Cisco CCNP Automation Study Guide
CCNP Automation is the renamed DevNet Professional (February 2026) — and the rename came with teeth: the AUTOCOR core got a major v2.0 content overhaul, and the concentration menu was cut from eight exams to two. This is Cisco's professional credential for network automation engineers: the people who drive infrastructure with Python, APIs, and pipelines instead of box-by-box CLI.
Overview
Level
Professional
Vendor
Cisco
Audience
Network engineers who've crossed the automation line — CCNA Automation holders, CCNP-track engineers whose Ansible repos outgrew their rack time, and NetDevOps practitioners formalizing real skills. Assumes genuine Python and API fluency; this is not where you learn to code.
Why get CCNP Automation
Because the market pays the premium this cert certifies: network engineers who genuinely automate consistently out-earn traditional peers at the same experience level, and the roles converting fastest to the growing architect column (BLS: +12%) are exactly the automation-fluent ones. The 2026 overhaul makes the credential more honest too — AUTOCOR v2.0 was a major topic update, not a sticker swap, so a fresh pass certifies current NetDevOps practice: automation systems design, deployment, and management. Every exam earns a standalone Specialist credential, and AUTOCOR doubles as the CCIE Automation qualifying exam.
Salary expectations
Typical salary range
$105,000 – $145,000 (network automation / NetDevOps engineers)
No official cert-specific data exists — anchor to the role: network automation engineers consistently earn above traditional network engineers at equal experience (the premium this skill set commands), with U.S. NetDevOps roles typically posting $105–145K and senior/platform positions above that, converging on the BLS architect band ($130,390 median, +12% growth). Third-party and directional, as always.
When to get CCNP Automation
When automation is your actual job or provably your next one — after CCNA Automation (or equivalent: comfortable Python, REST APIs, Git, and one config-management tool in real use). Material warning bigger than most tracks: the v2.0 core landed February 2026 with MAJOR topic changes — old DEVCOR courses and books teach a meaningfully different exam. Verify v2.0 alignment on everything, and expect the third-party ecosystem to lag well into 2026–27.
Exam details
Exam Quick Reference
- Exam Code
- 350-901 AUTOCOR + 1 concentration
- Vendor
- Cisco
- Level
- Professional
- Duration
- AUTOCOR: 120 minutes · concentration: 90 minutes
- Format
- Two proctored exams at Pearson VUE (test center or OnVUE): the AUTOCOR v2.0 core plus one of two concentrations. Multiple-choice, scenario, and code-reading items; counts and passing scores not published. Results in ~48 hours.
- Questions
- Not published by Cisco
Renewal: 3-year cycle, 80 CE credits on the unified ledger — AUTOCOR re-pass = 80 CE, a concentration = 40. Note both concentrations double-count toward sibling CCNPs (Enterprise for ENAUTO, Data Center for DCNAUTO), making this the most renewal-efficient track in the catalog for multi-cert holders.
How this certification is assembled
- Core exam — required 350-901 AUTOCOR v2.0 $400
Designing, Deploying and Managing Network Automation Systems
Same code as the old DEVCOR, but v2.0 (Feb 2026) carried MAJOR topic updates — old DEVCOR materials teach a different exam. Also the CCIE Automation qualifying exam.
- Concentration — choose one 300-435 ENAUTO v2.0 $300
Automating and Programming Cisco Enterprise Solutions
The enterprise-side lane — also counts toward CCNP Enterprise. The natural pick for campus/WAN engineers.
- Concentration — choose one 300-635 DCNAUTO v2.0 $300
Automating Cisco Data Center Networking Solutions
The data-center lane — also counts toward CCNP Data Center. English/Japanese. The two-for-one pick for DC-bound engineers.
Facts on this page last verified July 2026 against official Cisco sources.
Skills covered
Automation Systems Design (AUTOCOR v2.0)
- Designing automation architectures, not just scripts — the v2.0 shift
- API design and consumption at professional depth: REST, gRPC concepts, webhooks
- Application deployment models and CI/CD for network tooling
- Version control workflows: Git as the source of truth for infrastructure
- The systems thinking that separates automation engineers from script writers
Platform Integration
- Cisco platform APIs in anger: Catalyst Center, SD-WAN Manager, Meraki, NX-OS
- Model-driven programmability: YANG, NETCONF, RESTCONF at depth
- Telemetry pipelines and event-driven automation
- Webex and collaboration APIs where they survive in v2.0
- Choosing the right interface per platform — the daily judgment call
Operations & the Chosen Lane
- Securing automation: secrets, tokens, API security practice
- Testing and reliability for network code — because broken automation breaks everything at once
- ENAUTO lane: enterprise platform automation (also feeds CCNP Enterprise)
- DCNAUTO lane: fabric and DC automation (also feeds CCNP Data Center)
- Where this ladder tops out: the CCIE Automation practical
Step-by-step study path
This sequence reflects what consistently works. Follow it in order—don't skip ahead.
- 1
Verify v2.0 on every single resource — this track's biggest trap
AUTOCOR v2.0 (February 2026) was a major content overhaul on an unchanged exam code — the most dangerous kind of revision. Old DEVCOR courses, books, and question banks teach a meaningfully different exam. Check blueprint alignment on everything, and expect thin v2.0 coverage from third parties into 2027; the official CLN topics page is the contract.
- 2
Choose the concentration by your sibling ambitions
Both options double-count: ENAUTO also advances CCNP Enterprise, DCNAUTO also advances CCNP Data Center (and is offered in Japanese). If either sibling CCNP is anywhere in your plans, the choice makes itself — one $300 exam, two certs advanced.
