This article provides a quick look at how the exam retirement schedule fits into the exam version lifecycle.
- Our primary authoritative location for policy information is outlined in Esri Academy under our Retirement Policy tab and our Exam Retirement Policy FAQs article in Esri Community.
- We recommend that you subscribe to the Esri Technical Certification community to receive program update notifications and click this link to Ask Questions.
How does exam retirement fit into the exam version lifecycle?
The exam version lifecycle has three steps: exam publication, pending retirement, and retirement. When a new version of an exam is published, the previous version enters the "pending retirement" stage until the retirement date. Exam retirement occurs in June and December, depending on the publication date of the new version.
Exam Publication
We maintain an exam publication schedule that lists upcoming publication dates:
- Exams published in the first half of the year (January–June) will be retired in June.
- Exams published in the second half of the year (July–December) will be retired in December.
- You can sign up for email notifications about upcoming exam publications and retirements, click here to subscribe.
Pending Retirement
When an exam is pending retirement:
- It remains available in Esri Academy.
- Candidates can still register and schedule the exam through the Pearson VUE Registration System until the official retirement date.
Retired Exams
Once an exam is officially retired:
- It is removed from both Esri Academy and the Pearson VUE Registration System.
- No new appointments can be scheduled, and the exam is no longer available.
2025 Exams Pending Retirement
Previous Exam Version Retirements
Exam Version 2101, 2201 Retirement – June 30, 2025
- ArcGIS Pro Foundation 2101
- ArcGIS Pro Associate 2101
- ArcGIS Pro Professional 2201
Exam Version 19-001, 20-001, 2201 Retirement – June 30, 2024
- ArcGIS Desktop Associate 19-001
- ArcGIS Desktop Professional 19-001
- Enterprise Geodata Management Professional 19-001
- Enterprise Administration Professional 19-001
- ArcGIS Online Administration Specialty 19-001
- ArcGIS API for JavaScript Specialty 19-001
- ArcGIS Utility Network Specialty 20-001
- ArcGIS API for Python Specialty 20-001
- GIS Fundamentals Foundation 2201
Exam Version 10.5 Retirement -- December 31, 2020
- ArcGIS Desktop Entry 10.5
- ArcGIS Desktop Associate 10.5
- ArcGIS Desktop Professional 10.5
- Enterprise Geodata Management Associate 10.5
- Enterprise Geodata Management Professional 10.5
- Enterprise System Design Associate 10.5
- Enterprise Administration Associate 10.5
Exam Version 10.4 Retirement -- December 31, 2019
- ArcGIS Desktop Developer Associate 10.4
- Web Application Developer Associate 10.4
- Enterprise System Design Associate 10.4
- Enterprise Administration Associate 10.4
Exam Version 10.3 Retirement -- December 31, 2018
- ArcGIS Desktop Entry 10.3
- ArcGIS Desktop Associate 10.3
- ArcGIS Desktop Professional 10.3
- Enterprise Geodata Management Associate 10.3
- Enterprise Geodata Management Professional 10.3
- Enterprise System Design Associate 10.3
- Enterprise Administration Associate 10.3
Exam Version 10.2 Retirement -- July 31, 2017
- ArcGIS Desktop Developer Associate 10.2
- Web Application Developer Associate 10.2
- Enterprise System Design Associate 10.2
- Enterprise Administration Associate 10.2
Exam Version 10.1 Retirement -- July 31, 2016
- ArcGIS Desktop Associate 10.1
- ArcGIS Desktop Professional 10.1
- ArcGIS Desktop Developer Associate 10.1
- Web Application Developer Associate 10.1
- Enterprise Geodata Management Associate 10.1
- Enterprise Geodata Management Professional 10.1
- Enterprise System Design Associate 10.1
- Enterprise Administration Associate 10.1
Exam Version 10.0 Retirement -- July 31, 2015
- ArcGIS Desktop Associate 10.0
- ArcGIS Desktop Professional 10.0
- ArcGIS Desktop Developer Associate 10.0
- Web Application Developer Associate 10.0
- Enterprise Geodata Management Associate 10.0
- Enterprise Geodata Management Professional 10.0
- Enterprise System Design Associate 10.0
- Enterprise Administration Associate 10.0
