- What SRA Means in the Nokia Context
- Where SRA Sits in the Nokia Certification Path
- The Components Behind the Acronym
- The Six Preparation Groups Explained
- What "Architect" Means in Practice: The ASRA4A0 Lab
- The 4A0-C02 Composite Option
- Who Pursues and Uses This Credential
- Sequencing the Domains
- Common Misreadings of the Acronym
- Frequently Asked Questions
- SRA here means Nokia Service Routing Architect, a multi-exam certification, not a single test.
- The current route requires written exams 4A0-102, 4A0-105, 4A0-106, 4A0-107 and 4A0-115, then the 7-hour ASRA4A0 lab.
- The optional 4A0-C02 composite replaces only 4A0-102, 105, 106 and 107; it never replaces 4A0-115 or the lab.
- The practical lab has two independent 3.5-hour sections, excluding a 1-hour lunch.
What SRA Means in the Nokia Context
In this context, SRA stands for Service Routing Architect, a certification governed by Nokia. It validates the ability to design, implement, interoperate, diagnose and repair service-provider networks built on Nokia 7750 Service Router platforms running SR OS. The word "Architect" is deliberate: the credential sits at the top of Nokia's service routing certification ladder and culminates in a hands-on lab, not just written exams.
If you have arrived here from a search for the acronym, note that this article covers only the Nokia credential. For a shorter orientation, see What Is SRA? or What Does SRA Stand For?. This page goes further into how the name maps onto actual exam content.
Where SRA Sits in the Nokia Certification Path
NRS I and NRS II are separate Nokia credentials. SRA is its own certification with its own requirements. Effective September 8, 2026, the current route is:
- Pass five written exams: 4A0-102, 4A0-105, 4A0-106, 4A0-107 and 4A0-115.
- Pass the 7-hour practical ASRA4A0 lab.
Under the September 8, 2026 program update, the separate IS-IS/OSPF, MPLS and Services Architecture exams are no longer required. Their knowledge still underpins preparation, since you cannot configure a VPRN without understanding label distribution, but they are no longer gates. Candidates who were previously lab-eligible retain that eligibility under the announced transition. For the full eligibility picture, read SRA Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
The Components Behind the Acronym
Because SRA is a bundle, its "meaning" is easiest to see as a table of what each component proves.
| Component | Code | Subject | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| BGP for Internet Routing | 4A0-102 | Inter-domain routing, policy, iBGP scaling | Written exam |
| Virtual Private LAN Services | 4A0-105 | VPLS, H-VPLS, PBB, resilience | Written exam |
| Virtual Private Routed Networks | 4A0-106 | MPLS Layer-3 VPNs, inter-AS, CsC | Written exam |
| Quality of Service | 4A0-107 | Classification, queuing, scheduling, marking | Written exam |
| Ethernet VPN Services | 4A0-115 | EVPN for Layer-2, Layer-3 and data center | Written exam |
| SRA Practical Lab | ASRA4A0 | Live configuration and troubleshooting | 7-hour practical |
No single question count or duration describes the whole certification, and no scored/unscored item split, overall pass rate or single combined fee is established for it. If you are looking for numbers, treat any figure that claims to describe "the SRA exam" with suspicion; our SRA pass rate analysis and SRA certification cost breakdown explain what can and cannot be stated.
The Six Preparation Groups Explained
The six domains below are unweighted preparation groups. They organize written-exam topics and the separately published lab scope; they are not a single weighted blueprint, so do not assume any topic carries a particular percentage. For a deeper walk-through, see SRA Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 6 Content Areas.
Domain 1: BGP for Internet Routing (4A0-102)
BGP for Internet Routing
This group treats BGP as both a protocol and a design discipline in a service provider.
- Internet inter-domain architecture and service-provider BGP roles
- BGP mechanisms, attributes and interaction with the IGP
- SR OS peer-network design, configuration, monitoring and fault diagnosis
- Routing-policy configuration, verification and troubleshooting
- iBGP scalability through confederations and route reflectors
- Advertise-external, add-paths and fast-reroute operation, configuration and verification
Domain 2: Virtual Private LAN Services (4A0-105)
Virtual Private LAN Services
VPLS is where Ethernet and MPLS knowledge meet, and where small misconfigurations produce loops or MAC-learning problems.
