Nokia Certifications in 2026: Navigating NRS I, NRS II, SRA and the SRC Transition

Nokia's certification portfolio is broad, but the Service Routing Certification program is the clearest place to begin for engineers working with IP/MPLS service-router networks. In 2026 the live SRC structure still centers on three credentials: Nokia Certified Network Routing Specialist I (NRS I), Nokia Certified Network Routing Specialist II (NRS II) and Nokia Certified Service Routing Architect (SRA). The progression moves from IP networking fundamentals to operational service routing and then to advanced design and support responsibilities.

This is also a transition year. Nokia announced significant SRC updates for 2026–27, including changes intended to modernize the routing curriculum around technologies such as Segment Routing and EVPN and to streamline parts of the certification path. Candidates should therefore treat an exam code as versioned information, not as a permanent identity. A workbook that was accurate earlier in 2026 can become incomplete as retirement dates and replacement requirements approach.

The safest planning method is to start on Nokia's current certification page, choose the target credential, and then open the current exam matrix for that credential. After that, map study resources to the exact exam numbers still required on the date you intend to sit them. This prevents a common mistake: preparing deeply for a valid Nokia technology topic while targeting an exam that is already scheduled to retire.

NRS I establishes the IP foundation before service-routing specialization

NRS I is the entry point in the SRC ladder. Its current written requirement is Nokia IP Networks and Services Fundamentals, exam 4A0-100. The level is foundational, but it should not be approached as a vocabulary test. Candidates need to understand how addressing, routing, Ethernet services and basic service-provider concepts combine into an operational network.

Build preparation from packet forwarding outward. Be able to determine how a destination is selected, why a route is preferred, what changes when traffic crosses a routed boundary and how Layer 2 and Layer 3 responsibilities differ. Practical IPv4 subnetting should be fast enough that address calculations do not distract from the networking question itself. The same applies to basic switching: VLANs, trunks and loop-prevention concepts should be understood as design mechanisms rather than memorized terms.

Because Nokia has announced an NRS I refresh for 2027, candidates planning far ahead should check whether 4A0-100 remains the active requirement at their intended testing date. Someone testing in the current window may still use today's blueprint, while a learner building a six-month study plan may need the replacement curriculum. The program page, not an old course title, should make that decision.

NRS II develops real IP/MPLS service-routing competence

NRS II builds on the NRS I foundation and currently requires four written subject areas plus a practical lab, with a choice between IS-IS and OSPF for the interior routing protocol component. Nokia's current matrix lists 4A0-112 for IS-IS or the corresponding OSPF exam, 4A0-114 for BGP fundamentals, 4A0-103 for MPLS and 4A0-104 for services architecture.

That mix shows why topic-by-topic memorization is not enough. Interior routing provides reachability, BGP exchanges policy-rich routing information, MPLS creates a forwarding substrate, and service architecture defines how customer services are delivered across it. Study the dependencies. If the underlay loses reachability, what happens to label-switched paths? If BGP policy changes, which prefixes or services are affected? If a service endpoint is misconfigured, which control-plane information should still be present?

For OSPF preparation, understand neighbor formation, areas, link-state information and route selection rather than relying on command recognition. The same principle applies to BGP path selection and policy. Nokia-specific syntax matters, but syntax becomes easier when the protocol behavior is already clear.

Composite exams simplify scheduling but do not reduce the knowledge scope

Nokia currently offers NRS II composite options that combine the written subject requirements. The IS-IS version, 4A0-C03, combines IS-IS, BGP Fundamentals, MPLS and Services Architecture; the OSPF version provides the parallel route through that protocol choice. A composite can reduce the number of exam appointments, but it concentrates several domains into one sitting.

Candidates should choose the format based on learning style and schedule, not on an assumption that a composite is an easier shortcut. Separate exams provide natural milestones and allow deeper focus on one topic at a time. A composite may suit an experienced service-routing engineer who already works across the entire stack and wants a more consolidated assessment.

Transition planning is especially important here. Nokia has published retirement information for existing composite exams as part of the 2027 SRC update. Before purchasing a voucher, verify whether there is enough time to complete the written requirements and practical lab under the current rules. A partially completed path can be affected by transition policies even when each exam was valid when taken.

