The Esri Technical Certification team recently released version 10.5 exams for seven certifications, including the popular Desktop series: ArcGIS Desktop Entry, ArcGIS Desktop Associate, and ArcGIS Desktop Professional. At version 10.5, ArcGIS Desktop includes ArcGIS Pro and ArcMap. Desktop certification exams test knowledge of both applications.
Exam releases are purposely timed to occur several months after a software release. After all, earning a technical certification requires significant hands-on experience with the technology. Sometimes the timing of an exam release and a software release poses a challenge. For example, ArcGIS Pro 2.0 was released just as we were releasing ArcGIS Desktop 10.5 exams, which measure ArcGIS Pro 1.4 proficiency. When preparing for an exam, it's important to review the software applications and versions that will be tested—you want to be sure your preparation work is focused on the right content.
The help documentation is a popular resource for individuals preparing to take a certification exam. ArcMap help documentation is available both offline and online. For version 1.4, ArcGIS Pro documentation is available offline using the help files that are installed with the product. Many of the help topics in the ArcGIS Pro 2.0 documentation apply to 1.4 as well, but of course there have been changes between the releases, including the renaming of the Project pane to the Catalog pane.
Developing a certification exam is a rigorous, months-long process that involves subject matter technical experts, psychometricians, and others. The group spends long hours in discussions (and debate) to ensure that every single question is accurate, valid, and directly aligns with the skills measured by the exam. Passing a certification exam is a significant accomplishment that has intrinsic professional and personal benefits. Are you ready to demonstrate your ArcGIS expertise?
