201 · ● Active · Associate · F5
Exam facts
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Cost | $180 USD |
| Duration | 90 minutes (120 minutes for non-native English speakers) |
| Questions | 80 (70 scored, 10 unscored pre-test) |
| Passing | ~69% (245/350 scaled) |
| Format | Multiple choice and multiple response |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE |
| Languages | English |
| Valid | 3 years |
| Renewal | Earn higher F5 certification (CTS or CSE) or retake |
| Prerequisites | F5 Certified Application Delivery Fundamentals (101) — must be passed between April 2023 and April 2025; after April 30, 2025, new certification path requires 5 exams |
| Released | Launched as part of two-exam path (101+201) in April 2023 |
| Retiring | April 30, 2025 (as part of legacy two-exam track; transitioning to five-exam model) |
Vendor source — F5 Education Services ↗
Official exam guide — TMOS Administration (201) – F5 Education Services ↗
Exam blueprint — 201 - TMOS Administration Exam Blueprint ↗
About
The F5 Certified Administrator BIG-IP (201 TMOS Administration) exam validates associate-level competency in day-to-day administration, troubleshooting, and operational management of TMOS-based application delivery systems (BIG-IP platform). Candidates must first pass the 101 Application Delivery Fundamentals exam. The 201 covers configuration, management, monitoring, backup/restore, high-availability synchronization, SSL/TLS profiles, iRules basics, persistence, health monitors, and diagnostic procedures. This certification is part of F5's legacy two-exam administrator track, which transitions to a five-exam model after April 30, 2025.
Domain context — Networking and Application Delivery
Application delivery platforms handle load balancing, SSL termination, content acceleration, and traffic management across distributed infrastructure. BIG-IP (TMOS) is F5's flagship appliance for this function, deployed in enterprises, cloud providers, and service providers globally.
Read full deep dive — F5 Application Delivery Ecosystem →
Topics covered
Based on the official exam blueprint:
- TMOS Architecture & System Administration — System configuration, licensing, TMOS resource provisioning, module management
- Virtual Server Configuration — Virtual server creation, profiles, rules, policies, status monitoring
- Networking Fundamentals — Interfaces, VLANs, self IPs, routes, network failover, HA pairs
- Local Traffic Manager (LTM) — Pools, pool members, persistence profiles, health monitors, load balancing algorithms
- SSL/TLS & Security Profiles — Client/server SSL profiles, certificate management, cipher suites
- iRules Basics — Introduction to event-driven scripting for traffic manipulation (manipulation, logging, routing)
- High Availability (HA) & Sync — Active-standby configuration, ConfigSync, state synchronization, failover
- Backup, Licensing & Upgrade — System backup/restore, UCS files, license management, software upgrade procedures
- Troubleshooting & Diagnostics — Log analysis, tmsh commands, performance monitoring, connectivity diagnostics
- Administrative Tasks — Authentication methods, SNMP, syslog, NTP, sysctl settings
Source: F5 201 TMOS Administration Blueprint ↗
Common skills at Networking and Application Delivery · Associate
Shared content for the Networking and Application Delivery domain at Associate level — not specific to this cert.
- TCP/IP stack fundamentals (OSI layers 3–4, subnetting, CIDR notation)
- Layer 4 load balancing (round-robin, least connections, weighted algorithms)
- SSL/TLS handshake and certificate chains
- HTTP/HTTPS request-response lifecycle
- Stateful vs. stateless protocols and connection persistence
- Basic health check implementation and monitoring
- Network troubleshooting (ping, tracert/traceroute, netstat, packet analysis)
- High-availability cluster concepts (failover, synchronization, quorum)
Recommended courses at Networking and Application Delivery · Associate
| Provider | Title | Cost | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| F5 Education Services | Administering BIG-IP | $799–$1,099 | ↗ |
| CBT Nuggets | F5 Certified BIG-IP Administrator (201 TMOS) Training | $179–$349 | ↗ |
| Udemy | F5 201 Exam Preparation – Complete Course w/ Practice Exams | $14.99–$79.99 | ↗ |
| Global Knowledge | F5 Certified BIG-IP Administrator | $1,395–$1,795 | ↗ |
| INE (Instructor-led or on-demand) | F5 BIG-IP LTM Fundamentals and Administration | $595–$1,200 | ↗ |
Course-selection rule: Each course is specifically for the 201 TMOS exam or BIG-IP administrator track (not generic F5 overview courses).
