Top 10 Release Engineer Certifications

Release engineers are responsible for ensuring that software and hardware products meet quality standards before they are released to the public. Certifications can be a valuable asset for release engineers seeking employment in the job market. A certification provides evidence of expertise, competency, and dedication to the profession, which can help set a release engineer apart from other applicants. Additionally, certifications can validate a release engineer's understanding of industry standards and best practices, making them more attractive to potential employers. Finally, certifications demonstrate that the release engineer has kept up with current trends in their field and is prepared for a role in a company’s research and development team.

The purpose of the article is to provide an overview of some of the top certifications for Release Engineers and explain how they can help to advance a Release Engineer's career.

What are Release Engineer Certifications?

Release engineer certification is a professional credential that demonstrates an individual’s proficiency in the design, development, and deployment of software releases. It is awarded by the International Software Engineering Institute (ISEI) to individuals who have demonstrated their knowledge and expertise in release engineering. The certification covers topics such as version control, build automation, system configuration management, continuous integration, testing and quality assurance, and deployment planning.

Having a release engineer certification can help individuals stand out from their peers when applying for jobs or promotions in software development roles. The certification shows employers that they have the necessary skills to manage a successful software release process. Additionally, having the certification may give them access to specialized training opportunities to stay up-to-date on the latest industry trends and technologies. Lastly, it serves as a symbol of recognition for those who have achieved mastery over the complex processes involved in releasing software into production environments.

Pro Tip: When considering release engineer certification, research which certifications are most relevant to the field and make sure they are up-to-date. Additionally, take the time to develop a portfolio of your work that demonstrates your experience and skill set in order to increase your chances of success.

Related: What does a Release Engineer do?

Top 10 Release Engineer Certifications

Here’s our list of the best certifications available to Release Engineers today.

1. Certified Release Engineer (CRE)

Certified Release Engineer (CRE) is a certification program that provides an individual with the knowledge and skills to manage, deploy, and maintain software releases. It is designed to help organizations ensure their software releases are successful and secure.

The CRE certification program consists of three levels: Foundation, Intermediate, and Advanced. Each level requires passing an exam which covers topics such as release management processes, tools and techniques, release automation, best practices for release engineering, and more.

The Foundation level exam takes approximately two hours to complete and costs $150 USD. The Intermediate level exam takes approximately four hours to complete and costs $300 USD. The Advanced level exam takes approximately six hours to complete and costs $450 USD.

To become certified at each level of the CRE program, individuals must pass the corresponding exam with a score of 80% or higher. After passing all three exams, individuals will receive a Certified Release Engineer (CRE) certificate from the Institute of Software Engineering (ISE).

2. Certified DevOps Engineer (CDE)

Certified DevOps Engineer (CDE) is a professional certification program developed by the DevOps Institute. It is designed to validate the skills and knowledge of professionals working in the field of DevOps. The CDE certification demonstrates that an individual has the technical knowledge and experience needed to effectively implement, manage, and maintain a successful DevOps practice.

The CDE certification is earned through a combination of training and hands-on experience. To be eligible for the CDE, individuals must have at least two years of experience working with DevOps tools and processes. In addition, they must complete an approved course or workshop that covers topics such as Continuous Delivery, Infrastructure Automation, Monitoring & Logging, Security & Compliance, Cloud Computing, and Agile Methodologies.

Once an individual has met all eligibility requirements for the CDE certification, they can take an online exam that tests their knowledge on topics related to DevOps practices and technologies. The exam consists of multiple-choice questions and takes approximately 2 hours to complete. Once passed, individuals will receive their Certified DevOps Engineer (CDE) certificate from the DevOps Institute.

The cost of earning a Certified DevOps Engineer (CDE) certification depends on which training provider you choose to use. Generally speaking, it can range anywhere from $500-$2,000 USD depending on which course or workshop you select.

3. Certified Cloud Release Engineer (CCRE)

A Certified Cloud Release Engineer (CCRE) is a professional certification that demonstrates an individual’s expertise in the areas of cloud release engineering, automation, and DevOps. It is designed to validate an individual’s ability to use cloud-native tools and processes to deploy applications and services on a cloud platform.

The CCRE certification requires individuals to demonstrate their knowledge of cloud release engineering concepts, principles, and best practices. The certification also requires individuals to demonstrate their skills in using automation tools such as Jenkins, Chef, Puppet, Ansible, Terraform, and Kubernetes.

It typically takes between six months and one year to obtain the CCRE certification. To get certified, individuals must pass an online exam administered by the Cloud Credential Council (CCC). The exam consists of multiple-choice questions covering topics such as cloud architectures, deployment strategies, automation tools, security best practices, and troubleshooting techniques.

