Important updates coming to the Nokia Service Routing Certification (SRC) Program
The Nokia Service Routing Certification program is evolving. Over the coming months, we're modernizing our Routing Specialist I (NRS I) and Routing Specialist II (NRS II) certifications to reflect the technologies that power today's networks by replacing legacy protocols and services with Segment Routing and EVPN, and streamlining the path to NRS II certification. We're also streamlining the requirements to become a Certified Routing Architect (SRA).
Why the program is changing
Service provider and enterprise networks have moved decisively toward Segment Routing and EVPN. To keep your certification aligned with the skills the industry expects, we’re retiring older tunnelling technologies and legacy services, and building these modern technologies into the core of the program. At the same time, we've reduced the number of exams required at the NRS II and SRA levels, so the path to certification is more focused.
At a glance
Certification |
What's changing |
New version available |
Deadline for current version |
|---|---|---|---|
NRS I |
~25% content refresh: OSPF replaced with IS-IS, plus a new introduction to Segment Routing and EVPN. Still a single written exam. |
October 24, 2026 |
September 24, 2026 |
NRS II |
Full overhaul: Segment Routing and EVPN replace legacy tunneling and traditional services. Required exams reduced from four written + one lab to two written + one new lab. You must pass the current lab exam by December 31, 2026. |
January 1, 2027 |
December 31, 2026 |
SRA |
Required written exams reduced from eight to six. Multicast exam is retired. Lab exam unchanged. |
Effective immediately |
Change applies now |
Certified Network Routing Specialist I (NRS I)
The NRS I will undergo a minor update with roughly a 25% content refresh:
- OSPF is being replaced with IS-IS.
- A new introduction to Segment Routing and EVPN services is being added.
- It remains a single written exam.
Here's how the NRS I transition works:
- Through September 24, 2026 — The current OSPF-based exam (4A0-100) remains available. September 24 is the last day to certify on the current NRS I exam.
- September 24 – October 23, 2026 (exam blackout) — The NRS I exam is unavailable while we transition to the new version. During this window, the new course and self-study materials are released, so you can begin preparing on the updated IS-IS / Segment Routing / EVPN content before the new exam opens.
- October 24, 2026 — The new IP Networks and Service Fundamentals (4A0-100 NRS I exam opens, fully aligned with the new content.
Certified Network Routing Specialist II (NRS II)
The NRS II is the most significant of the three changes. The certification content is being fully modernized:
- Segment Routing replaces LDP and RSVP tunnelling.
- EVPN services replace traditional services.
- The required exams have been reduced from four written exams plus one lab exam to two written exams (Segment Routing and EVPN) plus one new lab exam.
The following exams will be retired on December 31, 2026. The associated courses will remain available for learning, but will no longer be linked to the certifications:
- Nokia IS-IS Routing Protocol (4A0-112)
- Nokia OSPF Routing Protocol (4A0-113)
- Nokia Border Gateway Protocol Fundamentals for Services (4A0-114)
- Nokia Multiprotocol Label Switching (4A0-103)
- Services Architecture (4A0-104)
- Nokia NRS II Composite Exam: IS-IS version (4A-C03)
- Nokia NRS II Composite Exam: OSPF version (4A0-C04)
The following workshops will be retired on December 31, 2026:
- Nokia NRS II Lab Workshop - Version A | TER36090
- Nokia NRS II Lab Workshop - Version B | TER36091
The NRS II lab exam is the critical deadline. If you are working toward NRS II, you must pass the current NRS II lab exam on or before December 31, 2026. The lab exam is the final step in the current certification, and it is not carried over. If you have not completed it by December 31, you will not be grandfathered into the new program, and you will need to start over and certify under the new NRS II, which is built on entirely new courses, two new written exams, and a lab exam.
If you're currently in progress or close to eligibility: complete your full certification under the current path, including the lab exam, by December 31, 2026, so the work you've already invested still applies. Avoid delays by booking your lab exam as soon as you are eligible. Anyone who has not passed the current lab exam by year-end will transition to the new version and must complete the new certification path.
Certified Nokia Service Routing Architect (SRA)
The first step in the SRA's evolution streamlines the path to certification. The content is unchanged, but the number of required exams is being reduced, and this takes effect immediately:
- Required written exams drop from eight to six.
- The following are no longer required: IS-IS or OSPF, MPLS, Services Architecture, and the elective exam.
- The EVPN and Segment Routing exams will become mandatory
- The Multicast exam is being retired.
- The lab exam is unchanged.
Because this step only reduces what's required of you, there's no transition period; the streamlined requirements apply right away. The SRA will continue to evolve alongside the rest of the program, and we'll share further updates as that work progresses.
Important dates
- June 24, 2026 — Program changes announced. Streamlined SRA requirements take effect immediately; Multicast exam retired.
- August 6, 2026 — Updated versions of the Segment Routing and EVPN courses and written exams go live. Passing these now counts toward the new NRS II launching in January.
- September 24, 2026 — Last day to take the current OSPF-based NRS I exam (4A0-100). NRS I exam blackout begins, and the new NRS I course and self-study materials are released for preparation.
- October 24, 2026 — New NRS I exam opens, aligned with the new content.
- December 31, 2026 — Last day to pass the current NRS II lab exam and complete the current NRS II certification. Legacy NRS II exams (IS-IS, OSPF, MPLS, BGP for Services, Services Architecture) retire.
- January 1, 2027 — New NRS II launches with updated courses, two written exams (Segment Routing and EVPN), and a new lab exam.
The blackout lets us cleanly retire the OSPF-based exam and bring up the new IS-IS / Segment Routing / EVPN version without overlap. It also serves as a preparation window: the new course and self-study materials are released when the blackout begins, giving you about a month with the new content before the updated exam opens on October 24, 2026.
You can complete your certification under the current path as long as you pass the current NRS II lab exam by December 31, 2026. Progress on the current path is not carried into the new NRS II. If you don't finish by Dec 31, 2026, you'll need to certify under the new version, which uses entirely new courses, two new written exams, and a new lab exam.
Yes. The existing versions of the Segment Routing (4A0-116) and EVPN (4A0-115) exams count towards the updated NRS II, as of January 1, 2027, when the updated certification is live.
No. They are two separate written exams.
No. At this time, the courses will remain available in the SRC Program through 2026. Beginning in 2027, they will only be available for private course deliveries and will not be available in our open class calendar.
No. The SRA content and lab exam are unchanged. The only change is a reduction in the number of required written exams, from eight to four, effective immediately.
The SRA will continue to evolve alongside the rest of the program. This first step streamlines the path to certification, and we'll share further updates as that work progresses.