Nokia Certifications in 2026: Routing, SR Linux, Optical, and Automation Paths

Nokia certification in 2026 extends far beyond one routing exam. The company operates several technical learning and certification programs for service-provider IP routing, data-center fabrics built around SR Linux, optical networking, network automation through Nokia NSP, and fixed-access technologies. For network engineers, the most established path remains the Service Routing Certification program, but the broader portfolio increasingly reflects EVPN, segment routing, automation, and modern data-center operations.

The Nokia certifications are also in a transition period. Nokia announced significant SRC changes for 2026/27, with revised NRS I and NRS II requirements taking effect in March 2027 and several current composite exams retiring in February 2027. Candidates studying in late 2026 therefore need to distinguish what is required today from what will be required after the transition. Using an old certification map without checking retirement dates can lead to unnecessary exams.

The Service Routing Certification program remains the core IP path

Nokia describes the Service Routing Certification, or SRC, program as its premier certification track for IP networking and technical-support professionals. The current program has three levels: Nokia Certified Network Routing Specialist I (NRS I), Nokia Certified Network Routing Specialist II (NRS II), and Nokia Certified Service Routing Architect (SRA). Together they move from networking foundations into IP/MPLS service routing and then into advanced design, implementation, and troubleshooting of service-provider networks.

Written SRC exams are delivered by Pearson VUE and can be taken online or at test centers. Practical lab exams are administered directly by Nokia through virtual delivery. Training is recommended but not mandatory; candidates can prepare through instructor-led courses, guided learning, self-study materials, practice exams, and Nokia’s remote lab services.

This structure is important because higher SRC levels are not purely theoretical. NRS II and SRA include hands-on lab exams that test configuration, service implementation, network analysis, and troubleshooting. Engineers who can explain MPLS or BGP but have little experience on Nokia Service Router platforms should expect a substantial practical gap.

NRS I begins with 4A0-100 networking fundamentals

NRS I is the entry point to the current SRC program. The required 4A0-100 Nokia IP Networks and Services Fundamentals exam covers foundational IP networking and service-routing concepts including the TCP/IP model, Ethernet, addressing, packet forwarding, routing, MPLS tunneling, and VPN services. The exam currently has 40 questions, a 90-minute test duration, and no mandatory prerequisite.

NRS I is useful both for new networking professionals and for engineers moving into a Nokia service-provider environment from another platform. The objective is not simply to learn command syntax. Candidates need a working conceptual model of how frames and packets move, how routes are selected, how MPLS changes forwarding behavior, and how service-provider VPNs build on the underlying network.

Nokia has already announced that NRS I will change on March 9, 2027, and the current 4A0-100 exam will be updated at that time. Candidates testing before the transition should prepare against the present exam objectives; candidates planning for spring 2027 should verify the new blueprint instead of assuming the current training remains unchanged.

NRS II builds real IP/MPLS service-routing capability

NRS II builds on NRS I and currently requires routing-protocol, BGP, MPLS, service-architecture, and practical configuration skills. Candidates choose either the 4A0-112 IS-IS Routing Protocol or the corresponding OSPF exam, then complete 4A0-114 Border Gateway Protocol Fundamentals for Services, 4A0-103 Multiprotocol Label Switching, and 4A0-104 Services Architecture. After the written requirements, the candidate must pass the NRS II practical lab.

Nokia also provides composite written exams. The current 4A0-C03 NRS II Composite Exam combines the IS-IS version of the four written requirements into a single 120-minute exam. A corresponding OSPF composite exists as well. These composite options simplify scheduling, but they do not remove the lab requirement.

The current NRS II lab is a 3.5-hour practical exam on live equipment. Candidates must configure and troubleshoot routing, MPLS, and services on Nokia Service Router systems. In late 2026, transition planning matters: Nokia has announced that the current NRS II composite exams will retire in February 2027 and that the revised NRS II program will take effect on March 9, 2027.

SRA adds advanced BGP, VPN, QoS, EVPN, and architecture

The Service Routing Architect credential is the highest level in the current SRC program. It is intended for engineers responsible for designing, building, and supporting high-performance Nokia service-router networks. The present requirements include advanced written exams plus a seven-hour practical SRA lab.

Current SRA topics include 4A0-102 Border Gateway Protocol for Internet Routing, 4A0-105 Virtual Private LAN Services, 4A0-106 Virtual Private Routed Networks, 4A0-107 Quality of Service, and 4A0-115 Ethernet Virtual Private Network Services. Four of the written exams can be replaced by the 4A0-C02 SRA Composite Exam, while EVPN remains a separate required written component under the current structure.

The practical SRA lab requires candidates to integrate these technologies rather than demonstrate them in isolation. A production service-provider network may combine BGP policy, MPLS transport, VPLS or VPRN services, QoS design, redundancy, EVPN, and operational troubleshooting. The seven-hour lab is designed to expose weaknesses in that integration knowledge.

Nokia is streamlining SRA as part of its 2027 SRC update. Candidates who are already well into the current track should check Nokia’s transition rules and exam retirement dates before changing plans. Those starting from scratch late in 2026 should compare the remaining time under the current requirements with the revised path that begins in 2027.

