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NS0-516 Verified 2026 Edition

NetApp Certified Implementation Engineer - SAN Specialist, E-Series Practice Test

NS0-516 earns the NetApp Certified Implementation Engineer, SAN Specialist, E-Series credential, for engineers who install and manage E-Series SAN storage systems. Storage configuration, hardware and cabling, host connectivity, data protection, and troubleshooting make up the exam, and the practice test drills each one.

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Exam Information

Official specifications published by NetApp

Exam Format

Specialist

Registration

$200 USD
Pearson VUE or online proctoring

Validity

24 months
Certifications are active for 24 months; renew by earning/renewing an applicable NetApp credential before expiry per NetApp certification program policies.

NS0-516 Exam Topics and Domains

NS0-516 is organized into 9 weighted domains. Expect to work with SANtricity System Manager, E-Series, SANtricity Unified Manager, EF-Series, and more.

1

Storage Configuration

23%

Alerting and notification

Setup alerting and notification for the E-Series system

Setup alerting and notification for the E-Series system.

Volume Groups, DDP and volumes

Create and administer Volume Groups or DDP and associated volumesDDP or Volume Groups
  • Create and administer Volume Groups or DDP and associated volumes.
  • DDP or Volume Groups.

Storage requirements

Physical and logical storage requirements

Physical and logical storage requirements.

iSCSI security

CHAP for an iSCSI environment

CHAP for an iSCSI environment.

2

Documentation

9%

Site preparation and handover

Reviewing and preparing a site for implementation of E-SeriesInformation you give a customer after deploying a solution
  • Reviewing and preparing a site for implementation of E-Series.
  • Information you give a customer after deploying a solution.
3

Hardware

18%

E-Series hardware components

Hardware components in an E-Series storage system

Hardware components in an E-Series storage system.

Cabling

Fibre Channel, Ethernet, Infiniband and SAS cabling

Fibre Channel, Ethernet, Infiniband and SAS cabling.

Storage expansion

Tasks for adding additional storage to an E-Series system

Tasks for adding additional storage to an E-Series system.

Drive encryption

Drive encryption features

Drive encryption features.

4

Host Side

9%

Host connectivity

Host connection options for E-Series systemsConfigure hosts for multipathing
  • Host connection options for E-Series systems.
  • Configure hosts for multipathing.
5

Management

13%

SANtricity System Manager administration

Administrative tasks for managing E-Series systems with SANtricity System Manager

Administrative tasks for managing E-Series systems with SANtricity System Manager.

Management security

Management security features in SANtricity System Manager and SANtricity Unified Manager

Management security features in SANtricity System Manager and SANtricity Unified Manager.

SANtricity Unified Manager

Configure and use SANtricity Unified Manager

Configure and use SANtricity Unified Manager.

6

Toolbox

5%

Design and implementation tools

Tools required to design and implement an E-Series solution

Tools required to design and implement an E-Series solution.

7

Protection

9%

Data Assurance

Data Assurance with media scan protects your data

Data Assurance with media scan protects your data.

SANtricity data protection

SANtricity data protection features

SANtricity data protection features.

8

SAN

5%

End-to-end SAN network configuration

End-to-end network configuration for Fibre Channel and Ethernet

End-to-end network configuration for Fibre Channel and Ethernet.

9

Troubleshooting

9%

System troubleshooting

Steps for troubleshooting an E-Series systemAnalyze multipathing issues between a host and an E-Series system
  • Steps for troubleshooting an E-Series system.
  • Analyze multipathing issues between a host and an E-Series system.

How do I earn this certification?

Passing NS0-516 earns the NetApp Certified Implementation Engineer - SAN Specialist, E-Series (NCIE SAN E-Series) certification. It sits in the SAN E-Series track.

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How to study for this exam?

The most effective way to prepare for NS0-516 is by using the PlanetCert Simulator to practice questions and review detailed explanations.

Implementation Engineer - E-Series - Certification ProgramNetApp Learning Services Course CatalogNetApp E-Series & SANtricity DocumentationNetApp Certification Program PoliciesNetApp CertMetrics (registration/scheduling)

What's changed on this exam?

Current Status
ACTIVE
Updates
SANtricity System Manager / Unified Manager Core management tooling assessed across the Management, Protection, and Troubleshooting domains.

Who should take this exam?

  • Six to 12 months of experience installing, configuring, and managing E-Series storage systems in SAN environments
  • NetApp Cloud Native Associate accreditation exam (recommended by NetApp)
  • NetApp Hybrid Cloud Associate accreditation exam (recommended by NetApp)
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Common Questions

What is the NetApp NS0-516 exam?
NS0-516 is the exam for the NetApp Certified Implementation Engineer - SAN Specialist, E-Series (NCIE SAN E-Series) certification. It validates your ability to install, configure, manage, and troubleshoot NetApp E-Series storage systems in SAN environments for reliable, high-performance block storage.
What topics does the NS0-516 exam cover?
The exam covers nine domains: Storage Configuration, Documentation, Hardware, Host Side, Management, Toolbox, Protection, SAN, and Troubleshooting - spanning DDP/Volume Groups, cabling, drive encryption, host multipathing, SANtricity System Manager and Unified Manager, data protection, FC/Ethernet SAN networking, and troubleshooting.
How much does the NS0-516 exam cost?
The NS0-516 exam costs $200 USD, the standard NetApp certification exam price (effective 1 May 2025) for Specialist-level exams. It is registered through NetApp's CertMetrics portal and delivered by Pearson VUE.
What are the prerequisites for NS0-516?
There are no mandatory certification prerequisites. NetApp recommends six to 12 months of hands-on experience with E-Series storage in SAN environments, and suggests completing the NetApp Cloud Native Associate and NetApp Hybrid Cloud Associate accreditation exams.
How long is the NetApp NS0-516 certification valid?
NetApp certifications are active for 24 months once earned. You renew by achieving an applicable NetApp credential before your certification expires, per NetApp's certification program policies.
What is the retake policy if I fail NS0-516?
If you fail on your first attempt you can retake the exam immediately. After a second or subsequent failure you must wait 14 days between attempts. If you have already passed the exam, you must wait 12 months before retaking it.
Is NS0-516 the same as the SAN ONTAP exam?
No. NS0-516 is the E-Series (block storage) SAN Specialist track. The SAN ONTAP Specialist certification is a separate exam (current code NS0-522). Choose NS0-516 if you work with NetApp E-Series / SANtricity systems.
How do I register for the NS0-516 exam?
Register through NetApp's CertMetrics portal (https://cp.certmetrics.com/netapp/en/login) using your NetApp login, then schedule the exam with Pearson VUE. A NetApp account is required and can take 4-24 hours to activate, so sign up early.

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Most of the correct answers were answer 1 or A. It should be mixed up or at least have the option to randomize the order the answers appear. It did help me pass the exam without being a dump of the exam questions.
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Really useful simulator, it's not as good as the official resources but still allows for multiple retakes, flash cards were useful, and allowed me to see my progress over time. Questions were challenging as well with detailed explanations
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