To become an Arista Certified Engineer (ACE), you need to choose a Learning Track that matches your role, complete structured training and hands-on lab practice, and pass a practical, open-book lab exam through Arista Academy. The process takes as little as four weeks for the Associate level, or three to four months for the Specialist level, depending on your starting point.
That is the short answer. But the details matter enormously because the ACE program is structured differently from most networking certifications you may have encountered, and the engineers who struggle are usually the ones who did not understand what they were getting into before they started.
This guide walks you through every step, from figuring out where to begin to walking out of the exam with your credential. Having trained hundreds of engineers across Singapore, Australia, India, Malaysia, and the wider Asia-Pacific region since 2015, I have seen exactly what works and what does not. This guide reflects that direct experience.
What is an Arista Certified Engineer (ACE)?
An Arista Certified Engineer is a networking professional who has demonstrated real-world, practical skills in deploying, managing, and automating networks built on Arista’s Extensible Operating System (EOS). The credential is issued by Arista Networks through its official Arista Academy program and validated via hands-on, lab-based exams rather than multiple-choice tests.
The ACE program operates across four certification levels Associate (Level 1), Specialist (Level 3), Professional (Level 5), and Expert (Level 7) each representing a meaningful increase in practical depth and deployment complexity. For a deeper dive into the certification structure itself, see our complete guide to Arista ACE Certification →.
Step 1: Assess Your Current Level Before You Begin
The single most common mistake I see engineers make is starting at the wrong point. The ACE program has no mandatory prerequisites you can technically attempt any level at any time but understanding where you sit right now will save you weeks of frustration and money.
Here is a practical self-assessment framework:
If you have no formal networking background
Start with the Foundations Track without question. This track builds your understanding of core networking concepts alongside Arista EOS from the ground up. It covers Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching, routing protocols, IPv6, basic security, and an introduction to CloudVision automation. The associated ACE Associate (Level 1) exam is a 2-hour hands-on lab that tests this foundation. Expect to spend 6 to 10 weeks on preparation before attempting the exam.
If you hold a CCNA
Your foundational networking knowledge transfers well you already understand Ethernet, IP addressing, VLANs, spanning tree, and basic routing protocols. What you will need to learn is Arista-specific: EOS syntax and commands, how Arista’s CLI differs from IOS, and how CloudVision replaces Cisco DNA Center in the Arista ecosystem. Most CCNA holders can complete the Foundations Track quickly and move directly toward a Level 3 Specialist exam. Expect 4 to 8 weeks of focused Arista study before sitting the Level 1 exam, or 12 to 16 weeks if you want to move directly to a Specialist track.
If you hold a CCNP
This is the most common starting point for engineers across Asia-Pacific. Your BGP, OSPF, VLANs, QoS, and architecture knowledge gives you a strong foundation. The main gap is Arista-specific: EOS command syntax, CloudVision workflows, and Arista’s specific implementation of modern data center technologies like EVPN and VXLAN leaf-spine fabrics. Most CCNP holders can skip the Foundations Track and move directly to a Level 3 Specialist track. A dedicated 10 to 14 weeks of preparation typically puts a CCNP candidate in a strong position for the Specialist exam.
If you already work with Arista equipment
You are in the best position of all. Your day-to-day experience with EOS is genuine preparation. The key is converting that practical experience into exam-readiness by understanding the specific scenarios and depth the ACE exam requires. Focus your energy on the lab practice rather than the coursework.
Step 2: Choose Your Learning Track
The June 2025 overhaul of the ACE program replaced the old level ladder with Learning Tracks role-specific paths that group content by technology domain. This is a significant improvement, because it means you are studying things that are directly relevant to your actual job.
There are five Learning Tracks:
Foundations Track
For: Entry-level engineers or anyone new to Arista EOS. Covers: Core Layer 2/Layer 3 networking, Arista EOS fundamentals, CLI basics, IPv6, basic security, introduction to CloudVision. Leads to: ACE Associate (Level 1) the entry credential for all engineers. Recommendation: Start here if you are new to Arista or have less than two years of networking experience. If you have CCNP or deeper experience, you may be able to skip this and enter at Level 3 directly.
