2/12/2003 -- When it comes to certification and developers, it's a whole different world. We've commented on CertCities.com before how developers just haven't taken to certification like network administrators have -- for example, in the Microsoft realm, there are currently more than 450,000 MCSEs, but only apx. 45,000 MCSDs (Microsoft's flagship developer title).

Perhaps it's because employers haven't taken to it either, at least not as an initial hiring benchmark. In a recent search of Java developer positions on HotJobs.com, less than 5 percent of the 500-plus jobs even mentioned certification. Of those, only two actually required candidates to be certified.

And certified developers aren't the most vocal bunch -- many of you who do get certified don't list your titles in your online bios or signatures. But many of you do swear by certification, even if you're not quite sure it will give you a leg up during the job hunting process (at least it can't hurt, right?).

But the market for developer certifications keeps expanding, with more options appearing every year. Some of these are very specific developer titles for niche applications. Other cover broader developer skills that can be used for a variety of purposes. Many are Web-focused, and a few are small enough to have quirks not found in other programs (limited availability, required training, etc.). Following is a list of many of these titles, arranged by vendor. Perhaps you're still not sure if certification is right for you, but at least now you'll know the options are out there if and when you're ready.

BEA Systems
Certifications Available: BEA Certified Specialist: Server
Type of Exam(s): Standard
Training Available: Yes (Optional)
Prerequisites: None, although Sun's Certified Java Programmer title is recommended.
Exam Price: n/a
Exam Availability: Prometric Testing Centers Worldwide.

We used to be a big fan of BEA's certification program -- straightforward with a well organized Web site filled with resources for candidates. But recently BEA completely revamped it into a "certificate" program, meaning that candidates must simply attend training courses to earn most of the titles.

However, BEA's flagship Certified Developer for WebLogic Server title (and exam) managed to survive the transition in an alternative form, so we're listing it here. It's now called BEA Certified Specialist: Server. You can earn it by passing the proctored exam, or alternatively attend three training courses at $3,000 a pop (or perhaps online courses for $395 -- the BEA's Web site isn't clear on whether the online courses fulfill the requirement).

Let's assume you want to earn this title the traditional way, by passing the exam. First, you should know who this certification is aimed at: individuals who want to qualify their competencies as J2EE developers on BEA WebLogic Server 7.0. The exam will test a number of skills, including your ability to develop and deploy Web applications that use Enterprise JavaBeans, configure and deploy all component and service resources for Web Applications to the WebLogic Server 7.0, and monitor Web Applications and Enterprise JavaBeans on WebLogic Server, among other skills.

As mentioned above, you can take this exam at Prometric testing centers worldwide. Training is optional if you decide to go the exam route.

BEA is a member of the jCert initiative. As such, its certification may count toward other Java-related titles, or vice-versa.

To learn more about this certification, go to http://certification.bea.com/certification/certification_by_product.jsp?r_cert=1.

Borland
Certifications Available: Borland Certification
Type of Exam(s): Standard
Training Available: Yes (Optional)
Prerequisites: None
Exam Price: Not Available
Exam Availability: Borland Offices Worldwide

Borland produces a number of developer application programs and tools, and has a reputation for going above and beyond to support its developer community. Therefore, it's only natural to assume that Borland would offer a robust worldwide certification program to support its products.

Well, it used to. Then, about two years ago, the company pulled its exams from the standard worldwide test delivery vendors. Currently, it only offers its certification exams in-house. And while there are offices worldwide, the lack of reach has affected the visibility of this program.

But while availability may be limited, the variety of certifications available isn't. According to Borland's Web site, eight Borland Certified Developer titles are currently available:

• Borland App Server
• Borland Enterprise Server -- AppServer Edition
• Borland Enterprise Server -- VisiBroker Edition
• C++ Builder
• Delphi
• JBuilder
• Kylix
• VisiBroker

And the program is making progress: A year ago, it wasn't clear from the Borland Web site whether its program was certification or certificates, or how one could go about signing up for an exam. That's since been clarified. And last month, Borland released study guides for most of its certifications -- a huge step in making its certifications more desirable and accessible.

