- ACP-Switching here means HPE Aruba Networking Certified Professional - Switching, earned by passing exam HPE7-A08.
- The exam has 75 questions, 120 minutes, and a 65% passing score, proctored with no reference material.
- Installation and configuration is the heaviest domain at 33%, followed by troubleshooting at 27%.
- The credential must be renewed every three years by passing HPE7-A08, HPE7-A09, or achieving ACX-Switch.
What the HPE Aruba Networking ACP-Switching Credential Is
The acronym "ACP" appears across several unrelated certification programs, so precision matters. On this site, ACP-Switching refers to exactly one credential: the HPE Aruba Networking Certified Professional - Switching, issued by Hewlett Packard Enterprise through its HPE Aruba Networking certification program. HPE's own routing identifier for the credential is ACP-Switch, and the single exam that earns it is HPE7-A08, titled the HPE Network Switching Professional Exam.
The credential validates that a network professional can plan, deploy, troubleshoot, and maintain wired campus and data-center-edge switching solutions built on HPE Aruba Networking technology, particularly the AOS-CX operating system. It sits at the professional tier of the HPE Aruba Networking career ladder: above the associate-level ACA-Switching and below the expert tier. If you want the plain-language definition before going deeper, our explainers on what ACP-Switching is and what ACP-Switching stands for cover the naming in more detail.
HPE7-A08 at a Glance
Before building a study plan, anchor yourself in the logistics of the exam itself. The format is compact but demanding: 75 questions in 120 minutes leaves roughly 96 seconds per question on average, which is generous for recall items but tight for scenario questions that require you to read configuration output or interpret a topology.
| Attribute | HPE7-A08 Detail |
|---|---|
| Credential earned | HPE Aruba Networking Certified Professional - Switching (ACP-Switching) |
| Exam title | HPE Network Switching Professional Exam |
| Number of questions | 75 |
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Passing score | 65% |
| Proctoring | Proctored; no reference material permitted |
| Languages | English, Japanese, Latin American Spanish |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE test center or OnVUE online, subject to country availability |
| Formal prerequisites | None for new candidates |
One detail worth noting: the exam may include experimental beta items. These are unscored trial questions mixed in with the scored ones, and you cannot tell which is which. The practical consequence is simple: treat every question as if it counts, and do not let an unfamiliar-looking item rattle you. For a closer look at the score threshold, see our guide to the ACP-Switching passing score.
Registration, Delivery, and Fees
HPE exams are delivered through Pearson VUE. You can test at a physical Pearson VUE test center or take the exam remotely through OnVUE, the online proctored option, depending on what is available in your country. The current pricing, delivery, and registration source is the HPE page on Pearson VUE (pearsonvue.com/us/en/hpe.html), and a US voucher store is also available for purchasing exam vouchers directly.
The HPE7 exam fee is set in geographic price bands:
- US$350 in developed countries, including the United States
- US$195 in emerging countries
Because pricing is banded by geography, confirm your band on the Pearson VUE page before budgeting. Remember that the exam fee is only one line item; if you take the instructor-led course or buy lab time, your total cost rises. Our ACP-Switching certification cost breakdown walks through the full picture, and our scheduling guide covers how to pick a testing slot.
The Four Exam Domains in Detail
The official exam preparation guide for HPE7-A08 organizes content into four weighted top-level sections. Subordinate objectives sit beneath each one, but the four-domain structure is the framework that matters for allocating study time. For a full walkthrough, see our complete guide to the four ACP-Switching content areas.
| Domain | Name | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Create the implementation plan for the wired network solution | 18% |
| 2 | Install and configure the wired network solution | 33% |
| 3 | Troubleshoot the wired network solution | 27% |
| 4 | Manage, maintain, optimize, and monitor the wired network solution | 22% |
Domain 1: Create the implementation plan for the wired network solution (18%)
This domain tests whether you can translate requirements into a design and a rollout sequence before touching a device. Expect questions framed around a customer scenario rather than a single command.
- Choosing appropriate switching and redundancy approaches for a described topology
- Sequencing a deployment so that dependencies (VLANs, uplinks, authentication services) are in place first
- Recognizing which design choice satisfies a stated availability or segmentation requirement
Domain 2: Install and configure the wired network solution (33%)
The largest slice of the exam. One third of your score depends on hands-on configuration knowledge of AOS-CX switches, so this is where lab time pays the highest dividend.
- Core AOS-CX configuration: VLANs, interfaces, link aggregation, and spanning tree
- Redundancy and high-availability features on AOS-CX platforms
- Layer 3 routing configuration appropriate to campus switching
- Access control and authentication configuration for wired users and devices
Domain 3: Troubleshoot the wired network solution (27%)
The second-heaviest domain, and the one that separates candidates who have only read documentation from those who have worked on live networks. Questions often present symptoms or command output and ask for the likely cause or the next diagnostic step.
- Isolating Layer 2 faults such as VLAN mismatches, trunking problems, and aggregation inconsistencies
- Interpreting show-command output to localize a fault
- Diagnosing authentication and access failures for wired clients
- Using the platform's monitoring and logging data to confirm a root cause
Domain 4: Manage, maintain, optimize, and monitor the wired network solution (22%)
Day-two operations. This domain covers keeping a working network healthy, observable, and tuned over time.
