- The Exam at a Glance
- Domain Weights and Where the Points Live
- Domain 1: Network Automation Foundation
- Domain 2: Device-Level Network Automation
- Domain 3: Controller-Based Network Automation
- Domain 4: Operations
- Domain 5: AI in Automation
- Registration, Fees, and Renewal Facts
- Where ENAUTO Fits in the Cisco Path
- Sequencing Your Review by Domain
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Exam 300-435 ENAUTO v2.0 took effect February 3, 2026: 90 minutes, USD 300 plus tax, delivered by Pearson VUE.
- Controller-Based Network Automation is the heaviest domain at 30%; Device-Level Network Automation follows at 25%.
- AI in Automation is a new 15% domain, so do not treat it as an afterthought.
- Passing earns the Cisco Certified Automation Specialist - Enterprise Automation and Programmability, valid three years with 40 CE credits to renew.
The Exam at a Glance
This cheat sheet covers one exam only: 300-435 ENAUTO v2.0, Cisco's Automating and Programming Cisco Enterprise Solutions exam. If you searched the acronym and landed here, you want the Cisco concentration exam for enterprise automation and programmability. For background on the name itself, see What Is ENAUTO? and What Does ENAUTO Stand For?.
| Item | Fact |
|---|---|
| Exam code and version | 300-435 ENAUTO v2.0 |
| Effective date | February 3, 2026 |
| Issuing body | Cisco Systems |
| Delivery provider | Pearson VUE (test center or eligible OnVUE online proctoring) |
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Fee | USD 300 plus applicable tax |
| Languages | English and Japanese |
| Format | Proctored written exam; closed-book with confidentiality rules |
| Prerequisites | None formally required |
| Credential earned | Cisco Certified Automation Specialist - Enterprise Automation and Programmability |
Cisco determines passing thresholds statistically, so there is no fixed percentage to memorize. Our breakdown in ENAUTO Passing Score 2026 explains how to think about that, and ENAUTO Pass Rate 2026 covers what is and is not publicly known.
Domain Weights and Where the Points Live
Five official domains add up to 100%. The weighting tells you where to spend review time.
| Domain | Weight | Review Priority |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Network Automation Foundation | 10% | Quick wins; shared vocabulary for every other domain |
| 2. Device-Level Network Automation | 25% | High; hands-on model-driven interfaces |
| 3. Controller-Based Network Automation | 30% | Highest; largest single block of the exam |
| 4. Operations | 20% | High; troubleshooting and day-two tasks |
| 5. AI in Automation | 15% | Newer content; easy to under-prepare |
Domains 2 and 3 together make up 55% of the exam. If you are short on time, those two decide most outcomes. For a deeper walk through each area, read ENAUTO Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 5 Content Areas.
Domain 1: Network Automation Foundation (10%)
This is the smallest domain, but it supplies the concepts that every other domain assumes. Expect questions that test whether you can read and reason about code and data structures rather than write long programs from scratch.
Must-Know Foundation Topics
Think of this domain as the shared toolkit: Python fluency, data formats, APIs, and source control.
- Python reading skills: data types, loops, functions, error handling, and interpreting short scripts that call REST APIs
- Data formats: JSON, XML, and YAML syntax, and how to spot structural errors or extract a specific value
- REST fundamentals: HTTP methods, status codes, headers, authentication patterns, and request/response structure
- Git workflow: clone, branch, commit, merge, and resolving basic conflicts
- Automation concepts: idempotency, declarative versus imperative approaches, and why infrastructure-as-code matters
Common Trap
Candidates skim this domain because it is only 10%, then lose points on code-reading questions that reappear inside other domains. A REST status code you cannot interpret in Domain 1 will also trip you in Domain 3.
Domain 2: Device-Level Network Automation (25%)
This domain is about talking directly to individual enterprise devices using programmable interfaces. Know what each protocol is for, how it encodes data, and how to troubleshoot a failing call.
Model-Driven Programmability
Understand the relationships among models, protocols, and encodings.
- YANG: data models describing configuration and operational state; know how to read a model tree
- NETCONF: XML-encoded operations over a session, including edit-config and get-config behavior and datastores
- RESTCONF: HTTP-based access to YANG-modeled data using JSON or XML
- Model-driven telemetry: subscription-based streaming of operational data versus polling
Configuration and Template Tooling
Expect scenario questions where you choose the right tool or fix a broken workflow.
- Ansible playbooks, inventories, and modules used against network devices
- Jinja2 templating for generating device configuration from variables
- Python libraries used to interact with devices and parse returned data
- On-box programmability concepts such as guest-shell and on-device scripting
Domain 3: Controller-Based Network Automation (30%)
The largest domain focuses on automating through Cisco's enterprise controllers and platforms rather than device by device. You should be comfortable with controller APIs, authentication, and the workflows these platforms expose.
Controller and Platform Coverage
Review the enterprise platforms named in the official objectives and the pattern they share: authenticate, call an API, handle asynchronous tasks, and parse results.
- Catalyst Center (formerly DNA Center): intent-based APIs, device inventory, templates, assurance data, and task/status polling
- SD-WAN (Catalyst SD-WAN Manager): authentication with session tokens, device and template APIs, and monitoring endpoints
- Meraki Dashboard API: organization/network/device hierarchy, API keys, and rate-limit awareness
- Webhooks and event-driven patterns: receiving and validating notifications from platforms
Patterns That Repeat
- Token or key-based authentication, then using that credential in headers on later requests
- Long-running operations that return a task identifier you must poll until completion
- Pagination and filtering of large result sets
- Reading a response body to find the one field the question asks about
Key Takeaway
Because this domain is 30% of the exam, build a small script against each controller family you can access (a sandbox works) and trace every step: authenticate, request, parse, act. The mental model transfers across platforms even when endpoint names differ.
