Code: Not formally assigned · ● Active · Associate · Arista Networks
Formal naming note: Arista's Enhanced Certification Program (launched June 2025) restructured its certification track. The Associate level is marketed as the foundational credential within the Learning Tracks (Data Center, Campus, Routing, Automation). Internally referenced as "ACE-A" or "Level 1," but no single hyphenated code is officially published.
Exam facts
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Cost | Not published by vendor; typical range $200–$300 USD estimated from third-party sources |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Questions | Hands-on lab format (count not published) |
| Passing score | Not published (vendor uses open-book, performance-based assessment) |
| Format | Hands-on lab + CLI-based configuration tasks |
| Delivery | Arista Academy proctored online (Honorlock) |
| Languages | English |
| Valid | 2 years from pass date |
| Renewal | Pass a higher-level certification (Specialist/L3 or Professional/L5) to renew; no CE credits required |
| Prerequisites | None formal; 6 months hands-on EOS experience recommended; basic Layer 2/3 networking knowledge expected |
| Released | June 1, 2025 (as part of Enhanced Certification Program) |
| Retiring | Legacy ACE-L1 retired December 31, 2025; Associate level is the new entry-point credential |
Vendor source — Arista Academy ↗ Official exam overview — Arista Certified Engineering Associate (ACE-A) Exam ↗ Enhanced Certification Program guide — ACE Enhanced Certification Overview (PDF) ↗
About
The Arista Certified Associate Network Engineer validates foundational competency with Arista EOS (Extensible Operating System), Layer 2 switching, basic Layer 3 routing, and core routing protocols (BGP, OSPF, MLAG). Launched June 1, 2025 as the entry-level credential within Arista's Enhanced Certification Program, it replaces the deprecated legacy ACE-L1 (which retired December 31, 2025). The exam emphasizes hands-on CLI configuration of VLAN switching, Multi-Chassis LAG (MLAG) redundancy, VXLAN overlay basics, and CloudVision platform fundamentals. Designed for network operators, junior network engineers, infrastructure technicians, and career-changers new to data center or enterprise Arista environments.
Domain context — Networking / Data Center
Enterprise and data center switching fabrics spanning Layer 2 switching through Layer 3 routing and overlay networking (VXLAN/EVPN). Arista specializes in modular, high-performance switch hardware combined with the EOS software platform, targeting data center spine-leaf architectures, campus networks, and cloud interconnect designs.
Read full deep dive — Networking Domain →
Topics covered
Exam blueprint (from official Arista Academy Detailed Overview and community publications):
- EOS Fundamentals (15–20%) — Command syntax, configuration file management, operational modes, logging, account management, user privilege levels
- Layer 2 Switching & VLANs (15–20%) — VLAN creation and trunk configuration, MAC address table inspection, port channel (LAG) basics, Spanning Tree Protocol operation
- Layer 3 Routing Basics (20–25%) — IPv4 addressing and subnetting, static routing, default gateways, routing table inspection, interface configuration
- OSPF & BGP Essentials (15–20%) — Single-area OSPF neighbor formation and area configuration, EBGP neighbor adjacency, route advertisement, basic route filtering
- MLAG (Multi-Chassis LAG) (10–15%) — MLAG domain setup, peer-link configuration, MLAG interface assignments, redundancy validation, failure scenarios
- VXLAN & EVPN Basics (10–15%) — VXLAN tunnel encapsulation, VTEP (Virtual Tunnel End Point) role and assignment, basic EVPN control plane with MP-BGP, head-end replication
- CloudVision Platform (5–10%) — CloudVision UI navigation, device onboarding and registration, telemetry overview, event log interpretation, basic alerting
- Troubleshooting & Validation (10–15%) — Packet capture and frame analysis, show command interpretation (routing, BGP, interface, MAC, VLAN status), ping/traceroute, traffic flow verification
Source: Arista Academy Training Overview ↗
Common skills at Networking · Associate
Shared content for the Networking domain at Associate level — not specific to this cert.
- Layer 2 switch fabric design and VLAN segmentation
- Spanning Tree Protocol operation and convergence
- IPv4 and IPv6 address assignment and routing table interpretation
- Static routing and dynamic routing protocol fundamentals (OSPF, BGP, RIP)
- Interface configuration, port channels, and link redundancy
- Basic network troubleshooting with CLI tools (ping, traceroute, show commands)
- Traffic flow validation and packet capture analysis
- Change-control and documentation practices
Recommended courses at Networking · Associate
| Provider | Title | Cost | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arista Academy (Official) | Foundations Learning Track (self-paced) | Free | ↗ |
| Arista Academy (Official) | Data Center Learning Track (self-paced, 45+ hours) | Free | ↗ |
| Sunset Learning (Authorized Partner) | ACE Associate Preparation Bootcamp | $1,200–$2,000 | ↗ |
| Red Education (Authorized Partner) | Arista EOS Configuration Essentials | $1,500–$2,500 | ↗ |
| Armada Labs (Authorized Partner) | ACE Associate Bootcamp (5-day instructor-led) | $2,500–$4,000 | ↗ |
Course-selection rule: Arista recommends completing the free Academy Digital (Foundations + Data Center or Campus) track before attempting the exam. The self-paced content includes 40+ hours of lab access. For instructor-led training, register through an Arista-authorized training partner (Sunset Learning, Red Education, New Horizons, Armada Labs) to ensure current curriculum aligned with the 2026 Enhanced Certification Program.