The cost of the CCRE certification varies depending on the country where you take the exam. In the United States, it typically costs around $500 USD for the exam fee plus any applicable taxes or fees.

4. Certified Agile Release Train Engineer (CARTE)

Certified Agile Release Train Engineer (CARTE) is a certification program designed to recognize individuals who have demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). This certification focuses on the skills and knowledge required to successfully plan, execute and release software applications at scale. The CARTE certification is offered through Scaled Agile, Inc., the official provider of SAFe training and certifications.

It typically takes around two weeks to complete all of the requirements for the CARTE certification. To get certified, you must first attend a two-day SAFe 4.6 Advanced Scrum Master course and pass an associated exam with a score of 85% or higher. After passing this exam, you must then attend a two-day Leading SAFe 4.6 course and pass an associated exam with a score of 85% or higher. Once these steps are completed, you will be eligible for the CARTE certification.

The cost for obtaining the CARTE certification varies depending on where you take your classes and exams. Generally speaking, it can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000 USD for both courses and exams combined.

5. Certified Continuous Delivery and Deployment Professional (CCDDP)

Certified Continuous Delivery and Deployment Professional (CCDDP) is a certification that recognizes professionals who have experience and knowledge in the area of continuous delivery and deployment. It is designed to validate the skills and knowledge necessary to successfully implement, maintain, and optimize continuous delivery and deployment processes.

The CCDDP certification requires applicants to pass an online exam which tests their understanding of concepts related to continuous delivery and deployment. The exam consists of multiple-choice questions covering topics such as DevOps, automation, version control systems, release management, configuration management, testing strategies, security considerations, monitoring tools, and more.

It typically takes around 2-3 hours to complete the exam. Applicants must score at least 70% on the exam in order to pass it and become certified.

The cost for taking the CCDDP certification exam is $299 USD.

6. AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional

AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional is a certification offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that validates an individual’s ability to design, deploy, and manage distributed applications and systems on the AWS platform. This certification demonstrates expertise in the areas of continuous integration, automation, security, monitoring, and cost optimization.

It takes approximately two to three months to prepare for this certification exam. To get certified, you must pass the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional exam which consists of multiple choice and multiple answer questions. The exam fee is $300 USD.

To prepare for the exam, you should have experience with Amazon EC2, Amazon S3, Amazon VPC, Elastic Load Balancing (ELB), Auto Scaling Groups (ASG), CloudFormation templates (CFTs), AWS Lambda functions, AWS CodeCommit/CodeDeploy/CodePipeline services and other related technologies. You should also be familiar with concepts such as Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC), Continuous Integration & Delivery (CI/CD) pipelines, Configuration Management tools like Chef or Puppet and Security best practices for cloud environments. Additionally, you should have experience working with various scripting languages like Python or Bash.

The cost of taking the exam varies depending on your location. In addition to the exam fee mentioned above there may be additional taxes or fees associated with taking the exam at certain locations.

7. Azure DevOps Solutions Expert

Azure DevOps Solutions Expert is a certification offered by Microsoft that validates an individual’s expertise in developing and deploying applications, services, and solutions on the Azure platform. It demonstrates a professional’s ability to design, implement, and manage DevOps processes and practices using Azure technologies.

The exam for the Azure DevOps Solutions Expert certification is called AZ-400: Microsoft Azure DevOps Solutions. The exam covers topics such as planning a DevOps strategy, designing and implementing DevOps development processes, implementing continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD) pipelines, configuring application infrastructure, managing source control, implementing security practices, monitoring solutions, and more.

It typically takes around three months of preparation to pass the AZ-400 exam. To get started with preparing for the exam you can take advantage of free resources such as Microsoft Learn or purchase a course from a third-party provider. Additionally there are practice tests available to help you prepare for the real test.

The cost of taking the AZ-400 exam varies depending on your location but generally ranges between $165 - $200 USD.

8. Red Hat Certified Specialist in Containerized Application Development

Red Hat Certified Specialist in Containerized Application Development is a certification program designed to help IT professionals develop the skills and knowledge needed to design, build, deploy, and manage container-based applications on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. The certification is targeted at software developers, system administrators, DevOps engineers, and other IT professionals who want to gain expertise in developing container-based applications.

The certification requires passing two exams: EX180 (Red Hat Certified Specialist in Containers) and EX280 (Red Hat Certified Specialist in OpenShift Administration). Both exams are available online and can be taken at any time. The cost of the exams varies depending on the country where they are taken.

