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Question 1

Score: 0/0

When designing a multi-site EVPN fabric connecting 5 DCs with distinct policy domains, which architecture provides the strongest blast-radius isolation?

Per-site independent EVPN domains joined by Border Gateways re-originating routes and applying RT/community rewrites

Stretched iBGP across all sites

Single L2 domain across all sites

BGP confederation across all sites

to track

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: ACE-Expert Exam

~90

Exam Questions

Arista / Pearson VUE

70%

Passing Score

Arista

120 min

Exam Duration

Arista

$500+

Exam Fee

Arista

3 years

Validity

Arista

Expert

Difficulty

Highest tier

The ACE-E exam has ~90 questions in 120 minutes with 70% pass threshold. Key topics: expert DC design (sizing, cabling, cross-site DR), multi-vendor EVPN interop, CloudVision Studios + NetDL, NDR/Awake, EOS SDK programmability (SysDB mounts, nexthop-group, ACL APIs), TCAM tuning, IPv6/SRv6 micro-SID, AI fabric tuning (DLB, hash), campus (MSS, CV-CUE, Mojo). Recommended prep: hold current ACE-Professional + 5+ years hands-on. Exam fee $500 USD. Delivered via Pearson VUE.

Sample ACE-Expert Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your ACE-Expert exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1When designing a multi-site EVPN fabric connecting 5 DCs with distinct policy domains, which architecture provides the strongest blast-radius isolation?

A.Per-site independent EVPN domains joined by Border Gateways re-originating routes and applying RT/community rewrites

B.Stretched iBGP across all sites

C.Single L2 domain across all sites

D.BGP confederation across all sites

Explanation: Per-site EVPN + BGW re-origination limits route propagation, isolates failures, and enables per-site policy independently. Stretched iBGP or single L2 propagates every failure and lacks scoping controls. BGP confederations work but still require careful scoping; the BGW re-origination pattern is Arista's validated multi-site approach.

2In an AI training fabric designed for 1024 GPUs across 32 racks, which oversubscription ratio would you target for the leaf-to-spine uplinks?

A.1:1 non-blocking (all-to-all GPU bandwidth is synchronous)

B.4:1 (standard enterprise ToR)

C.16:1 acceptable

D.Unmatched

Explanation: AI training (especially all-reduce collectives) creates all-to-all traffic patterns where every GPU talks to every other GPU simultaneously during gradient exchange. Oversubscription directly degrades collective performance. 1:1 non-blocking is standard for serious AI training; any oversubscription must be tested against the specific workload.

3You need to interop Arista EVPN-VXLAN with a Cisco NX-OS VXLAN EVPN fabric via a DCI. What is the PRIMARY interop concern?

A.RD/RT format differences and per-vendor EVPN route type support (especially for multicast/type 4 DF election)

B.Different VLANs

C.LLDP incompatibility

D.STP mode differences

Explanation: Both Arista and Cisco implement RFC 7432/8365 EVPN but may differ in route-type support, DF election algorithms, and specific extended community formats. Tie-in carefully: validate RT/RD semantics, test DF election in ESI multihoming, and verify MAC-mobility behaviors. Plan for explicit BGW re-origination at the interop boundary.

4When interoperating Arista with Juniper QFX EVPN-VXLAN, what attribute commonly needs verification?

A.Auto-derived RT format (Juniper vs Arista may differ) and ESI/DF behavior

B.LLDP versions

C.STP mode

D.LACP hash

Explanation: Different vendors auto-derive RTs differently (or not at all). Always configure EXPLICIT RTs for interop between Juniper QFX, Cisco NX-OS, Arista, and Nokia SR OS. Test DF election and mass-withdraw scenarios. Document the chosen RT/RD scheme in a shared design doc.

5Which CloudVision feature provides intent-driven config generation with modeling of network topology?

A.CloudVision Studios (intent-based networking)

B.CLI only

C.SNMPv1

D.STP

Explanation: CVP Studios is Arista's intent-based networking platform — define what you want (VLANs, tenants, services) via a UI/model, Studios generates and pushes the underlying configlets with change-control. Complements or replaces manual configlet workflows for standardized environments.