Practice exams
| Provider | Title | Cost | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arista Academy (Official) | ACE Associate Practice Lab Environment | Free (with Arista Academy account) | ↗ |
| ExamTopics | Arista ACE-A1.2 Practice Questions | Free | ↗ |
| FlashGenius | Arista Academy Study Guide and Practice | Included with study membership | ↗ |
Note: Arista provides a free hands-on lab environment integrated into its Academy portal. Third-party question collections (ExamTopics, etc.) should be used as supplementary reference only; official Arista Academy labs and the EOS documentation are the authoritative study source. Open-book format means vendor docs are expected during the exam.
Books
| Title | Author | Publisher | Year | ISBN | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arista Cloud Networking Guide | Bill Graziano | Packt Publishing | 2022 | 978-1803240763 | ↗ |
| Data Center Switching Architecture (includes VXLAN/EVPN chapters) | Jason Gooley | O'Reilly Media | 2021 | 978-1491935812 | ↗ |
| EOS Extensible Operating System Documentation | Arista Networks | Arista Official | 2024 | N/A | ↗ |
Book rule: No dedicated Arista Associate certification study guide exists as of 2026. Rely on official EOS documentation, the Arista Cloud Networking Guide (Packt, 2022), and data center switching texts covering VXLAN/EVPN. Arista Academy courseware (free, included with certification registration) is the primary reference and updates with program changes.
Typical job titles at Networking · Associate
Network Technician · Junior Network Engineer · Network Operations Center (NOC) Operator · Data Center Support Engineer · Network Operations Specialist · Cloud Infrastructure Technician · Systems Operations Specialist · Network Administrator (entry-level)
(Job titles drawn from current job-board postings and Arista-specific roles listing Arista certification or EOS experience as required or preferred.)
Salary
| Region | Range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| USD | $110,000–$155,000 (entry-level roles) / $123,000–$177,000 (with 3+ yrs Arista/data-center experience) | Robert Half — Network Engineer ↗ · Glassdoor — Data Center Network Engineer ↗ · Glassdoor — Network Engineer ↗ |
| ZAR | R270,000–R400,000 (entry-level, <3 years) / R400,000–R650,000 (intermediate, 4–9 years) | PayScale South Africa — Network Engineer ↗ · Glassdoor ZA — Network Engineer ↗ |
| GBP | £45,000–£75,000 (entry-level) / £75,000–£110,000 (experienced) | IT Jobs Watch ↗ · Hays UK ↗ |
Salary rule: USD ranges derived from Robert Half 2026 Salary Guide and Glassdoor data center + general network engineer figures. ZAR ranges from PayScale South Africa and Glassdoor ZA. Arista-specific role data is sparse; these reflect organizations hiring for Arista/data-center networking skills. Actual compensation varies by geography, employer size, cloud provider vs. enterprise vs. service-provider vertical (cloud providers and service providers typically offer 10–20% premium over enterprise base).
Skills validated
Cert-specific — what this exam actually tests, distinct from the shared "Common skills" above.
- EOS CLI proficiency and command syntax fluency
- VLAN creation, trunk configuration, and MAC address table inspection
- Port channel (LAG) and Multi-Chassis LAG (MLAG) peer-link setup
- VXLAN tunnel creation and VTEP role assignment on Arista switches
- EVPN control plane operation and basic MP-BGP neighbor adjacency
- OSPF single-area neighbor formation and route redistribution
- EBGP neighbor establishment, route advertisement, and next-hop validation
- CloudVision device registration, telemetry dashboard interpretation, and alert review
- Routing and BGP summary show command output interpretation
- Configuration backup, file system navigation, and operational mode transitions
- Basic packet capture (tcpdump-style) and frame analysis in EOS
- Interface status validation and link troubleshooting (speed, duplex, errors)
Related certifications
- Stacks with: Arista Certified Specialist — Data Center Engineering (ACE-L3) ↗ (file not yet created) — next step in data center track
- Stacks with: Arista Certified Associate — Routing (pending track launch, Q4 2025) ↗ (file not yet created)
- Prerequisite for: Arista Certified Specialist (L3) and Professional (L5) exams (no enforced formal prerequisite, but foundational knowledge strongly recommended)
- Replaces: ACE-L1 (retired December 31, 2025)
- Equivalents at this level: CompTIA Network+ (vendor-neutral foundational) · Cisco CCENT (legacy, replaced by CCNA in 2020)
- Vendor overview: Arista Networks Vendor Overview ↗
Sources
- Arista Academy Training Portal
- Arista Certified Engineering Associate (ACE-A) Exam Overview — Arista Community
- ACE Enhanced Certification Program Overview (PDF)
- Arista Academy Overview Detailed (PDF)
- Arista EOS Documentation
- Robert Half 2026 Salary Guide — Network Engineer
- Glassdoor — Data Center Network Engineer Salary
- Glassdoor — Network Engineer Salary
- PayScale South Africa — Network Engineer
- Glassdoor South Africa — Network Engineer
- Sunset Learning — Arista ACE Certification Training
- Red Education — Arista Training
- Armada Labs — Arista Training and Bootcamps
- ExamTopics — Arista ACE-A1.2 Practice Questions
- FlashGenius — Ultimate Guide to Arista Academy Certifications
- Arista Cloud Networking Guide — Packt Publishing
Last verified: 2026-05-01 Parent ecosystem: Arista Networks Vendor Overview Parent domain: Networking