- Exam Snapshot: The Numbers You Must Memorize
- Version Pins: What JN0-214 Actually Covers
- Domains 1 and 2: Cloud Fundamentals, NFV and SDN
- Domain 3: Network Virtualization Cheat Sheet
- Domain 4: Cloud Virtualization (VMs and Containers)
- Domains 5-7: OpenStack, Kubernetes and OpenShift
- Confusable Pairs That Cost Points
- Logistics, Retakes and Renewal in One Place
- Sequencing Your Review Around the Seven Domains
- Frequently Asked Questions
- JN0-214 is a 65-question, 90-minute written multiple-choice exam delivered through Pearson VUE, with a published $200 base fee plus applicable taxes.
- Seven official objective headings exist, but Juniper publishes no percentage weights, so study all seven rather than guessing a heavy domain.
- The exam is pinned to Contrail 22.4, OpenStack Zed, Kubernetes 1.24 and OpenShift 4.10.
- The voucher assessment (80 minutes, 70%) is a separate product from the 90-minute certification exam.
Exam Snapshot: The Numbers You Must Memorize
This page condenses the Juniper Networks Certified Associate, Cloud (JNCIA-Cloud) exam, code JN0-214, into one scannable review. It is a recall aid, not a replacement for working through each domain. For the long-form walkthrough, pair it with the JNCIA-Cloud study guide, and for the formal breakdown of each objective heading see the complete guide to all 7 content areas.
| Item | Verified fact |
|---|---|
| Credential | Juniper Networks Certified Associate, Cloud (JNCIA-Cloud) |
| Exam code | JN0-214 |
| Questions | 65 |
| Time limit | 90 minutes |
| Format | English-language written multiple-choice examination |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE test center or OnVUE remote delivery, subject to availability and ID/technical requirements |
| Base exam fee | $200 per examination plus applicable taxes; no member/nonmember split is published |
| Prerequisite certification | None |
| Validity | Three years |
| Official objective headings | Seven |
| Passing score | Exam-specific statistical cut score (no flat percentage is published) |
Version Pins: What JN0-214 Actually Covers
The published software versions for this exam are Contrail 22.4, OpenStack Zed, Kubernetes 1.24 and OpenShift 4.10. These are the versions the objectives are written against, not the newest product releases. When a blog post, video or lab guide describes a much newer or much older interface, treat details with caution and anchor your understanding to the objective wording instead.
This matters because a lot of free study material predates JN0-214. Older guides were written against earlier exam codes and organized the syllabus differently, with topics such as cloud monitoring, managed services or cloud security as top-level headings. Those are not the current seven headings. If a resource spends a third of its pages on a topic that does not appear in the list below, it is aimed at an older blueprint.
Another point worth repeating: Cloud is a distinct track from Junos. JNCIA-Cloud does not require JNCIA-Junos or any other certification first. If you are weighing the two, the requirements and eligibility breakdown covers how to qualify.
Domains 1 and 2: Cloud Fundamentals, NFV and SDN
Domain 1: Cloud Fundamentals
The objectives ask you to identify concepts and functionality in four areas. Expect definitional questions where two answers sound plausible.
- Deployment models: public, private and hybrid cloud.
- Service models: SaaS, IaaS and PaaS. Know which layer the customer manages in each.
- Cloud-native architectures: think applications built for elastic, automated environments rather than lifted-and-shifted monoliths.
- Cloud automation tools: why declarative, repeatable provisioning beats manual configuration.
Domain 2: Cloud Infrastructure (NFV and SDN)
Two related but separate halves. Keep them in different mental folders.
- NFV: NFV architecture, NFV orchestration, and VNFs (virtualized network functions). Core idea: network functions run as software on general-purpose infrastructure instead of dedicated appliances.
- SDN: SDN architecture, the SDN controller, and SDN solutions. Core idea: separate control logic from forwarding and centralize it in a controller.
