I like the FAQ.
I want to know more about the practical aspects.
I am not an integrator.
I am more of an enthusiast luckily working at a corporation.
I sent an email to get core cert'd.
What is or isn't required to know for cert?
Can I test out of or into training?
Does the certification save your support staff enough time to offer each company one free?
Or who and how much is saved with certification?
For what it's worth, I agree a 10 day course is a huge investment, too much in my opinion. The cost is somewhat negligible compared to being unbillable for two weeks.
I'm definitely on the train that the best option would be to just make the certification tests cost money. That alone I'm sure would drastically decrease the number of tests you guys are overwhelmed with. You could probably just use the money from the tests to pay for some interns to handle the grading with only the need for an experienced person to review their work.
You can increase/decrease the cost of the tests to essentially force the number of tests you receive to whatever is ideal
Just my two cents!
Rather than having an expiration on the certification, I think maybe a version and date would be more appropriate.
Primary reason to go to Ignition was to avoid annual fees I think.
Recertifying seems like recurrent fees.
I want to advocate for flexibility, and I hope I didn't word that terribly.
Core 2023 v8.1
I'm pretty certain there has always been an expiration on certifications.
I think this is a big point that's been missed so far, or at least that hasn't been said explicitly. The people complaining that there is now a cost to take tests are the same ones that brute-force the tests and cause the backlog of grading. I guarantee that the VAST majority of already-certified people who know what they're doing would have no problem paying for it because it would take 1-3 attempts to pass.
Maybe that would be a good direction to go? Pay once, you get three total submissions included with that certification test. If you can't pass in three submissions, you have to pay for a new test.
I paid for the core and gold, as Im not with an integrator.
This is the reason the certification tests should never have been made free... It's like taking English and Arts subjects at school and then going into a university exam for engineering maths and passing because you sat it 100 times and asked as many questions.
If anything though, I have a better appreciation for why IA are moving away from this form of certification, if people who clearly haven't touched ignition before are trying to get certified to prove that they are competent using the product... God that would be frustrating to mark and remain professional!!
This sort of thing happens to nearly all certification programs. ):
Then at least it'd be satisfying failing them!
Seems like this had been reversed now:
Hello Anthony,
Since announcing the updates to the Ignition certification process, we have heard a lot of feedback from the Ignition community and have decided to indefinitely extend the certification test deadlines past Feb. 13th, 2023. Core and Gold tests can be continued, and new certification tests can be issued as normal for the foreseeable future. As an alternative to the test, certification can also be earned by completing an Ignition training class provided by Inductive Automation.
We are working on updates to the training certification process but have no announcement about when any new changes will be implemented which would impact the current testing system and affect the deadlines to submit tests. We rely on input from our community and will announce any further details that impact the certification process before any changes are made.
We thank you for your support; we are committed to providing the best training in the industry, and we look forward to continuing to build the Ignition community together.
Regards,
The Inductive Automation Training Team
I heard this from a colleague as well. I do hope they bring back paid certs though and not leave them free. When they're free it just opens them wide up for abuse, which has already been seen, and jus lead to marker burnout. Marking people's work when they have no idea how to even spell Ignition let alone how to open the designer would be infuriating. Although patience isn't one of my greatest virtues 
Now I’m just confused. I don’t really care at this point I just wish it was set in stone and that was that. Lol
I agree that a modest fee would be a good idea, it would make the applicant think twice before submitting a substandard effort. I recall in the past it was about $1000.
Emphasis on 'modest'...
$1000 is also not modest. 
You have to pay $1000 for the test. It's only free for partners.
I'm sure they made it free for all last year? Or maybe I'm remembering wrong?
As far as I know, it was only free for Integrators.
Glad they've taken the feedback on board.
I think around IU coming out, integrators (new) had to pay, but then that was dropped.
IMO the test fee, if reintroduced, should only be for people that have never gained a cert before, this will put off (hopefully) those trying to learn from scratch via testing. I would be happy enough for a resit fee if failed 2 attempts, too.
I think it would be reasonable for it to be free for the first attempt only, with a fee then charged for further attempts. Hopefully would encourage people to try hard enough to pass the first time and not consume marking resources. I'm currently halfway through my core test, and while in theory I don't know yet if I will pass, I'm not finding the test overly challenging. Anyone struggling with it has no business attempting to get certified.
It should not bo free since they can not control who actually did the test.
