You can see it againUnder pressure people bring back shapes and positions long after the wording has gone.
Picture superiority · Shepard 1967, Standing 1973
PALO ALTO NETWORKSPalo Alto Networks Certified Next-Generation Firewall Engineer
The Palo Alto Networks Certified Next-Generation Firewall Engineer certification validates the skills required to deploy, configure, manage, and troubleshoot Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls. It is designed for engineers and administrators who work with PAN-OS networking, device configuration, integration, and automation. Earning this credential demonstrates your ability to manage network security infrastructure effectively, making you a valuable asset in protecting your organization's digital environment.
Exam formatMultiple choice and performance-based
DeliveryPearson VUE
Free questions379
Content last reviewed 30 July 2026 · Up to date
The certification
What Palo Alto Networks Certified Next-Generation Firewall Engineer proves, and what it asks of you
What this certification covers, who it is written for, and what the exam itself looks like on the day.
3domains
18objectives
124concepts
What it is
What this certification is
What it validates, who it is written for, and the experience it assumes.
About this certification
The Palo Alto Networks Certified Next-Generation Firewall Engineer certification is a Specialist-level credential that validates the knowledge and skills required for engineers and administrators to deploy, configure, manage, and troubleshoot Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls. This certification focuses on the practical application of PAN-OS networking and device configuration, as well as integration and automation within a network security environment.
Earning this certification demonstrates your ability to handle complex network security tasks, including centralized management using Panorama, templates, and rulesets. It is designed for professionals who want to prove their technical expertise in managing Palo Alto Networks firewalls and related technologies, enhancing their credibility and career prospects in the cybersecurity field.
Who it’s for
This certification is for network security engineers, firewall administrators, and IT professionals who are responsible for deploying, configuring, and managing Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls. It is ideal for those who want to demonstrate their technical knowledge and skills in PAN-OS networking, device configuration, integration, and automation. Candidates typically have hands-on experience with Palo Alto Networks firewalls and are looking to validate their expertise in a network security environment. This certification is also suitable for individuals seeking to advance their careers in network security and take on more specialized roles.
Recommended experience
Palo Alto Networks recommends that candidates have a strong understanding of networking concepts and experience with PAN-OS, including firewall deployment and management. Experience with PAN-OS networking and device configuration; Knowledge of firewall deployment, management, and troubleshooting; Understanding of integration and automation in network security environments; Familiarity with centralized management using Panorama, templates, and rulesets
The syllabus
What you’ll learn
Every domain and objective Palo Alto Networks measures, with the weight they carry on the exam.
The official Palo Alto Networks exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
PAN-OS Networking Configuration
- 1.1 Configure interface
- 1.2 Configure zones
- 1.3 Configure high availability (HA)
- 1.4 Configure routing
- 1.5 Configure GlobalProtect
- 1.6 Configure tunnels
PAN-OS Device Setting Configuration
- 2.1 Implement authentication roles, profiles, and sequences
- 2.2 Configure virtual systems (VSYS)
- 2.3 Configure logging
- 2.4 Implement PAN-OS software updates
- 2.5 Configure certificates
- 2.6 Configure on-premises and Cloud Identity Engine User-ID
- 2.7 Configure web proxy on PAN-OS
Integration and Automation
- 3.1 Install the selected deployment option
- 3.2 Use APIs to automate deployment
- 3.3 Manage third-party services to deploy NGFWs (e.g., Kubernetes, hypervisors, CSPs, Terraform, Ansible)
- 3.4 Use on-premises centralized management
- 3.5 Build Application Command Center (ACC) dashboards and custom reports
On the day
The exam itself
Everything Palo Alto Networks publishes about sitting it, and nothing we inferred.
Prerequisites
No mandatory prerequisites — this certification has no required predecessor exam or credential.
CertificationPalo Alto Networks Certified Next-Generation Firewall Engineer
Exam formatMultiple choice and performance-based
DeliveryPearson VUE
LanguagesEnglish
After you pass
Where this credential goes next
The path Palo Alto Networks lays out, how the credential is kept, and where to book.
Step-by-step path to Palo Alto Networks Certified Next-Generation Firewall Engineer
Credential earnedPalo Alto Networks Certified Next-Generation Firewall Engineer Certification Renewal and maintenance
Palo Alto Networks certifications are valid for two years from the date of passing the exam. To maintain the certification, you must complete renewal requirements before the expiration date. Stay current with the latest technologies and maintain your certification.
Learn more about renewal requirements Lifecycle status
This certification is currently active and available. Palo Alto Networks maintains this certification to validate current skills and industry relevance.
Exam status: ActiveMaintained by Palo Alto Networks
Exam registration
Register for the exam through Pearson VUE, Palo Alto Networks’s authorized testing partner.
Schedule your examVisit the official Palo Alto Networks certification page for exam policies and requirements.
View the official pageYour coach
And when you are serious, your coach Pip takes over
Your coach in the app reads what you have answered with the book closed and tells you one thing to do tonight. It will not count an answer you gave with the page open, and it will tell you when you are not ready.
See how the coach worksBefore you book
Questions people ask
How does this certification relate to the Network Security Professional certification?
The Next-Generation Firewall Engineer certification is a Specialist-level credential that focuses specifically on PAN-OS firewall deployment and management. The Network Security Professional is a Professional-level certification that covers a broader range of network security topics. They are separate credentials, and earning one does not require the other.
Is there a hands-on lab component in the exam?
Yes, the exam includes performance-based questions that simulate real-world scenarios, requiring you to demonstrate practical skills in a simulated environment.
What is the retake policy if I fail the exam?
If you fail the exam, you must wait at least 24 hours before retaking it. After the second attempt, you must wait 14 days before each subsequent attempt.