If you're a developer using Borland products, this certification program is a viable option -- and is continuing to mature. To find out more about this program, go to: http://www.borland.com/services/certification/index.html.

IBM
Certifications Available: Certified Developer, Certified Solution Developer, Solutions Expert, Enterprise Developer
Type of Exam(s): Standard
Training Available: Yes (Optional)
Prerequisites: Varies by Title
Exam Price: $125 to $175
Exam Availability: Prometric and Vue Testing Centers Worldwide

If you're a certification junkie, then IBM's program is your drug of choice. Not only does it offer a cornucopia of titles, it does it well, with detailed study guides, regular news updates and even free 10-question practice quizzes for each of the 100+ exams it offers.

IBM recently streamlined its certification offerings to focus on job roles. Most of IBM's current developer titles (as defined by IBM) relate to its WebSphere product. A complete list is below:

IBM Certified Associate Developer:

• IBM WebSphere Studio 4.0

IBM Certified Developer

• MQ Series
• XML and Related Technologies

IBM Certified Solution Developer

• WebSphere Portal 4.1
• WebSphere Studio 4.0.3
• WebSphere Voice Server using Voice XML

IBM Solutions Expert

• WebSphere Commerce, Business Edition, V5.4, Customization

IBM Certified Enterprise Developer

• WebSphere Application Server Advanced 4.0

IBM exams are available at Prometric and Vue testing centers worldwide. If you're interested in free and/or discounted testing (and who isn't), keep your eye on IBM's certification news page -- an offer for a free or discounted exam pops up just about every other month. IBM is also a member of the above-mentioned jCert initiative, so some of IBM's exams count toward JCert certification titles.

For more information on IBMs certification program, go to: http://www-1.ibm.com/certify/certs/rolesi.shtml.

Lotus
Certifications Available: CLS, CLP, Principal CLP
Type of Exam(s): Standard
Training Available: Yes, optional
Prerequisites: Varies by Title
Exam Price: $125
Exam Availability: Prometric and Vue Testing Centers Worldwide

This division of IBM offers Application Development tracks for all of its certification offerings. Currently, developers can get certified in Notes 5 or 6 (currently being released), or the company's new Collaborative Solutions track.

The first level of Lotus certification is Certified Lotus Specialist (CLS). To earn a CLS in any of the three tracks, you must pass one exam. The Notes exams are standard, but candidates in Collaborative Solutions at this level can choose among four exams:

• Developing Instant Collaborative Applications with QuickPlace 3
• Domino.Doc 3.0 Customization
• Developing Applications Using Lotus Workflow 3
• Developing Web Applications in Sametime 3

The next level is Certified Lotus Professional (CLP). For Notes tracks, Lotus requires two additional exams. For Collaborative Solutions, candidates must choose two additional exams for the above list.

• Lotus' highest level of certification is the Principal CLP. In the Collaborative Solutions track, candidates must pass all of the exams listed above. Notes PLCP candidates must pass one additional exam; for example, from for the PLCP 6 tracks, candidates can choose from:
  
• Using JavaScript in Notes Domino Applications
• Using LotusScript in Notes for Advanced Developers
• Using Java in Notes Domino Applications

Because Lotus is currently developing its Notes 6 and Collaborative Solutions tracks, as of this writing there are many free and discounted beta exam options available. For more information, click here or sign up for the program's monthly e-mail newsletter, "Clippings."

Lotus' certification program is well developed, offering in-depth study guides and one-exam upgrade paths. The certification team also communicates frequently with candidates through interactive Webcasts and the newsletter.

For more information on Lotus' certifications for developers, go to http://www.lotus.com/services/education.nsf/wdocs/certificationhomepage.