Data Center Track
For: Network engineers working in data center environments. Covers: Leaf-spine architecture design and deployment, VXLAN and EVPN overlay networks, BGP underlay configuration, CloudVision provisioning and telemetry, and data center troubleshooting. Sub-tracks: DC Operations (managing and troubleshooting DC networks) and DC Engineering (designing and deploying DC fabrics). Leads to: DC Ops Specialist (L3), DC Engineering Specialist (L3), and automatically to DC Professional (L5) when both are earned. Recommendation: The most in-demand track across Asia-Pacific. If you work in or want to work in data center networking, cloud infrastructure, or AI data centers, start here.
Campus Track
For: Engineers managing enterprise campus networks. Covers: Wired and wireless campus architecture, Layer 2/Layer 3 campus design, CloudVision management for campus environments, campus security, and Arista Wi-Fi solutions. Sub-tracks: Campus Operations and Campus Engineering. Recommendation: Strong choice for engineers at large enterprises, universities, government networks, or organizations managing distributed campus infrastructure.
Automation Track
For: Network engineers and DevOps teams focused on automating network operations. Covers: Arista eAPI (REST API), Python scripts for EOS interaction, Ansible playbooks for network automation, CloudVision workflows, and Arista AVD (Architect, Validate, Deploy) the open-source framework for structured, reproducible network deployments. Recommendation: The fastest-growing track. If your organization is moving toward infrastructure-as-code or network-as-code approaches, this track gives you the skills that are increasingly required in senior network engineering roles.
WAN Routing Track
For: Service provider and large enterprise engineers. Covers: MPLS fundamentals, Layer 2 and Layer 3 VPNs with BGP and EVPN, RSVP traffic engineering, and Segment Routing. Status: Some sub-tracks within this track are still in development as of Q2 2026. Check the Arista Academy portal for current availability.
Not sure which track to choose? The Data Center Track is the right starting point for most engineers in Asia-Pacific, given the rapid adoption of Arista in regional data centers. If you are unsure, contact Armada Labs we can help you identify the right path based on your current role and career goals.
Step 3: Enroll in Training
Once you know your level and your track, you have two primary training delivery options through the official Arista Academy:
Academy Digital Self-Paced Online Learning
Academy Digital is Arista’s e-learning platform, offering more than 1,000 hours of expert-designed content organized by Learning Track. An All Access annual subscription gives you access to all tracks, including video lessons, digital labs, and one standard track exam voucher per year.
Self-paced learning works best for engineers who are highly disciplined, already have significant networking experience, and can carve out consistent daily study time. The risk with self-paced learning is that the ACE exam is entirely practical without a structured feedback loop, it is easy to develop gaps in your lab skills without realizing it until exam day.
Academy Live Instructor-Led Training (ILT and vILT)
Academy Live is instructor-led training delivered by official Arista Authorized Training Partners. Classes are available as live virtual instructor-led training (vILT) or face-to-face classroom delivery.
In my experience training engineers since 2015, instructor-led training produces significantly better exam outcomes. The reasons are practical: you can ask questions in real time, you see how an experienced practitioner approaches network problems, you get corrective feedback on your lab work before bad habits form, and the structured timeline keeps you accountable.
As an official Arista Authorized Training Partner, Armada Labs delivers live ACE certification training across Asia-Pacific including Singapore, Australia, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and more. Our courses cover all five Learning Tracks, with real lab environments and exam-focused preparation built into every session.
View upcoming Arista training courses →
Step 4: Build Your Lab Skills This Is Where Most Engineers Fail
If there is one section of this guide I want you to read twice, it is this one. The ACE exam is a lab-based, practical assessment not a theory test. Engineers who underestimate the importance of hands-on practice fail. It is that simple.
A general rule: you should spend at least 40 hours in lab environments before attempting the Level 3 Specialist exam. For Level 1 Associate, 15 to 20 hours of focused lab practice is a reasonable minimum.
