We study from an early age that change is the one fixed in life. Typically we view change as one thing to be fearful about, one thing we should shift and regulate for, and that the unknown might convey us…nicely, something. On the flip aspect, some change is sweet, even wanted and refreshing (as anybody who places a brand new coat of paint on a home will attest). I assume you may say that even your views on change can change. Particularly when you have got somebody so as to add context that explains how a selected change advantages you.
It’s my hope that this weblog sequence will aid you just do that, as we face main modifications centered on a subject close to and expensive to my coronary heart: the up to date Cisco Automation Certifications and their related examination subjects.
In case you missed the announcement in Could 2025, we’re renaming Cisco DevNet Certifications to Cisco Automation Certifications. On February 3, 2026, every certification degree (Affiliate, Skilled, and Professional) will transition to the CCNA/CCNP/CCIE taxonomy that’s so acquainted to our studying neighborhood, companions, and employers. Learn the announcement.
As of February 3, 2026, the Cisco Licensed DevNet Affiliate and the Cisco Licensed DevNet Professional will develop into often called the CCNA Automation and CCIE Automation certifications, respectively. Identical take a look at, new names. It’s that simple.
Nevertheless, after a lot thought and consideration, it was determined that the Cisco Licensed DevNet Skilled certification wanted greater than a reputation change. It wanted to align with at this time’s job market.
CCNP Automation: Reimagining the DevNet Skilled Certification
We would have liked to align the CCNP Automation certification to check the talents and necessities being seen available in the market at this time from our prospects who’re using community automation engineers. A lot work was put into job position and job evaluation, in addition to figuring out the {qualifications} of a certified candidate.
In spite of everything that work was performed, it was time to lock a bunch of material specialists from varied backgrounds and focus areas in a room to work out the examination subjects listing, the three of which have been launched on the finish of July.
A brand new strategy to testing
All Cisco certification exams endure an replace and alter course of every year. We modify solely as much as 10% of the examination subjects, and generally not even that a lot. However within the case of the CCNP Automation, we simply couldn’t make that quantity match with how the exams wanted to be reshaped.
When first launched, the Skilled-level DevNet exams have been targeted very a lot on reworking community engineers into people who have been comfy with writing purposes for community automation. These “community automation builders” wanted to be acquainted not solely with Cisco APIs and their capabilities but in addition with the software program growth lifecycle, utility deployment, and platforms, and the way to verify these purposes have been safe, accessible, resilient, and scalable.
What automation abilities do at this time’s engineers want?
These abilities are nice to have in your base of information, however the market wanted one thing completely different. Engineers who’re comfy with automation frameworks and instruments and might:
- Create digital twins for pre- and post-change validations
- Leverage programmability rules for operations and monitoring
- Comfy navigating the brand new world of AI
We would have liked to check a skillset that wasn’t “utility developer who understands a little bit of networking,” however “community engineer with expertise in network-specific automation frameworks to implement an end-to-end answer.”
Lofty objectives, however I really feel that our new examination subjects hit all these areas (I could also be just a bit biased, since I used to be a kind of people locked in that room for hours).
Cisco Automation Certification examination subjects are actually obtainable!
Obtain examination subjects
So, what did we modify within the AUTOCOR?
In-Scope Platforms
On the high of the Examination Matters PDF, particular in-scope platforms are referred to as out.
- This reduces repetition within the examination subjects.
- Focuses on the platforms it is best to research for.
- Offers boundaries for the scope, so that you don’t want to check each single Cisco product.
Preserve these platforms in thoughts as you progress via every of the domains.
Area Modifications
- The examination moved from 5 domains of research to 4.
- This will increase the examination weight on the primary two domains: Community Automation and Infrastructure as Code.
- These sections might be acquainted to community automation professionals, however with a modified focus.
- Somewhat than testing on single-platform APIs, every job within the Community Automation part is targeted on a answer that entails an automation instrument, comparable to Ansible, Terraform, or Python.
In some cases, not all platforms may be configured for every job (like utilizing NETCONF for ACI). This wasn’t an oversight; as a community automation skilled, you’ll be checked out as somebody to assist information an enterprise in direction of a correct answer and toolset, so you could know and perceive limitations and capabilities in addition to the way to accomplish a aim utilizing automation.
Infrastructure as Code part
Whereas instruments like Git are nonetheless necessary, once more, the main focus has shifted in direction of utilizing a CI/CD pipeline and GitOps to deploy community automation options, both in opposition to actual {hardware} or leveraging a digital twin simulation instrument.