6What is NetDL in the context of Arista CloudVision?

A.Network Data Lake — time-series + event storage for fleet telemetry and analytics

B.A routing protocol

C.A DNS variant

D.A QoS class

Explanation: NetDL stores streaming telemetry (from TerminAttr) in a unified data lake — time-series metrics, events, configs, and state snapshots. Enables retrospective queries ('show me all BGP session state at 2am last Tuesday'), ML-based anomaly detection, and correlation across devices at fleet scale.

7How does Arista NDR use NetDL for security?

A.Ingests traffic metadata + network context from NetDL and applies ML-based behavioral analysis to detect threats

B.Only uses signatures

C.Endpoint-based only

D.Requires firewall

Explanation: Arista NDR (Awake-derived) ingests NetDL telemetry plus packet metadata to build entity profiles and detect behavioral anomalies — lateral movement, data exfiltration, C2. Unlike signature-based IDS, it catches novel/low-and-slow threats. Works without endpoint agents.

8What capability of Arista's EOS SDK allows an agent to modify hardware forwarding behavior?

A.Agent can program the FIB/TCAM via documented APIs (e.g., Nexthop-group mgr, ACL mgr)

B.No modification allowed

C.Only read state

D.SNMP only

Explanation: EOS SDK exposes typed managers for programming routes, nexthop-groups, ACLs, and more. Agents can dynamically insert/remove FIB entries or ACL rules — enabling custom routing, SDN controllers, DDoS mitigation agents. Correctness and TCAM budgeting is the agent author's responsibility.

9What is Segment Routing over IPv6 (SRv6) and how does Arista approach it?

A.Source-routing using IPv6 SID list in the destination header; Arista supports SRv6 micro-SID on select platforms

B.A campus feature only

C.Replaces BGP

D.Not supported

Explanation: SRv6 encodes the path as a list of IPv6 SIDs (Segment Identifiers) used as the destination address. Arista supports SRv6 (including compressed micro-SID formats) on select platforms — useful in SP and large enterprise WANs. Allows pure IPv6 transport without MPLS.

10What is a 'MicroSID' or compressed SID in SRv6?

A.A 16-bit or 32-bit SID compressed within a 128-bit IPv6 address to stack many SIDs in one address

B.A small router ID

C.A BGP community

D.An ACL type

Explanation: Full SRv6 SIDs are 128 bits (one per IPv6 address). Compressed formats (uSID / G-SID) pack multiple 16- or 32-bit SIDs into a single 128-bit address, reducing header overhead dramatically. This makes SRv6 practical for deeper label stacks without blowing up MTU.

About the ACE-Expert Exam

The Arista Certified Engineer — Expert (ACE-E) exam validates expert-level design and operational mastery. Covers DC fabric sizing and cabling, multi-vendor EVPN interop (Cisco NX-OS, Juniper QFX, Nokia SR OS), CloudVision Studios (intent-based networking), NetDL queries, Arista NDR (Awake-derived behavioral analytics), advanced programmability (EOS SDK Python/Go/C++, SysDB mount profiles, Nexthop Group/ACL Manager APIs), ACL TCAM tuning, BFD for EVPN, IPv6/SRv6 micro-SID underlays, Arista campus (MSS-Group, CV-CUE, Mojo Wi-Fi), and expert operational troubleshooting (ERSPAN, Aboot recovery, zero-day defect triage).