A reliable shortcut: NFV virtualizes the function (a firewall or router becomes a VM or container), while SDN centralizes the control (a controller programs the network). They complement each other, and exam questions often test whether you can tell which one a scenario describes. Contrail, named in the version pins, is the SDN solution context for this track.
Domain 3: Network Virtualization Cheat Sheet
This domain is where candidates who skim cloud vocabulary get exposed, because it asks for specific encapsulation knowledge. The objectives cover virtual network types, underlay and overlay networks, and encapsulation and tunneling.
Underlay vs. Overlay
- Underlay: the physical (and routed) transport network that provides IP reachability between devices.
- Overlay: virtual networks built on top of the underlay, carried inside tunnels, independent of the physical topology.
| Encapsulation named in the objectives | What to remember |
|---|---|
| MPLS over GRE | MPLS-labeled traffic carried inside a GRE tunnel across an IP underlay |
| MPLS over UDP | MPLS-labeled traffic carried inside UDP, an alternative tunneling approach over IP |
| VXLAN | Layer 2 segments extended over a Layer 3 underlay using a VXLAN network identifier |
| EVPN with VXLAN | EVPN supplies the BGP-based control plane; VXLAN supplies the data-plane encapsulation |
| GENEVE | A flexible tunneling encapsulation for network virtualization overlays |
Domain 4: Cloud Virtualization (VMs and Containers)
This domain has two halves: Linux virtualization and Linux containers.
Linux Virtualization
- Linux architecture fundamentals.
- Hypervisor types: Type 1 runs directly on hardware; Type 2 runs on top of a host operating system.
- Hypervisor operations and concepts.
- KVM/QEMU: concepts and operations, including how they combine to run virtual machines on Linux.
- Creating virtual machines.
Linux Containers
- Container versus virtual machine: containers share the host kernel and are lighter; VMs include their own guest operating system and are more strongly isolated.
- Container components.
- Creating containers using Docker.
Because this is a written exam, questions in this domain test whether you can identify the right concept or command purpose, not whether you can perform a live build. Still, hands-on repetition with a Docker host and a KVM guest makes the recall far stickier than reading alone.
Domains 5-7: OpenStack, Kubernetes and OpenShift
The last three domains are all orchestration, each pinned to a specific platform release. Learn the object model of each and how they differ.
Domain 5: Cloud Orchestration with OpenStack (Zed)
- Creating and managing VMs in OpenStack.
- Automation using Heat templates written in YAML.
- Using the OpenStack UIs.
- OpenStack networking plugins.
- OpenStack security groups.
Domain 6: Cloud Orchestration with Kubernetes (1.24)
- Creating and managing containers in Kubernetes.
- API objects: Pods, ReplicaSets, Deployments and Services.
- Kubernetes namespaces.
- CNI plug-ins and their role in pod networking.
Domain 7: Cloud Orchestration with OpenShift (4.10)
- Creating, managing and monitoring OpenShift workloads.
- Navigating the OpenShift CLI or web UI.
- Node types: provisioner and control plane.
- Network types: routable, provisioning and management.
Key Takeaway
The object hierarchy in Kubernetes is a favorite recall target: a Deployment manages ReplicaSets, a ReplicaSet maintains a set of Pod replicas, and a Service gives those Pods a stable access point. Memorize that chain and you can reason through most associate-level scenario questions.
Confusable Pairs That Cost Points
Associate-level questions frequently place two similar-sounding items side by side. Use this table as a final-week drill.
| Pair | How to separate them |
|---|---|
| NFV vs. SDN | NFV moves functions to software; SDN centralizes control in a controller |
| Underlay vs. overlay | Physical routed transport vs. virtual networks tunneled over it |
| VXLAN vs. EVPN | Data-plane encapsulation vs. BGP-based control plane |
| Type 1 vs. Type 2 hypervisor | Bare-metal vs. runs on a host OS |
| Container vs. VM | Shared host kernel vs. separate guest OS |
| Heat vs. direct VM creation | YAML template-driven automation vs. one-off manual creation |
| ReplicaSet vs. Deployment | Maintains replica count vs. manages ReplicaSets and rollout behavior |
| Provisioning vs. management network (OpenShift) | Separate network types with different purposes; learn each by name |
Logistics, Retakes and Renewal in One Place
Registration and identity
You schedule through Pearson VUE, either at a test center or via OnVUE remote delivery, subject to availability and technical and ID requirements. Your legal name must match your government-issued photo and signature identification and your CertMetrics and Pearson VUE accounts. Timing and scheduling details are covered in the exam dates and scheduling guide.