It typically takes around four months of studying to prepare for both exams. To get started with studying for the certification, candidates should review the Red Hat Learning Subscription course catalog for courses related to container application development. Candidates should also take advantage of online resources such as blogs, forums, and tutorials to stay up to date with current trends in container application development.

The cost of the Red Hat Certified Specialist in Containerized Application Development certification varies depending on the country where it is taken. In some countries it may be free or discounted due to local government initiatives.

9. Puppet Professional Certification

Puppet Professional Certification is a certification program offered by Puppet, Inc. to validate the skills and knowledge of IT professionals in the use of Puppet Enterprise software. The certification program consists of two levels: Certified Professional (CP) and Master Professional (MP).

The Certified Professional (CP) level requires that candidates pass an online exam that covers topics such as installation, configuration, management, troubleshooting, and automation with Puppet Enterprise. This exam typically takes 2-3 hours to complete and costs $400 USD.

The Master Professional (MP) level requires candidates to have already achieved the CP level certification, as well as experience working with Puppet Enterprise in a professional environment. Candidates must also pass an additional online exam that covers advanced topics such as architecture design, multi-node deployments, and integration with other technologies. This exam typically takes 4-5 hours to complete and costs $600 USD.

In order to maintain their certifications, both CP and MP certified professionals must retake the relevant exams every three years.

10. Microsoft Technology Associate: Cloud Platform & Infrastructure

Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA): Cloud Platform & Infrastructure is a certification that validates an individual’s knowledge of cloud computing and infrastructure. It is designed to help individuals demonstrate their understanding of the fundamentals of cloud computing, including cloud services, virtualization, storage, networking, identity management, and security. The MTA: Cloud Platform & Infrastructure certification requires candidates to pass one exam to prove their knowledge in this area.

The exam typically takes two hours to complete and consists of 40-60 multiple choice questions. The exam covers topics such as cloud concepts and models, virtualization technologies, storage solutions for cloud environments, network architectures for the cloud, identity management solutions for the cloud and security best practices for the cloud.

In order to get certified in MTA: Cloud Platform & Infrastructure you must first purchase an exam voucher from Microsoft or an authorized testing center. Once you have your voucher you can register for your exam at a Pearson VUE testing center or online through Pearson VUE's website.

The cost of the MTA: Cloud Platform & Infrastructure exam varies depending on where you take it. Typically it costs around $127 USD but can vary by country or region.

Do You Really Need a Release Engineer Certificate?

No, you do not need a Release Engineer Certificate to pursue a career in release engineering. A release engineer certificate is an optional credential that provides additional recognition for individuals who have achieved a certain level of competency and experience in the field. It is not required for entry-level positions or for advancement within the profession.

However, obtaining a release engineer certificate can be beneficial in several ways. First, it provides employers with evidence that the individual has demonstrated knowledge and skills related to release engineering. This can help candidates stand out from other applicants when seeking employment or promotion. Second, certification can provide assurance to employers that the individual possesses up-to-date knowledge of industry best practices and standards. Finally, having a certificate may provide access to continuing education opportunities or specialized training programs that could help further advance one's career.

In conclusion, although there are advantages to obtaining a release engineer certificate, it is ultimately up to the individual to decide if this credential is necessary for their professional goals.

Related: Release Engineer Resume Examples

FAQs About Release Engineer Certifications

1. What are the requirements for a Release Engineer Certification?

Answer: The requirements for a Release Engineer Certification vary depending on the specific certification program. Generally, release engineers should have knowledge of software development, automation tools, source control management, and scripting languages such as Python and Bash. Additionally, they should be familiar with DevOps principles and best practices, including continuous integration/delivery (CI/CD).

2. How long does it take to become certified as a Release Engineer?

Answer: It typically takes 6-12 months to become certified as a Release Engineer. This time frame includes studying for the certification exam, completing any required courses or training programs, and gaining experience in the field.

3. What is the cost of a Release Engineer Certification?

Answer: The cost of a Release Engineer Certification varies depending on the program you choose. Generally, certification programs range from $500 to $2,000 USD depending on the provider and type of certification offered.

4. How can I prepare for my Release Engineering Certification Exam?

Answer: To prepare for your Release Engineering Certification Exam you should review course material related to your chosen certification program, practice sample questions and simulations, and gain hands-on experience in the field through an internship or job shadowing opportunity. Additionally, attending workshops or webinars related to DevOps best practices may be beneficial in preparing for your exam.

5. Where can I find more information about Release Engineer Certifications?

Answer: You can find more information about Release Engineering Certifications by researching online resources such as websites dedicated to DevOps certifications or by talking with experienced professionals in the field who are already certified as release engineers. Additionally, many universities offer courses related to release engineering which may provide additional insight into this career path.