Questions

90 scored questions

Time Limit

120 minutes

Passing Score

70%

Exam Fee

$500 (Arista Networks / Pearson VUE)

ACE-Expert Exam Content Outline

20%

Expert DC Design & Multi-Vendor Interop

Fabric sizing, oversubscription strategy, cross-site DR, multi-vendor EVPN interop (Cisco NX-OS, Juniper QFX, Nokia SR OS), RT/RD format reconciliation, DF election behaviors

15%

CloudVision Advanced

Studios (intent-based networking), NetDL queries/analytics, AI Ops event correlation, CVP on-premises for sovereign deployments, unified wired/wireless policy via CV-CUE

15%

Programmability

EOS SDK agents (Python, C++, Go), SysDB mount profiles (least-privilege), Nexthop Group Manager, ACL Manager APIs, daemon config, containerlab/vEOS/cEOS lab

15%

AI/Storage Fabric Expert

Oversubscription for AI training (1:1 non-blocking), deep-buffer vs shallow-buffer trade-offs, DLB (flowlet LB), hash tuning, elephant flows, incast, INT, 800G optics

10%

Security & NDR

Arista NDR / Awake, secure boot + signed extensions, TCAM profile tuning for ACL scale, per-VRF CoPP, MACsec for DCI, group-based segmentation

10%

Advanced Routing

SRv6 / micro-SID, BFD tuning, RR hierarchical design + RFC 4684 constrained RT distribution, route leaks, BGP GR + graceful-shutdown at scale

15%

Expert Operations

Platform FAP (Jericho ASIC) troubleshooting, TCAM sizing, packet capture (ERSPAN + tcpdump), Aboot recovery, zero-day defect triage, chaos engineering

How to Pass the ACE-Expert Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: 70%
Exam length: 90 questions
Time limit: 120 minutes
Exam fee: $500

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

ACE-Expert Study Tips from Top Performers

1Read RFC 7432 (EVPN) and 8365 (VXLAN-EVPN) cover-to-cover — ACE-E assumes you understand the standard, not just Arista implementation

2Build a multi-vendor lab: Arista + Cisco cEOS/nxos + Juniper cRPD + Nokia — test EVPN interop scenarios explicitly

3Master AI fabric tuning: oversubscription, PFC priorities, ECN thresholds, DLB, hash seed rotation — this is a growing exam focus area

4EOS SDK: write a sample agent that uses Nexthop Group + ACL APIs — practical experience surfaces in scenario questions

5Know CV-CUE + MSS-Group + Mojo campus story — if your track includes campus, this is essential

6Practice platform-specific troubleshooting: 'show platform fap' on Jericho vs 'show platform tomahawk' — expert-level comfort expected

7Study Arista's published Network Design Guides — scale numbers, oversubscription recommendations, and DCI patterns come from these

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Arista ACE-Expert (ACE-E) exam?

The ACE-E is Arista's highest certification tier, representing expert mastery of Arista design, operations, and programmability. It validates the ability to design and operate large-scale fabrics including multi-vendor interop, AI training fabrics, and advanced CloudVision workflows.

How many questions are on the ACE-E exam?

The ACE-E exam is approximately 90 questions in 120 minutes with a 70% passing score. Questions are scenario-heavy and test design judgment under constraints (scale limits, interop, cost). Expect some lab-style or diagram-based questions depending on the exam format.

What experience is recommended before ACE-E?

Arista recommends holding a current ACE-Professional credential plus 5+ years of hands-on Arista experience in production environments. Candidates should have deep familiarity with EVPN multi-site designs, CVP operations, and at least one Arista automation framework (AVD/Ansible or Terraform).

How hard is the ACE-E exam?

ACE-E has the lowest pass rate in Arista's certification pyramid, typically 50-65% for well-prepared candidates. The scenarios require integrating knowledge across domains — e.g., a multi-site EVPN design with interop, TCAM constraints, AI-fabric tuning, and CVP operations — not isolated recall.

How long is the ACE-Expert certification valid?

ACE-Expert is valid for 3 years. Recertification requires passing a current ACE-Expert exam (or taking and passing a higher-tier exam if Arista introduces one). Maintaining ACE-E preserves all underlying tier credentials for the track.

How should I prepare for the ACE-E exam?

Plan 150-250 hours. Work through Arista's Advanced design documents, AVD multi-site examples, and published reference architectures. Lab extensively with containerlab (multi-vendor topologies), CV-CUE, and EOS SDK. Read the actual RFC 7432/8365 and Arista implementation whitepapers. Complete 200+ practice questions across domains.