- ACP-Switching is the HPE Aruba Networking Certified Professional - Switching credential, earned by passing exam HPE7-A08.
- HPE7-A08 has 75 questions, a 120-minute limit and a 65% passing score, with no reference material allowed.
- Installation and configuration (33%) and troubleshooting (27%) together account for 60% of the exam.
- The US fee is US$350 in developed countries or US$195 in emerging countries, delivered through Pearson VUE.
What ACP-Switching Actually Is
The acronym "ACP" appears on several unrelated credentials across the IT industry, so precision matters. On this site, ACP-Switching means HPE Aruba Networking Certified Professional - Switching, issued by Hewlett Packard Enterprise through its HPE Aruba Networking certification program. The official certification routing identifier is ACP-Switch, and the single exam that earns the credential is HPE7-A08, the HPE Network Switching Professional Exam.
In plain terms, the certification validates that you can plan, deploy, troubleshoot and operate wired campus and data-center-edge networks built on HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX switches. It is a professional-level credential: it assumes you already understand fundamentals such as VLANs, spanning tree and IP routing, and it tests whether you can apply them on real AOS-CX platforms in realistic scenarios.
If you want other angles on the same question, our related explainers cover the meaning of ACP-Switching, what the name stands for, and the certification overview.
Where It Sits in the HPE Aruba Networking Program
HPE structures its Aruba Networking career certifications in tiers. The associate-level credential, ACA-Switching, covers foundational switching knowledge. The Professional tier, which is ACP-Switching, moves into design, implementation and troubleshooting. Above it sit the expert-level written exam (HPE7-A09, Network Switching Expert Written) and the ACX-Switch expert credential.
There are no formal prerequisites for new candidates. You do not have to hold ACA-Switching before sitting HPE7-A08. However, HPE recommends ACA-Switching and the AOS-CX Switching Fundamentals course as preparation, and the typical candidate has at least two years of relevant experience. Think of those items as a readiness guide, not a gate. If you want the full eligibility picture, see our breakdown of ACP-Switching requirements.
One practical caveat: the credential data sheet contains a metadata inconsistency that labels the credential with "Expert" wording even though its title is Professional. The correct identification is still ACP-Switching, earned by HPE7-A08. Do not confuse it with the older HPE6-A73 exam or with HPE7-A09, whose scopes differ.
HPE7-A08 at a Glance
| Attribute | HPE7-A08 Detail |
|---|---|
| Credential earned | HPE Aruba Networking Certified Professional - Switching (ACP-Switching) |
| Exam name | HPE Network Switching Professional Exam |
| Number of questions | 75 |
| Time allowed | 120 minutes |
| Passing score | 65% |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE test center or OnVUE online proctoring, subject to country availability |
| Languages | English, Japanese, Latin American Spanish |
| Reference material | None permitted; proctored |
| Fee | US$350 (developed countries, including the US) or US$195 (emerging countries) |
With 75 questions in 120 minutes, you have roughly 96 seconds per question on average. That is generous for recall items but tighter for scenario questions that present configuration output, topology descriptions or symptom lists you must analyze. Note too that HPE states the exam may contain experimental beta items, which means some questions you see may not count toward your score, though you will not be told which ones.
For the arithmetic behind the cut score, read our guide to the ACP-Switching passing score, and for a realistic sense of effort, see how hard the exam is.
The Four Exam Domains
The HPE Network Switching Professional Exam Preparation Guide (Revision 4, information as of October 2024) organizes the exam into four weighted top-level sections. The copyright year shown on the currently served page is not a new outline revision, and subordinate objectives do not create additional domains. The weights are:
Domain 1: Create the implementation plan for the wired network solution (18%)
This is the planning and design-translation domain. You are expected to turn requirements into a workable deployment approach before any command is typed.
