From never having called a Cisco API to exam-ready in 90 days — personalized study path, domain breakdown, hands-on labs, and career roadmap.
Cisco's associate-level certification for engineers who automate real networks — formerly known as DevNet Associate, rebranded in 2026.
Write Python scripts and REST API calls that push, validate, and report on real network changes across Cisco platforms.
Work with Meraki, Catalyst Center, ACI, SD-WAN, Webex, ISE, and more via their native APIs, SDKs, and YANG models.
Understand Ansible, Terraform, Docker, and how pipelines lint, test, and deploy your automation safely.
Diagnose why your automation calls break — NAT, ACLs, DNS, certificate issues, blocked ports, and more.
| Factor | CCNA Automation | CCNA 200-301 |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | APIs, Python, IaC, Cisco platforms | Switching, routing, wireless, security |
| Automation depth | ~85% of exam content | ~10% of exam content |
| Best for | NetDevOps, automation, API-first roles | NOC, helpdesk, entry network engineer |
| Prerequisites | None | None |
Click each step as you complete it — your day-by-day action plan from Day 1 through exam day.
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Find the 200-901 CCNAAUTO v1.1 blueprint at cisco.com/go/certifications. Print it and turn every line into a study checkbox — this is your master guide for the next 90 days.
Install Python 3.x + pip/venv, Git, VS Code (with Python, YAML, and REST Client extensions), Postman, and Docker Desktop. This is your automation workbench for the next 90 days.
Go to developer.cisco.com and sign up. You'll get free access to always-on sandboxes (Meraki, Catalyst Center, ACI, SD-WAN), Code Exchange repos, and Learning Labs — all at zero cost.
Initialize a repo called "ccna-automation-study" on GitHub or GitLab. Commit a README with your start date and target exam date. Practice git add, commit, and push daily from the first week.
Use Postman to GET the device list from the Meraki always-on sandbox. Seeing a real JSON response from a live Cisco platform in your first week anchors abstract concepts and builds confidence immediately.
Use Cisco U's free pre-assessment to benchmark your current level across all 6 domains. Identify your two weakest domains and prioritize them in Weeks 3–5 of your study plan.
Every time you write a useful API call in Python, add it to a cookbook script in your Git repo. By exam week you'll have a personal reference covering all major Cisco platforms.
Choose from: inventory & compliance report (Meraki + Catalyst Center), VLAN/SSID rollout via API, Webex automation bot, or RESTCONF/NETCONF interface report. These become your portfolio pieces for job interviews.
Book your slot 3–4 weeks before your target date. Having a firm date sharpens focus dramatically. Choose test center or online proctored — both available. Prepare your government-issued ID and environment in advance.
No formal prerequisites exist — but your starting point shapes where to focus. Select your background below.
You know switching, routing, Cisco CLI, and how networks behave. Your gaps are Python, APIs, Git, and the software-side concepts. Double down here.
You know Python, REST APIs, Git, and Docker. Your gaps are networking fundamentals, Cisco-specific platform APIs, and model-driven programmability (YANG/NETCONF/RESTCONF).
You have broad IT experience but aren't deep in networking or coding. You'll need a balanced approach across all 6 domains — don't skip any section of the study plan.
CCNA Automation is achievable from zero. Give yourself 4–5 months instead of 3, and make hands-on labs your primary learning mode from week one.
Format, domain breakdown, logistics, and what to expect on test day.
Automating Networks Using Cisco Platforms
200-901 CCNAAUTO
120 min · Pearson VUE (center or online)
US$300 + taxes · 5-day wait to retake
Click any domain to expand key topics and exam-day study tips.
Cisco does not publicly publish pass rates for CCNA Automation. Community consensus places the exam in the moderate-to-challenging range for candidates new to API programming. The exam is scenario-based — you'll interpret JSON responses, choose the right API call, and debug realistic failure scenarios, not just recall definitions.
What this means for your prep: Candidates who complete daily hands-on labs consistently outperform those who rely on reading alone. If you're new to Python or REST APIs, budget two extra weeks in your first month and make real API calls your daily practice. The DevNet sandboxes are free and available 24/7 — there is no excuse to skip the hands-on work.
Verify current exam details and official updates at developer.cisco.com/certification.
Answer 5 quick questions and get a personalized next-steps plan tailored to your background and goals.