- 3
Lab on the platforms, free
Cisco's DevNet sandboxes remain the core lab (the platform kept the DevNet name even though the certs didn't): reservable Catalyst Center, SD-WAN, Meraki, and NX-OS environments to run real code against. CML-Free adds device-level API practice.
- 4
Build the portfolio in parallel — it outranks the cert
The consistent market verdict: hiring managers for automation roles open your GitHub before your certs. Every lab you write for AUTOCOR belongs in a public repo with a README. The cert proves the floor; the portfolio gets the interview.
- 5
Sit AUTOCOR, bank two doors
$400, 120 minutes. Passing earns the Specialist credential and simultaneously qualifies you for the CCIE Automation practical — the expert lab formerly known as DevNet Expert, whose holders were granted CCIE numbers in the 2026 migration.
- 6
Close the concentration and set the renewal loop
90 minutes, $300, done. Renewal math favors this track uniquely: your concentration's 40 CE also served a sibling CCNP if you hold one, and the next cycle's concentration can do the same in the other direction.
- 7
Aim the credential where it converts
NetDevOps, platform engineering, and automation-lead roles at Cisco-standardized enterprises and partners are where this cert reads loudest. Pair it with cloud networking (AWS/Azure) and Terraform fluency and you're describing the fastest-growing profile in networking.
Ready for a structured course?
A top-rated course covers every CCNP Automation exam domain in order. See the paid resources section below for options and pricing.
View course options →Free resources
The v2.0 contract — with major changes from DEVCOR and a lagging third-party ecosystem, this list is your primary study source.
Free reservable platform environments — Catalyst Center, SD-WAN, Meraki, NX-OS. The lab this cert assumes.
Free guided labs across the API surface — the platform kept its DevNet name and its free tier.
The free canonical texts for the fluency AUTOCOR assumes rather than teaches.
Paid resources
The resources below are the most commonly recommended for the 350-901 AUTOCOR + 1 concentration exam. Prices reflect typical pricing—discounts run frequently.
| Provider | Type | Price | Best for | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco U. (Essentials / All Access) | Official Training | ~$1,800/yr Essentials · ~$6,000/yr All Access (list — verify current) | The only substantial v2.0-aligned training while third parties catch up — official paths plus CE credits | |
| CBT Nuggets – Network Automation Training | Video Course | ~$59/month | Video-first learners — verify v2.0 alignment before subscribing; DEVCOR-era content persists in catalogs | |
| Cisco Press – DEVCOR-era Official Cert Guide | Book | ~$50–$70 | The durable fundamentals only — API design, Git, deployment concepts survive; treat v2.0's new topics as uncovered until a refreshed edition ships |
Cisco U. (Essentials / All Access)
Official Training · ~$1,800/yr Essentials · ~$6,000/yr All Access (list — verify current)
The only substantial v2.0-aligned training while third parties catch up — official paths plus CE credits
Plain reference link. Employer funding or Learning Credits strongly recommended at these prices.
CBT Nuggets – Network Automation Training
Video Course · ~$59/month
Video-first learners — verify v2.0 alignment before subscribing; DEVCOR-era content persists in catalogs
Plain reference link.
Cisco Press – DEVCOR-era Official Cert Guide
Book · ~$50–$70
The durable fundamentals only — API design, Git, deployment concepts survive; treat v2.0's new topics as uncovered until a refreshed edition ships
Buy knowingly: it targets the pre-v2.0 blueprint. The blueprint delta is your reading list for the rest.
Affiliate links (buttons) may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Plain text links are unaffiliated references and earn us nothing. Affiliate disclosure →
Vouchers & exam cost
$700 minimum. Automation teams live inside the enterprises most likely to hold unused Cisco Learning Credits — ask first.
Frequently asked questions
What actually changed in the DevNet → Automation rebrand?
More than the name, at this tier. CCNA Automation kept its content untouched; CCNP Automation did not — the 350-901 core went DEVCOR → AUTOCOR v2.0 with major topic updates (February 2026), and the concentration menu was cut from eight exams to two (ENAUTO and DCNAUTO; DEVOPS, SAUTO, SPAUTO, and CLAUTO all retired). DevNet Professional holders were migrated automatically, but new candidates face a genuinely revised exam.
Is my old DEVCOR study material usable?
Partially, and dangerously so. The durable fundamentals — API design, Git workflows, deployment models — survive. But v2.0's major updates mean old courses miss real exam content while teaching some that's gone. Use DEVCOR-era materials for foundations only, and study the v2.0 blueprint deltas from official sources. Same code, different exam — the worst kind of trap.
Which concentration — ENAUTO or DCNAUTO?
By your infrastructure world: ENAUTO for campus/WAN/enterprise platforms, DCNAUTO for data-center fabrics. The strategic kicker: each double-counts toward its sibling CCNP (Enterprise or Data Center), so if either is in your plans, one $300 exam advances two professional certs — the most efficient purchase in Cisco's catalog.
CCNP Automation or just a strong GitHub?
Honest answer: the GitHub converts more interviews, and hiring managers for automation roles say so consistently. The cert's value is the floor it proves (systematic coverage, not just the scripts you happened to write), partner/enterprise recognition, and the CCIE Automation runway. The winning combination is obviously both — and AUTOCOR study naturally produces portfolio material if you publish as you lab.
Where does this ladder top out?
CCIE Automation — the renamed DevNet Expert, whose practical exam continues unchanged and whose holders received CCIE numbers in the February 2026 migration. Your AUTOCOR pass is its qualifying exam. It's almost certainly the smallest CCIE population — Cisco publishes no per-track counts, but DevNet Expert's short 2022–2026 run produced few holders — for better and worse.
Ready to study?
Start with the free resources above, then add a top-rated course and practice exams when you're ready to test yourself.