NSE 4 Network Security Professional — FortiGate Exam Blueprint

Credential type: certification examination · verified on the issuer's site September 20, 2026 issuer page

Retired exam

NSE 4 Network Security Professional — FortiGate was retired on September 30, 2025

Fortinet retired FCP_FGT_AD-7.4 on 2025-09-30. NSE 4 FortiOS 7.6 Administrator is the named replacement path.

No direct replacement is named in the reviewed official sources.

Historical NSE 4 Network Security Professional — FortiGate Scope

The NSE 4 Network Security Professional — FortiGate exam, identified as FCP_FGT_AD-7.4, was administered by Fortinet. It covered 12 distinct domains ranging from system settings to high availability. This exam is retired as of 2025-09-30. The official replacement path for candidates is the NSE 4 FortiOS 7.6 Administrator exam.

Who NSE 4 Network Security Professional — FortiGate Was For

Network security professionals, firewall engineers, and system administrators who manage FortiGate infrastructure should pursue the successor exam to validate their technical skills and maintain their professional certification status with Fortinet.

Skills You Should Be Ready to Demonstrate

How to Reuse Your Preparation

Candidates should focus on practical configuration tasks using the official Fortinet administration guides. Practice implementing firewall policies, routing, and VPN tunnels in a lab environment. Reviewing the 12 domain areas and their respective weights is necessary to prepare for the NSE 4 FortiOS 7.6 Administrator exam.

Historical Domain Guide

System and Network Settings: Historical Scope

This domain covers the configuration of system-level settings and network parameters required for FortiGate management. It accounts for 14.0 percent of the exam content and focuses on initial setup and administrative access.

Firewall Policies: Historical Scope

Focusing on firewall policies, this domain represents 17.0 percent of the exam. It covers the creation and management of security rules that control traffic flow through the FortiGate device.

Routing: Historical Scope

Routing covers 8.0 percent of the exam. It involves configuring static and dynamic routing protocols to ensure proper traffic delivery across the network infrastructure managed by FortiGate.

Firewall Authentication: Historical Scope

Firewall authentication accounts for 10.0 percent of the exam. This domain addresses the methods used to verify user identity before granting access to network resources through the firewall.

Logging and Monitoring: Historical Scope

Logging and monitoring comprises 9.0 percent of the exam. It focuses on the collection and analysis of system logs to maintain visibility into network activity and security events.

Certificate Operations: Historical Scope

Certificate operations accounts for 6.0 percent of the exam. This domain covers the management of digital certificates used for secure communication and identity verification within the network.

Web Filtering: Historical Scope

Web filtering represents 6.0 percent of the exam. It involves configuring rules to restrict or allow access to specific web content based on categories and URL lists.

Application Control: Historical Scope

Application control accounts for 6.0 percent of the exam. This domain focuses on identifying and managing the use of specific applications traversing the network through the FortiGate.

Antivirus: Historical Scope

Antivirus covers 5.0 percent of the exam curriculum entirely. It involves configuring security profiles designed to detect and block malicious files and software threats at the network perimeter effectively.

Intrusion Prevention and DoS: Historical Scope

Intrusion prevention and DoS accounts for 5.0 percent of the overall exam. This domain covers the implementation of standard defenses against network-based attacks and malicious denial-of-service attempts.

VPN (SSL and IPsec): Historical Scope

VPN including SSL and IPsec represents 10.0 percent of the certification exam. It focuses on the detailed configuration of secure tunnels to provide encrypted remote access and reliable site-to-site connectivity.

High Availability: Historical Scope

High availability accounts for 4.0 percent of the official exam objectives. This domain covers the primary setup of redundant FortiGate devices to ensure continuous network operation and seamless failover capabilities.

Frequently asked questions

How many questions are on the exam?

The FCP_FGT_AD-7.4 exam consists of 60 multiple choice questions. These questions are distributed across 12 domains, with varying weights assigned to each section to test different aspects of FortiGate administration and security.

What is the passing score?

The passing score for this exam is 70 percent. This requirement applies to the total number of questions presented during the testing session, ensuring candidates demonstrate a sufficient understanding of the covered security and networking domains.

How long is the exam?

The duration of the exam is 105 minutes. Candidates must complete all 60 questions within this timeframe. Time management is important to address all domains, including firewall policies, routing, and VPN configurations.

Is the certification renewable?

Yes, the certification is valid for 3 years and renewal is required. Candidates must stay current with Fortinet certification standards by completing the necessary requirements before their current certification expires.

Sources and Verification

Verified 2026-08-30

How this page was made

This page was built by aggregating verified facts from official Fortinet documentation and exam objectives. The content reflects the retired status of the exam and provides the official successor path as defined by the certifying body.

Exam Domains

1 System and Network Settings 14%
2 Firewall Policies 17%
3 Routing 8%
4 Firewall Authentication 10%
5 Logging and Monitoring 9%
6 Certificate Operations 6%
7 Web Filtering 6%
8 Application Control 6%
9 Antivirus 5%
10 Intrusion Prevention and DoS 5%
11 VPN (SSL and IPsec) 10%
12 High Availability 4%