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Exam Information
Official specifications published by Cisco
Exam Format
90 min
55-65
750-850 out of 1000
Associate
Registration
$300 USD
Pearson VUE or online proctoring
English, Japanese
Validity
3 years
Pass any Expert-level exam; Pass any two Professional concentration exams; Earn Continuing Education credits
500-420 Exam Topics and Domains
500-420 is organized into 5 weighted domains. Expect to work with Custom dashboards, Transaction Snapshots, Agent-Controller communication, Alert analysis, and more.
1
Agents and Application Performance
20%
Agent Functionality and Connectivity
Verify agent functionalityAgent connectivity
- Verify agent functionality and connectivity
- Configure and troubleshoot agent connections
Performance Monitoring
Monitor performance trendsSystem performance metrics
- Monitor performance trends
- Identify system performance metrics
- Determine application performance impact
Alerts and Reports
Configure alertsDefine scheduled reports
- Configure alerts
- Define scheduled reports
2
Troubleshooting
15%
Dashboard-based Issue Identification
Use dashboards to identify performance issuesApply pre-established investigation procedures
- Use dashboards to identify performance issues
- Apply pre-established investigation procedures
Diagnostic Sessions and Snapshots
Capture snapshots with diagnostic sessionsTroubleshoot health rule violations
- Capture snapshots with diagnostic sessions
- Troubleshoot health rule violations
Performance Issue Detection
Identify performance issues in backend systemsDetect memory thrashing and leaksIdentify problematic business transactions
- Evaluate server performance metrics
- Detect memory thrashing and leaks
- Identify problematic business transactions
3
Business Transactions
20%
Business Transaction Configuration
Create business transaction configurationsDetermine transaction scope and rule assignment
- Create business transaction configurations
- Determine transaction scope and rule assignment
Transaction Discovery and Management
Manage transaction discoveryInitiate transaction preview
- Manage transaction discovery
- Initiate transaction preview
Transaction Analysis and Maintenance
Analyze transaction metricsManage transaction clean-upDetermine detection logic
- Analyze transaction metrics
- Manage transaction clean-up
- Determine detection logic
4
Health Rules, Dashboards, and Snapshots
20%
Health Rules Configuration
Create and configure health rulesMonitor health rule events
- Create and configure health rules
- Monitor health rule events
Dashboard Creation and Usage
Create dashboardsIdentify problems via dashboards
- Create dashboards
- Identify problems via dashboards
Snapshot Management
Create and locate snapshotsUse snapshots in development modeAnalyze snapshot details
- Create and locate snapshots
- Use snapshots in development mode
- Analyze snapshot details
5
Collectors, Information Points, and Service Endpoints
25%
Data Collectors
Define and configure data collectorsUtilize database collectors
- Define and configure data collectors
- Utilize database collectors
Information Points
Configure information pointsManage business transaction split configurations
- Configure information points
- Manage business transaction split configurations
Asynchronous Transactions and Service Endpoints
Configure asynchronous transactionsCreate service endpointsAnalyze service endpoint metrics
- Configure asynchronous transactions
- Create service endpoints
- Analyze service endpoint metrics
How do I earn this certification?
Passing 500-420 earns the Cisco Certified AppDynamics Associate Performance Analyst certification. It sits in the AppDynamics track.
Current Level Exams
Next Level Options
- 500-430 - CAPI - Cisco AppDynamics Professional Implementer
- 500-435 - CAPC - Cisco AppDynamics Professional Consultant
Alternative Paths
- 500-425 - CAAAFocus on administration rather than performance analysis
- 300-615 - DCITComplementary infrastructure troubleshooting skills
- 350-401 - ENCOREnterprise infrastructure monitoring skills
Practice with Precision
The PlanetCert Simulator mirrors the real exam environment with authentic questions and timed pressure.
How to study for this exam?
The most effective way to prepare for 500-420 is by using the PlanetCert Simulator to practice questions and review detailed explanations.
What's changed on this exam?
Current Status
- ACTIVE
- Last content update: 2024
Updates
- AppDynamics Cloud Latest Cloud deployment models increasingly important • Release date: 2024
- Cluster Agent 21.x+ Container and Kubernetes monitoring emphasized • Release date: 2024
- Business iQ Latest Business performance correlation skills needed • Release date: 2024
Who should take this exam?
This exam is typically taken by IT professionals and Application performance analysts.
- Basic knowledge of application performance management
- Familiarity with AppDynamics tools
- Experience in monitoring and troubleshooting applications
- Understanding of web application architecture
- Knowledge of distributed systems