- Ethernet/MPLS foundations, SAPs and SDPs; basic VPLS creation
- Distributed-service MTU implications and FDB maintenance
- Misconfiguration diagnosis, repair and policy-based forwarding
- RSTP loop prevention and M-VPLS with STP for redundancy and load distribution
- LAG, MC-LAG and active/standby pseudowire resilience
- Deployment scale: H-VPLS hierarchy and PBB control of excessive MAC learning
Domain 3: Virtual Private Routed Networks (4A0-106)
Virtual Private Routed Networks
VPRN is the Layer-3 VPN service, and this group runs from basic PE behavior to carrier-grade interconnect designs.
- VPRN architecture, MPLS Layer-3 VPN configuration, PE route distribution through MP-BGP
- BGP loop causes and prevention
- Full-mesh, hub/spoke and extranet arrangements, plus Internet access options
- Inter-AS models A, B and C: operation, configuration, verification and diagnosis
- Carrier-supporting-carrier VPN architecture, route exchanges and forwarding paths
Domain 4: Quality of Service (4A0-107)
Quality of Service
The QoS group is the broadest in terms of distinct mechanisms, and it rewards candidates who can trace a packet through ingress and egress processing.
- IntServ/DiffServ models, customer rate limits and 7750SR processing
- Classification at SAP and network ingress/egress, match precedence and default network policy
- Token-bucket metering; queue shaping versus policing; default scheduling and fair-information-rate priorities
- SAP-ingress, SAP-egress and network queues; priority/profile modes; hardware versus service queues
- Ingress/egress policers, profile-capped operation, and access/network/hybrid buffer allocation
- WRED congestion avoidance and slope policies
- Queue groups, CFHP, and hierarchical scheduling for SAP queues, policers and queue groups
- Egress-port scheduling and customer-header versus encapsulation-header marking/remarking across Layer-2, VPRN and IES services
Domain 5: Ethernet VPN Services (4A0-115)
Ethernet VPN Services
EVPN is the newest addition to the required written set and spans Layer-2, Layer-3 and data-center use cases.
- EVPN concepts, operation, benefits and data-plane choices
- ELAN route types: IMET flooding, MAC-route FDB learning and proxy-ARP
- MPLS and VXLAN configuration and interconnection
- IRB architecture: asymmetric, symmetric interface-less, and numbered/unnumbered interface-ful forwarding
- Ethernet segments, multihoming routes and designated-forwarder election (default or preference methods)
- BUM split-horizon protection, aliasing/all-active load distribution, single-active behavior and segment failure
- ELINE VPWS: route types, single-homed and all-active/single-active operation
- Interworking of VPWS, VPLS and IRB across EVPN and traditional MPLS networks
What "Architect" Means in Practice: The ASRA4A0 Lab
The sixth domain is not a written exam at all. The SRA Practical Lab (ASRA4A0) asks you to design and implement live 7750SR service networks, interoperate, diagnose performance and resolve faults, using either classic CLI or MD-CLI. Nokia states the lab content is unchanged by the 2026 update.
The format is two independent 3.5-hour sections, excluding a 1-hour lunch, for a total of 7 hours of lab time. Topics must be configured and verified, although not every topic necessarily appears in a given sitting. That last point matters: you cannot gamble on skipping a domain, but you also should not expect to see every bullet below.
Published practical scope
- BGP: AS peering, messages and attributes, reflectors and confederations, advertisement and redistribution, selection, policy and regular expressions, advertise-external, add-paths and FRR
- QoS: classification, queues and buffers, policing and shaping, scheduling, rate limits and resources, hierarchical and egress scheduling, CFHP, marking, and application to Layer-2 and Layer-3 services
- VPLS: SAP encapsulation and forwarding, MTU, FDB size and alarms, MAC aging/learning/discard, protection and OAM; BGP autodiscovery, BGP VPLS and LDP VPLS with autodiscovery; STP/M-VPLS-RSTP, MC-LAG and pseudowire resilience; ring/full-mesh, H-VPLS and PBB at scale
- VPRN: MPLS/MP-BGP label signaling, RD/RT, VRF import/export, route selection, full-mesh, hub-spoke, extranet and Internet topologies, static/OSPF/BGP PE-CE routing, and inter-AS A/B/C
Notice what is and is not listed. The lab scope names BGP, QoS, VPLS and VPRN; EVPN appears in the written-exam route through 4A0-115. Read the issuer's current lab scope before building your plan rather than assuming the written domains map one-to-one onto the lab. Our guide to how hard the SRA exam is discusses why the practical component is where most of the difficulty concentrates.