Macromedia
Certifications Available: Macromedia Certified Developer (4 tracks)
Type of Exam(s): Standard
Training Available: Yes (Optional)
Prerequisites: None
Exam Price: $100 to $150
Exam Availability: Vue Testing Centers Worldwide
Macromedia didn't offer certifications before it acquired Allaire back in 2001. Now, however, the company offers a full-featured developer certification program for many of its products, and has kept Allaire's former flagship ColdFusion title alive as well.

Currently, the company offers the following titles:

• ColdFusion MX Developer
• Dreamweaver MX Developer
• Macromedia Flash MX Developer
• Macromedia Flash Developer (retiring in March 2003)

Each title requires passing one exam. Macromedia does an excellent job of providing detailed information about these exams on its Web site, including pricing, study guides, scoring information and recommended study preparation. Those who pass a developer exam are listed in an online database found here.

There's not much more to say about this program, except that if you want to get certified on a Macromedia product, here's your chance (by the way, there's no certification for Director -- yet). For more information on this program, go to: http://www.macromedia.com/support/training/certified_professional_program/.

Microsoft
Certifications Available: MCAD, MCSD
Type of Exam(s): Standard
Training Available: Yes (optional)
Prerequisites: None
Exam Price: $125
Exam Availability: Prometric and Vue Testing Centers Worldwide
The king of networking certification currently offers two certification titles: Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) and Microsoft Certified Systems Developer (MCSD).

The new MCAD is a lower-level title for candidates working with Visual Studio .NET. It requires passing two core exams and one elective.

And while anyone who's interested in the MCSD is probably going for the new .NET track, the Visual Studio 6 track is still available. The .NET track requires passing five exams, while the 6.0 track requires four.

Microsoft has not released special upgrade exams for the MCSD. However, it did just announce that VS 6.0 MCSDs can get a free voucher for Exam 70300: Analyzing Requirements and Defining Microsoft .NET Solution Architectures, a MCSD .NET core exam.

One nice thing about becoming certified in a well-established program like Microsoft's is that there are a variety of study materials and other resources available. Also be sure to sign up for Microsoft's developer newsletter for the latest updates (and don't forget our sister site MCPMag.com for news and exam reviews, as well as the popular e-mail newsletter Developer Central, written by Mike Gunderloy).

For more information on Microsoft's certification program, go to: http://www.microsoft.com/mcp.

Oracle
Certifications Available: PL/SQL Developer Associate, Forms Developer Professional
Type of Exam(s): Standard
Training Available: Yes (Optional)
Prerequisites: none
Exam Price: $125 (U.S.)
Exam Availability: Prometric Testing Centers Worldwide

Early last year, Oracle decided to chuck its Java developer titles (and drop out of the jCert initiative) in favor of creating new certifications "more specific to Oracle technologies." Soon after, the company announced two new tracks. The first, the Oracle9i Application Server Certified Associate, is aimed more at administrators. However, it also came out with an Application Developer track, Oracle9i PL/SQL Developer Certified Associate, the first level of which is now in beta.

To become a Application Developer Certified Associate, candidates must pass two exams: an introduction to Oracle 9i, and one on programing with PL/SQL (currently in beta). Higher-level tiers for this track -- while anticipated -- have yet to be announced.

Oracle also continues to offer its Oracle Forms Developer Certified Professional 6/6i. The Forms title, which has been around for a while, requires passing four exams (there's a mix-and-match option for those certified in previous versions). This track continues to evolve -- Oracle recently announced that it plans to release a 9i version of this title sometime in 2003.

Neither of these titles, as of yet, have a training requirement like the one Oracle added to its DBA certification program last year.

Oracle certifications have worldwide availability through Prometric testing centers. And while the resources for these two tracks aren't as widespread as for Oracle's DBA program, training guides and practice exams are available and/or being developed. And, of course, Oracle offers classroom-based and online training through its Oracle University.

For more information on Oracle's certifications, go to http://www.oracle.com/education/certification/index.html?certpaths.html.

