Cisco embeds AI into CCNA v2.0

Cisco is not adding AI to its certification track as a side topic. The company is rewriting the entry-level networking credential and the expert practical exams around the assumption that engineers will work alongside AI tools. (blogs.cisco.com) Cisco said on May 20 that the new CCNA v2.0 will become the active exam on February 3, 2027, and that expert-level CCIE practical exams will add a one-hour AI Deploy, Operate, and Optimize module on a staged rollout. The change gives a clearer read on what Cisco thinks the next baseline job will look like. Ryan Rose of Learn with Cisco wrote that “network engineers now need to be orchestrators,” not only operators, as AI becomes part of how networks are designed, managed and secured. (learningnetwork.cisco.com) In a separate Cisco Learning Network post, the company said candidates will be expected to use AI tools inside a bounded exam module for configuration, troubleshooting, optimization and code creation. ### What exactly changed in the CCNA blueprint? Cisco’s updated CCNA blueprint now lists AI as one of the tested domains alongside routing, switching, security, infrastructure and operations. (blogs.cisco.com) The official exam topics page says the 200-301 CCNA v2.0 exam is a 120-minute test and marks February 3, 2027 as the first date to sit for the new version. The prior v1.1 exam remains available through February 2, 2027. Cisco has not framed the new associate-level AI material as full-scale model building. Rose wrote that the revised CCNA asks whether candidates can “evaluate what an AI assistant recommends and know when it’s wrong,” tying the new content to operational judgment rather than research work. (blogs.cisco.com) Cisco’s broader announcement said the blueprint is built around network infrastructure, troubleshooting, a security-first mindset and “understanding the role of AI in network management and operations.” ### Where does the hands-on AI testing show up first? Cisco said the most explicit operational AI testing will arrive in the CCIE practical exams through the new AI DOO module. (learningnetwork.cisco.com) The company said that module will run for one hour inside the eight-hour lab exam, while the design section drops to two hours and the existing DOO section remains five hours. The Learning Network post says candidates in that module will get access to a multimodal large language model and selected track-specific AI tools, including Cisco-native assistants, AIOps and AgenticOps capabilities. (learningnetwork.cisco.com) Cisco said those tools will be limited to the AI module rather than spread across the entire lab. ### Which CCIE tracks get the AI module, and when? Cisco said the first pilot is for CCIE Data Center at Cisco Live London in February 2027. The full CCIE Data Center practical exam with AI DOO is scheduled for June 2027, followed by CCIE Collaboration in August 2027, subject to confirmation. (learningnetwork.cisco.com) Security and Service Provider are listed for September 2027, Enterprise Infrastructure for February 2028, and Automation and Wireless for June 2028. That schedule matters because it places Collaboration among the earlier expert tracks to receive the AI module. Cisco has not yet published the final Collaboration toolset, but the company said the AI tools will vary by technology track and use case. (learningnetwork.cisco.com) ### Why is Cisco changing a certification that already has global scale? Cisco said the CCNA has been earned by more than 1.8 million individuals in 190 countries, making the revision one of the company’s broadest signals about workforce expectations. Rose wrote that Cisco interviewed employers who said they value candidates who can isolate an issue quickly, not just recite configuration steps. (learningnetwork.cisco.com) The company’s wording is consistent across the announcements. Cisco said AI has become “an integral part” of network design, management and security, and Rose wrote that AI has moved from “buzzword to operational reality.” Those statements describe a certification update aimed at day-one job readiness rather than a separate AI specialty. (learningnetwork.cisco.com) ### What should candidates watch next? February 3, 2027 is the date Cisco lists for the CCNA v2.0 exam launch, and February 2, 2027 is the last day to test on v1.1. Cisco also said the first AI DOO pilot for CCIE Data Center will be held at Cisco Live London in February 2027, with the Collaboration practical exam scheduled to add the module in August 2027, pending confirmation. (blogs.cisco.com) (learningnetwork.cisco.com)