CertQuests
Why the networking job market demands automation skills now
For two decades, enterprise network certifications were built around a single mental model: SSH into a box, enter commands, verify the config. That model is breaking. Organisations deploying Cisco SD-WAN, DNA Center, and Catalyst Centre manage thousands of sites through APIs and controller templates, not individual CLI sessions. The engineers who can write Python to query network state, push configurations programmatically, or build a CI/CD pipeline for infrastructure-as-code changes are getting the interviews — and the offers — that pure CLI engineers are not.
Cisco launched DevNet Associate in February 2020 as part of its sweeping certification restructure. Where CCNA 200-301 proves you understand how networks operate, DEVASC 200-901 proves you can programme them. The exam is $330 USD, runs for 120 minutes, and contains approximately 100 questions spanning multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, and fill-in-the-blank formats. It is an independent credential with no CCNA prerequisite — though candidates who already hold CCNA find the networking fundamentals domain straightforward and can direct all their preparation time toward the software domains.
CLI knowledge does not transfer to DevNet automatically. The exam treats a network device as an API endpoint, not a terminal. Shift your thinking from “What command does this?” to “What API call returns this data and in what format?” — then practise calling those APIs with Python requests before exam day.
The six exam domains
Cisco publishes the full exam blueprint at developer.cisco.com. The six domains and their approximate weightings are:
Domain 1 — Software Development and Design (15%)
Core software engineering concepts applied to network automation: version control with Git, software design patterns, test-driven development basics, and reading code in Python and Bash. The exam shows Python snippets and asks what they output or where they fail. Know list comprehensions, exception handling with try/except, and working with dictionaries — these appear constantly across scenario questions.
Domain 2 — Understanding and Using APIs (20%)
The largest domain. Know REST conventions — HTTP methods, status codes, and authentication (Basic, Token, OAuth 2.0). Know how to construct GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE requests in Python using the requests library. Understand JSON and XML for parsing API responses. RESTCONF and NETCONF are both covered: RESTCONF uses HTTP/HTTPS with JSON or XML and operates against YANG data models; NETCONF uses SSH with XML and RPC operations (<get-config>, <edit-config>, <commit>). Know which protocol is more suited to which use case.
Domain 3 — Cisco Platforms and Development (15%)
Cisco’s developer-facing platforms: DNA Center (intent-based networking controller for enterprise campus), Meraki Dashboard API (cloud-managed networking), Webex APIs (collaboration), and Firepower (security). Know the Cisco DevNet Sandbox — a free, reservable lab where you practise against real Cisco software without needing your own gear. On DNA Center: know the site hierarchy (Organisation → Site → Building → Floor), how templates are used for zero-touch provisioning, and which API endpoints surface device health and topology data.
Domain 4 — Application Deployment and Security (15%)
Containers and deployment: Docker images, containers, Dockerfile syntax, and core Docker CLI (docker build, docker run, docker ps). Kubernetes at the conceptual level — Pods, Deployments, Services. Security considerations for APIs: certificate validation in Python requests, avoiding hard-coded credentials, using environment variables. Know the difference between authentication (who you are) and authorisation (what you can do) as applied to API access control.
Domain 5 — Infrastructure and Automation (20%)
The automation toolchain: Ansible for network device configuration (playbooks, inventory, roles, modules like cisco.ios.ios_command). Terraform concepts — providers, state, plan vs apply. CI/CD pipeline stages (build, test, deploy) applied to infrastructure changes. Model-driven telemetry: gRPC streaming vs SNMP polling, and why streaming telemetry is replacing SNMP for high-frequency operational metrics in modern Cisco deployments.
Domain 6 — Network Fundamentals (15%)
Traditional networking through the DevNet lens: how ARP, DNS, DHCP, and TCP/IP function as the substrate APIs run on top of. SDN architecture: control plane separation, southbound APIs (OpenFlow, NETCONF), northbound APIs (REST to controller). SD-WAN concepts: overlay transport independence, centralised policy, and zero-touch provisioning for branch sites. Candidates who already hold CCNA can de-prioritise this domain and focus energy on Domains 2 and 5.
The most predictable exam mistake: candidates who can configure a Cisco router in their sleep but have never written a Python script. Open a DevNet Sandbox session on day one of your prep and commit to writing at least five real API calls in Python before you touch a study guide. Hands-on experience transfers to exam scenarios; reading does not.
What comes after DevNet Associate
DevNet Associate feeds directly into DevNet Professional, which requires two exams: a core covering advanced automation and a concentration aligned to your specialisation (Enterprise Networks, Security, Data Centre, Service Provider, or Collaboration). Above that sits DevNet Expert — Cisco’s highest automation credential, requiring a practical lab exam that mirrors a real engineering sprint.
DevNet Associate also stacks cleanly alongside CCNA and CCNP. Employers increasingly list both CCNA and DevNet Associate as preferred qualifications for senior network engineer roles, signalling that a candidate can both architect a network and automate its lifecycle. Candidates targeting CCNP Enterprise should note that the automation topics in the ENAUTO concentration exam overlap heavily with DevNet Associate Domain 5, making it efficient to prepare both tracks simultaneously.
DevNet Associate is the certification proof point that you have made the transition every network professional needs to make in 2026: from manual configuration to programmatic control. Hiring managers at enterprises deploying Cisco Catalyst Centre and SD-WAN are looking for engineers who can write the scripts that replace hours of CLI work — and DEVASC 200-901 is the credential that signals you are that engineer. Typical preparation time is 6–10 weeks for candidates with CCNA-level networking knowledge and basic Python familiarity. Use the official Cisco DevNet study resources and practise in the free DevNet Sandbox — the most valuable free lab environment in the networking certification world.
Ready to test your networking fundamentals? Practise CCNA scenario questions covering the networking substrate that every DevNet candidate needs to know cold before exam day.
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