Guide to Becoming an Adobe Certified Professional

The digital world is full of qualifications and certifications. Which one is right for you? Do you really need to become certified or will your portfolio be enough to wow potential employers and clients? 

This guide will show you the ins and outs of Adobe certification and which industries value and even prefer professionals to be certified. 

What Does Adobe Certified Professional Mean?

Adobe certifications are meticulous and well-known throughout the industry. Their purpose is simple: to demonstrate that you’re proficient in Adobe Creative Cloud software. To pass the certification, you must complete “rigorous live-in-the-app exams.”

Adobe offers many certifications for individuals looking to validate their skills. Some popular options include Photoshop, After Effects, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, XD, and InDesign.

Levels of Proficiency

There are three levels of Adobe professional certification: Certified Professional, Certified Expert, and Certified Master. The difference between the levels is the amount of experience. Professional indicates you have up to a year of experience, Expert indicates a minimum of one to three years of experience, and Master is for those who have three to five years of hands-on experience with Adobe products.

There’s a separate exam for each level, which you can take at third-party testing centers such as PSI (available globally). There’s also an option to take the exam online with a remote proctor. 

As you grow your skills and use Adobe products, you can earn higher levels of certification. Adobe certifications start at Certified Professional. The professionals who are most successful have used the program for at least 150 hours before taking the exam. To become an Expert (the one to three-year, mid-level credential), you must pass the Professional exam as well as the Expert exam. To become a Certified Master, you’ll need to pass the Professional, Expert, and Master exams, as well as have three to five years of experience in the program. The exams have 30 questions and last 50 minutes. 

Maintaining Your Certification

Adobe certifications last two years. In order to renew, you can take and pass the renewal exam before the date listed on your certification. These exams are typically shorter and are priced lower to help established professionals conveniently maintain their credentials. If you let your certification expire, you’ll have to take the latest certification exam for the program to maintain it. 

Adobe has a limited timeframe on their certifications because it ensures professionals stay familiar with the latest functionalities and updates. It’s also a way to level the playing field across the vast number of professionals who use Adobe software. Whether you’ve been designing for two years or twenty, if you want to become an Adobe Certified professional, you have to showcase the same skills and keep them up-to-date. 

3 Steps to Getting Adobe Certified

Being Adobe Certified is a big deal, but the steps for achieving this milestone are actually quite simple. They’re not easy, but they are doable, which means that if you follow them, you’ll be on your way to becoming certified. 

Study

As with most exams, taking time to study is crucial to passing the Adobe certification exams, no matter what level. The good news is that there are many resources available, both free and paid depending on the level of support you want and need. 

Adobe has free exam guides and learning courses to help you prepare, as well as a plethora of helpful videos about how to do certain tasks. Chances are if you’re trying to do something specific, Adobe has a video or article to help you learn. 

There are also third-party courses that can help you get a working knowledge of the Adobe program you want to be certified in. Noble Desktop has been working with design experts to teach software and coding topics for more than 30 years. They have Adobe Certified instructors who offer free seminars such as Getting Started in Graphic Design and Intro to After Effects that can help you determine which program is right for you to pursue. 

Noble also offers more rigorous courses in each of the Adobe programs. Though these aren’t specifically designed for exam preparation, they will provide you with a solid working foundation and knowledge so you can make the most of your practice time. A few of the most popular include Adobe Photoshop Bootcamp, Adobe InDesign Bootcamp, and Adobe Illustrator Bootcamp. The courses can be taken in-person at Noble’s campus in New York City or live online in the comfort of your own home or office—wherever you learn best. 

Practice & Gain Experience

Once you’ve become comfortable with the software you’re working on a certification in, it may be tempting to want to jump in and take the exam right away, especially if you’re looking for social proof for employers or clients. 

Resist the urge to take the exam right away and spend time practicing and gaining real-world experience. If you’re not comfortable taking on clients yet, you can always treat a passion project as you would a client and use the skills you know. This is a great way to build your portfolio, too. 

Adobe advises that the individuals who are most successful on the exam have at least 150 hours or two years of experience. During this time, learn as much as you can, and don’t be afraid to try new things. You never know what you might discover as you’re getting in the groove with your design work. 

Take the Exam

Exam day can be stressful. Not everyone is a good test taker and you may feel quite a bit of pressure to pass on the first try. Not to worry, if you just spent 150 hours or the last couple of years learning, the concepts are there. You simply have to be able to take your time and focus. 

The exam itself is proctored, whether online or at a testing center. There are 30 questions that you must answer within a 50-minute timeframe. Some questions may require small tasks and all are done within the program to show that you know how to navigate the functions. 

The good news is that if you’re a nervous test-taker and fail the first time around (it happens!), you can retake the exam in 24 hours. If you happen to fail again, there’s a five calendar day waiting period before you can retest. 

Remember, the exam isn’t trying to trick you or trip you up, it’s there to make sure you have the foundational knowledge to meet the Adobe certification standards. 

Which Industries Value Adobe Certification? 

Certification is a solid way to set your skills apart and show that you take the time to professionally develop yourself and your skills. Certification is valued highly in many areas, but especially in: 

• Graphic Design
• Photography
• Fashion Design
• Digital Marketing & Content Management
• Web Design

Adobe certification is worthwhile if you plan to work professionally in a design-heavy industry. This is especially true if you’re a beginner because it may give you a competitive edge in a world full of talented creatives.