InDesign Certification Exam

Report · Mar 25, 2023

Hopefully one of the bigwigs at Adobe sees this message. The companies they have partnered with to provide certification exam are a bunch of liars. They hide behind multiple companies who hire poorly trained CSRs who provide incorrect information and transfer you to nonworking numbers at other companies. When you write to them, their standard response is "What is your order ID and what is the nature of your problem." I always include the nature of the problem when I write to a company. Who doesn't? I wrote to them seven times this week. The week before I took the exam, I wrote to them because one of the exam questions kept begin marked "Incorrect" even though I followed the instructions exactly. The only response I received was from someone named Madhur V at Mindhub. "What is your order ID and what is the nature of your problem." Nothing after that. I missed passing the exam by one question, and now I have to pay another $150 to re-take the exam. When you pay for the exam, they say they'll send you a voucher within two hours. That's a lie. I took two exams with them, and both times it took days to receive the voucher. When you finally receive the voucher and try to schedule the exam, you have to wait another 48 hours before you can take the test.

If anybody at Adobe sees this letter, I encourage you to find another test provider. These clowns you're using now do not reflect well on you at all.

One last thing -- these "topics" we have to choose from in order to post are ridiculous. I seriously doubt anyone finds my posts because of selecting one of these boxes. What am I supposed to do when none of them apply?

Report · Mar 25, 2023

Your experience might be unique to you - they would be a partner of Adobe so they should be compliant.

Sorry for your experience, sounds awful.

There are other accredited testers you could use - why do you go back to the one you don't like?

Perhaps @Vivek12 could help with investigating this.

Just so you know - this is a user to user forum for Adobe InDesign users - we are users just like you and most of us are here to help with specific InDesign issues.

Adobe staff do visit the forums from time to time.

Report · Mar 25, 2023

Thanks, Eugene. You asked why I went back to an accredited tester that I didn't like. I wasn't aware there are any others to choose from. I'm planning to take the Premiere Pro certification exam after I pass the InDesign test. Maybe I'll go with one of these other testing companies. If only I knew the names of these companies...

Scott

Report · Mar 25, 2023

Hopefully you get the answers. There should be a list of accredited exams. I'll see if I can dig up a list for you.

I might be wrong. I've never done them.

Let me look into it or if anyone else reading has ideas.

Report · Mar 27, 2023

Thank you @scotwllm for reporting this issue. We would need more details related to the same to assist you better. @HARSHIKA_VERMA from my team will contact you via DM to collect more details.

Report · Apr 05, 2023

Eugene -- They're all part of the same company. I tried to switch companies, and they were going to charge an additional proctor fee. The fee was included in the exam package I purchased. I received zero support from Adobe.

Report · Mar 27, 2023

Hi @scotwllm,

We are sorry for the bad experience. I have sent you a private message. Please check and share the requested info so we can proceed with the investigation.

We will make every effort to assist you.

Thanks,

Harshika

Report · Mar 29, 2023

Here's an update on where we stand with this. I have written numerous emails to the testing company. Technically they can say they responded within their promised time frame. If you pose three questions, they will answer whichever is the easiest and ignore the rest. I responded privately to Harshika and updated her every day, but I can't see where she has done anything beyond send the initial "We are sorry for the bad experience" email. The certification exam is at 7AM tomorrow, and I can still only start a Photoshop practice exam, even though I've already passed that certification. Did I mention they made me pay $150 to sign up for the re-test? Does that seem fair to anyone considering the astoundingly bad level of service I've received to date?

Report · Mar 29, 2023

Here's an update on where we stand with this. I have written numerous emails to the testing company. Technically they can say they responded within their promised time frame. If you pose three questions, they will answer whichever is the easiest and ignore the rest. I responded privately to Harshika and updated her every day, but I can't see where she has done anything beyond send the initial "We are sorry for the bad experience" email. The certification exam is at 7AM tomorrow, and I can still only start a Photoshop practice exam, even though I've already passed that certification. Did I mention they made me pay $150 to sign up for the re-test? Does that seem fair to anyone considering the astoundingly bad level of service I've received to date?

Report · Mar 29, 2023

@scotwllm, I understand how frustrating this is.

The last I heard, Adobe still outsources the creation of the exams and the testing/certification. And yes, we have to pay $150 again to retest, even when the test itself was in error, not one of our associates.

Personally, me as well as many other community experts here have stopped focusing on the exams and certifications. Many times, they don't do much to prove your experience and knowledge. I do recognize that they give the Adobe "badge" which sways many employers and prospective clients, and that can have some value to you.

At my office, we have found that because the exams themselves have been faulty in what they test (and sometimes with incorrect answers), we no longer use them to screen for designers to work on our client's projects. I'd rather see a couple of good portfolio pieces with descriptions of what the prospect did, why, and how they accomplished the final project.

Just a suggestion:

Continue to try an reach someone inside Adobe about the problems. Maybe you'll find a sympathetic ear there.