Question 1 of 5
Assumes 8–10 hours/week. New to Python or APIs? Add 2 extra weeks to Weeks 3–5 for a 14-week track.
Full cost breakdown and milestone timeline — plan ahead so no fees catch you off guard.
| Item | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 200-901 CCNAAUTO Exam | $300 | + local taxes. Verify current price at cisco.com before registering |
| Cisco Exam Safeguard (optional) | ~$150 | Adds a free retake if you don't pass your first attempt |
| Official Cert Guide (Cisco Press) | ~$60–70 | 200-901 CCNA Automation edition; use prior DEVASC edition where blueprint matches |
| Practice Tests (Pearson, Boson, etc.) | ~$50–100 | Essential for timed mock exams — compare providers before buying |
| Cisco U Learning Path (optional) | Varies | Check cisco.com/go/ciscou for current pricing; completion may earn CE credits |
| Python, VS Code, Git | Free | Open source — install today |
| DevNet Sandboxes + Learning Labs | Free | Always-on and reservable at developer.cisco.com — no excuses not to use them |
| Postman (basic tier) & Docker Desktop | Free | Free tiers are fully sufficient for exam prep use |
| Minimum (exam only) | ~$300 | |
| Typical with study materials | ~$450–600 | |
⚠️ All fees subject to change — always verify current prices at official Cisco and Pearson VUE pages before registering.
Your CCNA Automation is valid for 3 years. Two paths to renew:
Any associate-level or higher Cisco exam resets your 3-year clock. CCNP Automation is the natural next step.
Earn 30 Continuing Education credits via Cisco U courses across your 3-year window. Spread across all 3 years for minimal annual workload.
These are the most frequent reasons candidates lose points or fail outright. Click each card to see the consequence and the fix.
The API domain is the largest at 20%. Candidates who can't interpret response codes or construct proper auth headers leave a quarter of the exam on the table — and "I know Python" doesn't help when you can't tell a 401 from a 403.
You get stuck on auth questions, can't debug error responses, and burn precious exam time on what should be easy points — costing you 5–8% of your final score.
Open Postman daily and make one real API call. Practice every HTTP method and memorize key response codes cold: 200, 201, 400, 401, 403, 404, 429, 500.
YANG/NETCONF/RESTCONF appear in both Domain 3 (Cisco Platforms, 15%) and Domain 5 (Infrastructure, 20%) — two separate domains. Skipping model-driven topics costs you points in 35% of the exam.
You encounter NETCONF/RESTCONF scenario questions, can't parse the XML output, and leave 5–10 questions answered by guesswork.
Spend one focused day on YANG structure, then run a NETCONF "get" and a RESTCONF GET on a DevNet sandbox. Parse the output in Python. One session is enough to cover exam depth.
This is the single biggest predictor of failure. The exam is scenario-based — questions assume you've constructed API calls, handled error responses, and validated changes. Passive reading cannot build the intuition these questions require.
Scenario questions — identify the correct Python snippet, diagnose a failed API call, choose the right Git command — feel impossible because you've only read about them, never done them.
Use DevNet always-on sandboxes (free, 24/7) in every study session. Fork a Code Exchange repo and adapt one function to your sandbox. Minimum: one working API call per session.
Domain 4 is 15% of the exam. Candidates who skip Docker, CI/CD, and secrets management forfeit 15 percentage points — often the exact margin between pass and fail.
You can't interpret a Dockerfile, can't explain what a CI pipeline stage does, and fail secrets questions — surrendering an entire domain's worth of points in under 20 questions.
Write one Dockerfile to containerize your Python API script. Add a one-step "pytest" job you can run locally. Understand: lint → test → deploy. This takes one week, not a month.
Domain 6 tests networking in an automation context — not CLI config, but "why did this API call fail?" Both developers (who skip the domain) and network engineers (who skip the automation-specific angles) lose points here.
You can't diagnose why a management server API call times out (NAT hairpin), or why a NETCONF session fails (firewall blocking port 830), costing you the entire fundamentals domain.
In Week 10, trace five "API call failure" scenarios: blocked port, broken NAT, wrong DNS, certificate mismatch, proxy interception. For each, identify the fix at the network layer and diagram the path.
The most common questions from CCNA Automation candidates — answered directly.