CCNA Automation vs the Automation Domain on the CCNA: Which One Are You Studying?

Search “CCNA automation” today and you get two different things mixed together. Half the results talk about the automation questions inside the normal CCNA exam. The other half talk about a separate certification that Cisco now literally calls CCNA Automation. It is one of the most common mix ups we see, and it can cost weeks of study time.

This post fixes that in five minutes.

The short version

If you are preparing for the CCNA and your goal is a network engineer, NOC or network admin job, you need the automation domain, not the CCNA Automation certification.

How the confusion started

On February 3, 2026 Cisco renamed its whole DevNet track. DevNet Associate became CCNA Automation, DevNet Professional became CCNP Automation, and DevNet Expert became CCIE Automation. People who already held DevNet Associate were moved over automatically with a new badge and no retest. The exam itself kept its number, 200-901, and its content stayed mostly the same.

So “CCNA Automation” is not a new, harder CCNA. It is the old DevNet Associate with a CCNA style name.

Meanwhile the regular CCNA (200-301) has always had an automation section, and it is changing on February 3, 2027 when CCNA v2.0 replaces v1.1. Two changes, two dates exactly one year apart, similar names. No wonder search results are a mess.

What the CCNA 200-301 actually asks about automation

This is the part most CCNA candidates need. It is 10% of the exam in both versions, but the content changes a lot between them.

CCNA v1.1 (the exam you can take until February 2, 2027), domain 6.0 Automation and Programmability:

• 6.1 Explain how automation impacts network management
• 6.2 Compare traditional networks with controller-based networking
• 6.3 Describe controller-based, software defined architecture (overlay, underlay, fabric; control plane vs data plane; northbound and southbound APIs)
• 6.4 Explain AI (generative and predictive) and machine learning in network operations
• 6.5 Describe characteristics of REST-based APIs (authentication types, CRUD, HTTP verbs, data encoding)
• 6.6 Recognize the capabilities of configuration management tools such as Ansible and Terraform
• 6.7 Recognize components of JSON-encoded data

Look at the verbs: explain, compare, describe, recognize. Nothing asks you to write code. You need to read a JSON snippet, match HTTP verbs to CRUD operations, and know what Ansible and Terraform are for.

CCNA v2.0 (from February 3, 2027), domain 5.0 AI, and Network Operations and Management:

• 5.1 Describe the role of agentic AI in network operations
• 5.2 Select a prompt to send to a generative AI system, considering data classification, output format, persona and instructions
• 5.3 Describe network management approaches (device-based, cloud-based, controller-based, automation-based, infrastructure as code)
• 5.4 Describe the function of SNMP in network operations
• 5.5 Use configuration management mechanisms such as Ansible to execute commands
• 5.6 Interpret syslog message content, severity levels and facilities

Three things stand out. REST APIs, JSON and Terraform are gone from the list. SNMP and syslog moved into this domain. And 5.5 says use Ansible, which is a hands-on verb, not “recognize”. We cover that domain objective by objective in the CCNA v2.0 AI domain guide.

What CCNA Automation (200-901) asks

The 200-901 blueprint has six domains: Software Development and Design (15%), Understanding and Using APIs (20%), Cisco Platforms and Development (15%), Application Deployment and Security (15%), Infrastructure and Automation (20%) and Network Fundamentals (15%).

A few real objectives show how different it is:

• 1.2 Describe parsing of common data formats (XML, JSON and YAML) to Python data structures
• 2.9 Construct a Python script that calls a REST API using the requests library
• 4.5 Construct a Python unit test

That is developer work. Only 15% of 200-901 is networking fundamentals, which is roughly the first chapter of a CCNA book.

Which one should you study?

Study the CCNA 200-301 if you want your first network job, you are moving up from help desk, or a job post says “CCNA required”. It is the certification US network job posts most often name.

Consider CCNA Automation (200-901) if you already work in networking or have a CCNA, you enjoy scripting, and you want to move toward automation, NetDevOps or platform engineering roles.

Doing both? Take the CCNA first. The automation questions on 200-301 give you the vocabulary (APIs, controllers, Ansible) that 200-901 then expects you to use in code. Going the other way means learning Python before you know what a VLAN is.

The #1 mistake

Buying a CCNA Automation (DevNet) course when you are actually registered for the CCNA 200-301. You end up spending weeks on Python and Git that the 200-301 never tests, while the 90% of the exam that is routing, switching and troubleshooting gets less time. Check the exam number on your voucher or Pearson VUE booking. 200-301 is the CCNA. 200-901 is CCNA Automation.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Is CCNA Automation the same as CCNA? A: No. CCNA is exam 200-301. CCNA Automation is exam 200-901, the certification that was called DevNet Associate until February 3, 2026. They are separate certifications with separate exams.

Q: Do I need Python for the CCNA 200-301? A: No. Python is not listed in the CCNA v1.1 or v2.0 exam topics. You need to understand what automation does, read JSON (v1.1), and in v2.0 use Ansible to run commands, but you are not asked to write Python.

Q: I already have DevNet Associate. Do I need to retake anything? A: No. Cisco migrated active DevNet Associate holders to CCNA Automation automatically and issued new badges.

Q: Which one pays more in the US? A: The job title decides pay more than the certification does. Entry level US network job posts commonly list CCNA, while automation roles usually expect networking experience plus Python. That is why CCNA Automation tends to help people who already have a network job more than people looking for their first one.

Q: Will the CCNA automation domain get harder in v2.0? A: It changes shape. REST APIs, JSON and Terraform are removed, while agentic AI, prompt selection, SNMP, syslog and hands-on Ansible are added. It stays 10% of the exam.

Where to go from here

• New to the ideas behind this domain? Start with SDN and controller-based networking, REST APIs and Ansible for network engineers.
• Testing on v1.1 before February 2, 2027? Read CCNA v1.1 ends February 2, 2027: take it now or wait.
• Want a plan built around your exam date? Book a free first session and we will map the automation domain onto your calendar.

Sources: Cisco 200-301 CCNA v1.1 and v2.0 exam topics, Cisco 200-901 CCNAAUTO v1.1 exam topics, Cisco CCNA and CCNA Automation exam pages, CBT Nuggets on the DevNet rename (February 2026).