Nautobot Certified App Developer (NCAD) Frequently Asked Questions

The exam covers five domains with the following weightings:

For a detailed breakdown of skills and topics, refer to the Exam Blueprint.

The NCAD exam includes a significant number of code analysis questions — questions where you must read Python code snippets and identify correct implementations, spot errors, or choose the right class or method. These questions require more careful reading time than conceptual questions. The 3-hour window ensures candidates have adequate time to engage with code-based content without time pressure.

For security reasons, individual question results are not provided. You will receive a pass/fail result and a domain-level performance breakdown showing your strengths and areas for improvement.

There is no appointment to cancel or reschedule. Unlike traditional testing centers, the NCAD exam is on-demand. Once purchased, you have 12 months to take your exam whenever you’re ready.

Exam pricing varies by region. Current pricing information is available on the Nautobot Certification Portal.

Payment Method: Credit card only

Contact certifications@networktocode.com for:

• Enterprise pricing or bulk purchases
• Alternative payment arrangements for organizations

Contact certifications@networktocode.com for discount eligibility and pricing.

No refunds are available. Because the NCAD exam is available on-demand 24/7, please review all requirements before purchasing:

• Read this FAQ thoroughly
• Review the Exam Blueprint
• Complete the Honorlock System Check
• Ensure you meet all technical and testing environment requirements

If you have any questions before purchasing, contact certifications@networktocode.com.

Study time varies based on your experience level:

• Active Python/Django developers with Nautobot app experience: 3-5 weeks of focused study
• NCA-Certified Engineers with Python experience but no app development: 6-8 weeks with hands-on practice
• Candidates who passed NCA recently without Python development background: 10-14 weeks of deeper technical study

Recommended training courses include:

• Creating Nautobot Apps (Highly Recommended)Nautobot with Python and Ansible (Highly Recommended)
• Network Programming and Automation (includes Python I and Ansible I)
• Automating Networks with Python II
• Automating Networks with Ansible II
• Source of Truth (SoT) and Nautobot Fundamentals

Visit https://networktocode.com/training for course schedules and registration.

Hands-on coding is strongly recommended and more critical for NCAD than any other Nautobot certification. A significant portion of the exam includes code analysis questions — you must read Python code and identify correct vs. incorrect implementations.

Why coding experience is especially important for NCAD:

• Questions test your ability to recognize correct class names, method signatures, and module import paths
• Topics like NautobotModelSerializer, NautobotUIViewSet, and FilterExtension require you to know precise Python patterns — not just concepts
• Candidates who have built at least one complete Nautobot app significantly outperform those who have not

Recommended hands-on resources:

• 100 Days of Nautobot Complete all 100 days for full coverage
• Nautobot App Developer Guide — Build a complete app end-to-end
• Network to Code Open Source Apps — Read production-grade app code

For online proctored exams, you must have:

Requirement Specification

Operating System:- Windows 10/11, macOS 10.15+ (Linux not supported).

Internet Connection :-Minimum 2 Mbps download/upload (wired connection recommended).

Webcam:- Minimum 640×480 resolution @ 10 fps (internal or external).

Microphone:- Built-in or external microphone required.

Display:- Minimum 1024×768 resolution (additional monitors must be unplugged).

Browser:- Latest versions of Chrome.

Before purchasing: Complete the Honorlock System Check to verify your computer meets all requirements.

Your testing environment must meet these requirements:

• Private room with closed door (no other people allowed)
• Clean workspace – no books, papers, notes, electronic devices, or writing materials within reach
• Quiet location without background noise or distractions
• Adequate lighting so your face is clearly visible on webcam
• Blank walls – whiteboards or posters with writing will be flagged during room scan

Not allowed:

• Additional monitors (must be unplugged and turned off)
• Mobile phones, smart watches, or headphones
• Food (water in a clear glass is permitted)
• Hats or headwear (religious exemptions available)

You must present one valid, government-issued photo ID that includes:

• Your photo
• Your signature
• Your full name (must match your registration exactly)
• Current expiration date (unexpired)

Acceptable forms of ID:

• Driver’s license
• State ID
• Passport
• National ID card
• Military ID

Not acceptable:

• Expired IDs
• Student IDs
• Name change documents without photo ID

You must comply with the following rules during your exam:

