Advances in technology continue to make increased demands on networking and technology professionals. In just a few years, AI has become an integral part of how networks are designed, managed, and secured—driving a shift in the skills most critical to IT professionals. Instead of being network operators, network engineers now need to be orchestrators, bringing together various forms of automation and AI.

At Learn with Cisco, our core commitment stays the same: to ensure every IT and networking professional has access to the skills needed to thrive, grow, and lead. For those just entering the field, it means being job-ready: able to configure, secure, and troubleshoot modern networks on day one. For experts, it means making the best use of the AI tools that are fast becoming part of technical environments. For employers, it means access to IT professionals with validated skills who can contribute from the start. And for everyone, it means translating technical acumen into business outcomes, engaging productively with stakeholders, and making better decisions in high-stakes environments.

That’s why I’m pleased to announce a range of training and certification updates across the Learn with Cisco portfolio, all designed to help networking professionals maintain their edge in an AI-driven era.

CCNA: Fortifying the foundation

Cisco certifications help professionals gain credibility, advance their careers, and stay current with evolving technologies. Cisco certifications are structured across multiple levels, including Associate, Professional, and Expert, each designed to validate different expertise and career stages in networking and IT.

The Cisco Certified Networking Associate (CCNA) covers foundational networking knowledge and has been earned by more than 1.8 million individuals in 190 countries. As AI reshapes networking roles, CCNAs need to remain fully job-ready.

In response, we’re launching the first major CCNA blueprint change since 2019. Exam blueprints provide learners with a detailed guide to the topics, skills, and tasks to be covered in the exam, and define its scope and depth.

The new CCNA blueprint is built on pillars that define the modern CCNA: network infrastructure, troubleshooting and problem-solving, developing a security-first mindset, and understanding the role of AI in network management and operations. The updated CCNA integrates essential skills across these pillars, reflecting the realities of today’s hybrid, AI-driven infrastructures.

We don’t make these changes lightly. Changes in exam topics are vetted by leaders in our Cisco Certified community, Distinguished Engineers, IT leaders, and representatives from our customers, ensuring that new network engineers arrive with a toolkit that meets employer expectations.

We’re also evolving the way we train for and validate these skills, blending recall with results. As learners use our new training to prepare for the exam, they’ll encounter more experiential learning opportunities and spend more time in hands-on labs. This moves our learners beyond theoretical understanding to authentic skills development. Correspondingly, the new CCNA exam will test learners’ practical skills, further validating job-readiness.

The exam topics are available on May 20, 2026, and the refreshed exam will be available on February 3, 2027. To help our community build these new skills, we’ve started releasing foundational training materials and tutorials at no cost through Cisco U., and we’ll continue to do so—including new premium training—until the updated CCNA exam goes live in February 2027.

We’ve deliberately created a long runway to help every learner prepare. For those currently studying for the current version of the CCNA, there’s no reason to change gears. The CCNA is and remains the global gold standard in IT certifications. That exam will remain live until the new exam goes into effect.

CCIE: Showcasing AI-readiness

Expert-level engineers are accustomed to solving complex, real-world problems with the best technical tools available. Right now, many of those tools use AI, and AI is a significant productivity enhancer. But before long, AI will be a job requirement.

To allow CCIEs to validate their skills in using AI to support network operations, we’re launching the CCIE AI Deploy, Operate, and Optimize Module. With an embedded AI module, the CCIE exam better reflects the actual environment in which CCIEs work.

The new AI module will be accompanied by a change in exam format. The AI Deploy, Operate, and Optimize Module will be an hour-long module, and the Design Module will be a two-hour exam (rather than three hours). The existing Design Operate and Optimize component in the exam will continue to be a five-hour assessment. All three modules are served by a single blueprint.

The new Module introduces an AI assistant for configuration, troubleshooting, and code creation. CCIEs should be comfortable using these tools for repetitive tasks and other heavy lifting, so that they can focus on higher-level decision-making and thinking.

In the AI Deploy, Operate, and Optimize Module, candidates will be asked to show their facility with AI for both soft and augmented engineering. Soft engineering includes using a general-purpose LLM for problem scoping, diagnostics, output validation, and assisted coding. The augmented engineering topics will assess CCIE’s ability to use AI tools for network operations (AIOps)

AI Deploy, Operate, and Optimize will be rolled out in phases. CCIE Data Center (DC) exam topics will be available at Cisco Live Melbourne in November 2026.​ CCIE DC practice labs will be available at Cisco Live London in February 2027, and the exam with the AI Deploy, Operate, and Optimize Module will go live at Cisco Live US in 2027.​

The human skills necessary to use AI

Employers consistently call out the importance of uniquely human skills to ensure AI is used effectively and responsibly. With AI automating rote tasks, successful network engineers are increasingly asked to serve as a bridge between the technical and business sides of an organization. This is where network engineers transform from tactical technicians to strategic IT advisors. To facilitate this journey, we’re introducing four new “human skills” tutorials on Cisco U. at no cost, helping IT professionals sharpen their critical thinking and business communication skills. These are the skills that help professionals connect technology to business value, amplifying both impact and growth.

Supporting skills from operator to orchestrator

As AI continues to reshape the technology landscape, the skills of Cisco Certified professionals remain critical to ensuring its successful use. With these changes to our certification portfolio, Learn with Cisco ensures that IT and networking professionals are prepared to contribute, grow, and lead at all phases of their careers.

Find more information on the upcoming CCNA release.

Find more information on the upcoming CCIE release here.