TweetFollow Us on Twitter

The Road To Certification - Part 1 �

Volume Number: 23 (2007)
Issue Number: 12
Column Tag: Business

The Road To Certification - Part 1

Increase your knowledge and build credibility along the way

by Doug Hanley

Introduction

In this series of articles we are going to look at Apple's IT certifications. We will examine reasons for and benefits of getting certified. This article also covers the testing experience and the changes to Apple's IT certifications that Leopard brings with it. We also review the exams required and how best to prepare to pass them.

A Look To The Past...

Now to give you a little historical perspective, Apple started offering Mac OS X certifications in 2002. Before then, they only offered their Hardware certifications. The first Mac OS X certification available was Apple Certified Technical Coordinator (ACTC) certification. This certification required passing two exams: one focused on Mac OS X client and one on Mac OS X Server. They also offer the advanced level certification Apple Certified System Administrator (ACSA). The requirements for ACSA certification have changed dramatically, and we will focus on the current changes later in this article.

With Mac OS X 10.3 Panther, Apple launched a new certification, Apple Certified Help Desk Specialist (ACHDS). ACHDS was granted after passing just one exam based on Mac OS X Client.

So now you have a quick overview of the three levels of Mac OS X certification offered by Apple: ACHDS, ACTC, and ACSA. Now let's talk about why you might want to get certified.

Benefits: Why Get Certified?

You might ask yourself, "Why should I get certified? What will it do for me?" or, "how will it benefit me?" Maybe your job requires it. Apple Resellers are required to have people on staff maintain certain Apple IT certifications. And members of the Apple Consultants Network are required to be at least an ACHDS. Apple requires its own system engineers to maintain an ACSA.

Maybe your employer or potential employer wants to know you have a base level of knowledge and skill set to efficiently deploy and manage Mac OS X. This is where Apple's IT certifications are helpful. Sure you may know your way around Darwin's kernel and zip rings around people using the command line, but by having a certification, you can show proof of your Mac OS X expertise. You will also be expected to perform at a commensurate level with that certification.

While there can be many benefits, not all of them are necessarily tangible and immediate. A certification enhances your credibility as a technology professional and provides recognition of your achievement. It gives validation of your technical knowledge and expertise that can be recognized by others. If you have a consulting practice, it can set you apart from your competition and get you in the door of prospective clients.

Ryan Grimes of Hoosier Mac, an Apple Consultant Network member in Indiana shared the benefits of achieving ACSA. Ryan said, "I received my ACSA last year at this time and it immediately started paying for itself. Shortly after becoming certified, I was contacted by Apple's Enterprise group for a project and I now have a wonderful relationship with my Apple reps. They know my level of knowledge and feel comfortable recommending my services because I have the certification."

My personal experience is basically the same as Ryan's; I feel it was well worth the investment of time and money to get trained and certified. Not only did I gain the certification, but I also acquired the knowledge and skills to better serve my clients.

The Process: Getting Certified

Step 1: Get your Tech ID:

The first thing you need to do is to get a Tech ID from Apple. This ID is used by Apple to track all of your certifications, whether IT, Hardware, or Pro Apps. You apply for your Tech ID at Apple's Certifications Website (http://certifications.apple.com). You can check your progress on achieving the various certifications by logging into this website. You will first need an Apple ID before you can register for a Tech ID. If you have ever made a purchase from the iTunes Music Store or Apple Online Store, you already have an Apple ID. (https://myinfo.apple.com/html/en_US/faq.html).

Step 2: Register for an exam:

Mac OS X certification exams are offered at Prometric testing centers and as of just recently, also at Apple Authorized Training Centers. You can locate your nearest Prometric testing center and register for an exam at Prometric by calling 888-APL-EXAM (888-275-3926) or visiting their website (http://www.prometric.com/Apple). Or visit http://train.apple.com to find the Apple Authorized Training Center nearest you - imagine, now you can register for an exam at the same time you sign up for a class! The cost per exam is $150.

Step 3: Take the exam:

Before you arrive to take your exam, make sure to bring two forms of identification, especially if you go to a Prometric Testing Center. They will have you sign in, leave your cell phone behind and lead you to a quiet little cubicle with a lovely little Windows based machine to take your exam. They should also provide you with a pencil and scratch paper for your convenience during the test. The exam questions will be a mix of multiple choice and true/false. There are a few non-scoring questions about demographical information before the actual test begins.

