Coding Certificates

In a world dominated by the Internet, coding and web development are fast becoming must-have skills. Programming (also known as software engineering, or simply coding) allows us to communicate with computers and instruct them to perform useful tasks.

Mobile applications, websites, software packages, and operating systems are all examples of computer code in action.

There are various coding certificates available for aspiring programmers. These certificates not only test your knowledge and provide you with experience, but they also increase your credibility and boost your chances of getting hired. You'll get a better feel for what a coder does, and be able to progress confidently in your new field.

Coding certificates are issued by professional companies within the industry, academic organizations, and online forums.

In this article, we’ll go through some of the most popular coding certificates available today.

Why You Should Become a Certified Coder

If you want to become a coder, a certification is one of the best places to start. Coding certificates help you demonstrate your skills in a particular area and will therefore give you a competitive edge in the job market.

In most cases, these certificates are completely voluntary. They show your employer that you have a proactive approach and that you’re willing to take that extra step.

Sometimes software firms will require you to be certified to work with their products.

There are many roles that require coding skills. Jobs like junior developers, senior developers, data scientists, mobile application developers, programmers, and big data engineers.

Ruby Association: Certified Ruby Programmer

This certifies programmers in Ruby on Rails: A framework for developing web applications.

This coding certificate is perfect for:

• Instructors who teach Ruby to professionals and students
• Consultants who build system proposals based on Ruby
• Engineers who design and develop Ruby-based systems

The exam lasts 90 minutes and costs $150.00 USD. It consists of 50 multiple-choice questions on the topics of syntax, object orientation, built-in functions, the Ruby execution environment, and command-line options. The passing score is 75%.

There are currently two qualification levels available to students (Gold and Silver), with a third option (Platinum) under development. The silver certificate demonstrates a basic skill level, while the gold version shows a deeper understanding.

JavaScript Developer Certificate

As the name suggests, this coding certificate is specifically for all things JavaScript. A core language for front-end web development. Knowledge of JavaScript, HTML, and the DOM is required.

The exam questions are based on the official JavaScript tutorial. You can also study other JavaScript resources like online courses, books, and web seminars.

You must choose a supervisor for this exam as a way to prevent cheating. The supervisor could be your teacher, your boss, or another experienced JavaScript programmer. The supervisor’s name will be printed on your certificate.

The exam lasts for 70 minutes and consists of 70 questions. You need to score 75% to pass and become certified. The questions are in the form of true/false and multiple choice. There are no prerequisites required for this exam. The fee is $95.00 USD.

CIW Web Development Series

CIW (or Certified Internet Webmaster) is a family of professional coding certifications and associated curricula.

This series comprises of:

• CIW Web Design Professional certification
• CIW Web Design Specialist certification
• CIW E-Commerce Specialist certification

The JavaScript Specialist exam tests your skill using JavaScript for platform-independent client-side solutions.

Python Certification

Issued by the Python Institute, these coding certificates are available at three competency levels: Entry, Associate, and Professional.

• PCEP: Certified Entry-Level in Python Programming
• PCAP: Certified Associate in Python Programming
• PCPP: Certified Professional in Python Programming

Alternatively, expertrating.com also provides certification.

The test offered by Expert Rating lasts for 40 minutes. 40 multiple-choice questions are asked on topics including Python basics, programming concepts, web programming, bindings, and text processing.

Oracle Certified Professional: Java SE 11 Programmer

Issued by Oracle, this is usually the first step for aspiring Java developers.

After earning this certification, you will be able to showcase your expertise in Java, good coding practices, and the understanding of new features since Java SE 8.

In particular, this certification will help you in:

• Gaining and developing skills in modular programming
• Skills in secure coding management
• Gaining knowledge of the new features of Java technology

The exam lasts 150 minutes and contains 60 questions. The passing score is 65% and the questions are multiple-choice.

Oracle Certified Master: Java SE Developer

This is a more advanced coding certificate for serious Java programmers. Before enrolling you must have already completed one of the following:

• Oracle Certified Professional
• Java Programmer Certification
• Sun Certified Java Programmer

You must also complete the Java Standard Developer Certified Master Assignment and the instructor-led course.

The exam consists of both written and practical sections. The practical task involves a programming exercise. The cost of the exam is $1500.00 USD.

Microsoft's MCTS: Web Applications Development with Microsoft .NET Framework 4

The exam is broken up into ASP.NET MVC and MVC 2 sections. You are required to use the MVC framework to develop web applications.

Certified Node.js Developer

Node.js is a powerful framework that allows you to execute JavaScript code without using a web browser. The Node.js Developer certification is one of the more in-depth coding certificates out there.

To become certified, you need to demonstrate how to use the Express Framework and develop scalable web applications. You must also understand concepts like the Node Packet Manager (NPM), shrinkwrap, NPM Vet, REST, SQLite CRUD operations, and REST APIs.

You should have a solid grasp on building and testing applications using a microservices architecture. You’ll also be required to write a real-time chat application using Socket IO and develop applications using MongoDB.

The exam lasts for 4 hours.

Objective-C Certification Program

The Objective-C certification program is perfect for a wide range of professionals like programmers, web developers, software engineers, and system administrators. Specific roles such as Objective C Developers, Objective C Engineers, and Objective C Program Analysts can benefit from the certificate.

This coding certificate program tests your knowledge on topics like best practices, exceptions, categories, memory management, and protocols.

The exam has 40 multiple-choice questions.

What to Consider before Getting a Coding Certificate

In order to earn any of these coding certificates, you’ll have to invest both time and money. So do your due diligence, and ensure you’re making the right choice for your career goals.

Ask yourself how certification will directly benefit you in terms of knowledge, coding skills, and ultimately, earning potential. A paycheck isn't everything, but the salary of a coder who has a certificate on their resume will likely be higher than that of a newbie.

If you do decide to get a certification, prepare yourself for success: make a study plan, divide the syllabus, take practice tests in simulated environments, and study others’ code before the actual test.

For a more direct route to landing your dream coding job, consider enrolling in an online web development course. Unlike specialized certifications, coding courses teach you a range of skills to get you hired. Our career coaches are focused on your future success and will support you every step of the way.

If you’re interested in learning more about coding and have a specific career in mind, check out our post on The Top Coding Languages by Industry so you know exactly where to start.