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An Introduction to Apple Certification

by Steven Sande Jun 12th 2008 at 3:00PM

ACTC CertificateI spent three days in a class last week learning about Leopard. It probably sounds a little strange that a guy who works day in and day out on "nothin' but Macs" would be taking a class to learn more about the Mac operating system, but I did it for a reason - I am an Apple Certified Technical Coordinator (ACTC) and I need to keep my certification current. Within a few weeks, I'll be taking a certification exam to prove that my brain absorbed some of the course content and my years of Mac experience really have turned me into a Mac guru.

Not many people know about the certifications available to Apple professionals. Certification has a number of benefits to independent consultants and wage slaves alike, including recognition of professional competency, credibility with clients and employers, and the ability to publicize your certifications on Apple's website. For those of us who are Apple Consultant Network members, we can have clients referred to us by the Apple Stores.

Over the next few weeks, I'll post several articles about the different types of certifications available to you, how to become certified, and why you might want to consider getting certified. Read more after the break.

Apple certifications currently come in four delectable flavors:
  • Pro Applications
  • Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server
  • Hardware
  • Apple Certified Trainer
Pro Applications are Apple's big, expensive non-iLife applications - Aperture, Final Cut (Express, Pro, and Studio), DVD Studio Pro, Logic Pro, Motion, Soundtrack Pro, and Shake. The Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server certifications are focused mainly on Apple consultants, help desk personnel, and system administrators.

If you're the type who likes to fix or tear apart Macs, become a Apple Certified Macintosh Technician and you can work for Apple Authorized Service Providers. Finally, if you have a training background and would like to teach others about Pro Apps, Mac OS X, and / or hardware, the Apple Certified Trainer certification gives you the necessary credentials to train and test other candidates.

I'm of the personal opinion that eventually Apple will have an iPhone certfication path as well for those techies who need to deploy large numbers of these devices in enterprise surroundings. After all, Exchange and MobileMe synchronization, remote administration and "killing" of iPhones, and administration of hardware and software on thousands of widely deployed handheld workstations isn't easy!

That's the background for you - in future posts, you'll get the details on each one of the types of certifications available, the training and tests necessary to achieve the certification, and what you can do with that certification to advance or create your career.

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I spent three days in a class last week learning about Leopard. It probably sounds a little strange that a guy who works day in and day out...
 

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Rob Schneider

Passed the ACHDS 10.4 and ACSP 10.5 earlier this year and now studying for ACTC 10.5. ACTC 10.5 is thougher than I thought (did fail the exam one time already). My goal is the ACSA 10.5 for the end of this year. So, any information here or anywhere else that can help me is much appreciated.

June 17 2008 at 5:27 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
nakedmac

There's an important thing that anyone taking the Leopard 101 (Support Essentials) or Leopard 201 (Server Essentials) needs to know: The classes do not teach to the passing the exams. They are intended to provided hands-on experience with the OS and Server OS. The accompanying books provide you with everything you should need to know in order to pass the exams.

I work for an Apple Authorized Training Center (AATC) and we have seen a very high proportion of students that fail the exams... even more than once. This is nationwide and the failure rate has apparently been higher in 10.5 exams than in previous versions. I highly recommend studying the book. It's also important to understand how Apple writes their exams. Once you take one or two, you should start to see that the questions are geared toward confusing you with unimportant information or by asking things like "pick three of the following five" answers.

Not to gloat, but I'm now ACTC 10.2, ACTC 10.3, ACHDS 10.4, ACTC 10.4, ACSA 10.4, ACSP 10.5, and ACTC 10.5 and I'm on my way to becoming an Apple Certified Trainer for 101 and 201 courses. The certifications definitely help, when it comes to showing prospective clients (and even future employers) that you know Macs. Being able to use the Apple logo with the certification you acquire on business cards and other material isn't so bad either.

June 13 2008 at 4:02 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Ed

Really interesting stuff, looking forward to reading the rest of this series

June 13 2008 at 3:43 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Alex

Looks like my Apple Product Professional certification got left out. Oh well, it's a sales certification, so I can understand why it wouldn't be included.

June 13 2008 at 3:19 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jason Bush

The tests for the most part aren't to bad. If you use the OS day and day out you should have no problem. The peachpit books will work just fine. The classes are good for the hands on aspect of things. I recommend the hardware classes if you haven't taken apart a wide variety of machines. If you can't attend, pickup some junkers and tear them apart. Passing the test is only the beginning. You have to be able to fix the machine as well. I will say the the ACSA is tough to achieve. The other OS and hardware certs I have completed. I'm still working on ACSA for 10.4/10.5

June 13 2008 at 12:47 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Brian Weber

... that would be now ACSP (not NOT)

June 13 2008 at 12:43 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Brian Weber

I'm an ACN Member and ACTC.

I passed the ACHDS (not ACSP) by really studying the PeachPit Book (a must read)... and about 5 years experience. The courses are not required, just the test (and the sitting fee).

As for Apple vs Microsoft...
MCSE's are a dime a dozen. Any Apple Cert is rare and if you have both (like I do) it is very marketable and valuable to clients. Scarcity is key to being valuable and my business in the past 18 months has exploded due to Apple and our requirement for dual certs. Not to mention... do what you love and if you're reading this blog it's obviously not Windows Server. It is well worth the time and investment to separate yourself from the flood that will be coming.

June 13 2008 at 12:40 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
EC

Hey, thanks for this! :)

I am currently working on becoming an ACSP and eventually ACMT. Since there are no training centers where I am, I have to do it the hard way. I have the Apple Training Series books and ordered the Apple Technician Training from the website as well, which both allow me to do this on my own time while I still balance my own job.

I look forward to see your further posts on this.

June 12 2008 at 11:50 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Johnathon Zirkle

Looking forward to this series! Great idea!

June 12 2008 at 9:43 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Seth Amott

Working on studying for a few right now. :-) There are no places that offer classes in my area, so I am gong 100% studying using the books. Sure hope I can do it. :-|

June 12 2008 at 9:10 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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