TL;DR: Fortinet is preparing a FortiOS 8.0 version of the NSE 4 Administrator exam. As of early October 2026, Fortinet’s exam page lists FortiOS 8.0 as “Coming Soon” and FortiOS 7.6 as “Available.” Fortinet’s release notices list the 8.0 exam under upcoming releases with an early-October date, but the exam page has not flipped to available. The two exams cover the same five domains with the same time limit (100 minutes). The visible differences are small: the 8.0 exam lists 50 to 60 questions instead of 50 to 55, is English only (7.6 is offered in English and Japanese), and puts more weight on deployment and system configuration (25 to 35% instead of 20 to 25%). If you are ready now, take 7.6. If you have not started studying, the choice depends on your language and your date, and this guide gives you a decision for each case.
The short version: nothing in the published blueprint says the 8.0 exam is a different exam. It says the same exam is leaning harder on the first domain.
Quick Facts
| Item | FortiOS 7.6 exam | FortiOS 8.0 exam |
| Status on Fortinet’s exam page | Available | Coming Soon |
| Exam time | 100 minutes | 100 minutes |
| Number of questions | 50 to 55 | 50 to 60 |
| Language | English and Japanese | English |
| Product version tested | FortiOS 7.6.0 | FortiOS 8.0.0 |
| Scoring | Pass or fail | Pass or fail |
| Recommended experience | 1 to 2 years networking, 0 to 1 year network security, 6+ months hands-on FortiGate | Same |
| Recommended training | FortiOS Administrator course with labs, plus 7.6 administration guides | Same course, plus 8.0 administration guides |
| Release timing | Live now | Listed as early October in Fortinet’s release notices, no firm date on the exam page |
Fortinet’s exam page does not state price, validity, retake policy or formal prerequisites, and tells candidates to check Fortinet’s policies page, helpdesk or their Pearson VUE account. Cost and validity are covered in the sections below with that caveat.
Same Tasks, Different Weights
Most version comparisons list new features. For this exam the more useful comparison is the blueprint, because Fortinet publishes the weights for both versions side by side. Four of the five domains are identical. Only one moves.
| Domain | 7.6 weight | 8.0 weight | What it means |
| Deployment and system configuration | 20 to 25% | 25 to 35% | The only domain that changes, and the range widens at the top |
| Firewall policies and authentication | 20 to 25% | 20 to 25% | No change |
| Content inspection | 25 to 30% | 25 to 30% | No change |
| Routing | 10 to 15% | 10 to 15% | No change |
| VPNs | 10 to 15% | 10 to 15% | No change |
How to read the ranges
Fortinet publishes ranges, not exact percentages, so the columns do not need to add to 100 and you cannot compute a precise question count per domain. Two things are still clear.
- The first domain gets heavier. At the low end it moves from 20 to 25. At the high end it moves from 25 to 35. A candidate who is shaky on initial setup, system administration and the configuration side of FortiGate has more to lose on the 8.0 exam.
- The other four domains are unchanged. If you are strong on firewall policies, content inspection, routing and VPNs, that knowledge carries over without adjustment.
What the first domain covers
The domain is named “Deployment and system configuration,” so the practical topics are the ones you meet when you first put a FortiGate into service: initial configuration, system settings, administrator accounts and access, interfaces and zones, device management, and operating the unit day to day. We are describing the domain by its name and by what a FortiGate administrator does, not from a published topic list for the 8.0 exam. Check the exam guide Fortinet publishes for the exact objectives when it is available.
What Stays Identical
It helps to be specific about what you do not need to relearn, because that is most of the exam.
| Area | Same on both exams |
| Time limit | 100 minutes |
| Scoring style | Pass or fail |
| Experience guidance | 1 to 2 years networking, 0 to 1 year network security, 6+ months FortiGate |
| Training path | FortiOS Administrator course with labs |
| Four of five domains | Same weights, same names |
| Resources named by Fortinet | FortiOS, FortiSASE, FortiGate CNF and public cloud (AWS and Azure) administration guides for the matching version |
The resource list is worth a second look. Fortinet names administration guides for FortiSASE, FortiGate CNF and public cloud deployments alongside the FortiOS guide. These are listed as preparation resources, not formal prerequisites, and the page does not say how much of the exam draws on them. Treat them as reading to skim, not as a reason to delay.
The Timing Decision
The dates matter more here than the content, so this section works like a decision calendar.
