HP Exams

A Legacy Rebuilt for the Edge and Cloud

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) officially formed in November 2015 when the original Hewlett-Packard Company split its operations. HP Inc. kept the personal computers and printers, while HPE took the enterprise hardware, software, and services. Since that split, HPE has shifted its focus from selling traditional physical servers to delivering infrastructure as a service. This transition relies heavily on GreenLake, the company's edge-to-cloud platform, which allows organizations to consume on-premises hardware through an operating expense model.

The company's footprint expanded massively with the acquisitions of Aruba Networks and the $14 billion integration of Juniper Networks in 2025. These moves positioned HPE as a primary force in enterprise networking and artificial intelligence infrastructure. For IT professionals, this means an HPE certification no longer just proves you can rack and stack servers. It indicates you understand how to design and manage distributed, hybrid cloud environments that process data from the edge to the core.

The HPE Certification Framework

HPE organizes its technical certifications into four primary tiers: Foundational (Product Certified), Professional (Accredited Technical Professional, or ATP), Expert (Accredited Solutions Expert, or ASE), and Master (Master ASE). The Foundational tier targets newcomers who need to understand basic product features and installation. The Professional level expects candidates to manage day-to-day administrative tasks and standard deployments. The Expert and Master tiers require years of hands-on experience, focusing on complex architectural design, multi-site integrations, and aligning technology deployments with strict business requirements.

Dominating the Network with Aruba

HPE's networking division, driven by the Aruba portfolio, holds a massive share of the enterprise wired and wireless LAN market. Gartner has named HPE Aruba a leader in this space for 18 consecutive years. If you manage campus networks, Aruba certifications carry exact, practical weight.

The HPE6-A73 (Aruba Certified Switching Professional) tests your ability to implement and operate enterprise-level Aruba campus switching solutions. Candidates must know how to configure routing, handle multicast traffic, and implement network security features using Aruba OS-CX switches. Passing this exam proves you can move beyond basic port configuration and handle the demands of a high-traffic corporate network.

For those focused on network design, the HPE7-A03 (Aruba Certified Campus Access Architect) steps away from the command line and into the planning phase. This credential expects you to translate complex business requirements into a functional network topology. You must understand how to integrate wired and wireless access, plan for high availability, and ensure secure authentication across thousands of endpoints. The exam scenarios test your ability to select the right hardware for specific physical environments, from dense office buildings to sprawling outdoor campuses.

Hybrid Cloud and the GreenLake Shift

While networking grabs headlines, HPE's core business remains deeply rooted in compute and storage infrastructure. However, the way organizations deploy these resources has changed. The days of buying hardware outright and leaving it in a data center for five years are fading.

The HPE0-V27 (HPE ASE - Edge-to-Cloud Architect) directly addresses this shift. This 90-minute, 60-question exam validates your ability to plan and design HPE solutions that span multiple consumption models. You must know how to match specific customer workloads to the right physical hardware while applying GreenLake financial models. The exam scenarios force you to weigh the costs and benefits of keeping data on-premises versus moving it to a hybrid configuration.

Even in a cloud-centric world, the physical hardware matters. The HPE0-S59 (HPE Compute Solutions) exam zeroes in on the exact server technologies powering these hybrid environments. It tests your knowledge of HPE ProLiant servers and OneView management software. You must demonstrate how to configure server profiles, manage firmware updates at scale, and troubleshoot hardware failures.

Storage also plays a critical role in the HPE ecosystem. The HPE0-J68 (HPE Storage Solutions) exam validates your ability to design and deploy HPE Alletra, Nimble, and Primera storage arrays. Storage engineers must know how to configure block and file storage, implement data protection strategies, and manage storage replication across multiple sites. These skills remain critical because AI workloads and enterprise databases require fast, reliable storage that public clouds often struggle to provide cost-effectively.

HPE exams frequently use scenario-based questions rather than simple multiple-choice definitions. Candidates must read a mock customer profile, analyze their existing infrastructure, and select the correct upgrade path. This format prevents candidates from passing through memorization alone. You must understand how different products interact in a live production environment.

Market Position and Professional Value

HPE certifications hold specific value depending on your employer's infrastructure choices. Unlike cloud-only credentials that apply to virtual environments, HPE credentials tie directly to physical and hybrid deployments. If a company runs a private cloud on HPE server frames or manages a global workforce through Aruba access points, they need engineers who know the exact quirks of those platforms.

The recent integration of Juniper Networks into the HPE ecosystem adds another layer of relevance. As HPE expands its reach into data center routing and artificial intelligence networking, the demand for certified professionals who understand the complete HPE portfolio will grow. Hiring managers in enterprise IT environments use these certifications to filter candidates because the exams require specific, hands-on knowledge of the hardware and software stack.

The shift toward AI inference at the edge requires massive localized compute power and low-latency networking. Engineers holding credentials like the HPE ASE - Edge-to-Cloud Architect possess the exact skills needed to design the infrastructure that processes this data locally, rather than sending it back to a centralized public cloud.