Professionals want to know:
- CI/CD processes.
- Cisco Modeling Labs.
- Community sources of fact (for pulling knowledge into pipelines for variables, configuration, and so on.).
The main focus is on the answer somewhat than particular person elements.
Operations part
The emphasis is on the way to maintain an automation answer useful previous preliminary testing and deployment. To do that, key areas embody:
- Safety and secret administration (passwords, API keys).
- Making certain deployed automation options stay useful via network-centric testing.
- Utilizing model-driven telemetry on varied platforms to enhance community observability.
Remember, although, that the safety/secret administration (like passwords and API keys), certificates administration, and logging solely pertain to the community gadgets or the automation answer being examined on, not on the whole utility stack (which is one thing an utility developer would care about).
We’re trimming the subjects to dwelling in on that community automation engineer persona and testing it via actionable abilities.
The change all of us knew was coming: AI
No trendy engineer will be capable of operate with out some understanding of AI, its influence on our trade, and the way to safely and successfully use its capabilities. Community automation engineers gained’t be any exception to this, both. Nevertheless, we needed the examination subjects to be crafted in such a approach that introduced tangible, helpful abilities and AI purposes to the take a look at, and I really feel like we hit the mark with these.
We needed the candidates to know the implications behind utilizing AI for his or her roles, together with:
- Ways in which AI might trigger hurt to a company, together with IP theft, knowledge sovereignty, and simply “code that doesn’t work.”
- Likewise, community automation engineers ought to be capable of work out when options will work and when they’re simply plain made up.
- This reinforces the usage of AI as a instrument and assistant, somewhat than outsourcing every little thing to a mannequin; if one thing breaks at 3 a.m., “AI made it” gained’t be an appropriate excuse to your leaders.
- The sensible purposes of AI within the networks.
- With the fast rise of mannequin context protocol (MCP) servers getting used as conduits and extensions to LLMs for community automation, it was a no brainer to incorporate a Pythonic framework of MCP server growth as a job merchandise.
We additionally needed to guarantee that our engineers might assemble an AI agent that may enable them to naturally discuss to an LLM and carry out some form of community automation, probably even utilizing a number of MCP servers.
Whereas we perceive the world of AI is quickly evolving, we felt that the talents examined by these examination subjects might be wanted and utilized by our prospects and learners, and can develop into a part of the baseline information that any community automation engineer ought to know.
Does this modification my DEVCOR research?
With such a significant rewrite of an examination, the reply to this query will at all times be “sure”. Whereas we all know that this might probably interrupt your research, hopefully, the extra context and reasoning why we made this modification will aid you really feel extra assured and cozy with making that change. Additionally, keep in mind that you’ve till February 2, 2026, to take and go the current DEVCOR examination, so when you really feel that you just’re shut, proceed transferring on to get that go earlier than then.
When you do have to vary your research, although, all shouldn’t be misplaced. Most of the ideas that exist inside DEVCOR, like API utilization, git instructions, use of Python, Ansible, and Terraform, and understanding Cisco platforms, will all come in useful in AUTOCOR. Your research might be accelerated with these ideas, so you may concentrate on making use of these ideas in an entire automation answer.
Upleveling your automation pondering
You’ll additionally be capable of uplevel your automation pondering and conversations, not simply understanding the how, however the why, which is able to profit you in your skilled profession. Lastly, whilst you don’t wish to overlook every little thing you realized about utility growth and the related lifecycle, you gained’t be required to recollect it on the brand new examination.
This can be a change, however this can be a change for the higher. I’ll even be placing out an analogous breakdown of the ENAUTO 2.0, in addition to the brand new DCNAUTO (I contributed to all three exams), so to really feel comfy with these modifications as nicely.
Lastly, I promise that I’ll change one thing concerning the following elements of this sequence: I promise to not use the phrase “change” almost as a lot as I did right here. 😉
As at all times, you will discover me on LinkedIn or X (previously Twitter) when you have any questions concerning this or some other examination. Blissful learning!
Be a part of us for our Cisco Automation Certifications Digital Occasion
September 9, 2025, at 9 a.m. Pacific Time | Register now totally free
Join Cisco U. | Be a part of the Cisco Studying Community at this time totally free.
Be taught with Cisco
X | Threads | Fb | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube
Use #CiscoU and #CiscoCert to affix the dialog.
Share:
