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Question 1

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Which ArubaOS-CX switch series is purpose-built as a stackable campus access switch supporting VSF stacking up to 10 members and PoE/PoE+/PoE++ ports?

Aruba CX 6300

Aruba CX 8400

Aruba CX 10000

Aruba CX 8100

to track

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: Aruba ACSA Exam

Exam Questions

HPE certification datacard

63%

Passing Score

HPE certification datacard

90 min

Exam Duration

HPE certification datacard

$200

Exam Fee

HPE/Pearson VUE

3 yrs

Certification Validity

HPE certification policy

Pearson VUE

Test Provider

HPE

The Aruba Certified Switching Associate (ACSA) certification proves you can deploy and operate ArubaOS-CX campus switches. The exam covers the CX 6000-8400 portfolio, AOS-CX architecture (REST API, NAE, TSDB, NetEdit), VLANs and MSTP, VSF stacking and VSX active-gateway, OSPFv2/v3, ACLs and classifier QoS, dynamic segmentation with user roles and UBT, 802.1X with ClearPass, and Aruba Central monitoring.

Sample Aruba ACSA Practice Questions

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

1Which ArubaOS-CX switch series is purpose-built as a stackable campus access switch supporting VSF stacking up to 10 members and PoE/PoE+/PoE++ ports?

A.Aruba CX 6300

B.Aruba CX 8400

C.Aruba CX 10000

D.Aruba CX 8100

Explanation: The Aruba CX 6300 is a stackable campus access switch family that supports Virtual Switching Framework (VSF) with up to 10 members, full-featured ArubaOS-CX, and PoE up to 60W (PoE++/802.3bt) on the M models. The CX 8400 is a modular core/aggregation chassis, the CX 10000 is a distributed services switch with Pensando DPUs, and the CX 8100 is a fixed aggregation switch.

2An administrator must select an Aruba CX switch for a small branch wiring closet that needs basic Layer 2/Layer 3 features and PoE for 24 phones, with no need for VSF stacking. Which model is the best fit?

A.Aruba CX 8360

B.Aruba CX 6100

C.Aruba CX 8400

D.Aruba CX 10000

Explanation: The Aruba CX 6100 is the entry-level, fixed-form-factor branch and small-campus access switch that supports basic L2/L3 features, PoE/PoE+, and limited routing. The CX 8360, 8400, and 10000 are aggregation/core/data-center class platforms that are oversized and over-budget for a small branch wiring closet.

3Which Aruba CX platform integrates Pensando DPUs to provide stateful services such as distributed firewalling and telemetry inside a top-of-rack switch?

A.Aruba CX 6400

B.Aruba CX 8325

C.Aruba CX 10000

D.Aruba CX 6300

Explanation: The Aruba CX 10000 'distributed services switch' integrates AMD Pensando Elba DPUs to deliver line-rate stateful services such as distributed firewalling, NAT, encryption, and rich telemetry directly in the ToR. The 8325 is a high-performance L2/L3 ToR without DPUs, the 6400 is a modular campus core/aggregation chassis, and the 6300 is a stackable campus access switch.

4Which ArubaOS-CX component is the on-box database that stores operational counters and state over time so NAE agents and the GUI can graph them without an external collector?

A.Aruba User Experience Insight

B.Aruba AirWave

C.ClearPass Policy Manager

D.Time-Series Database (TSDB)

Explanation: ArubaOS-CX writes operational counters and state into the on-box Time-Series Database (TSDB). NAE Python agents subscribe to TSDB rows and surface graphs directly in the AOS-CX web UI, with no external collector required. AirWave, ClearPass, and User Experience Insight are separate external Aruba products.

5Which ArubaOS-CX feature uses Python scripts to monitor switch state, generate alerts, and create graphs without requiring an external monitoring system?

A.Network Analytics Engine (NAE)

B.AirWave Glass

C.Aruba User Experience Insight

D.RMON v2

Explanation: The Network Analytics Engine (NAE) is the on-box automation framework in ArubaOS-CX. NAE agents are Python scripts that subscribe to TSDB data, raise alerts based on user-defined conditions, and surface graphs in the switch's web UI. AirWave Glass and User Experience Insight are separate Aruba products, and RMON v2 is a legacy SNMP-based remote monitoring standard.

6Which Aruba tool provides a multi-switch configuration editor with validation, dry-run, and rollback aimed at managing AOS-CX configurations across many switches?

A.AirWave

B.NetEdit

C.Aruba Central

D.OneView

Explanation: NetEdit is Aruba's on-prem multi-switch configuration tool for AOS-CX. It provides side-by-side editing, configuration validation against a baseline, conformance checks, and dry-run/rollback before committing to many switches at once. AirWave focuses on monitoring; Aruba Central is the cloud management platform; OneView is HPE's server/converged-infrastructure manager.

7On an ArubaOS-CX switch, which configuration file is loaded into memory and applied at boot?

A.checkpoint-startup

B.running-config

C.startup-config

D.candidate-config

Explanation: At boot, AOS-CX reads the startup-config from non-volatile storage and loads it into the running-config (in memory). The running-config reflects current operation, candidate-config is used by the REST API for transactional changes, and checkpoints are named snapshots used for rollback.

8Which AOS-CX command saves the current running-config to the startup-config so changes survive a reload?

A.write memory

B.copy running-config startup-config

C.save config

D.commit

Explanation: AOS-CX uses the explicit form 'copy running-config startup-config' to persist changes. There is no 'write memory' shortcut as on legacy ArubaOS-Switch. 'Save config' is not a valid command, and 'commit' applies a candidate transaction in REST/NETCONF flows but does not persist to startup.

9An administrator runs 'checkpoint create pre-change' on an AOS-CX switch and then makes risky changes. After the changes break connectivity, which command rolls the switch back to the saved snapshot?

A.checkpoint rollback pre-change

B.copy pre-change running-config

C.config replace pre-change

D.rollback config startup

Explanation: AOS-CX checkpoints are named snapshots created with 'checkpoint create <name>' and applied with 'checkpoint rollback <name>'. The other syntaxes are from other vendor CLIs and are not valid AOS-CX commands.

10Which AOS-CX configuration concept is exposed primarily through the REST API to allow staging changes that are then committed in a single transaction?

A.startup-config

B.candidate-config

C.running-config

D.boot-image config

Explanation: The REST API in ArubaOS-CX exposes a candidate-config: a draft configuration that can be staged with PATCH/PUT calls and then committed atomically into running-config. CLI users typically modify running-config directly. Startup-config is the persisted boot configuration, and boot-image config is not a valid concept.

About the Aruba ACSA Exam

The Aruba Certified Switching Associate (ACSA) validates foundational ArubaOS-CX switching skills, covering the CX hardware portfolio, VLANs, MSTP, VSF/VSX, OSPF, ACLs, dynamic segmentation, 802.1X, and Aruba Central monitoring.

Questions

60 scored questions

Time Limit

90 minutes

Passing Score

63%

Exam Fee

$200 (HPE Aruba / Pearson VUE)

Aruba ACSA Exam Content Outline

20%

ArubaOS-CX Architecture & Hardware

CX 6000/6100/6200/6300/6400/8100/8320/8325/8360/8400/CX 10000 portfolio, AOS-CX OS, REST API, NAE, TSDB, NetEdit, and config management (running/startup/checkpoint)

30%

Layer 2 Switching

VLANs, trunking, voice VLAN, MSTP/RSTP with BPDU/Loop/Root guard, link aggregation (LACP/static), VSF, and VSX active-gateway

20%

Layer 3 & Services

IPv4/IPv6 SVIs, VRF Lite, static routes, OSPFv2/v3 single area, DHCP relay, DHCP snooping, and helpers

20%

Security & Access

MAC/IPv4/IPv6 ACLs, classifier QoS, port-security, LLDP-MED, dynamic segmentation user roles, UBT, 802.1X, MAC-Auth, Captive Portal, and RADIUS-CoA with ClearPass

10%

Management & Monitoring

SSH, REST API, SNMPv3, NTP, syslog, AirWave/Aruba Central, and show command troubleshooting

How to Pass the Aruba ACSA Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: 63%
Exam length: 60 questions
Time limit: 90 minutes
Exam fee: $200

Keys to Passing

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

Aruba ACSA Study Tips from Top Performers

1Master MSTP behavior on AOS-CX: instances, BPDU Guard on edge ports, Root Guard on uplinks toward predictable roots, Loop Guard on alternate ports, and BPDU Filter caveats

2Practice VSX setup end-to-end: ISL, keepalive, active-gateway MAC/IP, VSX-LAG, and how multicast flood control behaves across the ISL

3Know the AOS-CX config files cold — running-config, startup-config, candidate-config (REST), checkpoint, and named saved configs — and how to roll back

4Drill OSPFv2 and OSPFv3 single area: router-id, area 0, network-type point-to-point vs broadcast, hello/dead timers, and passive interfaces

5Understand dynamic segmentation: when to use a local user role vs UBT to a Mobility Gateway, and how RADIUS-CoA from ClearPass changes a session live

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Aruba ACSA exam format?

The ACSA is a 90-minute proctored exam delivered at Pearson VUE test centers or via OnVUE online proctoring. It contains approximately 60 multiple-choice and matching questions, and the passing score is around 63%. The exam fee is approximately $200 USD and the certification is valid for three years.

What does ArubaOS-CX cover on the ACSA exam?

Expect questions on AOS-CX architecture (modular OS with REST API, the Network Analytics Engine, and the Time-Series Database), the CX hardware portfolio (CX 6000 through CX 8400 and CX 10000), and config management — running-config, startup-config, named saved configs, and checkpoint rollback.

How do VSF and VSX differ on Aruba CX switches?

VSF (Virtual Switching Framework) stacks multiple smaller CX switches (commonly 6300) into a single logical switch with one control plane and master/standby/member roles. VSX (Virtual Switching Extension) keeps two larger CX switches (8325/8360/8400) as independent control planes synced over an ISL, with active-gateway and VSX-LAG providing active-active forwarding.

Is dynamic segmentation tested on the ACSA?

Yes. You need to know local user roles applied at the CX switch port through 802.1X or MAC-Auth, and User-Based Tunneling (UBT) which tunnels selected user traffic from the CX switch to an Aruba Mobility Gateway. ClearPass typically delivers the role and any RADIUS Change of Authorization.

How long should I study for the Aruba ACSA?

Plan for 60-100 hours over 6-10 weeks. Focus on Layer 2 switching (the largest topic area), then OSPF, ACLs, and dynamic segmentation. Hands-on time with AOS-CX CLI (show vlan, show spanning-tree, show vsx status, show lldp neighbors) is essential because the exam tests practical configuration and troubleshooting.