Explaining The New DevNet Academy Course Structure

Network engineers are increasingly expected to expand their skills beyond just networking. They should be able to write Python scripts and understand DevOps principles. Earning the Cisco Certified DevNet Expert certification is the most prestigious certificate for anyone looking to improve their career and work in network automation.

At the DevNet Academy, I'll help you achieve your goal of becoming a Cisco Certified DevNet Expert by providing a comprehensive e-learning platform. And to give you even more flexibility, I’m now offering the course with two learning paths. The full course that provides all the resources necessary for self-paced learning. And an optional mentoring add-on if you want more personal guidance.

In this post, I’ll show you the differences between these two options, why I’ve decided to offer mentoring as an add-on, and which path might be best for you depending on your needs. After this, you’ll be able to choose the right training to achieve your goals!

Sample Course – The Perfect Starting Point

If you’re just getting started with network automation or want to see what my teaching style looks like, the free sample course is a great place to start. It’s designed to give you some hands-on experience with Python Click and Flask-RESTX . These are two key Python libraries for the DevNet Expert exam. At the end, you’ll even get to put your newly learned skills to use by building a small Star Wars API project.

In this project, you’ll learn how to build a CLI application. Your app stores all your favourite Star Wars spaceships, people etc. by using your own API. This is a great starting point to develop and experiment with your own API. But when I created this e-learning, I wanted to make sure that you'll learn something that you can also use in real life. So after finishing the sample course, you will be able to build your own CLI applications or APIs!

Therefore the sample course is a great place to start. You figure out if DevNet Academy is the right fit for you and you'll learn two awesome Python libraries.

Full Course – Comprehensive and Self-Paced Learning

The DevNet Expert full course is designed to give you everything you need to pass the DevNet Expert exam. The best part is that it’s an e-learning, so you can study at your own pace whenever you have time. My course offers a thorough and structured learning platform with all the required topics so that you’ll pass the exam. I'm also focusing on practical examples that you can apply at work, so you'll not just learn for the exam...

In the end, there’s also a full-scale workbook. This workbook gives you bigger, more independent projects. You have to use the skills you’ve learned to solve complex problems without instructions. The course gets harder as it goes on. By the end you can write your own network automation scripts for everything that you want.

Another benefit of the full course is that you get access to a Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) topology. You can use that to run network labs in your home lab. Network automation is great, it allows you to quickly configure lots of devices. However, it also allows you to quickly bring down the whole network. Therefore having a proper lab environment is great to test things out without being scared of pressing Enter. If you want to, you can also use the always-on sandboxes from Cisco. I used them quite a lot during my own preparation. If you want to read more about this topic, I even dedicated a blog post where I mention lots of always-on sandboxes . Or you can also check out the sandboxes directly.

On top of the e-learning, you also get access to a Discord server with all other DevNet Academy students. This is a community space where you can meet other students with the same interests as you. It’s also a great way to share experiences, ask questions, and study together. This adds another layer of peer support.

Mentoring – Personal Guidance Just For You

The full course gives you all the technical resources you need to succeed, but some students like to have extra guidance to make sure they’re fully prepared for the exam. That’s where the mentoring add-on comes in. With the mentoring option, you’ll get direct support from me, guiding you through the certification process, refining your exam strategies, and making sure you stay on track.

This workflow explains how you could study with DevNet Academy:

1. Initial Kickoff Meeting - This one-on-one session is where we’ll get to know each other, talk about your goals, and see where you’re at with your current skills. I’ll also share some tips on how to study most effectively using my e-learning platform.
2. Study with DevNet Academy - Now it's time to actually study using the e-learning. Even in the age of AI, you unfortunately still have to do this yourself. But if you have any questions, I'm always here to help. You can either ask the questions directly in the e-learning where the question arose, in the community Discord server where everyone can see your questions, or you can write to me directly.
3. Pre-Exam Meeting - This meeting is scheduled two to four weeks before your exam. It’s a chance to get any questions you may have answered and to make sure you’re feeling ready. I’ve put together an exam checklist with lots of different questions. If you can answer these questions, you should do fine during the exam. If not, we’ll figure out where you need to focus your attention in the last few days. If it’s the first time you’re taking a CCIE level exam, I’ll also share some practical tips on what to expect, how you should manage your time, how to handle exam pressure, and more insights into the exam structure.
4. Take the Exam - You'll need to do this on your own, too. But I'll make sure that you feel confident going into the exam!
5. Post-Exam Meeting - If you pass, great! This means we never have to talk again :D But if you don’t, we’ll have a follow-up meeting to talk about what went well and what could be improved. The goal of this meeting is to figure out next steps and make sure that you know what you have to do next.

With this workflow, you always have someone to ask if you have any questions. And I'll make sure you're always motivated to keep studying!

Why I Offer Mentoring Separately

Over the past year and a half, I’ve spent a ton of time making sure the course content is top-notch and ready to help students pass the Cisco Certified DevNet Expert exam. As DevNet Academy has grown, it’s become harder to give everyone the attention they deserve. That’s why I decided to offer mentoring as an add-on, so I can focus my time on those who need it most.

A lot of students find that the base course has everything they need to succeed by themselves. And I’ve found that separating mentoring from the base course gives you more flexibility. If you’re comfortable with self-studying, the full course is all you need. I also know that the course may be expensive for some, so I’ve reduced the base price by $200, making it more affordable. And for those who prefer extra personal guidance, you can now opt for the mentoring add-on to get the additional support they need!

Enroll Before The Updates Go Live

Just wanted to give you a heads-up that on October 14th, I’ll be rolling out the new course structure where mentoring is available as an add-on. After that date, the full course will cost $1,590, and personalized mentoring will be an optional add-on for an extra $690.

But if you enroll before October 14th, you'll get both the full course and mentoring included at the current price. This is a great opportunity to get extra value at no additional cost.

Check out devnet-academy.com now to enroll in the DevNet Expert full course , or take a look at the free sample course . And if you have any questions or want to learn more about the new structure, feel free to reach out to me directly.