During Your Exam:

• Do not cheat or allow someone else to take your exam for you
• Do not record, share, or allow others to see your exam content
• Do not leave the webcam view during the exam
• Remain quiet unless instructed by your proctor
• Do not access your phone or other devices without proctor permission
• Your session will be recorded for quality and security purposes

If You Need Help:

• Live proctor support is available via chat only
• Proctors cannot pause or add time to your exam
• Proctors cannot troubleshoot technical issues with your computer or network

Violations:

• Breaking these rules may result in immediate exam termination
• You will forfeit your exam fee
• You may be banned from future certification attempts

No, breaks are not permitted during the NCAD exam. The 180-minute exam is continuous. If you leave your computer for any reason, the proctor will terminate your exam session and you will not be able to continue.

Tips:

• Use the restroom before starting check-in
• Have water in a clear glass (eating, smoking, and chewing gum are prohibited)
• Ensure you’re comfortable and prepared to sit for the full 180 minutes

If you experience technical issues:

1. During Check-In: Contact proctor support via chat in the proctoring software
2. During Exam: The 180-minute timer continues running. If there is a system crash, you may be able to resume. Idle time counts against your exam time.
3. After Exam: Contact certifications@networktocode.com within 24 hours with your exam details

If anyone enters your testing room during the exam, your exam will be immediately terminated and you will forfeit your exam fee. Ensure that others in your home or office know you are testing and that the door should not be opened.

Your score report includes:

• Overall pass/fail status
• Total scaled score (if passed)

The NCAD exam uses scaled scoring from 100-1000, with a passing score of 750 (75%). Scaled scoring ensures fairness across different exam versions with varying difficulty levels.

Upon passing, you will receive the following:

• Digital Certificate – Downloadable PDF certificate
• Digital Badge – Shareable badge for LinkedIn, email signatures, and social media
• Certification Validation – Publicly verifiable link to confirm your certification status
• Certification ID – Unique identifier for verification purposes

Important: Upon successful completion of all certification requirements, please allow 2-4 weeks for processing and issuance of your official certificate and digital badge. You will receive an email notification once your credentials are ready to access.

Access Your Credentials: After passing, you’ll receive an email with instructions to claim your certificate and badge.

Note: Physical/printed certificates are not available. All credentials are digital only.

The NCAD certification is valid for 3 years from the date you pass the exam. You must recertify before expiration to maintain your certified status.

Yes! We encourage you to share your achievement:

• One-click sharing to LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook
• Automatically includes your certificate image and verification link
• Use hashtag #NautobotCertified when sharing

Add to Professional Profiles:

• LinkedIn: Add to “Licenses & Certifications” section with your verification link
• Email signature: Embed your digital badge
• Personal website: Display your badge with verification link
• Resume: Include certification name, date, and verification URL

English only.

You must be 18+ to take the NCAD exam.

If exam security flags suspicious behavior:

• Your exam session will be reviewed by our security team
• Video/audio recordings and system logs will be analyzed
• You will be notified of the investigation and given an opportunity to respond
• Potential outcomes: exam invalidation, certification revocation, testing ban

To avoid issues:

• Follow all exam policies and proctor instructions
• Ensure your testing environment is clear of prohibited materials
• Maintain visual contact with your webcam throughout the exam
• Do not speak aloud, read questions out loud, or make suspicious movements

No. The NCAD exam is closed-book. You may not use:

• Physical books, notes, or printed materials
• Electronic devices (phones, tablets, smartwatches)
• Online resources, documentation, or search engines
• Scratch paper, whiteboards, or writing utensils

Network to Code collects minimal information necessary for exam delivery and certification:

Information Collected:

• Name – For certification record
• Email address – For account access and communications
• Payment information – Processed securely (not stored by Network to Code)
• Exam results – Score, pass/fail status, and number of attempts

NOT Collected:

• Social security number or government ID number
• Physical address (unless voluntarily provided)
• Phone number (unless voluntarily provided)
• Demographic information beyond what’s required for certification

Your exam results and certification status are used for:

• Issuing your digital certificate and badge
• Verification of certification status by employers
• Tracking recertification requirements

Our exam platform and proctoring provider are designed to comply with GDPR and CCPA privacy requirements:

Proctoring Data:

• Data Retention: Exam recordings and proctoring data retained for 365 days, then securely deleted
• What’s Recorded: Video/audio of exam session, screen recording, room scan, ID verification photos, exam responses and timestamps
• Privacy Compliance: GDPR and CCPA compliant
• Access: Limited to authorized personnel for security review only

Exam Platform Data:

• Data Retention: Certification records retained indefinitely for verification purposes
• What’s Stored: Name, email, exam scores, pass/fail status, certification issue/expiration dates
• Privacy Compliance: GDPR and CCPA compliant
• Access: Limited to Network to Code certification team
• For detailed privacy policies, contact certifications@networktocode.com.