ProsoftTraining.com
Certifications Available: CIW Professional, CIW Web Developer, Master CIW Enterprise Developer
Type of Exam(s): Standard
Training Available: Yes (Optional)
Prerequisites: CIW Associate Exam
Exam Price: $125 (U.S.)
Exam Availability: Prometric and Vue Testing Centers Worldwide

Yes, you may have heard that ProsoftTraining ran into some financial problems earlier this year, and that, according to its SEC filings, it was so low on cash that it didn't know whether it'd make it to 2003.

But the company recently decided to bite the bullet and instead of selling one or more of its assets, do some major cost cutting and head toward profitability this year. It's made steps toward this already, and possibly thanks to that, the Prosoft CIW certs you know and love are still around today.

The CIW program is one of only a handful of vendor-neutral Web developer programs. It offers three titles specifically for developers: CIW Professional (Associate exam plus elective Application Developer exam), CIW Web Developer (a one-exam title launched last year to tie into the jCert initiative, which CIW now helps manage), and Master CIW Enterprise Developer (CIW Professional plus two CIW language exams, Sun's SCJP exam, and three other high-level CIW exams).

Because ProsoftTraining.com is also a content provider, numerous preparation resources are available, including some from third-party vendors. Although it's known that the total number of CIWs is more than 30,000, Prosoft hasn't released numbers for the above titles specifically, so it's hard to know how popular any of these really are.

For more information about CIW certification, visit http://ciwcertified.com.

SAP
Certifications Available: SAP Technical Consultant
Type of Exam(s): Standard
Training Available: Yes (Optional)
Prerequisites: None
Exam Price: $500 U.S.
Exam Availability: SAP Facilities in U.S. and Canada

This is one of those smaller programs where if you happen to be a developer working with SAP, then this is the certification for you.

There are actually three tracks in the SAP Technical Consultant certification program, but the ABAP Workbench Certification track is the most developer-oriented. It's designed for consultants who "use the integrated development tool for writing programs in the R/3 System."

According to SAP's Web site, the exam is three hours long and consists of 80 questions. It tests everything from ABAP Programming Techniques to modifying elements and data transfer. Complete objectives are available online.

With such a niche program, it's not surprising that the exams aren't more widely available -- you can only take them at an SAP facility. To take an exam, candidates must consult the SAP exam schedule, found here.

More information about SAP's certification program can be found at:
http://www.sap-ag.de/usa/education/certification/techconsultant.asp.

SAS
Certifications Available: SAS Certified webAF Developer: Server-Side, SAS Certified Application Developer: SAS/AF, SAS Certified Warehouse Development Specialist (WDS)
Type of Exam(s): Standard
Training Available: Yes (Optional)
Prerequisites: None
Exam Price: $150
Exam Availability: Prometric Testing Centers Worldwide

This is a niche program for SAS users, but it doesn't make it small -- the company is currently expanding the program to offer more tracks, and its exam availability through Prometric makes it a little more accessible to candidates worldwide.

As mentioned above, SAS offers three "developer" titles (there's also two programming and one architect). For each of the above, SAS requires candidates to pass two to three exams -- some of which are currently in beta, which means they're available for $75 instead of the regular $150.

We'd write more about this program, but frankly, we don't know much about SAS technology, and we figure that those of you who are interested in this cert know more than we can feign to tell you. If you want more information about SAS certification, we can offer you this link: http://support.sas.com/certify/tracks.html.

Sun Microsystems
Certifications Available: Sun Certified Java Developer, Sun Certified Web Component Developer
Type of Exam(s): Standard (SCWCD), Programming Assignment and Essay Exam (SCJD)
Training Available: Yes (optional)
Prerequisites: Sun Certified Java Programmer (SCJP)
Exam Price: $125 (U.S.), More for Non-Standard Exams
Exam Availability: Prometric and Vue Testing Centers Worldwide

Sun is a major player in the developer certification arena. Sun's Certified Java Developer title has long been the staple of Java developer certifications, and its relatively new Sun Certified Web Component Developer title is one of the hottest emerging certs in the industry (it barely missed making CertCities.com's list of the 10 Hottest Certs for 2003).