And if you believe the certification will help with employment or your freelance work, then re-pay the fees and keep trying to earn the certification. And try using one of the other certification companies — although I believe it's one company that writes the exams, and then they are distributed to the testing companies.

Sincerely, best of luck to you.

Report · Mar 29, 2023

Thanks for the insight, Bevi. I'm glad you and the other community experts have stopped focusing on the exams. I promise to do the same when I've got some work samples I can share with prospective employers. Right now, though, I've got nothing.

It's ironic, because at the turn of the century, I was *the* desktop publishing guy at the multibillion dollar biopharmaceuticals company I worked for. I used PageMaker back then. I remember when Photoshop first came out. I prepared quality award submissions, marketing materials, everything related to trade shows. I published the company newsletter, which was printed (on paper!) and distributed to thousands of employees around the world. I had my own window office on the executive floor here in Los Angeles, right around the corner from the President, Chief Legal Counsel, VPs of Global Marketing, Strategic Planning, Business Development, Finance, etc. For a while, I had office space in our Vienna location as well. I developed a global sales information database and the industry's first online plasma donor scheduling system using ColdFusion. I saved the company over a million dollars. I made over $100K during my last year there.

I learned that my burn-out tolerance level is about 15 years, and I left that job. I had some samples of my work on a CD (remember those?) Turns out they break if not stored properly. So, it looks like I have no experience, when in fact I've got plenty. I want the certifications so I can show that my skills are up-to-date when applying for freelance gigs on Upwork.

I'm guessing that I must appear to be pretty tightly wound. I'm from New York, so that's genetic. For reference purposes, Michael Cohen (yeah, that one) and I grew up near each other. I make no apologies for asserting myself and demanding to receive what I paid for. I do that for my clients, too. I don't do felonies, though. So, there are four or five companies that provide the testing service for Adobe. On top of that, there's been another company that's been jerking me around for the past month. They all promise me they're going to do something, and then they don't do it. Every CSR I've spoken with tells me everything takes seven to ten business days. Everything. That seems kind of odd, doesn't it? Nothing takes six to nine business days? Five to eight?

Here's a tip for you -- as soon as you hear 'seven to ten,' demand to see the data supporting those numbers. On day one, what happens? On day two, what happens? On day three, what happens? The CSRs have no idea why anything takes as long as they say it will. They're just trying to get you off the phone.

In a little over 12 hours I'll be taking the certification exam again. Wish me luck! Better yet, if anybody has some work they can toss in my direction, that would be greatly appreciated. It's not about the money -- it's about having something I can say I did professionally. You know, a couple of good portfolio pieces with descriptions of what the client wanted, and that I can show how I approached the work and delivered the final project.

Report · Mar 30, 2023

If you were thinking there's probably going to be another plot twist, you were right. I scheduled the test for 8AM this morning. I went through all of the 'point the camera this way' stuff. Everything, including the test-taker, was ready. Half an hour later, the test had not started. After an hour, the test still didn't start. At an hour and a half, I said "Screw it" and contacted Certiport via online chat. The CSR I spoke with couldn't figure out why the test didn't start. Since I didn't take the test when I was supposed to, the voucher expired and I'll need to get another one before I can take the test again.

Un.Be.Lievable. What's next? Locusts?

Report · Mar 29, 2023

Another update. It's after 5PM, the evening before the certification exam, and I still can't access the practice exams I paid for. This has been the worst customer service experience of my life.

UN.BE.LIEVABLE

Report · Mar 29, 2023

Hey Scott:

The exams are stressful enough without all the added drama. I have been continuously certified Adobe Certified Expert/Instructorsince 1997, and have taken all recent exams through Pearson Vue. I haven't had any experiences like the one you mentioned.

https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/Certifications/Adobe/ACP/Certify.aspx

As an aside, I was contacted by a Pearson Vue rep last week to see if I wanted to partner with them (not the proctor the exams, but presumably to help my students pass them). He mentioned exam aids so you might look into that as well. For what it's worth, I have passed many, many expert exams over the years and never purchased exam aids or practice tests. I just review the exam bulletins to make sure that I am fully versed in all of the listed topics.

I wish you the best,

~Barb

Report · Mar 29, 2023

Thanks, Barb. There are five or so companies that I've been dealing with. Pearson Vue, Certiport, Mindhub, GMetrix. I think there's another one. They all have one thing in common -- they hide their phone numbers. Remember the good old days when the Contact Us page included a phone number you could call? Those days are behind us. Remember when CSRs took pride in helping their clients solve problems? Here's an example of what that currently looks like. You send an email. You receive a "Thank you for writing to us! We'll respond within 24 to 48 hours." Then you receive an email asking about your order number and to please describe the issue you are facing. I don't know about you, but I always include that info when I write in the first place. So that email counts as the promised response within 24 to 48 hours and the CSR looks like they're providing prompt, courteous service. Here's the thing, no matter how many questions you write, they will answer the easiest one and ignore the rest. They're done with you until the next day. You will not receive any more information.

Oh! And another thing! I thought it was odd that they're rated five stars and there was only one response. Three times I have filled out one of those post-service surveys. I rated them one star each time. None of my reviews have been posted for prospective clients to read.