Option 1: Arista Academy Labs (Recommended)
Every Academy Digital subscription and Live course includes access to guided virtual labs running on actual Arista EOS. These labs are purpose-built for certification preparation and mirror the scenarios you will encounter in the exam. They are the gold standard for preparation.
Option 2: vEOS Home Lab (Free Option)
vEOS is Arista’s virtualized version of EOS available for lab and test purposes. Running vEOS on a laptop or server using tools like GNS3, EVE-NG, or VMware lets you practice EOS configurations, Cloud Vision integration, and routing protocol deployments at zero cost.
Setting up a basic vEOS home lab:
- Download vEOS from the Arista support portal (free account required)
- Install GNS3 or EVE-NG as your virtual network environment
- Build a basic leaf-spine topology: two spine switches, two or four leaf switches
- Practice EOS CLI: show commands, configuration mode, interface configuration
- Build BGP underlay, VXLAN overlay, and EVPN control plane from scratch
- Add Cloud Vision if you have access practice ZTP and Change Control workflows
What to Focus Your Lab Practice On
For Data Center Track candidates: leaf-spine topology builds, BGP underlay configuration, VXLAN/EVPN overlay deployment, Cloud Vision provisioning, and MLAG configuration. Practice troubleshooting more than configuration for the exam will put you in broken environments.
For Campus Track candidates: Layer 2/Layer 3 campus designs, CloudVision-managed campus deployments, wireless integration, and security ACLs.
For Automation Track candidates: eAPI calls using Python, Ansible playbooks for EOS configuration, AVD structured data models, and Cloud Vision workflow automation.
Step 5: Register and Sit the ACE Exam
When you are confident in your lab skills, here is how the exam process works.
Registering for Your Exam
Exams are registered through the Arista Academy portal at training.arista.com. You will need an Academy account, and your exam voucher is tied to the specific Learning Track and sub-track you are certifying in. Vouchers can be purchased directly or through an Authorized Training Partner like Armada Labs.
Exam Format
- Level 1 Associate: 2-hour hands-on lab exam, open-book, online proctored
- Level 3 Specialist: 4-hour hands-on lab exam, open-book, online proctored (separate exam per sub-track)
- Level 7 Expert: Multi-section evaluation detailed format confirmed at registration
All exams are delivered through Honorlock online proctoring. You will need a stable internet connection, a webcam and microphone, and a quiet private environment.
Exam Day Technical Checklist
Before exam day, verify and prepare the following:
- Honorlock browser extension installed on your browser (Chrome recommended)
- Webcam working and positioned to show your face and workspace
- Microphone active and tested
- Your exam environment documentation prepared and organized (guides, notes, config templates)
- Stable internet Arista recommends a minimum of 10 Mbps
- A second device is NOT permitted during the exam
- Personal phone stored away from the examination area
Open-Book Strategy
Being open-book does not mean being unprepared. During the exam, you may consult Arista documentation, your own notes, and prepared configuration templates. Here is how experienced engineers use this strategically:
Create a personal reference document before the exam that includes:
- Your most-used EOS show commands and their outputs
- Configuration templates for BGP, VXLAN, EVPN, and MLAG
- CloudVision navigation notes for common tasks
- A troubleshooting checklist for the most common failure scenarios in your track
The exam tests speed and accuracy under time pressure. If you are searching documentation from scratch for every command, you will run out of time. Preparation means knowing where to find things instantly.
If You Don’t Pass
Results are typically delivered within 3 business days by email. If you do not pass, there is a 14-day mandatory waiting period before you can reattempt. Use that time to identify the specific areas where you were weak ACE results give enough feedback to understand what to focus on. Most engineers who retake after targeted preparation pass on the second attempt.
