We be taught from an early age that change is the one fixed in life. Generally we view change as one thing to be anxious about, one thing we should shift and alter for, and that the unknown may deliver us…effectively, something. On the flip aspect, some change is nice, even wanted and refreshing (as anybody who places a brand new coat of paint on a home will attest). I suppose you could possibly say that even your views on change can change. Particularly when you’ve got somebody so as to add context that explains how a selected change advantages you.
It’s my hope that this weblog collection will make it easier to just do that, as we face main modifications centered on a subject close to and pricey to my coronary heart: the up to date Cisco Automation Certifications and their related examination matters.
In case you missed the announcement in Might 2025, we’re renaming Cisco DevNet Certifications to Cisco Automation Certifications. On February 3, 2026, every certification stage (Affiliate, Skilled, and Skilled) will transition to the CCNA/CCNP/CCIE taxonomy that’s so acquainted to our studying group, companions, and employers. Learn the announcement.


As of February 3, 2026, the Cisco Licensed DevNet Affiliate and the Cisco Licensed DevNet Skilled will turn out to be referred to as the CCNA Automation and CCIE Automation certifications, respectively. Identical take a look at, new names. It’s that straightforward.
Nonetheless, 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 present’s job market.
CCNP Automation: Reimagining the DevNet Skilled Certification
We wanted to align the CCNP Automation certification to check the talents and necessities being seen available in the market at present from our prospects who’re using community automation engineers. A lot work was put into job function and process evaluation, in addition to figuring out the {qualifications} of a certified candidate.
In any case that work was completed, it was time to lock a bunch of subject material specialists from varied backgrounds and focus areas in a room to work out the examination matters record, the three of which have been launched on the finish of July.
A brand new strategy to testing
All Cisco certification exams bear an replace and alter course of annually. We alter solely as much as 10% of the examination matters, 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 snug with writing functions for community automation. These “community automation builders” wanted to be acquainted not solely with Cisco APIs and their features but additionally with the software program growth lifecycle, software deployment, and platforms, and the way to ensure these functions have been safe, accessible, resilient, and scalable.
What automation abilities do at present’s engineers want?
These abilities are nice to have in your base of information, however the market wanted one thing totally different. Engineers who’re snug with automation frameworks and instruments and may:
- Create digital twins for pre- and post-change validations
- Leverage programmability ideas for operations and monitoring
- Snug navigating the brand new world of AI
We wanted to check a skillset that wasn’t “software 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 targets, however I really feel that our new examination matters 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 matters are actually out there!
Obtain examination matters
So, what did we alter within the AUTOCOR?
In-Scope Platforms
On the prime of the Examination Subjects PDF, particular in-scope platforms are referred to as out.
- This reduces repetition within the examination matters.
- Focuses on the platforms you must research for.
- Supplies boundaries for the scope, so that you don’t want to review each single Cisco product.
Maintain these platforms in thoughts as you progress by way of 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 can be acquainted to community automation professionals, however with a modified focus.
- Reasonably than testing on single-platform APIs, every process within the Community Automation part is targeted on a answer that entails an automation software, akin to Ansible, Terraform, or Python.
In some situations, not all platforms could be configured for every process (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 have to know and perceive limitations and capabilities in addition to methods to accomplish a aim utilizing automation.
Infrastructure as Code part
Whereas instruments like Git are nonetheless vital, 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 software.
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 methods to hold an automation answer purposeful previous preliminary testing and deployment. To do that, key areas embody:
- Safety and secret administration (passwords, API keys).
- Making certain deployed automation options stay purposeful by way of 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 units or the automation answer being examined on, not on the complete software stack (which is one thing an software developer would care about).
We’re trimming the matters to dwelling in on that community automation engineer persona and testing it by way of actionable abilities.
The change all of us knew was coming: AI
No trendy engineer will be capable to operate with out some understanding of AI, its influence on our trade, and methods to safely and successfully use its capabilities. Community automation engineers gained’t be any exception to this, both. Nonetheless, we wished the examination matters to be crafted in such a approach that introduced tangible, precious abilities and AI functions to the take a look at, and I really feel like we hit the mark with these.
We wished the candidates to know the implications behind utilizing AI for his or her roles, together with:
- Ways in which AI may 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 to work out when options will work and when they’re simply plain made up.
- This reinforces the usage of AI as a software and assistant, somewhat than outsourcing the whole lot to a mannequin; if one thing breaks at 3 a.m., “AI made it” gained’t be a suitable excuse to your leaders.
- The sensible functions of AI within the networks.
- With the short 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 process merchandise.
We additionally wished to ensure that our engineers may assemble an AI agent that may permit them to naturally discuss to an LLM and carry out some kind of community automation, presumably 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 matters can be wanted and utilized by our prospects and learners, and can turn out to be a part of the baseline data that any community automation engineer ought to know.
Does this modification my DEVCOR research?
With such a serious rewrite of an examination, the reply to this query will at all times be “sure”. Whereas we all know that this might doubtlessly interrupt your research, hopefully, the extra context and reasoning why we made this modification will make it easier to really feel extra assured and comfy with making that change. Additionally, keep in mind that you’ve got till February 2, 2026, to take and move the current DEVCOR examination, so in case you really feel that you just’re shut, proceed transferring on to get that move earlier than then.


If you happen to do have to alter your research, although, all will not be misplaced. Lots 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 can be accelerated with these ideas, so you’ll be able to deal with making use of these ideas in an entire automation answer.
Upleveling your automation pondering
You’ll additionally be capable to uplevel your automation pondering and conversations, not simply understanding the how, however the why, which can profit you in your skilled profession. Lastly, when you don’t need to overlook the whole lot you realized about software growth and the related lifecycle, you gained’t be required to recollect it on the brand new examination.
It is a change, however this can be a change for the higher. I’ll even be placing out an identical breakdown of the ENAUTO 2.0, in addition to the brand new DCNAUTO (I contributed to all three exams), so that you could really feel snug with these modifications as effectively.
Lastly, I promise that I’ll change one thing in regards to the following elements of this collection: I promise to not use the phrase “change” practically as a lot as I did right here.
As at all times, yow will discover me on LinkedIn or X (previously Twitter) when you have any questions relating to this or every other examination. Pleased finding out!
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