If the difficulty of this much hands-on material worries you, our ENAUTO difficulty guide explains which areas candidates find toughest and why.
Domain 4: Operations (20%)
Operations covers what happens after automation is built: keeping it working, observing it, and fixing it. Questions lean toward troubleshooting and judgment.
Operational Skills to Review
Think lifecycle: deploy, monitor, validate, troubleshoot, and roll back.
- Interpreting HTTP errors, authentication failures, and malformed requests when automation calls fail
- Using telemetry, logs, and assurance data to confirm network state
- Validating changes before and after deployment, and planning rollback
- Pipeline concepts: automated testing, version control integration, and repeatable deployments
- Secure handling of credentials, tokens, and secrets in scripts and repositories
A useful habit: for every automation task you study, ask what could fail, how you would detect it, and how you would undo it. That is the lens this domain tests.
Domain 5: AI in Automation (15%)
AI in Automation is a distinctive feature of the v2.0 blueprint and carries 15% of the exam. Because it is newer, fewer legacy study resources cover it, and candidates who rely on older ENAUTO material are most exposed here. Always check your sources against the official v2.0 objectives.
How to Approach This Domain
Focus on how AI capabilities apply to network automation work, not on building machine-learning models.
- Where AI assistance can support network operations and automation tasks, and where human validation remains essential
- The vocabulary the objectives use, so exam wording is never unfamiliar
- Risks and governance considerations: accuracy, data exposure, and verifying generated output before applying it to production
- How AI-driven insights relate to the controller and operations workflows in Domains 3 and 4
Registration, Fees, and Renewal Facts
Booking the Exam
- Register through Pearson VUE; choose a test center or an eligible OnVUE online option
- Fee is USD 300 plus applicable tax; see ENAUTO Certification Cost 2026 for budgeting around retakes and prep materials
- Closed-book rules and confidentiality policies apply; review Cisco's examination policy before test day
- Scheduling windows and logistics are covered in ENAUTO Exam Dates 2026
- There are no formal prerequisites; see ENAUTO Requirements 2026 for the full eligibility picture
Validity and Renewal
| Credential | Validity | Renewal Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Cisco Certified Automation Specialist - Enterprise Automation and Programmability | 3 years | 40 CE credits completed before expiry |
| Full CCNP credential | 3-year cycle | 80 CE credits |
Plan your renewal early. Continuing education credits must be completed before the credential expires, not after.
Where ENAUTO Fits in the Cisco Path
ENAUTO is a concentration exam. It can be paired with a core exam to form a CCNP:
- CCNP Automation: ENAUTO plus the AUTOCOR core exam
- CCNP Enterprise: ENAUTO plus the ENCOR core exam, as one of the concentration options
Passing ENAUTO on its own earns the Specialist credential, so it has standalone value even before you complete a core exam. Roles that commonly value this skill set include network automation engineers, network engineers moving toward programmability, and DevOps-minded infrastructure staff supporting enterprise networks. For market detail, see ENAUTO Jobs, ENAUTO Salary Guide 2026, and Is the ENAUTO Certification Worth It? for the ROI discussion.
Sequencing Your Review by Domain
One scheduling idea tied directly to the blueprint: front-load the skills that feed everything else, then spend the most time where the weight is highest.
Foundation (10%)
- Python reading, JSON/XML/YAML, REST status codes, Git basics
- Reason: every later domain reuses these skills
Device-Level (25%)
- YANG, NETCONF, RESTCONF, telemetry, Ansible, Jinja2
- Practice reading real payloads and playbooks
Controller-Based (30%)
- Catalyst Center, SD-WAN, Meraki API workflows in a sandbox
- Biggest domain, so give it the most hands-on time
Operations (20%) and AI (15%)
- Troubleshooting, validation, pipelines, and secure credential handling
- Official v2.0 AI objectives, line by line
For a fuller plan and resource list, use the ENAUTO Study Guide 2026, then check yourself with timed questions on the ENAUTO practice test site and review the cert page at ENAUTO Certification. If you want structured learning options, see ENAUTO Training.
Key Takeaway
Use practice questions to find which of the five domains is weakest, then return to the official objectives and rebuild that domain with hands-on work. Retake the practice exam only after you have fixed specific gaps, not just reread notes.
Frequently Asked Questions
The exam is 90 minutes long and costs USD 300 plus applicable tax. It is delivered through Pearson VUE at test centers or via eligible OnVUE online proctoring, in English and Japanese.
Controller-Based Network Automation is the largest at 30%, followed by Device-Level Network Automation at 25%, Operations at 20%, AI in Automation at 15%, and Network Automation Foundation at 10%.
No formal prerequisites are required. Practical Python, API, and enterprise networking knowledge makes the content far more manageable, but Cisco does not mandate another exam or certification first.
Passing earns the Cisco Certified Automation Specialist - Enterprise Automation and Programmability. It is valid for three years, and renewal requires 40 continuing education credits completed before expiry. Full CCNP credentials use a three-year cycle with 80 CE credits.
ENAUTO is a concentration exam. Paired with AUTOCOR it counts toward CCNP Automation, and paired with ENCOR it counts toward CCNP Enterprise. Passing it alone still earns the Specialist credential.