- Monitoring and automation capabilities available on the platform
- Software and configuration lifecycle management
- Performance optimization, including traffic prioritization
- Using programmability interfaces to manage switches at scale
Together, Domains 2 and 3 account for 60% of the exam. A candidate who is strong at configuration and fault isolation but lukewarm on planning theory can still clear the 65% bar, whereas weakness in both heavy domains is very hard to offset.
Technical Topics Worth Mastering
HPE's official course for this track, Implementing AOS-CX Switching (a five-day course), covers a broad technical curriculum. An important clarification: the course curriculum is preparation material, not an official list of additional exam domains and not an exhaustive statement of what the exam covers. The following topics are unweighted in the exam guide but repeatedly show up as supporting knowledge for the four domains above.
- VSX and VSF: the redundancy and stacking technologies that let switches present as a resilient pair or a virtual stack. Know the difference in purpose, failure behavior, and typical placement.
- MSTP and LACP: loop prevention and link aggregation, the bread and butter of Layer 2 configuration and a frequent source of troubleshooting scenarios.
- Routing: campus Layer 3 fundamentals as implemented on AOS-CX.
- ClearPass, 802.1X, and MAC authentication: wired access control, including how authentication outcomes drive role and VLAN assignment.
- Dynamic Segmentation and user-based tunneling: policy enforcement that follows the user or device rather than the port.
- REST API and NAE: programmability and the Network Analytics Engine for monitoring and automated visibility.
- QoS and multicast: traffic prioritization and efficient group delivery.
Key Takeaway
Map every topic above to a domain before you study it. VSX, MSTP/LACP, and authentication matter most for Domains 2 and 3; NAE, REST API, and QoS are natural fits for Domain 4. Studying by topic without that map is how candidates overinvest in features that carry little exam weight.
Who Should Sit This Exam
The typical candidate has at least two years of relevant experience. There are no formal prerequisites for new candidates, so nothing stops you from registering today, but the exam is written for people who have actually configured and debugged switches. The two recommended stepping stones are the ACA-Switching associate credential and the AOS-CX Switching Fundamentals course. Both are recommendations, not gates. Our requirements and eligibility guide explains how to decide whether to skip ahead.
The roles that most naturally align with this credential include network engineers and administrators responsible for campus or branch wired infrastructure, field engineers deploying HPE Aruba Networking solutions, and consultants or partner engineers who implement these designs for customers. HPE channel partners in particular value the credential because it demonstrates product-specific competence they can point to in customer engagements. For a realistic view of what the market looks like, read our overview of ACP-Switching jobs and the ROI analysis; for earnings context, see the salary guide.
Renewal and Expiry
HPE Aruba Networking career certifications require recertification every three years. The credential data sheet lays out three routes to renew before expiry:
- Pass HPE7-A08 again
- Pass HPE7-A09, the Network Switching Expert Written exam
- Achieve ACX-Switch, the expert-level switching credential
If the credential expires without renewal, you must meet the new-candidate requirements to earn it again. That means this is not a one-time purchase; budget for a renewal cycle. The upside of the second and third routes is that pursuing the expert track can renew your professional credential as a by-product of career progression.
Sequencing Your Preparation
You do not need a generic study system here, just a sensible ordering that respects the domain weights. A workable arc looks like this, and our full ACP-Switching study guide expands on each phase:
Read the blueprint and plan (Domain 1)
- Download the HPE7-A08 exam preparation guide and annotate it against your experience
- Review design and sequencing concepts; this is the lightest domain at 18%
Build and configure in a lab (Domain 2)
- Spend the largest share of time here: VLANs, LACP, MSTP, VSX, routing, and wired authentication
- Configure everything yourself rather than only reading about it
Break it and fix it (Domain 3)
- Introduce faults deliberately and practice isolating them from command output
- Rehearse authentication failures, trunk mismatches, and aggregation problems
Operate and monitor (Domain 4)
- Cover NAE, REST API, QoS, and lifecycle management
- Finish with timed practice questions to expose remaining weak spots
Because no reference material is allowed in the exam room, hands-on repetition matters more than bookmarking documentation. If you can type the configuration from memory in a lab, you can recognize it on the screen. Timed practice at the 75-question, 120-minute pace on our ACP-Switching practice tests helps you calibrate pacing, and our one-page cheat sheet is useful as a final review aid before exam day. If you are weighing effort against outcome, our difficulty guide and pass-rate discussion give additional context. For structured course options, see ACP-Switching training.
Frequently Asked Questions
You need to pass HPE7-A08, the HPE Network Switching Professional Exam. Passing that single exam earns the HPE Aruba Networking Certified Professional - Switching credential. There is no separate application or additional exam for new candidates.
The exam has 75 questions delivered over 120 minutes, and the passing score is 65%. It is proctored with no reference material permitted, and it may contain experimental beta items that are not distinguished from scored questions.
Install and configure the wired network solution is the largest at 33%, followed by troubleshooting at 27%. Together they make up 60% of the exam, so lab-based configuration and fault isolation practice should take the biggest share of your preparation time.
No. There are no formal prerequisites for new candidates. ACA-Switching and the AOS-CX Switching Fundamentals course are recommended preparation, and the typical candidate has at least two years of relevant experience, but neither is required to sit the exam.
HPE Aruba Networking career certifications require recertification every three years. Before expiry, renew by passing HPE7-A08 again, passing HPE7-A09 Network Switching Expert Written, or achieving ACX-Switch. After expiry, you must meet the new-candidate requirements again.