- Interpreting customer and site requirements into switching architecture choices
- Selecting appropriate redundancy, aggregation and segmentation approaches
- Sequencing a rollout and identifying dependencies and risks
Domain 2: Install and configure the wired network solution (33%)
The heaviest domain, worth a third of the exam. Expect questions on AOS-CX configuration logic, feature behavior and the order in which features interact.
- Layer 2 configuration, including VLANs, link aggregation and spanning tree
- Layer 3 and routing configuration on AOS-CX switches
- High-availability and stacking-style features and how they are provisioned
- Access control, authentication and policy enforcement configuration
Domain 3: Troubleshoot the wired network solution (27%)
Diagnostic reasoning under constraints. Questions typically give you symptoms and output and ask for the most likely cause or the next best action.
- Reading show-command output and logs to isolate a fault
- Separating Layer 2, Layer 3 and policy-related failures
- Choosing efficient diagnostic steps instead of changing configuration blindly
Domain 4: Manage, maintain, optimize, and monitor the wired network solution (22%)
Day-two operations: keeping the network healthy, visible and efficient after deployment.
- Monitoring and visibility tooling, including automation and analytics features on AOS-CX
- Maintenance workflows such as upgrades, configuration management and backups
- Tuning for performance and quality of service
Candidates often underestimate Domain 4 because it feels less hands-on, yet at 22% it is worth more than Domain 1. For a deeper treatment of every objective area, read our complete guide to the four ACP-Switching exam domains.
Technical Topics Worth Mastering
The official exam outline defines the four domains above. The associated course, Implementing AOS-CX Switching, covers a broader set of technologies that support those objectives. These topics are preparation material, not additional official exam domains, and the curriculum does not claim to enumerate exhaustive exam coverage. Treat them as the practical toolkit behind the domains:
Resiliency and Aggregation
- VSX and VSF: understand the difference between virtual switching extension for active-active redundancy and virtual switching framework for stacking-style management, including when each is appropriate.
- MSTP and LACP: loop prevention, instance mapping, and link aggregation negotiation behavior, which are frequent sources of both configuration and troubleshooting questions.
Routing and Segmentation
- Routing: static and dynamic routing on AOS-CX, inter-VLAN routing and gateway redundancy concepts.
- Multicast and QoS: how traffic is classified, prioritized and distributed across a campus network.
Access Security
- ClearPass, 802.1X and MAC authentication: how switches authenticate wired clients and enforce policy through a central policy server.
- Dynamic Segmentation and user-based tunneling: role-based traffic handling that extends policy beyond VLAN boundaries.
Automation and Visibility
- REST API: programmatic access to switch configuration and state.
- NAE (Network Analytics Engine): scripted monitoring agents that watch conditions on the switch and react to them.
A sensible way to use this list is to map each topic to a domain. Authentication and VSX configuration feed Domain 2; the same features, when broken, feed Domain 3; NAE, REST API and QoS tuning fit naturally into Domain 4. Our ACP-Switching cheat sheet condenses many of these facts into a one-page review.
Registration, Fees and Delivery
HPE exams are delivered through Pearson VUE, which offers both physical test centers and OnVUE online proctoring, depending on availability in your country. Fees follow geographic price bands: US$350 in developed countries including the United States, or US$195 in emerging countries. Always confirm current pricing and registration steps on the official Pearson VUE HPE page, since the source data was last updated September 17, 2026.
- Create or sign in to your HPE credential management account, following current HPE guidance, which supersedes older account-registration instructions you may find in outdated posts.
- Choose exam HPE7-A08 and select test-center or OnVUE delivery.
- Pay by credit card or purchase a voucher through the US voucher store (US candidates) before scheduling.
- Pick your language: English, Japanese or Latin American Spanish.
- On exam day, expect strict proctoring with no notes, references or outside help.
Budgeting for retakes, vouchers and training? Our ACP-Switching certification cost breakdown walks through every line item, and exam dates and scheduling explains how to time your booking.