Segment routing is moving deeper into the 2027 routing path

One of the clearest signals in Nokia’s SRC transition is the growing importance of segment routing and EVPN. The current 4A0-116 Segment Routing exam is a standalone 90-minute written exam with 40 questions. Nokia notes that it is no longer part of the current SRA requirement, but it will become part of the updated NRS II structure on March 9, 2027.

This change reflects how service-provider networks are evolving. Segment routing reduces reliance on some older signaling models and can simplify traffic engineering and network programmability, while EVPN has become central to modern Ethernet and data-center service designs. Engineers planning a longer-term Nokia learning path should therefore treat these technologies as core skills even when a current certification checklist still contains older service-routing elements.

At the same time, legacy status needs to be explicit. The 4A0-108 Multicast Protocols exam retired on September 8, 2026. A historical exam page can still be useful to understand older SRA requirements, but candidates should not present it as an active certification requirement in late September 2026.

SR Linux and data-center fabrics form a separate modern track

Nokia’s Data Center Fabric Certification program serves engineers working with SR Linux, EVPN, data-center interconnect, and automation. The entry credential, Nokia Certified Data Center Fabric Professional, is based on the 4A0-D01 Data Center Fabric Fundamentals exam. The exam covers SR Linux basics, network instances, interfaces, BGP underlays, EVPN overlays, management interfaces, and the operational model of a modern Nokia data-center fabric.

Advanced candidates can progress toward the Data Center Fabric Network Expert path, which adds 4A0-D03 SR Linux EVPN and Data Center Interconnect plus a 3.5-hour lab exam. Nokia also maintains an SR Linux Automation Expert path that combines the data-center fundamentals exam with a hands-on automation lab focused on management APIs, development tooling, CLI extensibility, and event-driven operations.

This track should not be confused with the traditional Service Router certification ladder. Both use IP, BGP, and EVPN concepts, but the platform context and operational goals differ. SRC is rooted in service-provider routing and VPN services; DCF focuses on SR Linux-based data-center fabrics and automation. Engineers who work across both environments may benefit from both paths, but they should prepare for the actual platform and lab expectations of each.

Optical networking and network automation broaden the Nokia portfolio

Nokia also runs a substantial Optical Network Certification program. The 4A0-205 Optical Networking Fundamentals exam is the entry point for multiple current optical certifications, including Optical Network Professional, Optical Network Services Expert, and optical automation pathways. It covers the foundations needed to work with modern optical transport, including transmission concepts, optical components, protection, management, and Nokia 1830 PSS-based environments.

Separate optical paths extend into WaveSuite network management, optical automation, advanced design, troubleshooting, and practical labs. This is a distinct engineering domain from IP service routing, so a candidate should not assume that an SRC credential automatically substitutes for optical-network expertise.

Nokia’s Network Services Platform program adds another specialization: network automation. The current 4A0-AI1 NSP IP Network Automation Professional Composite Exam validates knowledge across NSP fundamentals, programmable automation, workflow design, and intent management. Its objectives include APIs, REST/RESTCONF, YANG-based intent, workflow automation, and integration concepts that increasingly matter in large operational networks.

Written exams and practical labs demand different preparation

Nokia written exams are generally delivered through Pearson VUE, while practical lab exams are delivered directly by Nokia. That split should shape preparation. Written exams test breadth, protocol behavior, design reasoning, and product concepts; the labs test whether the candidate can configure, diagnose, and operate a network under time pressure.

Nokia provides official practice exams for many written tests, and its training options range from instructor-led courses to self-paced materials and remote learning labs. A strong study process uses the official course objectives as the content map, practice questions to identify weak theoretical areas, and lab time to turn that knowledge into operational skill.

For NRS II, SRA, Data Center Fabric Network Expert, and other lab-based paths, candidates should build complete scenarios rather than rehearse isolated commands. Configure routing from scratch, introduce failures, inspect control-plane state, verify forwarding, test services, and document troubleshooting logic. Lab exams reward engineers who understand why the network behaves as it does, not candidates who only remember a command sequence.

Three-year validity and the 2027 transition make planning essential

Nokia’s current SRC certifications are valid for three years. The recertification program provides several ways to renew through eligible written or practical exams, and a six-month termination window follows the formal expiry date. Passing an eligible recertification requirement resets the certification date, so candidates should schedule renewal activity before termination rather than waiting until the credential has lapsed completely.

The 2026/27 transition adds another planning layer. Current NRS I and NRS II structures remain valid in late 2026, but several exams have published retirement or update dates in February and March 2027. Candidates should therefore record the exact exams they have already passed, check the Student Portal for remaining requirements, and compare those requirements with Nokia’s announced transition rules before purchasing training or scheduling a composite exam.

The broader lesson is to choose a Nokia path by network role. Service-provider routing engineers should start with SRC and progress through NRS I, NRS II, and SRA as their responsibilities deepen. Data-center engineers should consider the SR Linux and DCF credentials. Optical specialists have a dedicated ONC path, while automation engineers can pursue NSP or SR Linux automation credentials. Nokia’s certification portfolio is broad enough that the best route is not the one with the most exams—it is the one that validates the technologies an engineer actually designs, operates, and troubleshoots.