Adobe ACE exams

I am an ACI for quite a while. I found it challenging and expensive (time and currency).

The cost did out-weight the benefits. The customers that required a 'qualified' trainer were quite rare, unlike the requests for a trainer that had 'real-world' experience.

A while back I needed the certifications, it made me feel great. Now, I am glad I am past this. It looks great on my CV and some potential employers/recruiters thought it made a difference.

When I was just starting out, having the certification was an affirmation of the ability to lead a department while being young.

Now that I've had decades of using various software, I'm focused on creative direction more than merely technical manipulation of tools.  I do like to see that new hiring candidates have the abilities that an ACE might highlight.

Recertification - probably don't need it for anything I do professionally, but I do like to continue to challenge myself. 

Noiiiiisee!!!

I support chanaart​'s call for a return of the Recert exams!

Honestly, I do not care about that certification. I'm interested in skill and ability to work

i am a new ACI, do i have to repeat the ACE exam yearly to keep up my ACI?? there is no recertification? 

Manal

I passed the Adobe Certified Expert Exam for Adobe Premiere in 2015. I am interested in taking the Photoshop and After Effects exams to become an Adobe Video Expert.

The new certification portal is on www.certmetrics.com. I am curious/concerned that it states this: "✳ The certification track has been retired; no new ones will be granted and no existing ones will be extended. "

I searched the https://training.adobe.com/certification  site and the Premiere CC 2015 version still exists as the most recent version of the exam.

And I am not able to find the re certification exam for Premiere.

What is going on?

I'm now rather nervous..

I have just shelled out $200 for the privilege of taking an examAdobe Photoshop CC 2015 ACE Exam

I have reached out to the community and now I read this thread!! I am just a user, I want to get involved at community level as a trainer and just would like to be able to say I am Adobe Certified. I thought it might impress my potential pupils.

Please tell me its OK!!

regardsButch

As an ACI, I'd like to add some thoughts on these ACE exams matters.

I've been doing these exams since 2003 in very early (and even pre-CS) versions, as the certification program became introduced here in Europe. What strikes me is that the format and the content haven't really changed that much over the one and a half decade. So whatever we'd like it to be (rather than what it was and still is), Adobe didn't and doesn't budge...

My comment on these exams (dating from 2003) is still the same:

"Some colleagues and me have taken the exams and we all share the same sentiment: they're difficult, tricky, and almost unfair. About one third of the questions is about the task at hand, covering topics having to do with the actual trade without going into the application too much. The other two thirds are about the application, and half of that is rightfully dealing with the proper use of it. But the other half (the final third) is downright tricky. They are about the exact knowledge of the most secluded commands and dialogues, assuming you never got confused by the various versions over time, and expecting you to know both your native language versions and the English one, by heart."

E.g. is it really a big deal not to know whether the guidelines ("Raster" in Dutch) to line-up items in Acrobat is called a "Grid", "Document Grid", or "Layout Grid" ? Most of the exam candidates will hopefully know and probably remember very well there's some kind of a grid thing, so they just look under "View" and see what the "Show/Hide" command offers. Is the 100% value of the flattening conversion setting in Illustrator towards the "vector" or "pixel" side ? Is a unit of measurement to be found under "Preferences", "Settings" or "Document Settings" ?

Another issue is the number of questions about uncommon situations, almost hypothetical ones, or at least problematic stuff only helpdesk staffers would need to deal with. Okay, the daily workflow of a designer does involve quite a few nasty scenarios and materials, often created (or should I say slapped together) by less proficient users of the software. But why bother designers with it in an exam ?

My experience in taking these exams for almost 15 years, is that quite a large part of the questions are just about us (and many users), trying to deal with the unintuitive and inconsistent idiosyncrasies of these Adobe applications. Is this one of the key goals of this program ? To puzzle users and blame them for not knowing these things ? After all, these applications and their very professional users are largely visually inclined. So what's the point of textually quizzing them with any of this verbatim nitty-gritty ?

So my conclusion then and now is that these exams should be exclusively aimed at helpdesk departments of large design studios, Adobe-related support staffers, trainers, and technical trouble-shooters. But are these nerds the ones we'd like to celebrate as "Adobe Certified Experts" ?

Rest assured, I'll manage, honestly. I usually took the recertification exams without any preparation, and the proctored exams with an hour on average in each application (mainly checking out even the smallest detail in any new feature). I've been fortunate enough to get acquainted with all Adobe applications and their versions as they were introduced, so I've been able to learn them on a grade. But I doubt if any new user of a current CC application will ever be able to pass these exams...

The benefit ?

An increasing number of clients in corporate industries are required to ask for a certain certification when hiring designers or trainers. But showing them any badge with an Adobe logo (whether it says ACA, ACE, ACI, Partner, or Community Professional) would probably all be the same to them.

I regard the ACI status more as an acknowledgement towards 'those in the know' like Adobe staff and training colleagues. But failing the ACE exam tells me really nothing about the talent and true proficiency of a designer or any user of an Adobe application. That's why Adobe fortunately came up with the ACA program.

melissapiccone​: if you think an AATC is incorrectly using their status in their promotion and business, then let Adobe know about this. Only by reporting such inappropriate use, we can let an ACI status claim and keep its value.

Not worth the paper the certificate is on.

Ever since I was told I was 'over qualified' to beta test the Dreamweaver Exam on the grounds that my knowledge was above the 'Average User'. So for me it is no more than an 'Adobe Average User Certification'.

This lounge has some strong sentiments.
Whelp, there goes my interest in becoming certified. Was literally gonna do it in two months.