Breaking into the world of Arista networking can feel daunting, especially if you come from more traditional Cisco or Juniper backgrounds. Fortunately, Arista’s revamped Arista Certified Engineer (ACE) program is designed to ease you in, letting you climb from fundamentals to deep expertise at your own pace. Below is a concise 600‑word roadmap that shows exactly where to start, how to prepare, and what to expect at every milestone.
In 2024–2025, Arista modernised the legacy “Level 1–Level 7” ladder and introduced track‑based learning that groups content by real‑world architectures—Foundations, Data Center, Campus, Routing, and Automation training arista certification. For beginners, that means you can start with the essentials that matter most to your current role instead of wading through topics you may never use.
Who it’s for: Entry‑level engineers or anyone new to Arista EOS.
Exam style: Open‑book, scenario‑driven “CORE” exam delivered online, typically 90–120 minutes arista.my.site.comsdn-pros.com.
What to study:
Prep tips:
Most newcomers pass ACE‑A within 4–6 weeks of regular study, building a solid base for more advanced levels.
Who it’s for: Engineers with 12+ months of hands‑on Arista experience.
Exam style: Multi‑task lab focused on real network builds (leaf‑spine, MLAG, BGP‑EVPN, VXLAN) 67ac63494f1c2.site123.me.
Study roadmap:
Because the ACE‑P exam mimics day‑to‑day deployment tasks, spend at least 40 hours in a lab replicating tasks from the official blueprint. Aim for 3–4 months of prep while working on live gear if possible.
Arista quietly launched ACE Specialist badges—shorter credentials for niche roles such as Network Automation, Cloud, or Security rededucation.com. Each includes a two‑day workshop plus a practical exam. Specialists are popular among DevNet‑style engineers who don’t need the entire professional track but want proof of targeted skills.Tip: If you’re in a smaller team with a specific charter (say, automating EOS with Python/Ansible), grab a Specialist badge before tackling ACE‑P. It gives you a focused win and satisfies many partner requirements arista.com.
Who it’s for: Senior engineers or architects designing multi‑site fabrics, high‑frequency trading platforms, or global cloud backbones.
Exam style: Day‑long hands‑on lab split into design, build, and troubleshoot sections. Pass rates hover around 15–20 %.
Preparation window: 6–12 months, ideally after completing at least one large‑scale Arista project. Pair lab time with real migrations—there’s no substitute for change‑window pressure.
| Milestone | Typical Prep | Cumulative Time |
|---|---|---|
| ACE‑A | 4–6 weeks | 1.5 months |
| ACE‑P | 3–4 months | 5–6 months |
| Specialist (optional) | 2 weeks | Adds ~0.5 month |
| ACE‑E | 6–12 months | ~1–1.5 years |
Most beginners can earn ACE‑A + one Specialist inside six months and become “deployment‑ready” for Arista projects.
Arista’s exams are famous for being open‑book yet unforgiving—you can Google commands, but you can’t fake troubleshooting instincts. To gain real muscle memory:
Each ACE certification is valid for three years. Renewal options include:
Given Arista’s rapid software‑defined updates, a renewal cadence ensures you stay fluent in new features like CloudVision Pathfinder, NDR, and AI‑driven streaming telemetry.
Arista’s certification path rewards hands‑on proficiency rather than rote memorisation. By following this step‑by‑step roadmap—ACE‑A fundamentals, optional Specialist badge, ACE‑P immersion, and eventually ACE‑E expertise—you’ll not only collect badges but also gain production‑grade confidence. Start small, lab relentlessly, automate early, and you’ll find that Arista’s modern certification stack is one of the fastest ways to stand out in 2025’s cloud‑first networking landscape.