How Long Does It Take to Become ACE Certified?
| Certification Level | Background Required | Study Commitment | Realistic Timeline |
| ACE Associate (Level 1) | Basic networking | 1-2 hrs/day | 4 to 6 weeks |
| ACE Associate (Level 1) | No networking background | 2-3 hrs/day | 8 to 12 weeks |
| ACE Specialist (Level 3) | CCNP or equivalent | 1-2 hrs/day | 12 to 16 weeks |
| ACE Specialist (Level 3) | 1+ years Arista experience | 1-2 hrs/day | 8 to 12 weeks |
| ACE Professional (Level 5) | Both L3 sub-tracks earned | Auto-awarded | No additional exam |
| ACE Expert (Level 7) | Deep multi-domain Arista exp | 2-3 hrs/day | 6 to 12 months |
The most important variable is lab time, not study hours. An engineer who spends 30 hours reading about EVPN without building it in a lab will always underperform an engineer who spends 20 hours actually configuring leaf-spine fabrics, breaking things, and fixing them.
From CCNP to Arista ACE: A Practical Transition Guide
Many of the engineers who train with Armada Labs hold CCNP certifications and are making the transition to Arista. This section is for you specifically, because the CCNP-to-ACE path has specific nuances that generic guides miss.
What Transfers Directly from CCNP
Your understanding of BGP, OSPF, VLAN design, STP, QoS, and network architecture fundamentals transfers fully. The underlying networking concepts are vendor-neutral — a leaf-spine architecture based on eBGP works the same way whether you are configuring it on Cisco Nexus or Arista EOS.
What You Need to Learn from Scratch
EOS command syntax. EOS uses a fully Linux-based CLI that feels familiar to IOS in structure but differs in specific commands, show output formats, and configuration hierarchy. Budget two to three weeks of focused CLI practice to get comfortable.
CloudVision Portal. There is no direct equivalent in the Cisco world. CVP combines network management, telemetry, change control, automation, and ZTP into a single platform. Understanding how CloudVision fits into operational workflows is essential for both the exam and real-world Arista deployments.
Arista’s specific EVPN/VXLAN implementation. While the protocols are standards-based, Arista’s specific configurations, best practices, and troubleshooting approaches differ from Cisco’s NX-OS implementation. This requires dedicated lab time.
Recommended Path for CCNP Holders
- Take the Arista Foundations content as a quick refresher (1 to 2 weeks, mostly self-paced) focus on EOS CLI and CloudVision basics
- Move directly into your target Level 3 Specialist track (Data Center is most common)
- Budget 10 to 14 weeks total to the Specialist exam, with at least 40 lab hours
For a deeper comparison of what CCNP and ACE certifications each offer, read our Arista vs Cisco certification guide →.
Arista Certification in Asia-Pacific: What You Need to Know
If you are based in Singapore, Australia, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, or elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region, there are specific things worth knowing about the Arista certification journey in your market.
Arista Adoption Is Accelerating in APAC
Arista’s market footprint in Asia-Pacific has grown significantly over the past three years. Financial institutions in Singapore, government infrastructure in Australia, large enterprise data centers in India, and regional cloud providers across ASEAN are all running Arista infrastructure. The demand for engineers who actually know how to operate these environments not just generic network certifications is rising in step with the deployments.
ACE-Certified Engineers Are Scarce in the Region
Because ACE certifications are newer and less common than Cisco credentials in Asia-Pacific, certified engineers have meaningful leverage in the job market. An engineer who holds both CCNP and an Arista Specialist credential is genuinely rare in Singapore or Australia and employers in organizations with Arista deployments know it.
Training Availability Across APAC
As an official Arista Authorized Training Partner, Armada Labs is the primary provider of live ACE certification training across Asia-Pacific. We deliver:
- Live virtual instructor-led training (vILT) accessible from anywhere in the region with a stable internet connection
- Face-to-face classroom sessions in Singapore and other regional locations (contact us for the current schedule)
- Corporate team training customized delivery for organizations deploying Arista infrastructure
Our lead trainer Dean Armada has trained engineers from Singapore, Australia, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Japan with a direct understanding of the regional job market and the Arista infrastructure landscape across the region.
