If you attended AppSphere 2016 in Las Vegas, or visited AppDynamics University, you’re probably aware that we recently launched our first official certification program. If you haven’t heard about it, we have some relevant info to share with you. First, what is it, and who is it for?
We’ve embarked on a journey to build a series of certification programs for implementers, operators, developers, administrators, power users, and end users across our partner and customer ecosystems.
We released the first in a series of our official certifications, the AppDynamics Certified Implementation Professional (ACIP) certification, on November 17, 2016. The ACIP certification is designed for individuals who deploy AppDynamics technologies.
In order to attain the ACIP certification, you must demonstrate through the passing of the exam that you possess the minimum acceptable level of knowledge and skills required to deploy AppDynamics controllers, agents, EUM servers, and analytics servers. Successful candidates for the ACIP certification must also have experience using AppDynamics APIs to extend and customize the AppDynamics platform.
Now that you know who the first certification was designed for, you may be wondering whether we have other certifications for operators, developers, power users, and end users. The short answer is yes, we do. Those certifications are coming later, however. Please stay tuned.
But back to the topic at hand — attaining your ACIP certification. If you have deployment and implementation skills and you’re ready to pursue certification right now, here’s what you need to know in order to increase your probability of passing the exam.
What do you need to know?
Everything you need to know about the exam, with the exception of the actual questions (sorry, we can’t share those) are included in our preparation guide.
What do you need to do in order to increase your chances of succeeding on the exam?
Read the preparation guide — it’s that simple. Read it cover to cover and study it carefully.
The guide contains pertinent information such as the tasks and topics covered on the exam, references to areas where questions associated with those topics were taken, the recommended training, as well as some sample questions.
Here are some quick tips on how to use the preparation guide:
Each question on the exam is written to a task or topic. By providing you with the tasks relevant to the exam, we’re giving you the insight you’ll need in order to study for all the possible questions that could be asked.
Here’s how it works:
Let’s say you came across this task in the preparation guide: “Determine when to use custom correlation.” That’s task/topic 1.08 in the preparation guide, which is also referred to as objective 1.08. For all the questions written to task 1.08, you can expect to see: A focus on measuring whether you know “when to use custom correlation”.
For example,
Custom correlation is required to maintain business transaction context with calls that _______. (Choose the correct option to complete the sentence.)
- cross application boundaries
- use unsupported frameworks
- are made to external systems that are unmonitored
- cross different technologies, for example, from Java to .NET
So, if you’re able to infer possible questions based on the tasks, you’ll be more prepared for the exam.
To help you as best as we can, we’re telling you in advance which tasks and topics are to be covered on the exam. We’re also providing you with links to read up on for those tasks, especially if you aren’t familiar with them. For example, for task 1.06, “Determine the system requirements for the controller”, follow this link for system requirements for more information on an AppDynamics controller.
As you go through the preparation guide, you may realize that you need more formal training. If that ends up being the case, we recommend our Intelligent Platform Bootcamp course. Attending this course is the best way to prepare for the APD-300 exam.
Once you’ve read the preparation guide and are confident that you’re ready to take the APD-300 exam, you can follow these steps to register:
First, make sure you have a voucher code that’s good for one exam unit, or purchase your exam unit instead. Speak with your sales rep for assistance.
- Go to the AppDynamics University webpage
- Scroll down the page and click on the “Browse Course Catalog” tile
- Log in
- Select “Self-Paced Catalog”
- Look for the APD-300 Advanced Implementation of AppDynamics 4.2 Exam
- Click the calendar icon to view the exam schedule
- Select the “Register” button
To take the exam, which is administered online, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:
- Return to the “Course Catalog”
- Select “My Transcript” and you will see the exam
- Click “Take Exam” to begin
The cost of the exam is one exam unit, or the equivalent of $400 USD, based on your regional market price. You will need to purchase the exam unit first in order to register. The discounted AppSphere 2016 price of $250 is no longer available.
Good luck preparing — we can’t wait to congratulate you on achieving your ACIP certification.
Please contact us at certifications@appdynamics.com if you have any questions.