Report · Mar 31, 2023

Hi @scotwllm,

We are sorry for the delay in response. We have escalated your concern to our Certification team, and they are working on it on priority.

We will let you know as soon as we hear back from the team.

We are sorry for the inconvenience. We'll make every effort to help you with the issue.

Note: Please share your Phone number, location, and the best time to contact you over a private message in case anybody from the team wants to reach out to you directly.

Thanks,

Harshika

Report · Apr 03, 2023

LOL -- Gwyneth Paltrow copied your closing sentence the very next day at the end of her ski accident trial. You come across as more sincere, though. Way more sincere...

Report · May 05, 2023

What exam bulletins. Where can they be found? Like Scot, I also had a terrible experience with Pearson Vue, Certiport. I knew it was going to be a nightmarish experience within an hour and called my bank to reverse charges. The whole process was so poorly executed that I thought it was a scam. Adobe should be ashamed of this aspect of their company.

Report · Mar 31, 2023

Well, it's 6PM on a Friday, and I still have not taken the test. I received a replacement voucher and was assured by one of the CSRs at Certiport (Blake) that I wouldn't have to wait two days to take the exam. After all, I've already waited much longer than that. When I tried to schedule the exam for today, a message popped up telling me that Adobe's policy is to make candidates wait 48 hours before taking the test. There was no where to write, "Yeah, I already waited." I wrote back to Blake at Certiport, but the message was intercepted by Caitlin O'Brien. She refused to help. She said I have to call this list of testing centers and try to schedule the exam. I told her I don't know any of those companies on that list, I have no idea what to say to them, and that it was her company that inconvenienced me in the first place. She they can't make outbound calls. I reminded her she's probably got a cell phone in her purse. She said she can't give out my name for security reasons. I told her she could arrange it by telling whoever agrees to allow me to take the exam that someone named Scott would call to set up the time. She wouldn't do it.

Caitlyn prioritized her own comfort over that of a client her company screwed over. She had an opportunity to do the right thing, and chose not to.

Report · Mar 31, 2023

Oh. And I have no evidence that anyone at Adobe has done anything to help.

Report · Mar 31, 2023

You have replies from Adobe staff who are looking into this.

Did you share your details via PM with Harshika as requested?

Report · Mar 31, 2023

Adobe already has all that information.

Report · Apr 03, 2023

So I tried to schedule a re-exam. Certiport continued to refuse to assist. They insisted I call and set up my own appointment with a testing center. I didn't have to do that when I took the Photoshop exam or the InDesign exam for the first time. I called the first testing center on the list and they were like "Sure! We'd be happy to schedule you. No, you'll still have to wait two days (even though you've already waited four). And you'll need to pay an additional proctor fee of $35." I said, "Wha???" They said "The proctor fee goes to the test center. They have bills and hungry kids to feed, etc." I said that was included in the $150 I paid already. The CSR proceeded to get snippy and threatened to take away my voucher. I hung up on her. It was surreal. Like they live in an alternative universe or something.
There's a whole bunch of companies that are part of a larger company that act like they're separate companies when it's convenient. They all include "Pearson" somewhere in their correspondence. Whenever they would try to pass the buck by implying I called the wrong number or wrote to the wrong person, I would ask them "How was I supposed to know that? I don't work in your industry. I'm just a customer. And besides, you're all the same company. I would call the correct number if you included it on your webpage or in your emails."

I'm scheduled to take the exam on Wednesday. Nobody was willing to call Adobe and ask to get the waiting period waived. Everyone I spoke with prioritized their comfort over mine. This may seem petty, but if you saw how much time I've had to invest in getting this situation resolved, all the aggravation I have had to endure, you wouldn't think that.

Scott

Report · Apr 05, 2023

Well, I finally passed the Adobe InDesign certification exam. It's been a total nightmare. The companies Adobe uses to administer the exam and the practice materials are all part of the same company, but they hide behind each other when you need help. They don't post their phone numbers. They do not accept return emails after they email you about something. This has been, I can honestly say, the worst customer service experience I have had in my life. I was scoring near 100% on the practice exams, but I failed it on the first try. I'm not the kind of person who fails tests. There were so many questions that I had never seen mentioned before. If I have one bit of advice it would be that if you don't know the answer to a question, skip it and go to the next one. If you need help from a proctor, the time it takes to get that help is not added back to the total time allowed to complete the exam. The companies involved (PearsonVue, Certiport, Mindhub, etc.,) screwed everything up every step of the way. It's going to take me a while to get over this one...

Report · May 05, 2023

Hi Scott. I knew within an hour, I had been scammed (PearsonVue/Certiport). I called my bank and told them the company is a scam and they will be reversing my charges. At this point, in my opinion, there is nowhere to go to get Adobe certified. Even if I managed to make it through the ordeal you have been through, would they even send me proof? Or the digital "badge"?

I cannot believe that Adobe is has dropped the ball so badly in this area and really effected my view of them as the professional company I thought they were.