Top 10 Drupal Developer Certifications

Certifications are important for a Drupal developer in the job market because they provide evidence of their qualifications and knowledge. Certification validates a developer’s skills and demonstrates to employers that the individual is knowledgeable about Drupal development. This can be especially important for developers who have limited experience, as certification gives them an edge over other applicants. Certifications also help employers assess candidates quickly and accurately, as they are able to verify the qualifications of each candidate before making a hiring decision.

This article reviews some of the top certifications for Drupal Developers and explains how they can contribute to a Drupal developer's career.

What are Drupal Developer Certifications?

Drupal developer certification is a type of professional certification that is designed to demonstrate a person's knowledge and proficiency in developing websites and web applications using the Drupal content management system. It is awarded by the Drupal Association, an international non-profit organization dedicated to the growth and development of the open-source software project.

Having Drupal developer certification can help individuals stand out from other developers when looking for work, as it demonstrates their expertise in working with the platform. Additionally, certifications can be used to validate skills when applying for promotions or new positions. A certified Drupal developer will also be able to provide more accurate estimates on projects, as they are familiar with best practices and common pitfalls associated with developing websites using Drupal. Lastly, having certification can increase credibility among clients who may not be familiar with Drupal but are looking for someone who has demonstrated their proficiency in working with it.

Pro Tip: When considering a Drupal Developer Certification, make sure to research the different certification providers and assess their credibility. Be sure to look into their training materials, instructor experience, and customer reviews to ensure you are getting a quality education.

Related: What does a Drupal Developer do?

Top 10 Drupal Developer Certifications

Here’s our list of the best certifications available to Drupal Developers today.

1. Acquia Certified Developer

Acquia Certified Developer is a certification program offered by Acquia, an open source digital experience platform. It is designed to recognize and validate the skills of developers who are experienced in building and managing websites on the Acquia platform.

The certification consists of two exams: the Acquia Certified Developer Exam and the Acquia Certified Developer Advanced Exam. The exams are designed to test a developer’s knowledge of Drupal, Acquia’s open source content management system (CMS), as well as their ability to create and manage complex web applications using the Acquia platform.

The Acquia Certified Developer Exam takes about two hours to complete and costs $200 USD. The exam covers topics such as site building, configuration, security, performance tuning, module development, and more. To become certified, a developer must pass both exams with a score of at least 70%.

The Acquia Certified Developer Advanced Exam takes about four hours to complete and costs $400 USD. This exam covers topics such as database design, application architecture, deployment strategies, scalability considerations, and more. To become certified at this level, a developer must pass both exams with a score of at least 70%.

In order to take either exam, developers must have an active subscription to the Acquia platform or be part of an organization that has an active subscription. They must also attend an approved training course prior to taking the exam or demonstrate equivalent experience working with Drupal or Acquia platforms.

2. Acquia Certified Grand Master

The Acquia Certified Grand Master is the highest level of certification available from Acquia, a leading provider of digital experience management solutions. It is designed to recognize individuals who have demonstrated an advanced level of expertise in the use and implementation of Acquia products and services. To earn this certification, candidates must pass three exams: Acquia Certified Developer, Acquia Certified Site Builder, and Acquia Certified Grand Master.

How long does it take to get it?

It typically takes around six months to a year to complete all three exams required for the Acquia Certified Grand Master certification. The time frame depends on how quickly you can study and prepare for each exam.

How to get it?

To become an Acquia Certified Grand Master, you must first pass the two prerequisite exams: the Acquia Certified Developer exam and the Acquia Certified Site Builder exam. You can find study materials for these exams on the official website or through third-party providers. Once you have passed both exams, you can register for the final exam—the Acquia Certified Grand Master exam—which will test your knowledge of advanced topics such as architecture design, security best practices, performance optimization techniques, and more.

How much does it cost?

The cost of becoming an Acquia Certified Grand Master varies depending on where you take your exams. The cost of each individual exam ranges from $200-$400 USD depending on which country you are taking it in. Additionally, there may be additional fees associated with third-party training materials or resources that you may need to purchase in order to adequately prepare for the exams.

3. Zend Certified PHP Engineer

Zend Certified PHP Engineer (ZCPE) is a professional certification program developed by Zend Technologies, the creators of the world’s most popular web development language, PHP. The certification is designed to validate the skills and expertise of experienced PHP developers and demonstrate their ability to design and develop applications using Zend Framework.