What we know about the timeline
| Date or event | What Fortinet says |
| Early October 2026 | Fortinet’s NSE exam release notices list “NSE 4 – FortiOS 8.0 Administrator” under upcoming exam releases |
| Today (early October 2026) | The exam page still shows 8.0 as “Coming Soon” and 7.6 as “Available” |
| Retirement of the 7.6 exam | Not listed in Fortinet’s release notices at the time we checked |
| General rule from the notices | When a new exam is released, the previous version’s last delivery date is generally about four months later, at the Training Institute’s discretion |
What the four month rule could mean
If the 8.0 exam goes live in October, a four month gap would put a last 7.6 delivery date around the start of February 2027. That is our arithmetic on a general rule, not an announced date. Fortinet states that timing is at its discretion, and no 7.6 retirement date is listed. Plan around the possibility, not the number.
What to do, by situation
| Your situation | Best option | Why |
| Already studied on FortiOS 7.6, ready to test this month | Take the 7.6 exam | It is available now and matches what you studied |
| Studying now, plan to test within about three months | Take 7.6 and book early | A four month overlap is likely but not confirmed, so do not rely on the full window |
| Have not started, plan to test in spring 2027 or later | Study for 8.0 | The 7.6 exam may be gone by then |
| Japanese speaker | Take 7.6 | 7.6 is the only version listed in Japanese |
| Strong on firewall policies and VPN, weak on initial setup | Take 7.6 | 7.6 weights setup lower, at 20 to 25% |
| Strong on configuration, weaker on content inspection | Either, no real difference | Content inspection has the same weight on both |
| Employer or course is standardized on FortiOS 8.0 | Take 8.0 when it is listed as available | Match the version you work on and trained on |
| Already hold a current NSE 4 | Nothing is forced today | Check your certification dates before deciding |
Preparing for Either Version
Because four of five domains match, one plan covers both exams with a small adjustment.
A study order that works for both
| Order | Domain | Why this order |
| 1 | Deployment and system configuration | It is the heaviest-moving domain and the base for everything else |
| 2 | Firewall policies and authentication | Every later topic relies on understanding policy flow |
| 3 | Content inspection | A large, stable block at 25 to 30% on both versions |
| 4 | Routing | Smaller block, easier once interfaces and policies are clear |
| 5 | VPNs | Smaller block, builds on routing and policies |
If you are aiming at the 8.0 exam, add extra practice time to the first row. If you are aiming at 7.6, the order is the same and you can spend slightly less time there.
Hands-on is the real preparation
Fortinet’s own guidance asks for at least six months of hands-on FortiGate work, and the recommended training includes labs. Reading alone is a weak plan for a version-specific administration exam. If you do not have access to a production unit, a lab environment with a FortiGate virtual machine or a training course lab gives you the click paths and command line habits the questions assume.
Match the version you study
Fortinet’s guidance points to administration guides “for the matching version.” In practice that means the 7.6 exam is best prepared with 7.6 material and the 8.0 exam with 8.0 material. Interface layouts and menu names can change between releases, so a mismatched guide wastes time on questions you will not see.
Cost, Validity and Retakes
This is the section where the published information is thin, so read it with care.
| Item | What we can say |
| Exam fee | Fortinet’s exam page does not list a price. The NSE 4 exam has commonly been listed at $200 by exam delivery and prep sources, so confirm in your Pearson VUE account before you book |
| Validity | The NSE program commonly uses a 2 year validity for NSE 4, so confirm the current term on Fortinet’s certification page |
| Retakes | Not stated on the exam page. Check Fortinet’s policies page |
| Prerequisites | None formal. The experience and training guidance is recommended, not required |
Our NSE 4 vs NSE 7 guide covers how NSE 4 fits into Fortinet’s longer certification path and what the cost looks like across levels. If you are still deciding how far to go, start there.
Where NSE 4 Fits in Your Career Path
NSE 4 is the FortiGate administrator credential and the foundation for most Fortinet specialization tracks. The choice between exam versions should not change your long term plan.
- If you are deciding how far to go in the Fortinet program, our guide on Fortinet NSE 4 vs NSE 7 explains where administrator-level knowledge stops and architect-level work begins.
- If you are weighing the middle of the program, our guide on Fortinet NSE 5 vs NSE 6 covers the specialization exams.
- If you are thinking about the top of the program, our comparison of Fortinet NSE 8 vs Cisco CCIE covers the two rarest expert credentials in networking.
