What Is CCNA Automation Certification?

What CCNA Automation Actually Is

CCNA Automation is Cisco Systems' associate-level credential validating a candidate's ability to automate networks using Cisco platforms. The certifying exam is 200-901 CCNAAUTO, titled "Automating Networks Using Cisco Platforms." This is not a rebrand in name only - Cisco converted its DevNet Associate (DEVASC) certification into CCNA Automation on February 3, 2026, while keeping the same underlying exam code, 200-901. Cisco has been explicit that this associate-level rename is a distinct event from the larger professional-level automation redesign happening elsewhere in its certification portfolio, so candidates researching the topic should be careful not to conflate the two.

If you're still mapping out exactly what the letters stand for and how the certification fits into Cisco's broader tracks, the companion pieces What Is CCNA Automation? and CCNA Automation Meaning cover that ground in more depth. For a plain breakdown of the acronym itself, see What Does CCNA Automation Stand For?.

Exam Format, Cost, and Registration

The 200-901 CCNAAUTO exam is administered through Pearson VUE, either at an authorized testing center or remotely through OnVUE online proctoring. It costs USD 300, runs for 120 minutes, and is offered in English and Japanese. There are no formal prerequisites and no mandatory training courses - anyone can register and sit for the exam directly.

Testing is closed-book. Candidates agree to Cisco's confidentiality agreement, undergo identity verification, and follow standard proctoring requirements whether testing in person or via OnVUE. Grading is strictly pass/fail, and results are typically available online within 48 hours of completing the exam.

If you fail on your first attempt, Cisco requires a waiting period of five full calendar days, beginning the day after the failed attempt, before you can retest. There's no discount for retakes - standard retesting costs the same USD 300 as the original attempt. For a full breakdown of every fee, retake cost, and related expense, see CCNA Automation Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. If you want a plain-language walkthrough of eligibility and how to get registered, check CCNA Automation Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.

The Six Exam Domains Explained

Cisco organizes the 200-901 CCNAAUTO blueprint into six domains. Two of them - Understanding and Using APIs and Infrastructure and Automation - each carry 20% weight, together accounting for 40% of the total exam. The remaining four domains are each weighted at 15%.

Because APIs and infrastructure automation together make up 40% of the score, most candidates find it worthwhile to front-load study time there. For a domain-by-domain study breakdown with more granular subtopics, see CCNA Automation Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 6 Content Areas.

What the Questions Actually Look Like

According to Cisco's 2026 exam briefing, 200-901 CCNAAUTO uses several question formats rather than a single style. Expect single-answer and multiple-answer multiple-choice items, drag-and-drop matching tasks, script-completion exercises, and hands-on labs. This mix means memorizing terminology alone won't carry you through - script-completion and lab-style items test whether you can actually apply automation concepts under time pressure.

Because Cisco does not publish a numeric passing score threshold in public materials, focus your preparation on demonstrated competency across all six domains rather than trying to reverse-engineer a specific cut score. If you want a deeper discussion of what "passing" requires in practice, see CCNA Automation Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass. And if you're weighing how challenging the exam is relative to other associate-level credentials, How Hard Is the CCNA Automation Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 walks through the difficulty factors in detail.

Who Hires CCNA Automation Holders

Because the 200-901 CCNAAUTO blueprint blends software development, API usage, Cisco platform development, application security, infrastructure automation, and core networking, the certification signals a specific kind of hybrid skill set: someone comfortable writing automation scripts against Cisco infrastructure rather than a purely CLI-driven network engineer. Roles that commonly value this mix include network automation engineers, infrastructure-as-code practitioners, DevOps-adjacent network roles, and platform engineers working with Cisco APIs and tooling.

Employers evaluating candidates for these roles often look for demonstrated ability across the domains above rather than one narrow skill, since real automation work usually requires touching APIs, scripts, deployment pipelines, and underlying network fundamentals in the same project. For a closer look at specific job titles and how the certification maps to them, see CCNA Automation Jobs. If you're trying to decide whether pursuing the credential makes sense for your career stage, Is the CCNA Automation Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and CCNA Automation Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis both dig into that question in more depth.

Certification Validity and Renewal

Once earned, CCNA Automation remains active for three years. Renewal at the associate level requires accumulating 30 Continuing Education (CE) credits. These can come from eligible training courses and approved activities, and Cisco also allows passing another associate-level certification exam to satisfy the full 30-credit requirement in one step. This gives certified professionals flexibility: some renew through incremental training over the three-year window, while others simply sit for another associate exam closer to the expiration date.

Understanding this renewal mechanic matters when planning long-term career development, since the same 30-credit approved-activity structure applies whether you're stacking multiple smaller credits or completing one qualifying exam.

How to Approach the Study Timeline

Because Understanding and Using APIs and Infrastructure and Automation together make up 40% of the exam, a sensible study sequence allocates more weeks to those two domains than to any single 15%-weighted domain. A practical way to sequence preparation is to build foundational network and software concepts early, move into API usage and Cisco platform development in the middle weeks, and finish with infrastructure automation and application security closer to your test date so those heavier-weighted, more hands-on skills stay fresh.

Cisco's own DevNet Sandbox provides free hands-on practice environments for APIs and programmability work, which pairs naturally with the API and platform-development domains. One caution worth repeating: align any practice questions or hands-on exercises - including older DevNet Associate material - against the current v1.1 blueprint rather than assuming legacy practice banks are automatically current, since the rename and blueprint update changed how content is organized.

For a structured, week-by-week plan built specifically around this exam's domain weighting, see CCNA Automation Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. Once you've built a study routine, testing yourself against realistic questions on our practice test platform is one of the most direct ways to confirm you're ready before spending USD 300 on the real attempt.

If your prep timeline depends on when testing windows or Cisco events open up, CCNA Automation Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling covers scheduling considerations. And for a condensed, single-page reference to keep nearby during your final review, CCNA Automation Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts is built for quick last-minute checks.

Frequently Asked Questions