200-901 vs CCNA 200-301: which exam first?
Take the CCNA 200-301 first if you work on or want to work on networks, and take 200-901 first if you are a developer or scripter who needs Cisco platform and API skills. They test different halves of the same job. 200-301 asks whether you can build, verify and troubleshoot a network from the command line. 200-901 asks whether you can automate and integrate with it using code, REST APIs and Cisco’s platforms. Neither is a prerequisite for the other.
The two exams side by side
| 200-901 CCNA Automation | CCNA 200-301 | |
|---|---|---|
| Official title | Automating Networks Using Cisco Platforms | Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions |
| Level | Associate | Associate |
| Duration | 120 minutes | 120 minutes |
| Questions | Not published | Not published |
| Passing score | Not published | Not published |
| Languages | English, Japanese | English, Japanese |
| Price | 300 USD at time of writing | 300 USD at time of writing |
| Prerequisites | None | None |
| Validity | 3 years | 3 years |
| Main skill | Python, APIs, Git, platforms, CI/CD | Routing, switching, services, security |
On logistics they are nearly identical, so the choice is about content and your day job.
Domains compared
| 200-901 domain | Weight | Nearest CCNA v2.0 area |
|---|---|---|
| Software Development and Design | 15% | None |
| Understanding and Using APIs | 20% | None |
| Cisco Platforms and Development | 15% | Management approaches, in domain 5 |
| Application Deployment and Security | 15% | Security concepts, partly |
| Infrastructure and Automation | 20% | Ansible and infrastructure as code, in domain 5 (10%) |
| Network Fundamentals | 15% | Domains 1 to 4 in depth |
The overlap is small. The CCNA’s operations domain touches automation at the level of vocabulary and Ansible, and 200-901 touches networking at the level of VLANs, subnetting, DHCP, DNS, NAT and ports. Neither goes into the depth of the other. For the networking side see the CCNA 200-301 section, in particular its exam format and AI and network operations guide.
Which one is harder?
It depends on you. A network engineer who has never written Python will find 200-901 the harder exam, because reading code, JSON and Dockerfiles is a new skill. A developer who has never configured a switch will find the CCNA harder, because subnetting, spanning tree and OSPF are new. See is 200-901 hard and is the CCNA hard.
Who should take which first
| If you are | Start with |
|---|---|
| Heading for a network administrator or engineer role | CCNA 200-301 |
| A developer who calls network or collaboration APIs | 200-901 |
| A network engineer who wants to script your work | CCNA first, then 200-901 |
| A systems administrator who writes scripts and needs Cisco context | 200-901, with the CCNA fundamentals as a reading list |
| Unsure | CCNA, because networking vocabulary makes the platform domain easier |
Doing both
Many candidates take both. The order that makes the second exam easier is networking first, because the platform and fundamentals domains of 200-901 assume you know what a VLAN, a gateway and a management plane are. If you choose that route, the CCNA study plan is a fair base, and the 200-901 study plan then adds the software side in four weeks.
Cisco’s CCNA Automation recertification rules allow renewal with a higher-level Cisco exam or continuing education credits. Whether a CCNA pass renews a CCNA Automation is not stated on the pages used for this guide, so check Cisco’s recertification policy rather than assume it.