- If you are building a broader security plan, our guide to the best cybersecurity certifications puts NSE 4 beside other options.
Salary figures for this credential are omitted from this post. We did not find a source that isolates NSE 4 holders from general network and security roles, and an invented number would mislead you.
Practice and Self-Check
Practice questions help you find which domain is dragging your score. Our NSE4_FGT_AD-7.6 exam questions page gives you a way to test yourself on the 7.6 blueprint. Use it as a diagnostic, not as your only study source, because administration exams reward understanding of how FortiOS behaves over recall of wording.
A weekly rhythm
| Week | Focus | Output |
| 1 | Deployment and system configuration | Notes on setup, administrator access and device management |
| 2 | Firewall policies and authentication | Build and test three policies end to end |
| 3 | Content inspection | Configure web filtering, application control and inspection profiles |
| 4 | Routing and VPNs | Build one static route set and one site-to-site VPN in a lab |
| 5 | Mixed practice | Timed sets of 50 questions in 100 minutes |
| 6 | Weak-domain review | Redo the lowest-scoring domain |
A 100 minute exam with 50 to 60 questions gives you roughly two minutes per question on average. Timed practice matters because the questions on an administration exam are often scenario-based and need a moment to read.
What We Don’t Know Yet
We would rather list gaps than guess, so here is what is not published as of early October 2026.
- The exact 8.0 release date. The release notices say early October, and the exam page says Coming Soon. These are not in conflict, but they have not resolved yet.
- The 7.6 last delivery date. No retirement is listed. The four month rule is a general statement, not a commitment.
- What changed inside the first domain. The weight moved, but we have not seen an 8.0 objective list that names the new topics.
- Which FortiOS 8.0 features appear on the exam. The exam tests FortiOS 8.0.0, but Fortinet has not published a list of feature-level changes for the exam.
- Price, validity and retake rules for the 8.0 exam. The exam page does not list them.
- Language plans. The 8.0 exam is listed in English only. Whether Japanese follows is not stated.
- Whether question counts are scored or include unscored items. The ranges are 50 to 60 and 50 to 55 and no breakdown is given.
When Fortinet updates the exam page, check it first. It is the source for every number in the tables above.
FAQS
Is the FortiOS 8.0 NSE 4 exam available yet?
Not according to Fortinet’s exam page as of early October 2026. It lists FortiOS 8.0 as “Coming Soon” and FortiOS 7.6 as “Available.” Fortinet’s release notices list the 8.0 exam under upcoming releases with an early-October timeframe.
What is the main difference between the 7.6 and 8.0 exams?
The deployment and system configuration domain carries more weight on 8.0 (25 to 35% instead of 20 to 25%). The other four domains have the same published weights. The 8.0 exam also lists 50 to 60 questions instead of 50 to 55.
How long is the NSE 4 exam?
Both versions are listed at 100 minutes.
Should I take 7.6 or wait for 8.0?
If you are ready now, take 7.6, since it is available. If you will not be ready for several months, study for 8.0, because the 7.6 exam may be retired. The decision table above breaks it down by situation.
Will the 7.6 exam be retired?
No retirement date is listed for the 7.6 exam. Fortinet’s notices state that the previous version’s last delivery date is generally about four months after a new exam release, at the Training Institute’s discretion.
Is the 8.0 exam harder?
Fortinet does not publish difficulty ratings. The first domain carries more weight and there may be up to five more questions, so candidates with weaker configuration knowledge have more exposure. The pass or fail scoring style is unchanged.
Is the exam available in languages other than English?
The 7.6 exam is listed in English and Japanese. The 8.0 exam is listed in English only.
Do I need to take the training course first?
No formal prerequisites are listed. Fortinet recommends the FortiOS Administrator course with hands-on labs, along with 1 to 2 years of networking experience and at least six months of hands-on FortiGate work, as preparation guidance.
Does my existing NSE 4 certification expire because of the new version?
Nothing we found says that a new exam version invalidates an existing certification. Check the validity term shown in your own Fortinet certification account.
What should I study if I do not know which version I will take?
Study the five domains in the order shown above and use hands-on labs. Four of five domains match, so most of your work transfers. Add extra time on deployment and system configuration if you may sit the 8.0 exam.
How many questions are on the exam?
The 7.6 exam lists 50 to 55 questions and the 8.0 exam lists 50 to 60 questions.
Where is the official information?
Fortinet’s Training Institute publishes the exam page and release notices, and the certification program overview is at the Fortinet Training and Certification site.