The ZCPE exam consists of 70 multiple-choice questions covering topics such as object-oriented programming, security, performance tuning, debugging, and other advanced topics related to developing with Zend Framework. The exam takes approximately 90 minutes to complete.

To get certified as a Zend Certified PHP Engineer, you must first register for the exam through the official website. Once registered, you will be able to take the exam at any authorized testing center around the world. To prepare for the exam, it is recommended that you review online tutorials and study guides provided by Zend Technologies or attend a training course offered by an authorized training provider.

The cost of taking the ZCPE exam varies depending on your location but typically ranges from $200-$400 USD.

4. Acquia Certified Front End Specialist

The Acquia Certified Front End Specialist is a professional certification that demonstrates expertise in developing and maintaining websites using the Acquia platform. This certification is designed to recognize individuals who have mastered the skills necessary to build and maintain websites with Acquia’s suite of products, including Drupal, Lightning, and Acquia Cloud.

To become an Acquia Certified Front End Specialist, you must pass a series of exams that assess your knowledge and proficiency in web development. The exams cover topics such as HTML/CSS, JavaScript, Drupal theming, and more. The exams are administered online by Pearson VUE testing centers.

The entire process typically takes around four weeks from start to finish. You will need to register for the exam on the Pearson VUE website and pay an exam fee of $200 USD before you can take the test. After registering for the exam, it may take up to two weeks for your test results to be processed. Once you have passed all of the required exams, you will be awarded your certification and receive a digital badge that can be displayed on your website or social media profiles.

In addition to passing the exams, there are also continuing education requirements that must be met every two years in order to maintain your certification status. These requirements include attending conferences or completing online courses related to web development technologies used by Acquia customers.

5. Drupal 8 Developer Certification

Drupal 8 Developer Certification is a professional certification program offered by Acquia, the leading provider of open source content management solutions. The certification is designed to recognize and validate expertise in developing Drupal 8 websites and applications. It provides an opportunity for developers to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in Drupal 8 development, as well as earn recognition from employers, peers, and the Drupal community.

The certification process consists of two parts: a written exam and an online practical exam. The written exam covers topics such as site building, module development, theme development, security best practices, and more. The online practical exam requires developers to build a website using Drupal 8.

The certification process typically takes between one to three months to complete depending on the level of preparation needed for each part of the exam. To get certified, developers must first register with Acquia for the certification program. Once registered, they can then purchase study materials that will help them prepare for both exams.

The cost of the certification program varies depending on where you live but generally ranges from $200 - $400 USD per person.

6. Drupal 7 Site Builder Certification

Drupal 7 Site Builder Certification is a certification program offered by Acquia, the company behind Drupal. It is designed to help developers and site builders gain a deeper understanding of how to build and maintain websites using Drupal 7. The certification requires passing an online exam, which covers topics such as installation, configuration, content management, user management, taxonomy, views, modules and themes.

The exam takes approximately 90 minutes to complete and can be taken online at any time. There is no cost associated with taking the exam; however, there is a fee for obtaining the certification once you have passed the exam. The fee varies depending on whether you are an individual or an organization.

Once you have successfully passed the exam, you will receive your official Drupal 7 Site Builder Certification from Acquia. This certification is valid for two years from the date of completion and can be renewed by taking another online exam every two years.

7. Drupal 8 Site Builder Certification

Drupal 8 Site Builder Certification is a professional certification program designed to help developers and web professionals demonstrate their skills in building and maintaining Drupal 8 websites. The certification is offered by the Drupal Association, an organization dedicated to promoting the use of Drupal, an open-source content management system.

The certification requires passing an online exam that covers topics such as installing Drupal, configuring core features, creating content types and views, managing users and permissions, applying themes and modules, working with blocks and menus, using the command line interface (CLI), and troubleshooting. The exam is available in English only. It takes approximately 2 hours to complete and costs $150 USD.

In order to become certified as a Drupal 8 Site Builder, you must have experience building websites with Drupal 8. You must also be familiar with HTML/CSS, JavaScript/jQuery, PHP/MySQL, Git version control software, command line tools such as Drush or Composer, and other related technologies.

Once you have passed the exam successfully you will receive your certificate via email within one week of completion of the exam. Your certificate will include your name and details about your successful completion of the exam including date taken and score achieved. This certification is valid for three years from the date it was issued.

8. Acquia Certified Back End Specialist

The Acquia Certified Back End Specialist is a professional certification program that provides individuals with the skills and knowledge needed to develop, deploy, and manage Drupal websites. The certification is designed for individuals who have experience developing and managing Drupal sites. It covers topics such as installation, configuration, security, performance optimization, content management, and more.