Cost
The published base fee is $200 per examination plus applicable taxes. Regional checkout totals and any candidate-specific voucher discounts must be confirmed at checkout. A course charge or reseller price is not the issuer's exam fee. For the full picture, see the pricing breakdown.
Results and retakes
- Results are immediate but subject to security validation; valid results appear in CertMetrics within three business days under the published policy.
- No waiting period after a first failed attempt.
- A 14-calendar-day wait applies after second and subsequent failures, starting the day after the failed attempt.
- You cannot retake the same passed examination within 18 months.
Validity and renewal
The certification is valid for three years. Before it expires, use an eligible current examination or a designated qualifying course under the issuer's recertification options. Active associate-level certifications can also be renewed when a higher-level renewal or a new certification qualifies under the issuer's rules. If it lapses, the applicable track must be restarted.
Sequencing Your Review Around the Seven Domains
Since no domain weights are published, distribute your time by your own gaps. A sensible order follows the dependency chain in the objectives: concepts first, then virtualization, then the three orchestrators.
Domains 1 and 2
- Lock in deployment and service models.
- Separate NFV from SDN and define VNF, controller and orchestration.
Domains 3 and 4
- Drill the encapsulation table until each tunnel type is automatic.
- Run a Docker container and review KVM/QEMU and hypervisor types.
Domains 5 and 6
- Read a Heat YAML template line by line.
- Map Pods, ReplicaSets, Deployments, Services, namespaces and CNI.
Domain 7 and full review
- Memorize OpenShift node types and network types.
- Redo the confusable-pairs table and take timed practice sets.
OpenStack, Kubernetes and OpenShift all orchestrate workloads but expose different objects and vocabulary, so studying them back to back helps you notice contrasts rather than blending them. When you finish a pass through all seven, attempt timed sets in the JNCIA-Cloud practice tests and review every miss against the objective wording. If you are unsure how demanding the exam is relative to your background, the difficulty guide gives a candid read.
What practice questions can and cannot tell you
Independently authored practice material supports knowledge preparation only. It is not a set of recalled or actual issuer questions, and a score on any third-party bank does not predict your result on the live exam. Use practice results to find weak domains, not to forecast a pass. Likewise, the exam measures knowledge in a written format; operations-related objectives are tested as knowledge, not as a hands-on skills assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
JN0-214 has 65 multiple-choice questions and a 90-minute time limit. It is a written exam in English, delivered through Pearson VUE at a test center or via OnVUE remote proctoring.
Juniper lists seven objective headings but does not publish percentage weights, so no domain can be called the heaviest. Cover all seven: Cloud Fundamentals, Cloud Infrastructure (NFV and SDN), Network Virtualization, Cloud Virtualization, and orchestration with OpenStack, Kubernetes and OpenShift.
The published base fee is $200 per examination plus applicable taxes, with no member/nonmember distinction. Your final checkout total and any voucher adjustment should be confirmed at purchase. See the cost breakdown for detail.
No. The passing score is an exam-specific statistical cut score, and figures like "60-70%" on third-party sites do not establish an official threshold or population pass rate. The pass rate article explains what the data can and cannot show.
There is no waiting period after a first failed attempt. After a second or later failure you must wait 14 calendar days, counted from the day after the failed attempt. A passed exam cannot be retaken within 18 months.
No prerequisite certification is required. Whether it fits your goals depends on your role; see the ROI analysis for a balanced view.