About This Domain
Domain 6 — Automation and Programmability — accounts for 10% of the CCNA certification exam. This domain evaluates your understanding of explain how automation impacts network management, compare traditional networks with controller-based networking (sdn), describe controller-based and software-defined architectures (overlay, underlay, fabric), and related concepts. Domain 6 covers SDN, controller-based networking, REST APIs, configuration management tools, and JSON/YAML data formats. To pass this section you need practical knowledge of how these services and patterns work together in real-world architectures.
What You'll Be Tested On
- Explain how automation impacts network management
- Compare traditional networks with controller-based networking (SDN)
- Describe controller-based and software-defined architectures (overlay, underlay, fabric)
- Compare traditional campus device management with Cisco DNA Center
- Describe characteristics of REST-based APIs (CRUD, HTTP verbs, data encoding)
- Recognize the capabilities of configuration management mechanisms (Puppet, Chef, Ansible)
Key Cisco Technologies in This Domain
Study Strategy for Domain 6
While 10% might seem like a smaller portion of the exam, every point counts toward the passing score. Focus on understanding core concepts and common exam scenarios for this domain.
Exam Tips for Domain 6
REST API HTTP verbs: GET (read), POST (create), PUT (replace), PATCH (update), DELETE (remove).
Ansible is agentless (uses SSH); Puppet and Chef require agents on managed devices.
Cisco DNA Center provides intent-based networking with a centralized controller.
JSON uses key-value pairs with curly braces; YAML uses indentation with no brackets.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many questions on the CCNA exam come from Domain 6?
Domain 6 (Automation and Programmability) makes up 10% of the CCNA exam. The exam has 65 scored questions, so approximately 7 questions will come from this domain.
What services should I focus on for Domain 6?
The key services for this domain include Automation. Make sure you understand how each service works, its use cases, and how they integrate with one another.
How should I prepare for Automation and Programmability questions?
Start by reviewing the key topics listed above, then practice with domain-specific questions. Focus on understanding real-world scenarios rather than memorizing facts.
What's the best order to study the CCNA domains?
Many candidates start with the highest-weighted domains first. For the CCNA exam, the domains in order of weight are: Network Fundamentals (20%), Network Access (20%), IP Connectivity (25%), IP Services (10%), Security Fundamentals (15%), Automation and Programmability (10%).
Practice Domain 6 Questions
Test your knowledge of Automation and Programmability with practice questions from our CCNA question bank.
Start Practice Quiz →