Certiport Certifications: The Definitive Guide
Choosing to pursue a professional certification in your field of study is one of the best decisions an individual can make. This is due to the fact that it challenges your knowledge on your chosen career using test questions and lab work. Consequently, passing a certification exam highlights your technical abilities to excel in your industry. In this vein, it is important to note that there are a lot of certifications available to experts in the field of information technology,and Certiport offers IT professionals with the opportunity to choose a certification path.
Certiport provides professional certification opportunities that cut across diverse disciplines to serve professionals in academia, the job market and corporate technology. This means that just about anyone can pursue their professional development under the vast umbrella of Certiport.
An Introduction to Certiport
Certiport is an arm of Pearson VUE, which of course serves as its parent company. Therefore to understand why Certiport does what it does best—providing certification opportunities—an understanding of why it was created is needed. Pearson VUE is known globally as a leader in providing computer-based testing, and Certiport is one of its arms dedicated to helping professionals succeed in acquiring an IT and design certification.
Before going further to elaborate on the certification opportunities Certiport provides, it is important to note that Certiport does not offer its own native certifications. Certiport simply gives individuals the opportunity to achieve some of the most established certifications available by providing learning opportunities and an environment for taking the related exams.
The Benefits of Pursuing a Certification with Certiport
There are diverse benefits to be gained by acquiring a certification through the portal provided by Certiport. These benefits are available to; corporate organizations that encourage its employees to acquire IT certifications/design certifications,individual IT pros, and educators/trainers interested in acquiring teaching positions.
The Advantages for IT Professionals
- Access to learning materials—Certiport is a partner to established IT establishments that offer certifications on the products they create. Therefore as partners, they are privy to official learning materials you too can take advantage off. This will definitely increase your chances of successfully sitting and passing a certification exam.
- Authenticate your abilities—acquiring professional certificates is a good way for one to highlight certain problem-solving abilities he or she possesses. Therefore, passing these exams highlights your proficiency to the world.
- Gives you an edge—the world is a global village and in no industry is this more obvious today than the IT niche. Therefore, the competition for jobs and freelance work is globally fierce. Acquiring a professional certification makes one more competitive in the global workforce.
Advantages to Corporate Organizations
- Enhances Quality of Work—certified professionals are dedicated employees. The knowledge obtained pursuing a certification provides employees with the skill to work effectively and apply state-of-the-art techniques to solving IT problems.
- Increases Productivity—it takes discipline and an excellent study habit to acquire a certification. IT pros bring this dedication to work which gives employers a motivated and effective employee who has the ability to approach complex tasks professionally. Also, certified employees directly boost the earning power of corporations that invest in standardizing the abilities of its employees.
- Highlights Instructors abilities—for academic organizations that provide IT training facilities, having instructors with the relevant certification definitely serves as a boost and attracts more students or clients.
Certiport Certification Programs: An Overview
The certification programs offered by Certiport are from a wide range of parent companies in the IT sector. These certifications basically test your ability to use software applications to solve corporate work and design related issues. The parent companies responsible for Certiport’s certificates are; Microsoft, Adobe, Autodesk, IC3, QuickBooks and ToonBoom. The certification opportunities available under these established organizations that Certiport offers include:
- Adobe Certified Associate (ACA)—demonstrates that one has the skills needed to work with Adobe’s digital communications tools. It is designed for graphic designers who want to authenticate their abilities with Photoshop, Dreamweaver etc.
- Adobe Certified Expert (ACE)—certifies an individual’s abilities to specific or all Adobe software products at an expert level. ACE certifications are offered for single Adobe Creative Suites e.g. InDesign or for all the software products available in its ecosystem.
- Autodesk Certified User (ACU)—your understanding of Autodesk’s computer aided design suites and the basic features/tools it employs in drawing 2D/3D models is authenticated by the ACU.
- Autodesk Certified Professional (ACP)—the ACP tests your ability to actually use Autodesk’s design software applications to create architectural or engineering designs. Passing the ACP highlights these abilities.
- Entrepreneurship and Small Business (ESB)—the ESB is the only native certification Certiport is fully responsible for. The certification was developed to test student’s understanding of entrepreneurial concepts and small business management.
- Internet Core Competency Certification (IC3 Digital Literacy)—the IC3 certification was also developed by Certiport with a view to ascertaining a candidate’s understanding of basic computer terminologies and assets—hardware, operating systems, networks etc.
- Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS)—this highlights your understanding of the Microsoft Office Suite and how versed you are with solving technical issues related to design and troubleshooting issues related to the software.
- Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA)—this is a basic level Microsoft certification that highlights your understanding of the various IT solutions, suites and applications Microsoft has to offer.
- ToonBoom Certified Associate (TA)—graphic designers and animators can validate their ability to create storyboards and animations with ToonBoom’s creative suites by obtaining a TA certificate.
- QuickBooks Certified User (QCU)—this is QuickBooks official certification process that validates your ability to use its software to complete finance and accounting related tasks.
Adobe Certified Associate
The Adobe Certified Associate program is aimed at testing a designer’s understanding of Adobe tools in communication, creation and design. Successfully sitting and passing the certification exams helps IT and graphic design professionals stand out in the global workforce. The certification exams test your understanding of:
- Visual communications using Adobe Photoshop
- Interactive Media using Adobe Flash
- Graphic design using Adobe Illustrator
- Video communication with Adobe Premiere
- Web authorizing with Adobe Dreamweaver and
- Print and digital media publication using InDesign
On successfully passing the ACA exam, candidates can pursue further certification exams that validate your skills as an expert with Adobe suites. The certification also earns you a spot on the Adobe Certified Associate Community.
Adobe Certified Expert
The certified expert certification exam touches on all the creative suites available on Adobe’s ecosystem. It provides IT pros and graphic designers with a great opportunity to test their practical use of either a particular Adobe solution or all the software suites provided by Adobe. There are three levels of ACE certification which can be attained: Single product certification, Specialist certification and Master certification.
Single Product Certification: this shows your proficiency with using a single Adobe product and it covers Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Flash or Premiere software applications.
Specialist Certification—this certification recognizes your abilities with using Adobe products within a specific medium or niche. The niches to specialize in include; print, web or video.
Master Certification—here, your proficiency with using the products on Adobe’s line-up is tested. And to be able to participate in the ACE Master exams, you must have attained a specialist certification in a chosen niche.
The certification exams for achieving an ACE certificate covers the following study areas:
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe AfterEffects
- Adobe InDesign etc.
Autodesk Certified User
The ACU focuses on testing your knowledge of AutoCAD and its uses in bringing 2D drawings and 3D models to life. This certificate is an entry-level certificate to the world of Autodesk certifications and it serves as a prerequisite to pursuing more advanced certifications in the Autodesk space. The exam consists of 12 sections over a 60 minute period and the study areas candidates must focus on include:
- Understanding AutoCAD User-interface
- Manipulating digital objects and
- Working with AutoCAD design features/tools
Candidates are expected to answer all questions and successfully passing this exam, highlight your understanding of computer aided design.
Autodesk Certified Professional
The ACP exam was developed to test the abilities of graphic designers in using CAD tools to solve technical problems and create virtual models. Eligibility for taking the ACP certification exam, includes a solid knowledge of AutoCAD—for you will be asked to handle design tasks using the software application—and the acquisition of the ACU certificate. An Autodesk Certified Professional exam consists of 35 questions across 13 sections. Prospective participants must learn the details of:
- Dimensioning
- Drawing organization
- Using inquiry commands
- Hatching objects
- Printing and plotting
- Managing reusable contents
The exam also includes a practical section where your ability to use AutoCAD in designing characters will be tested. Successful candidates will be integrated into the Autodesk professional community which increases your visibility in the digital design industry.
Entrepreneurship and Small Business
The ESB certificate was developed to cater to academia and provides students interested in studying business an opportunity to earn a certificate that highlights their basic understanding of entrepreneurship. The ESB exam is a Certiport initiative dedicated to developing the business leaders of the future. The certificate exam will test your knowledge on:
- Starting a business
- Business management
- Business operations
- Marketing and sales
- Financial management
The ESB is one of Certiport’s native certification programs developed by its Education and testing department.
Internet Core Competency Certification (IC3 Digital Literacy)
The IC3 has been recognized as a global benchmark for basic computer literacy and earns its holder respect from established corporate organizations. The certificate highlights one’s ability to function effectively in environments where technology has an important role to play. Under the IC3 umbrella, candidates can seek the following certifications:
- IC PHP Developer Fundamentals –this is an entry-level exam that certifies a candidate understands software programming. It focuses on PHP and can serve as an introduction into the world of coding.