Sun's certification program has gone through some changes lately -- it recently announced that it will be versioning its Java certifications, which has brought mixed reactions from the industry. But it's also upped its support for candidates by providing practice exams, packaged training, and eliminating the need to buy a voucher before registering for its exams.

Perhaps one of the reasons Sun's certifications are so popular is that the exams are generally viewed as fairly challenging. And the basic fact that the SCJD requires the unique combination of a Programming Assignment and Essay Exam in itself can cause difficulty for candidates unfamiliar with the formats.

To achieve either of these titles, you first need to pass Sun's flagship Sun Certified Java Programmer exam. Then, for the SCWCD, you pass another standard proctored exam, available at both Prometric and Vue testing centers worldwide.

For the SCJD, you submit your Programming Assignment through Sun's Cert Manager Database. The cost of this portion of the testing is $250. Then, according to Sun's Web site, you take the essay exam at a Prometric testing center. This costs $150. More information about the requirements for both of these certifications can be found here.

There are a variety of resources available for Sun certifications. As mentioned, Sun offers its own training and testing, but there are third-party vendors as well. Aside from Sun's official site, one of the most popular Web sites for Sun certification candidates is http://www.javaranch.com. Although most resources for this site are aimed at SJCP candidates, you'll find some excellent SCJD discussions in its forums as well as useful links. Whizlabs.com is one of the major providers of practice exams for Sun certifications. You can find many other resources by typing the name of the certification you're interested in into Google. (By the way, if you're interested in discounted training from Sun, sign up for its Java certification newsletter -- it often contains information about last-minute training deals.)

For more information about Sun's certification program, go to: http://www.sun.com/supportraining.

Sybase
Certifications Available: EAServer Developer, Enterprise Portal Developer, PowerBuilder Developer, SQL Developer
Type of Exam(s): Standard
Training Available: Yes (optional)
Prerequisites: None
Exam Price: $150
Exam Availability: Prometric Testing Centers Worldwide

Sybase's certification program may not be the most well known, but it's fairly complete. To earn one of Sybase's four developer certifications -- EAServer Developer, Enterprise Portal Developer, PowerBuilder Developer, SQL Developer -- candidates must pass one proctored multiple-choice exam.

The company provides full details about these exams -- including number of questions, pass rate and objective guidelines -- on its Web site. It also keeps previous versions around, so you can certify on almost any version of the above product you're currently using.

We would like it if Sybase would update its Web site more often (it's been saying 10,000 certified professionals for at least the past two years), but the company does provide all the necessary support for candidates, and appears to update its exams on a regular basis. It also sells practice exams for its certifications, so you don't have to search for a vendor who provides these.

For more information on Sybase's certification program, go to: http://www.sybase.com/education/profcert/registration.

Aren't There More?
Well, yes, there are. Some individual training vendors offer product-neutral and specific programming certifications. There's other software vendors that offer certification only to their qualified partners or consultants. And there may be some smaller programs that we just haven't heard about yet. But this list should give you a general idea of what's out there and what such programs generally expect from candidates. If you have a favorite program we missed, feel free to list it below. Better yet, if you're a developer who has or hasn't gotten certified, we'd love to hear from you. If you're certified, why did you decide to get the certification, and what has it done for you? If not, why have you avoided it? Or has it just never come up? We want to know -- after all, none of these certifications really mean anything if no one's interested in getting them.

More articles by Becky Nagel:

• CertCities.com’s 10 Hottest Certifications for 2006
  
• 10 Hottest Certifications for 2005
  
• CertCities.com's 3rd Annual Readers' Choice Awards
  
• Q&A: Novell Certs Go Linux