View upcoming APAC training dates → Contact Armada Labs for corporate training →
FAQ: How to Become an Arista Certified Engineer
Q: Can I become ACE certified without any networking experience? Yes, technically there are no mandatory prerequisites for any ACE exam. However, attempting a Level 3 Specialist exam with no networking background is not realistic. Start with the Foundations Track if you are new to networking. The ACE Associate (Level 1) exam is accessible to engineers with basic networking knowledge and four to six weeks of dedicated preparation.
Q: Is there a prerequisite course or certification required before sitting the ACE exam? No. Arista explicitly states that there are no prerequisites for scheduling ACE certification exams. Candidates may pursue any certification level in any order without prior certifications or mandatory course enrollment. That said, Arista recommends completing the relevant Learning Track content before attempting the exam, and instructors consistently observe that candidates who complete structured training outperform those who self-study alone.
Q: How much does the ACE certification exam cost in Asia-Pacific? Arista does not publish a single global price list, and exam voucher pricing varies by region and by how you purchase. Vouchers can be purchased directly through the Arista Academy portal or through an Authorized Training Partner. Armada Labs offers partner pricing on exam vouchers for Asia-Pacific candidates. Contact us for current pricing →
Q: How hard is the ACE Level 1 Associate exam? For engineers with networking fundamentals, the Level 1 exam is challenging but very achievable with proper preparation. The open-book format means memorization is not the issue practical execution under time pressure is. Most engineers who put in 15 to 20 hours of focused lab practice alongside the course content pass on their first attempt. The Level 3 Specialist exams are significantly more demanding.
Q: What is the approximate pass rate for the ACE exam? Arista does not publish official pass rates by level. For the Level 7 Expert exam, pass rates are widely reported to hover around 15 to 20%, making it one of the most difficult networking certifications in the industry. For Level 1 and Level 3 exams, engineers who have completed structured training and adequate lab preparation have meaningfully better outcomes than those who attempt without formal preparation.
Q: Can I study for the ACE certification online from anywhere in Asia-Pacific? Yes. Academy Digital is fully online, and Academy Live instructor-led training is available in virtual (vILT) format accessible from anywhere in the region. Armada Labs delivers live virtual training to engineers across Singapore, India, Australia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, and beyond. The ACE exam itself is also delivered online through Honorlock proctoring from your own location.
Q: What is the difference between Academy Digital and Academy Live? Academy Digital is Arista’s self-paced online learning platform video lessons, digital labs, and exam vouchers available on-demand. Academy Live is instructor-led training delivered by Authorized Training Partners like Armada Labs in a live classroom or virtual instructor-led format. Academy Live allows real-time interaction with an expert instructor, immediate feedback on lab work, and a structured learning timeline. Both options grant access to the same certification exams.
Q: How do I renew my ACE certification? ACE certifications are valid for two years from the date of issue. To renew, you must pass the relevant Learning Track exam before your certification expires. A key benefit of the current recertification policy is that renewing a higher-level certification automatically extends all lower-level certifications you hold so passing a Level 3 Specialist exam will also renew your Level 1 Associate certification. Engineers holding Level 7 Expert certification are not required to recertify for lower-level credentials.
Conclusion: Your Path to Becoming an Arista Certified Engineer Starts Now
Becoming an Arista Certified Engineer in 2026 is a clear, achievable goal but it requires honesty about where you are starting from, deliberate track selection, and a genuine commitment to lab practice.
The five steps are straightforward: assess your level, choose your track, enroll in training, build your lab skills, and pass the exam. The engineers who succeed are not necessarily the most experienced they are the ones who treat lab time seriously and do not underestimate the practical nature of the exam.
As Arista’s footprint in Asia-Pacific continues to grow in AI data centers, financial services, enterprise networks, and government infrastructure the career value of ACE certification in the region is rising. ACE-certified engineers are scarce relative to demand. That is a career opportunity.
Armada Labs has been preparing Asia-Pacific engineers for ACE certification since 2015. As an official Arista Authorized Training Partner with an ACE Level 7 Expert as our lead trainer, we know this certification program inside out and we know what it takes to pass.
Your next steps:
Browse our ACE Certification Training Courses → See the Upcoming Training Schedule → Contact Armada Labs for a Training Consultation →