Yes. Under GDPR and CCPA regulations, you have the right to request:

• Access to your personal data
• Deletion of your personal data
• Correction of inaccurate data

To request data deletion or access, contact certifications@networktocode.com with your full name and exam date.

If the proctor suspects you are using unauthorized materials:

• Your exam will be immediately terminated
• The incident will be reported to the certification security team
• Your exam fee will be forfeited
• You may be banned from future certification attempts

Yes! You can add your certification to LinkedIn:

Option 1: Direct Share (Recommended)

1. Log into your certification portal
2. Click “Share” on your NCAD certificate
3. Select “LinkedIn” – it will auto-populate all information
4. Review and post

Option 2: Manual LinkedIn Entry

1. Go to your LinkedIn profile → “Licenses & Certifications”
2. Click “Add” and enter:
   • Name: Nautobot Certified App Developer (NCAD)
   • Issuing Organization: Network to Code
   • Issue Date: [Your exam date]
   • Expiration Date: [3 years from issue date]
   • Credential ID: [From your certificate]
   • Credential URL: [Your verification link]

Your LinkedIn network will be notified of your new certification!

NCAD certification can help you pursue roles such as:

• Nautobot App Developer
• Network Automation Platform Engineer
• Senior Network Automation Engineer
• Network DevOps Engineer
• Infrastructure Automation Engineer
• Python Developer specializing in network tooling

NCAD certification signals to employers that you can independently design and build production-grade Nautobot applications and platform extensions.

The Nautobot Certified Expert (NCE) is the highest level of Nautobot certification. Details on availability and requirements are available at networktocode.com/certifications.

Official certification resources:

• Certification Portal: https://learning.networktocode.com
• Certification Overview: https://networktocode.com/certifications
• Exam Policies: https://networktocode.com/certifications/policies
• Community Discussion: Network to Code Slack

Yes! We offer partnership opportunities for:

• Training delivery partners
• Corporate learning & development programs
• Academic institutions
• Technology partners

Contact certifications@networktocode.com for partnership information.

• Official Nautobot Documentation: https://docs.nautobot.com/
• Network to Code Blog: https://networktocode.com/blog/
• Network to Code YouTube: Network to Code Channel
• 100 Days of Nautobot: https://go.networktocode.com/100-days-of-nautobot
• Network to Code Community Slack: https://slack.networktocode.com/

Exam Blueprint

Exam Format & Requirements

• Active Nautobot Certified Associate (NCA) certification

• Proficiency in Python 3.9+ and Django fundamentals
• Hands-on experience building Python packages
• Familiarity with Nautobot’s data model, REST API, and Jobs from the NCA level
• Working knowledge of Django models, views, URL routing, and ORM

This exam tests your ability to scaffold and configure a Nautobot app, design custom data models, build UI views and REST API endpoints, implement Jobs and platform extensions, and integrate your app into Nautobot’s navigation and home page.

Domain 1: Setup and App Configuration (15%)

1.1 App Structure and Entry Points

• Required directory structure for a Nautobot app
• NautobotAppConfig class: name, verbose_name, version, author, description, base_url
• PLUGINS list in nautobot_config.py
• PLUGINS_CONFIG dictionary for app-specific settings
• min_nautobot_version and max_nautobot_version constraints

1.2 Python Packaging

• pyproject.toml structure: [tool.poetry] and [tool.poetry.dependencies]
• Entry points: [tool.poetry.plugins.”nautobot.apps”] registration
• Declaring Nautobot as a dependency with version constraints
• Package naming conventions