A tutorial is available for you to get familiar with the types of questions and conventions used in this testing process. But here are some tips I have learned from taking a number of these exams.If there is a graphical exhibit related to a particular question, you will need to click a display button to view it. You can mark an unanswered question or one you are not quite sure about and come back to it later. I really recommend doing this and I also use the scratch paper to make a list of the questions that I want to review before submitting the exam. You normally have about two hours to complete the exam. I recommend going through the questions, answering the ones you are certain of first, and saving time at then end for those that may require a little more effort. After reviewing all your marked and unanswered questions, you can then hit the Finish or Submit button.

At a Prometric center, your exam will be scored immediately and they will give you the results on a printout before you leave. This is not your certificate, but simply a receipt of your exam and results of your answers. You will be able to see by section your total correct and missed questions, but you will not be able to find out which questions you actually missed. You also don't get to keep your scratch paper. If you passed the exam, you will then be able to order your certificate online. The ACTC and ACSA certifications require more than one exam, and you can track you progress after your results are updated on Apple's Certifications Website.

Leopard: Changes to Certification

Over the past few years, Apple's Training and Certification programs have changed and evolved significantly. So it is no surprise that with all the new and exciting things coming with Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard, there are also changes to Apple certifications and how to achieve them.

One of the first changes is simply a name change to the first level certification. Away goes Apple Certified Help Desk Specialist as it is renamed the Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP). This is a much more succinct and appropriate name for the entry-level certification. You will achieve ACSP by passing the Mac OS X v10.5 Support Essentials Exam. This certification is a great starting place on the road to further certification. The focus of the exam is on troubleshooting and supporting Mac OS X client.

The ACTC certification remains the same. It requires that you pass both the Mac OS X v10.5 Support Essentials Exam and the Mac OS X v10.5 Server Essentials Exam. An ACTC is expected to not only know how to work with and support Mac OS X client, but also set up and maintain Mac OS X Server.

The highest certification, ACSA, has undergone the most changes through the years. Initially, for Mac OS X v10.2 and v10.3, the certification required two exams with the tests covering advanced client and advanced server administration. For Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger, it was changed into a credit-based system with a minimum requirement of seven current credits, achieved by passing ACSA elective exams-each worth from 2 to 4 credits. Initially the credits would expire two years from the date the exam was passed. When this change was made, it seemed Apple would be updating major versions of Mac OS X every two years. Since that has not been the case, Apple recently announced that all current ACSAs are being granted a new non-expiring ACSA 10.4 certification.

With Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard, ACSA certification will now again be based on the version of Mac OS X. So that means you would be certified for Mac OS X 10.5 as an ACSA and would need to recertify at the next level release of the operating system. ACSA certification will require passing four exams: the Mac OS X v10.5 Server Essentials Exam, plus three additional exams. The course names and exams have not been finalized at this time but they will cover Mac OS X and Mac OS Server Directory Services, Deployment and Advanced Administration. I believe this change makes it challenging but not unobtainable to achieve the Apple Certified System Administrator certification. The precise set of skills and knowledge possessed by an ACSA will now also be more clearly defined for employers and the industry as a whole.

In the next article we should have more detailed information about the requirements for an ACSA 10.5 certification.

In future articles, we will discuss the kinds of topics covered on the exams, and what resources are available to help you prepare for them. Those resources include Apple Authorized Training Center classes and books.


Doug Hanley owns MacTEK Consulting & Training, an Apple Authorized Training Center in Las Vegas, NV. His time is divided between teaching and wrangling servers. He has been providing support on the Mac since the early the 90's. To track him down go to http://www.mac-tek.com or doug@mac-tek.com

 

Community Search:
MacTech Search:

Software Updates via MacUpdate

Latest Forum Discussions

See All

Six fantastic ways to spend National Vid...
As if anyone needed an excuse to play games today, I am about to give you one: it is National Video Games Day. A day for us to play games, like we no doubt do every day. Let’s not look a gift horse in the mouth. Instead, feast your eyes on this... | Read more »
Old School RuneScape players turn out in...
The sheer leap in technological advancements in our lifetime has been mind-blowing. We went from Commodore 64s to VR glasses in what feels like a heartbeat, but more importantly, the internet. It can be a dark mess, but it also brought hundreds of... | Read more »
Today's Best Mobile Game Discounts...
Every day, we pick out a curated list of the best mobile discounts on the App Store and post them here. This list won't be comprehensive, but it every game on it is recommended. Feel free to check out the coverage we did on them in the links below... | Read more »
Nintendo and The Pokémon Company's...
Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that Nintendo has been locked in an epic battle with Pocketpair, creator of the obvious Pokémon rip-off Palworld. Nintendo often resorts to legal retaliation at the drop of a hat, but it seems this... | Read more »
Apple exclusive mobile games don’t make...
If you are a gamer on phones, no doubt you have been as distressed as I am on one huge sticking point: exclusivity. For years, Xbox and PlayStation have done battle, and before this was the Sega Genesis and the Nintendo NES. On console, it makes... | Read more »
Regionally exclusive events make no sens...
Last week, over on our sister site AppSpy, I babbled excitedly about the Pokémon GO Safari Days event. You can get nine Eevees with an explorer hat per day. Or, can you? Specifically, you, reader. Do you have the time or funds to possibly fly for... | Read more »
As Jon Bellamy defends his choice to can...
Back in March, Jagex announced the appointment of a new CEO, Jon Bellamy. Mr Bellamy then decided to almost immediately paint a huge target on his back by cancelling the Runescapes Pride event. This led to widespread condemnation about his perceived... | Read more »
Marvel Contest of Champions adds two mor...
When I saw the latest two Marvel Contest of Champions characters, I scoffed. Mr Knight and Silver Samurai, thought I, they are running out of good choices. Then I realised no, I was being far too cynical. This is one of the things that games do best... | Read more »
Grass is green, and water is wet: Pokémo...
It must be a day that ends in Y, because Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has kicked off its Zoroark Drop Event. Here you can get a promo version of another card, and look forward to the next Wonder Pick Event and the next Mass Outbreak that will be... | Read more »
Enter the Gungeon review
It took me a minute to get around to reviewing this game for a couple of very good reasons. The first is that Enter the Gungeon's style of roguelike bullet-hell action is teetering on the edge of being straight-up malicious, which made getting... | Read more »

Price Scanner via MacPrices.net

Take $150 off every Apple 11-inch M3 iPad Air
Amazon is offering a $150 discount on 11-inch M3 WiFi iPad Airs right now. Shipping is free: – 11″ 128GB M3 WiFi iPad Air: $449, $150 off – 11″ 256GB M3 WiFi iPad Air: $549, $150 off – 11″ 512GB M3... Read more
Apple iPad minis back on sale for $100 off MS...
Amazon is offering $100 discounts (up to 20% off) on Apple’s newest 2024 WiFi iPad minis, each with free shipping. These are the lowest prices available for new minis among the Apple retailers we... Read more
Apple’s 16-inch M4 Max MacBook Pros are on sa...
Amazon has 16-inch M4 Max MacBook Pros (Silver and Black colors) on sale for up to $410 off Apple’s MSRP right now. Shipping is free. Be sure to select Amazon as the seller, rather than a third-party... Read more
Red Pocket Mobile is offering a $150 rebate o...
Red Pocket Mobile has new Apple iPhone 17’s on sale for $150 off MSRP when you switch and open up a new line of service. Red Pocket Mobile is a nationwide MVNO using all the major wireless carrier... Read more
Switch to Verizon, and get any iPhone 16 for...
With yesterday’s introduction of the new iPhone 17 models, Verizon responded by running “on us” promos across much of the iPhone 16 lineup: iPhone 16 and 16 Plus show as $0/mo for 36 months with bill... Read more
Here is a summary of the new features in Appl...
Apple’s September 2025 event introduced major updates across its most popular product lines, focusing on health, performance, and design breakthroughs. The AirPods Pro 3 now feature best-in-class... Read more
Apple’s Smartphone Lineup Could Use A Touch o...
COMMENTARY – Whatever happened to the old adage, “less is more”? Apple’s smartphone lineup. — which is due for its annual refresh either this month or next (possibly at an Apple Event on September 9... Read more
Take $50 off every 11th-generation A16 WiFi i...
Amazon has Apple’s 11th-generation A16 WiFi iPads in stock on sale for $50 off MSRP right now. Shipping is free: – 11″ 11th-generation 128GB WiFi iPads: $299 $50 off MSRP – 11″ 11th-generation 256GB... Read more
Sunday Sale: 14-inch M4 MacBook Pros for up t...
Don’t pay full price! Amazon has Apple’s 14-inch M4 MacBook Pros (Silver and Black colors) on sale for up to $220 off MSRP right now. Shipping is free. Be sure to select Amazon as the seller, rather... Read more
Mac mini with M4 Pro CPU back on sale for $12...
B&H Photo has Apple’s Mac mini with the M4 Pro CPU back on sale for $1259, $140 off MSRP. B&H offers free 1-2 day shipping to most US addresses: – Mac mini M4 Pro CPU (24GB/512GB): $1259, $... Read more

Jobs Board

All contents are Copyright 1984-2011 by Xplain Corporation. All rights reserved. Theme designed by Icreon.