The 4A0-C02 Composite Option
Nokia offers an optional composite, 4A0-C02, that substitutes for exactly four of the written exams: 4A0-102, 4A0-105, 4A0-106 and 4A0-107. It does not replace 4A0-115, and it does not replace the practical lab. Anyone using the composite still needs EVPN (4A0-115) and the ASRA4A0 lab to complete the certification.
Whether the composite is the better route depends on how you prefer to be assessed and on your current exposure to each topic. Because no overall fee or pass rate is established for the certification as a whole, confirm current exam delivery and pricing directly with Nokia before committing. Our SRA exam dates guide and passing score article explain what the available information does and does not say.
Who Pursues and Uses This Credential
The domains above describe the day-to-day work of engineers at organizations that run Nokia IP/MPLS networks: service providers, network operators and the integrators and consultants who build and support them. Typical work includes delivering VPLS, VPRN and EVPN customer services, tuning QoS across mixed Layer-2 and Layer-3 services, and operating BGP at the Internet edge.
Because the credential is vendor-specific, its value is greatest where SR OS and the 7750 SR are deployed. We do not cite salary or demand figures here because none are established for this review; for qualitative discussion, see SRA Jobs, the SRA salary guide, and Is the SRA Certification Worth It?.
Sequencing the Domains
Training is not mandatory to attempt the examinations; course prerequisites are preparation recommendations, not additional exam requirements. Whatever route you take, the domains build on one another, so order matters more than hours. A sensible progression:
BGP first (4A0-102)
- VPRN route distribution and inter-AS models both depend on solid BGP attribute and policy knowledge.
- Practice route reflectors, confederations and routing policy early; they recur in the lab.
VPLS and VPRN (4A0-105, 4A0-106)
- Build VPLS before VPRN: SAPs, SDPs, MTU and FDB behavior are foundational service concepts.
- Then layer in MP-BGP, RD/RT, VRF import/export and inter-AS A/B/C.
QoS (4A0-107)
- Apply QoS to services you have already built, so SAP and network policies have something to act on.
- Trace packets through classification, queuing, scheduling and marking.
EVPN and lab rehearsal (4A0-115, ASRA4A0)
- Compare EVPN route types and multihoming behavior against the VPLS you already know.
- Run timed, verification-heavy lab drills in two 3.5-hour blocks.
For a fuller plan, see the SRA study guide, and keep the SRA cheat sheet handy for last-minute recall. For structured written-exam drills, the SRA Exam Prep practice tests offer original supplemental questions. They are independent study material, not issuer-endorsed, and contain no actual exam questions or guaranteed results. Coverage of training options is in SRA Training.
Key Takeaway
Do not study "SRA" as one body of knowledge. Study five written domains for recognition, reasoning and troubleshooting, then treat the lab as a separate skill: configure, verify, and repeat under time pressure.
Common Misreadings of the Acronym
- "SRA is one exam." It is a multi-exam certification ending in a practical lab.
- "The composite covers everything written." It covers only 4A0-102, 105, 106 and 107; 4A0-115 remains separate.
- "Multicast is still required." 4A0-108 is retired and is not a current SRA requirement.
- "The lab page lists the real prerequisites." It still shows superseded exams; use the September 8, 2026 update instead.
- "Announced NRS I changes apply to SRA." Changes announced for March 2027 must not be applied to the SRA scope described here.
- "Domain order equals exam weight." The six groups are unweighted, and no topic percentages are established.
If you are comparing phrasings of the same question, our short pages on SRA meaning, what SRA means, what is a SRA, what SRA certification is and the overview SRA Certification page cover the same ground from different angles.
Frequently Asked Questions
SRA stands for Service Routing Architect, a Nokia certification covering service-provider networks built on 7750 SR platforms running SR OS. It is a multi-exam certification, separate from NRS I and NRS II.
Effective September 8, 2026, the route is written exams 4A0-102, 4A0-105, 4A0-106, 4A0-107 and 4A0-115, followed by the 7-hour practical ASRA4A0 lab.
No. It substitutes only for 4A0-102, 4A0-105, 4A0-106 and 4A0-107. You still need 4A0-115 and the practical lab.
The ASRA4A0 lab has two independent 3.5-hour sections, excluding a 1-hour lunch. Topics must be configured and verified, though not every topic necessarily appears. You may use classic CLI or MD-CLI.
No. Course prerequisites are preparation recommendations, not additional current examination requirements, and training is not mandatory to attempt the exams. Multicast 4A0-108 is retired and not currently required.