1.3 Development Environment

• invoke task runner and common tasks: invoke start, invoke stop, invoke debug
• Docker-based development with nautobot-docker-compose
• Development dependencies and testing setup
• nautobot-server commands in development context

1.4 App Autodiscovery

• How Nautobot discovers and loads apps
• init.py and config class exposure
• Autodiscovered modules: jobs.py, filter_extensions.py, navigation.py, template_extensions.py, homepage.py
• Manual vs. autodiscovered registration patterns

Domain 2: Models and Data Layer (20%)

2.1 Model Base Classes

• PrimaryModel: UUID primary key, tags, custom fields, relationships, change logging
• OrganizationalModel: simpler base without PrimaryModel features
• TreeModel: hierarchical/nested model support
• Selecting the correct base class for a given use case

2.2 Model Fields and Mixins

• Standard Django field types used in Nautobot models
• ManyToManyField with Tag (tags pattern)
• Custom field support via NautobotAppConfig.custom_fields
• StatusField and RoleField integration
• Database table naming: {app_label}_{model_name} convention

2.3 Django ORM and Querysets

• get_queryset() overrides and default filtering
• select_related() and prefetch_related() for query optimization
• Custom manager patterns
• Model validation with CustomValidator
• get_absolute_url() and URL resolution

2.4 Model Registration

• Registering models in NautobotAppConfig
• custom_fields, custom_validators, and graphql_types configuration
• Migration generation and management
• Model admin registration (optional)

Domain 3: Views and REST API (28%) — HIGHEST WEIGHT

3.1 UI Views

• NautobotUIViewSet and standard action methods (list, detail, create, edit, destroy, bulk operations)
• URL routing with NautobotRouter and app-level urls.py
• UI route naming conventions: {app_label}:{model_name}_{action} with underscores
• Permissions and has_perm() checks in views
• Template rendering and context variables

3.2 REST API

• NautobotModelViewSet and API action methods
• NautobotModelSerializer and field declarations
• OrderedDefaultRouter and API URL registration
• API route naming conventions: {app_label}-api:{model_name}-{action} with hyphens
• Filtering, pagination, and serializer depth control
• API namespace separation from UI namespace

3.3 Forms

• NautobotModelForm and field definitions
• DynamicModelChoiceField and DynamicModelMultipleChoiceField
• Form validation and custom clean methods
• Bulk edit and bulk import forms

Domain 4: Platform Features (25%)

4.1 Nautobot Jobs

• Job class definition and module structure
• Job variable types: ObjectVar, MultiObjectVar, StringVar, IntegerVar, BooleanVar, TextVar, ChoiceVar, FileVar
• Job execution, logging (self.log_info, self.log_success, self.log_warning, self.log_failure)
• Job metadata: name, description, has_sensitive_variables, approval_required, soft_time_limit
• Job scheduling and approval workflows

4.2 FilterExtensions

• FilterExtension class definition and filterset_fields
• filter_extensions.py module structure and registration variable
• Custom filter methods and queryset manipulation
• Registering filter extensions via NautobotAppConfig

4.3 TemplateExtensions

• TemplateExtension class and template_name
• detail_tabs(), left_page(), right_page(), full_width_page() methods
• model attribute and content type targeting
• Registering template extensions via NautobotAppConfig

4.4 Event System

• Signal handlers and receiver registration
• nautobot_database_ready and post_migrate signals
• Event broker patterns and autodiscovery
• Custom signal definitions and dispatch

Domain 5: UI Extensions (12%)

5.1 Navigation

• NavMenuItem: name, link, permissions, buttons
• NavMenuTab and NavMenuGroup for hierarchy
• navigation.py module structure and menu_items registration variable
• Permission-based visibility control
• NavMenuAddButton and NavMenuImportButton

5.2 Home Page

• HomePageItem and HomePagePanel
• homepage.py module structure and layout_panels registration variable
• Custom panels with custom_template
• Grouping and ordering of home page panels

5.3 Detail Page Extensions

• detail_tabs() method: list of tab dictionaries with title, url, weight
• Defining tab URL patterns and views
• left_page(), right_page(), full_width_page() content injection
• Passing context data to extension templates

5.4 Data Visualization

• Apache eCharts integration in Nautobot app templates
• Chart initialization and option configuration
• Rendering charts in TemplateExtension templates
• Responsive and interactive chart patterns