Practice exams
| Provider | Title | Cost | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whizlabs | F5 BIG-IP Administrator (201) Practice Exams | $19.99–$49.99 | ↗ |
| Exam Topics | F5 201 Practice Exam Questions | Free–$9.99 | ↗ |
| F5 Official | F5 Sample Exams (via F5 Education Services) | Free | ↗ |
Books
| Title | Author | Publisher | Year | ISBN | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F5 Networks TMOS Administration Study Guide | Steven Iveson, Philip Jönsson | Packt | 2017 | 978-1788397407 | ↗ |
| An Introduction to F5 Networks LTM iRules | Steven Iveson | Self-published | 2020 | 978-1700675538 | ↗ |
| F5 Networks Application Delivery Fundamentals Study Guide | Steven Iveson, Philip Jönsson | Packt | 2014 | 978-1782171690 | ↗ |
| BIG-IP Administrator Exam Guide: 500 Questions with Answers | Thomas Soderling | Amazon KDP | 2022 | 9798290388502 | ↗ |
Typical job titles at Networking and Application Delivery · Associate
F5 Engineer · Load Balancer Engineer · Application Delivery Controller (ADC) Engineer · Network Engineer (F5 specialization) · BIG-IP Administrator · Infrastructure Engineer (ADC focus)
(Job titles drawn from Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and indeed postings listing 201 certification as required or preferred.)
Salary
| Region | Range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| USD | $82,000–$127,000 | Glassdoor ↗ · ZipRecruiter ↗ · Indeed ↗ |
| ZAR | R780,000–R1,420,000 | Extrapolated from USD using 11.5:1 exchange rate; consult local boards for verified rates |
| GBP | £62,000–£96,000 | IT Jobs Watch ↗ · Hays ↗ |
Salary note: Roles requiring F5 201 certification typically span network/infrastructure positions. USD figures reflect "F5 Solutions Engineer," "F5 Engineer," and "Load Balancer Engineer" postings; regional data is limited for ZAR and GBP — use local job boards for current rates.
Skills validated
Cert-specific — what this exam actually tests, distinct from the shared "Common skills" above.
- TMOS architecture, licensing, and resource provisioning
- Virtual server configuration and profile management
- Local Traffic Manager (LTM) pool and pool-member administration
- Health monitor creation and tuning
- Persistence profiles (source IP, cookie, SSL session ID)
- iRules fundamentals (event-driven scripting in TCL dialect)
- SSL/TLS profile configuration and certificate lifecycle
- Active-standby high-availability setup and ConfigSync
- System backup (UCS format), restoration, and upgrade procedures
- tmsh command-line interface for system management
- Log analysis, diagnostic tools, and performance monitoring
- SNMP, syslog, NTP, and sysctl configuration
Related certifications
- Prerequisite for this cert: F5 Certified Application Delivery Fundamentals (101) ↗
- Stacks with: F5 Certified Technology Specialist – LTM (301A & 301B) ↗
- Leads to: F5 Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) specializations — LTM ↗, DNS ↗, ASM ↗, APM ↗
- Expert path: F5 Certified Solution Expert (CSE) – Security ↗ or F5 Certified Solution Expert (CSE) – Cloud ↗
- Replaces (legacy): Legacy two-exam administrator track (101+201) retired April 30, 2025; new path uses five separate exams
- Vendor overview: F5 Ecosystem Deep Dive →
Transition notice (April 2025)
Effective May 1, 2025, F5 transitioned from the two-exam administrator path (101+201) to a five-exam model. Candidates who passed 101 between April 2023 and April 30, 2025 may still take and pass 201 to earn the F5 Certified Administrator, BIG-IP credential. After April 30, 2025, the 201 exam is only available to those who previously passed the 101. New candidates must pursue the five-exam certification path instead. Consult F5 Education Services for current eligibility.
Sources
- F5 Education Services – TMOS Administration (201)
- F5 Exam Blueprint – 201 TMOS Administration
- F5 Certified BIG-IP Administrator Learning Path
- CBT Nuggets – F5 Certified BIG-IP Administrator (201 TMOS) Training
- Global Knowledge – F5 Certified BIG-IP Administrator
- Udemy – F5 201 Exam Preparation Course
- F5 Networks TMOS Administration Study Guide – Google Books
- An Introduction to F5 Networks LTM iRules – Amazon
- Glassdoor – F5 Solutions Engineer Salaries
- ZipRecruiter – F5 Engineer Salary
- DevCentral – Becoming F5 Certified (101 & 201 Exams)
- F5 Education Services – Application Delivery Fundamentals (101)
Last verified: 2026-05-01
Parent ecosystem: F5 Application Delivery Ecosystem
Parent domain: Networking and Application Delivery
Vendor overview: F5 Vendor Overview