NCP-AII study guide · 2026

The 5 NCP-AII domains, explained

5 domains and 39 official objectives. Cluster Test and Verification carries the most weight at 33%. Each guide explains what the domain covers, how its questions are framed and where candidates lose marks.

Start with Domain 4 See all domains
Questions
70–75
Time
120 minutes
Passing score
Not published (pass/fail result)
Outline
NCP-AII exam topics, NVIDIA certification page (updated October 2026) and NCP-AII Exam Study Guide (SEP25)

Exam blueprint

Bar widths follow the official weights. Weight ranges are drawn at their midpoint.

  1. 1 31%
  2. 2 5%
  3. 3 19%
  4. 4 33%
  5. 5 12%
  1. 1 System and Server Bring-Up
  2. 2 Physical Layer Management
  3. 3 Control Plane Installation and Configuration
  4. 4 Cluster Test and Verification
  5. 5 Troubleshooting and Optimization

All 5 domains

39 official objectives 81–117 hrs suggested study

  1. Domain 01 31%

    System and Server Bring-Up

    Domain 1 covers bringing GPU servers from the loading dock to a validated state: deployment sequence, AI factory network topologies, BMC and TPM setup, HGX firmware, power and cooling, cabling, GPU installation and storage hookup.

    Inside this domain

    • Describe the sequence of events for deployment and validation
    • Describe network topologies for AI Factories
    • Perform initial configuration of BMC, OOB, and TPM
    • Perform firmware upgrades (including on NVIDIA HGX™ systems) and fault detection
    • and 7 more objectives

    Watch for Driver first

    Objectives
    11
    Questions est.
    ~22
    Study time est.
    25–35 hrs
  2. Domain 02 5%

    Physical Layer Management

    Domain 2 is the smallest NCP-AII domain, with two objectives: configuring and managing a BlueField Network Platform, and partitioning GPUs with Multi-Instance GPU for AI and HPC workloads.

    Inside this domain

    • Configure and manage a BlueField Network Platform.
    • Configure MIG (AI and HPC).

    Watch for NIC mode offload

    Objectives
    2
    Questions est.
    ~4
    Study time est.
    6–10 hrs
  3. Domain 03 19%

    Control Plane Installation and Configuration

    Domain 3 covers the software that turns racked servers into a managed cluster: Base Command Manager with high availability, OS install, Slurm with Enroot and Pyxis, GPU and DOCA drivers, the container toolkit and NGC CLI.

    Inside this domain

    • Install BCM, configure, and verify HA
    • Install OS
    • Install Cluster (configure category, configure interfaces, install Slurm/Enroot/Pyxis)
    • Install/update/remove NVIDIA GPU and DOCA drivers
    • and 3 more objectives

    Watch for Driver in the image

    Objectives
    7
    Questions est.
    ~14
    Study time est.
    15–22 hrs
  4. Domain 04 33%

    Cluster Test and Verification

    Domain 4, the largest NCP-AII domain, covers proving a cluster works: single-node stress, HPL, NCCL and NVLink tests, cable and firmware checks, ClusterKit, burn-in runs and storage testing.

    Inside this domain

    • Perform single-node stress test
    • Execute HPL (High-Performance Linpack)
    • Perform single-node NCCL (including verify NVIDIA NVLink™ Switch)
    • Validate cables by verifying signal quality
    • and 10 more objectives

    Watch for Network blamed for NVLink

    Objectives
    14
    Questions est.
    ~24
    Study time est.
    25–35 hrs
  5. Domain 05 12%

    Troubleshooting and Optimization

    Domain 5 covers diagnosing and replacing failed GPUs, network cards, fans and power supplies, then tuning AMD and Intel host settings and storage so GPU servers deliver expected performance.

    Inside this domain

    • Identify and troubleshoot hardware faults (e.g., GPU/fan/network card)
    • Identify faulty cards/GPUs/power supplies
    • Replace faulty cards/GPUs/power supplies
    • Execute performance optimization for AMD and Intel Servers
    • and 1 more objectives

    Watch for Driver fixes hardware

    Objectives
    5
    Questions est.
    ~9
    Study time est.
    10–15 hrs

Study the heaviest domains first

Marks follow weight. This order puts the most marks behind you first, across about 81–117 hrs of study.

  1. 4 Cluster Test and Verification 33% · 25–35 hrs
  2. 1 System and Server Bring-Up 31% · 25–35 hrs
  3. 3 Control Plane Installation and Configuration 19% · 15–22 hrs
  4. 5 Troubleshooting and Optimization 12% · 10–15 hrs
  5. 2 Physical Layer Management 5% · 6–10 hrs

Try one

Practice questionDomain 4: Cluster Test and Verification

A single DGX node shows single-node all_reduce_perf bus bandwidth far below expected, while the other nodes in the cluster are normal. nvidia-smi shows all GPUs present. Which check is most relevant next?

One trap from every domain

The answer that looks right, and the clue that gives it away.

  • Domain 1

    Driver first

    Clue The BMC inventory or event log also lacks the device.

  • Domain 2

    NIC mode offload

    Clue The scenario needs on-card processing or host isolation.

  • Domain 3

    Driver in the image

    Clue Containers lack GPUs while the host nvidia-smi works.

  • Domain 4

    Network blamed for NVLink

    Clue The test ran on one node only.

  • Domain 5

    Driver fixes hardware

    Clue The log shows the device lost from the bus.

Other Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning certifications

Study guides for exams that overlap with NCP-AII.

Practise what you read

NCP-AII domains: common questions

How many domains are in the NCP-AII exam?

NCP-AII has 5 domains with 39 official objectives between them: System and Server Bring-Up, Physical Layer Management, Control Plane Installation and Configuration, Cluster Test and Verification and Troubleshooting and Optimization.

Which NCP-AII domain carries the most weight?

Cluster Test and Verification is the heaviest at 33%, followed by System and Server Bring-Up (31%). The lightest is Physical Layer Management (5%). Weights come from NVIDIA's official outline.

What is the NCP-AII exam format?

Questions: 70–75. Time allowed: 120 minutes. Passing score: Not published (pass/fail result).

How long should I study for NCP-AII?

Our planning estimate is 81–117 hrs across all domains, split by weight. It is an editorial estimate, not an official figure, so adjust it to your experience and to how you score on practice questions.

Where should I start?

Start with Cluster Test and Verification, because it carries the most marks, then work down by weight. Use the checklist on each domain page to confirm you can do what the domain asks before moving on.

Which outline is this guide based on?

This guide follows NCP-AII exam topics, NVIDIA certification page (updated October 2026) and NCP-AII Exam Study Guide (SEP25), published by NVIDIA. It was last reviewed in October 2026.

Domain names, weights and objectives come from NVIDIA's official outline (NCP-AII exam topics, NVIDIA certification page (updated October 2026) and NCP-AII Exam Study Guide (SEP25)). Question counts and study hours are editorial planning estimates, not official figures. Last reviewed October 2026.