- IC3 Fast track—this is a certification that tries to ascertain a student or job seeker’s understanding of technology.
- IC3 Spark—was developed for a younger demographic and it attempts to gauge a kids ability or understanding of technology.
- IC3 Global Standard 4—this is an entry-level certification that focuses on cloud computing and the ecosystem surrounding it.
- IC3 Global Standard 5—the GS5 certification focuses on highlighting your understanding of concepts related to technology. Students will be questioned on the fundamentals of technology, living online and key application of technology solutions.
IC3 exams cover the entire technology community and depending on the certification you choose, you will be expected to prove your understanding of:
- Operating systems
- Technical hardware
- Programming languages
- Cloud computing
- Storage and
- The application of technological solutions
The IC3 group of certifications focuses on the basics of technology and they allow employers and educators to judge their wards ability with using technological tools.
Microsoft Office Specialist
The MOS certification is provided by its parent company, Microsoft, to ascertain user’s abilities to use the entire group of applications native to Microsoft Office. Certiport offers this certification opportunity to both students and IT pros looking to prove their abilities in using these applications. Study materials cover the following areas:
- Microsoft word 2013, 2016
- Office 365
- SharePoint
- Skype for business
- Exchange
To learn more about the Microsoft Office Specialist certification, you can pay a visit to ‘the comprehensive guide on Microsoft certification’ for further reading.
Microsoft Technology Associate
This is a basic or entry-level certification that validates an individual’s ability to make use of the various technical solutions available in the Microsoft Ecosystem. The MTA certificate also serves as a prerequisite to attaining other advanced certificates across the tech community. MTA certifies you to go further in acquiring specialized or expert Microsoft certifications, COMPTIA certifications among others. The certification exam covers the following topics:
- Admin fundamentals
- Windows operating system
- Cloud fundamentals
- Security fundamentals etc.
You can also refer to the definitive guide on Microsoft certification for more information on the options available to IT pros and students.
ToonBoom Certified Associate
The ToonBoom certification was developed for students and professionals in the field of design, film and animation looking to validate their ability to create unique pieces using ToonBoom software applications. The task of acquiring a ToonBoom certification comes with studying the following subject matters:
- Storyboarding
- Animation
- 2D/3D design
- Character modelling etc.
Successful candidates are awarded both a ToonBoom certificate and a digital one which can be integrated into personal or business websites.
QuickBooks Certified User
QuickBooks is an accounting software application used in businesses to ensure finances are in order. It is a book keeping tool that has been integrated into a lot of cloud enterprise management and customer relationship management Software as a Service (SaaS) platforms. Acquiring the QCU certificate opens up multiple opportunities to successful candidates globally. The QCU exam consists of questions testing your ability to:
- Set-up QuickBooks
- Use QuickBooks feature and tools
- Handle basic accounting
- Manage reports
- Handle payrolls
- Solve complex book keeping tasks using QuickBooks
The exam costs $149 and testing centres are managed by Certiport.
Training and Practical Materials
Providing the support students need to learn about a certification, is one of the tasks Certiport does excellently. This testing company provides a plethora of learning materials—digital and physical—as well as practical labs to practice what you have learned.
In some cases, study aids can also be gotten from a certification’s parent company by simply registering through their platforms. Microsoft, Autodesk and Adobe have vibrant learning communities with certified educators on their line-up. SkillsBuild Training is another great training option. We provide video based learning material from certified instructors, and also Live Practice Labs to test your skills in a real world environment.
Acquiring Certiport Certifications: The Salary Advantages
Certiport certifications are generally geared towards students and entry-level employees looking to learn about IT, corporate environments and design. But professionals can also acquire certificates that provide the salary advantages below:
- Microsoft Technical Associate—MTA certified professionals earn approximately $45,000 which is 10 to 20% more than the salaries of their colleagues.
- Autodesk Certified Professional—earn between $60,000 to $75,000
- ToonBoom Certified Associate—earns approximately $40,000 to $60,000
- QuickBooks Certified User—earns approximately $65,000 to $90,000.
Certiport is recognized globally for its certifications and the services it provides to other information technology organizations interested in offering certification opportunities. Obtaining a certificate through Certiport will definitely increase your chances of succeeding in the world of business or academics.