The NRS II lab changes preparation from knowledge recall to operations

The NRS II practical exam requires the written prerequisites first, and it tests the ability to work with service-routing tasks rather than merely identify correct statements. Lab preparation should therefore be built around repeatable operational workflows: establish a baseline, configure one logical change, verify control-plane state, verify forwarding behavior and isolate faults methodically.

Do not practice only the happy path. Break adjacencies, introduce a wrong policy, create a mismatched service parameter and observe what evidence appears. Troubleshooting becomes much faster when you can predict which layer should fail first. A candidate who immediately changes configuration without first checking state can accidentally hide the original problem.

Use routing fundamentals as the mental baseline. Nokia's commands and platform behavior are the implementation layer; the underlying questions remain about reachability, convergence, protocol relationships and service intent. That separation also makes skills portable across software releases.

SRA extends the path into advanced service design and support

SRA is the highest level in the current SRC hierarchy and builds on NRS II. The live exam matrix includes advanced BGP, VPLS, VPRN, QoS and EVPN topics, followed by an SRA lab. Individual written exams include 4A0-105 for VPLS, 4A0-106 for VPRN, 4A0-107 for Quality of Service and 4A0-115 for EVPN.

At this level, study should move from “how do I configure the feature?” to “why is this service designed this way?” Compare Layer 2 and Layer 3 VPN models, reason about redundancy and convergence, and understand how QoS policy changes the behavior of traffic during congestion. Advanced candidates should be able to explain tradeoffs to another engineer rather than simply reproduce a reference configuration.

EVPN is particularly relevant to the direction of modern service-provider networks and to Nokia's announced SRC modernization. Learn the control-plane role it plays, what information is exchanged and how it changes service design compared with older signaling approaches. Current certification does not eliminate the value of legacy technologies, but the roadmap signals where Nokia expects engineers to grow.

Automation has become a separate Nokia certification relationship worth checking

Service routing is only one part of Nokia's current learning portfolio. Engineers whose work is increasingly API-driven should also examine the Nokia Certified NSP IP Network Automation Professional path. It addresses a different capability: using Nokia's management and automation ecosystem to operate networks programmatically rather than proving the full SRC routing ladder.

For routing engineers, network automation fundamentals provide a useful bridge. APIs, structured configuration data, templates and controlled change do not replace protocol knowledge. They increase the scale at which that knowledge is applied. Automation that does not understand routing intent can propagate a mistake faster than manual work.

Choose between paths by job responsibility. A service-routing specialist may prioritize NRS II or SRA and add automation later; an operations engineer building network workflows may start with automation while maintaining enough protocol depth to validate outcomes. The programs are complementary rather than interchangeable.

Build a 2026 study plan around live status, labs and transition dates

A disciplined Nokia plan starts with status verification. Record the target credential, every required written exam, lab prerequisite, published retirement date and the date by which you realistically expect to finish. Recheck that sheet whenever Nokia posts a program update. This is more important in 2026 than in a stable year because the announced 2027 changes are already affecting individual exam pages.

Then divide learning into concepts, platform implementation and verification. Concept work covers IP routing, MPLS, VPN services, QoS and policy. Platform work covers Nokia SR OS configuration and operational commands. Verification work proves that the intended route or service actually exists. Each lab should include all three layers so that certification study resembles the way production networks are operated.

Finally, resist the temptation to measure progress by the number of exam codes collected. The current NRS I, NRS II and SRA hierarchy is valuable because it organizes skills, but the durable asset is the ability to reason about a service network under normal and failure conditions. Use Nokia's live 2026–27 roadmap to choose the correct assessment, then use hands-on practice to make the credential reflect genuine routing competence.

Another useful discipline is to separate exam validity from certification validity. A credential can remain valid for a defined period even while the exam used to earn it is being replaced, and Nokia can publish transition rules for candidates partway through a path. Keep the badge or certification expiration date, exam-retirement date and program-transition date as separate fields in your planning notes. Conflating them can lead to unnecessary retesting or, in the opposite direction, an expired path that can no longer be completed as expected.

For teams, the same planning can be turned into a skills matrix. Mark which engineers own routing protocols, MPLS transport, service architecture, VPN services, QoS, EVPN, automation and lab troubleshooting. Certification then becomes a way to close operational gaps rather than an isolated personal target. This is especially useful during the 2026–27 curriculum change, because organizations can decide which staff should finish the current sequence and which should wait for the revised path based on actual network responsibilities.