without networking backgrounds should budget extra study time here rather than assuming automation skills alone will cover it.
Cisco DevNet Sandbox provides free practice environments for APIs and programmability relevant to Domains 2 and 5. Make sure any exercises or question banks you use are aligned with the current blueprint rather than assumed to be automatically current.