The certification process consists of two parts: an online exam and a hands-on project. The exam tests your understanding of the topics covered in the course material. The project requires you to build a Drupal site from scratch using the Acquia Cloud platform.

The certification takes approximately 8-10 hours to complete. You can take the exam at any time during your studies or after you’ve completed the course material. The cost of the certification is $299 USD per person.

9. Acquia Certified DevOps Specialist

The Acquia Certified DevOps Specialist is a certification program designed to recognize professionals who have demonstrated expertise in the use of Acquia’s DevOps tools and processes. The certification validates an individual’s ability to configure, deploy, and manage applications on the Acquia platform.

The certification exam consists of multiple-choice questions that cover topics such as: setting up and configuring Acquia Cloud, managing environments with Cloud API, deploying code with Git, using Drush for command line administration, leveraging Acquia Insight for performance optimization, and more.

It typically takes about three hours to complete the exam. To get certified, you must pass the exam with a score of 80% or higher. You can take the exam online at any time from anywhere in the world.

The cost of taking the exam is $200 USD.

10. Acquia Certified Solution Architect

The Acquia Certified Solution Architect (ACSA) is a professional certification program offered by Acquia, an open-source digital experience platform. The ACSA certification is designed to help professionals demonstrate their expertise in designing and implementing Drupal-based solutions on the Acquia Platform.

The ACSA certification requires passing two exams: the Acquia Certified Professional Exam and the Acquia Certified Solution Architect Exam. The Acquia Certified Professional Exam covers topics related to the fundamentals of Drupal, including installation, configuration, site building, module development, and more. The Acquia Certified Solution Architect Exam focuses on advanced topics such as architecture, security, scalability, performance optimization, and best practices for developing custom solutions using Drupal.

It typically takes between four and six months to complete the ACSA certification program depending on your level of experience with Drupal. To get started you must first register for an online account with Acquia and then purchase access to the exams. Once you have purchased access to the exams you can begin studying for them at any time.

The cost of the ACSA certification program varies depending on which exam package you choose. The most popular package includes both exams for $499 USD; however there are other packages available that may be more suitable for your needs or budget.

Do You Really Need a Drupal Developer Certificate?

The answer to this question depends on your individual needs and goals. If you are looking to become a professional Drupal developer, then obtaining a Drupal developer certificate may be beneficial. A certificate can help demonstrate your knowledge and expertise in the field of Drupal development. It can also provide employers with an indication that you have gone through the necessary training and education to become a qualified Drupal developer.

However, if you are just getting started with learning Drupal or simply want to get familiar with the basics, then a certificate may not be necessary. There are many online tutorials, forums, and other resources available for free that will provide you with enough information to get started with developing for Drupal.

Ultimately, it is up to you whether or not you decide to pursue a certification in order to become a professional Drupal developer. If you feel like the benefits of having such certification outweigh the time and cost associated with obtaining it, then it could be worth the investment.

Related: Drupal Developer Resume Examples

FAQs About Drupal Developer Certifications

1. What Drupal Developer Certifications are available?

Answer: There are several different types of certifications available for Drupal developers, including Acquia Certified Developer, Acquia Certified Back-End Specialist, and Acquia Certified Front-End Specialist. Additionally, there is a certification specifically for Drupal 8 called the Drupal 8 Certified Professional.

2. How do I become a certified Drupal developer?

Answer: To become a certified Drupal developer, you will need to complete the necessary training and pass the corresponding exam. Depending on the certification you’re pursuing, this could include completing an online course or attending an in-person bootcamp.

3. Are there any prerequisites for taking the exams?

Answer: Yes, for some certifications you may need to have prior experience with web development and/or specific programming languages before taking the exam. Additionally, certain certifications require that you have an active Acquia subscription before attempting the exam.

4. How long does it take to get certified?

Answer: The amount of time it takes to get certified depends on your level of experience and how quickly you can complete the required training and exam preparation materials. On average it can take up to six weeks to become fully certified as a Drupal developer, but some people may be able to complete the process in less time depending on their comfort level with web development concepts.

5. What are the benefits of becoming a certified Drupal developer?

Answer: As a certified Drupal developer, you’ll be able to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise in developing websites using this popular content management system (CMS). This could give you an edge when applying for jobs or consulting opportunities in web development since employers will know that you have verified skills in building sites with Drupal. Additionally, being certified provides access to exclusive resources such as support forums and discounts on products related to Drupal development.