Can I schedule the exam online?
Yes, you can schedule the exam online through Pearson VUE, either for online proctoring or at a test center.
What job roles does this certification align with?
This certification is designed for network security engineers, firewall administrators, and IT professionals responsible for deploying and managing Palo Alto Networks firewalls.
Are there any regional restrictions for taking the exam?
The exam is available globally through Pearson VUE, both online and at test centers. However, availability may vary by region.
Information freshness · Content last reviewed on 2026-07-30 Up to date
Practice free questions 379 questions, free, no account needed.
The curriculum
The whole exam, mapped and written
Every domain, every objective, and every concept Palo Alto Networks measures — each one written out.
3domains
18objectives
124concepts
83free pages
The domains, and what sits inside them
Every objective below is a page you can open and practise now, without an account.
The official Palo Alto Networks exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
1PAN-OS Networking Configuration109 questions
1.1 Configure interface6 concepts · 3 pagesOpen →1.2 Configure zones8 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →1.3 Configure high availability (HA)9 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →1.4 Configure routing4 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →1.5 Configure GlobalProtect4 concepts · 2 pagesOpen →1.6 Configure tunnels8 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →
2PAN-OS Device Setting Configuration162 questions
2.1 Implement authentication roles, profiles, and sequences10 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →2.2 Configure virtual systems (VSYS)5 concepts · 2 pagesOpen →2.3 Configure logging7 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →2.4 Implement PAN-OS software updates10 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →2.5 Configure certificates6 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →2.6 Configure on-premises and Cloud Identity Engine User-ID6 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →2.7 Configure web proxy on PAN-OS7 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →
3Integration and Automation108 questions
3.1 Install the selected deployment option5 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →3.2 Use APIs to automate deployment7 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →3.3 Manage third-party services to deploy NGFWs (e.g., Kubernetes, hypervisors, CSPs, Terraform, Ansible)6 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →3.4 Use on-premises centralized management8 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →3.5 Build Application Command Center (ACC) dashboards and custom reports8 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →
Not a table of contents
Every line on this map already opens
In front of every objective the practice pages are already there, free and without an account. This is one objective, opened.
1.1 Configure interface3 pagesOpen →
Free in front of it
13 questions on this objective, five to a page. Every range above is a real page, open now, with no account.
Reading the map is not the same as knowing the ground
The curriculum tells you what is on the exam. Proving you know it is a different job — and it is the one the closed-book run does.
Free questions
379 questions. No account, no card.
The whole bank is open. 5 questions to a page, every answer explained, and a discussion thread on each one.
379questions
83pages
18objectives
Freealways
Browse by domain
Every objective, and every page range, is a link — so you can pick up exactly where you left off.
1PAN-OS Networking Configuration109 questions
2PAN-OS Device Setting Configuration162 questions
3Integration and Automation108 questions
What a practice page gives you
1Five to a page
Short enough to finish, long enough to matter.
2Every answer explained
Not only which one is right — why the others are wrong.
3A discussion on each
Ask, answer, and vote. Every question has its own thread.
A question, and the idea behind it
Every question comes from a concept
These are not trivia. Each one is written against a concept in the book, so when you get one wrong there is somewhere to go and find out why.
The visual book
See it once. Carry it into the exam.
The pages shown here come from our AI-900 book — an example of how each concept is written in plain language and, where the idea needs one, drawn as a full page you can take in at a glance.
124concepts
379free questions
Why a picture, and not another paragraph
Three reasons, and each one is a real finding rather than a slogan.
You can see it againThe whole idea at onceWhere it starts, what happens in the middle, what comes out, and the mistake to avoid.
Multimedia principle · MayerThe look-alikes sit togetherThe pairs the exam tests are drawn side by side, so the difference is seen, not told.
Dual coding · PaivioWhat one page is made of
You are never asked to read a poster here — only to see how one is built. After that, every other page is legible at a glance.
1A numbered strip on top
The idea as a sequence, followed with a finger before a word is read.
2Panels for the parts
What it is, how the machine learns it, when it is the right tool.
3The trap, framed
The distinction the exam tests, given its own box instead of buried in prose.
4One line at the bottom
The sentence to carry into the exam room.
Open book, on purpose
Answer it with the picture beside you
This is the part that teaches. The illustration and the written explanation stay where they are while you work, so a scenario stops being a memory test and becomes something you can simply look at.
It teaches · it does not count
A smartphone uses AI to unlock when the owner looks at the camera. Which AI capability is being used?
AImage classification
BFacial recognition
COptical character recognition
DObject detection
Look at the five steps. Detect finds a face, align straightens it, encode turns it into numbers, search compares it with a stored face, and decide answers one question: is this the same person? Classification would only say “a face”. Detection would only draw a box. Neither decides whose.
Then the page shuts, and it starts counting
The same questions come back with the book closed — that run is the one that counts. After it, your coach picks one thing for tonight, sized to the time you have, and brings pages back before you lose them.
Testing effect · Roediger & Karpicke 2006 · spacing effect · Cepeda et al. 2006
Official resources
Straight from Palo Alto Networks
Where the exam is defined, scheduled and scored.
1official link
124concepts mapped
The source
Palo Alto Networks’s own pages
We link to them rather than repeat them, so nothing here goes stale behind them.
Checked against the source
Every objective on the official Palo Alto Networks outline already has questions here
We build from the official skills outline, not from a summary of it — 18 objectives, 124 concepts written under them, and free questions against every one. When Palo Alto Networks changes the outline, this page changes with it.
18objectives on the outline→124concepts written→379free questions
An official page tells you what will be asked. It cannot tell you what you will get right.
That is the only question worth answering the night before, and no link answers it. You answer it by taking the questions with the book closed, and seeing what comes back.