Who Should Pursue It
ACP-Switching is aimed at network engineers and administrators who work with, or are moving toward, HPE Aruba Networking wired infrastructure. Typical roles include:
- Network engineers at enterprises running AOS-CX campus or branch switching
- Systems integrators and channel partner engineers who design and deploy HPE Aruba Networking solutions for customers
- Managed service provider technicians responsible for monitoring and troubleshooting customer switching estates
- Pre-sales and solutions engineers who need credible technical depth when scoping wired designs
Employers who buy and resell HPE Aruba Networking gear, along with the partners who support them, are the most likely to value the credential, because partner programs commonly reward certified staff. We do not publish unsourced salary figures here; for what the market evidence does and does not show, see the ACP-Switching salary guide, the ACP-Switching jobs overview and our ROI analysis.
Validity and Renewal
HPE Aruba Networking career certifications require recertification every three years. Before your credential expires, you can renew by any one of the following:
- Passing HPE7-A08 again
- Passing HPE7-A09, the Network Switching Expert Written exam
- Achieving the ACX-Switch expert credential
If you let it lapse, you must meet the new-candidate requirements again, which for this credential means passing HPE7-A08. That makes renewal a good reason to plan your next step early: many professionals use the renewal window to move up to the expert track, since passing HPE7-A09 both advances your skills and maintains your Professional status.
Sequencing Your Preparation
HPE's own preparation path centers on the five-day Implementing AOS-CX Switching course (Rev. 24.31). Keep in mind that the course is distinct from the exam: a five-day instructor-led class does not equal the two-hour, 75-question test, and the exam rewards applied judgment over memorized slides. A pragmatic four-week arrangement, ordered by exam weight, looks like this:
Domain 2 foundations: Layer 2 and aggregation
- Configure VLANs, LACP, MSTP and a VSX pair in a lab or emulator
- Write down why each setting exists, not just the syntax
Domain 2 continued: routing and access security
- Build inter-VLAN and dynamic routing scenarios
- Practice 802.1X, MAC authentication and role-based policy concepts
Domain 3: troubleshooting at 27%
- Break working configurations on purpose and diagnose them from show output
- Drill symptom-to-cause reasoning across Layer 2, Layer 3 and policy faults
Domains 1 and 4, then timed practice
- Review planning logic, NAE, REST API, QoS and maintenance workflows
- Take timed sets under the 120-minute constraint and review every miss
Front-loading Domain 2 and 3 is deliberate: together they make up 60% of the exam, and troubleshooting skill depends on having configured the features first. Our full ACP-Switching study guide expands this into a detailed plan, and the ACP-Switching training page covers course options. When you are ready to test yourself, try the ACP-Switching practice tests to find weak domains early.
Key Takeaway
Do not treat the exam as a vocabulary test. Practice reading AOS-CX output and explaining what a symptom implies. That skill carries both the 33% configuration domain and the 27% troubleshooting domain.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here it refers to HPE Aruba Networking Certified Professional - Switching, earned by passing exam HPE7-A08. The official routing identifier is ACP-Switch. For more on naming, see what ACP-Switching means.
The exam has 75 questions in 120 minutes, and the passing score is 65%. It is proctored with no reference material, and it may include experimental beta items.
No. There are no formal prerequisites for new candidates. HPE recommends ACA-Switching and the AOS-CX Switching Fundamentals course, and a typical candidate has at least two years of relevant experience, but these are recommendations only.
The fee is US$350 in developed countries, including the United States, or US$195 in emerging countries, based on geographic price bands. Confirm current pricing on the official Pearson VUE HPE page before booking.
It is valid for three years. Renew before expiry by passing HPE7-A08 or HPE7-A09, or by achieving ACX-Switch. After expiry you must meet the new-candidate requirements again. Related reading: what the data shows about pass rates.
ACP-Switching is a focused, vendor-specific professional credential: one exam, four weighted domains, and a clear emphasis on configuring and troubleshooting AOS-CX switching. If your work touches HPE Aruba Networking wired networks, it is one of the most direct ways to demonstrate that skill set, and our certification explainer offers further background.