1. How has SAP improved its certification program?

In order to keep pace with the growing demand for SAP certification, we have significantly enhanced and expanded our certification program. You can now obtain certifications at three levels of expertise – associate, professional, and master.

We've also enhanced the way you can find the right certification for you. You can now search on the SAP solution, your focus area, or your role in the organization.

2. Do current certificates keep their value?

Absolutely. The new certification program is designed to build on the program that came before, while at the same time creating opportunities for individuals to demonstrate their experience and expertise at more advanced stages of their career.

3. Do certifications expire after a period of time? How do I refresh them?

Certification is used as an essential benchmark for customers in times of increasingly dynamic market change. Therefore, we need to ensure that certification credentials are always up-to-date. With the new program, SAP will be able to monitor the level of certifications within the certification community, and contact professionals with outdated certifications for a reminder that there is a need to re-certify.

4. Are certification exams based on a mandatory set of prerequisites, such as participation in a series of training courses?

While there is no course or set of courses required in order to take a particular certification exam, SAP does provide a listing of recommended course work to help you prepare. In addition, you do not have to have completed a lower level (associate) exam in order to take a higher level (professional) exam, but many professional-level certification seekers may find it valuable.

5. How will SAP measure experience and higher-level skills?

SAP is moving towards higher-level item writing methods and more advanced assessment techniques to better test understanding, application, and analytical skills rather than knowledge recall. In addition, the tests for the higher levels of certification have been revised to be more clearly job-task aligned, and therefore reflective of actual experience.

6. What will change for individuals who have certified in the past?

The new strategy focuses on adding value to the certified individual. Certified consultants will be offered the opportunity to join the new certification community and access a wide range of benefits. The 2006 survey of existing consultants pinpointed the desire for continuous learning and SAP Education will be outlining clear paths, including fast tracks for existing consultants to move upwards or across into further levels. Existing certifications will retain their validity.

7. Is certification available for a variety of profiles?

Yes. The existing certification programs are being extended to address more experienced technical and application consultant profiles and solution architects in multi-tiered certification tracks. Career-enabling certification tracks are also designed for the enterprise SOA architect and business process expert tracks.

8. What should I do if I do not see the certification I am looking for?

We will gradually be revising certification tracks, beginning with new product initiatives. If you do not see the certification you are looking for, be sure to use the certification finder or view a schedule of upcoming tests by checking www.sap.com/certification.

9. How do I prepare for my certification exam?

Each specific certification comes with its own set of preparation tactics. We define them as "Competency Areas" and they can be found on the Web pages associated with individual exams. On those pages, you can find the number of questions, the duration of the exam, what areas you will be tested on, and recommended course work and content you can reference. Please be aware that the professional- and master-level certifications also require several years of practical on-the-job experience and address real-life scenarios.

10. Is there any difference if I take my certification exam at an SAP Education center or through SAP's delivery partner, Pearson VUE?

No. Certification exams are the same no matter where you take your test. SAP entered into a partnership with Pearson VUE several years ago, in order to provide our customers with the greatest number of locations from which to take certification exams. You can now take certification exams at SAP Education centers as well as any of the 4,000 Person VUE centers worldwide.

11. How do I register to take a test at a Pearson VUE test center?

You can visit the Pearson VUE Web site to register for tests and pay via credit card. You can access step-by-step registration, including selection of locations, exam types, dates, and payment options.

12. What methods of payment are accepted by Pearson VUE?

Whether registering via call center or online, the test registration must be paid by credit card or voucher.

13. Do I need to enter my SAP user ID when registering for a certification exam?

In order to ensure that the certification results count and are tracked it is important to enter your SAP user ID in the appropriate registration field.

14. How do I obtain my actual certificate?

Once you successfully pass your certification exam, your certificate is produced at, and delivered by, the test center where you took your exam.

15. How can I obtain my certification logo?

As the personal certification Web site is rolled out through the first half of 2008, you will be able to download a copy of your logo there. In the interim, you can ask your country or regional education organization. Please note: the use of the SAP Certification logo is strictly limited to those individuals who have successfully passed the associated level of certification. Unauthorized use of an SAP Certified logo is strictly forbidden.