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Certification Frequently Asked Questions

Links to all referenced websites will be added when registration opens this summer.

What if I have an exam or certification question not answered here?
Please email your questions to F5Certification@f5.com for a timely response.

Basic FAQs

What is the F5 Technical Certification Program?
The F5 Technical Certification Program is a new technical certification program similar in scope to technical certifications from other technology vendors such as Cisco, Juniper, Microsoft, etc.

Where should I start?
Unlike many certification programs, the F5 Technical Certification Program requires potential candidates to register before they sign up to take their first exam. This is primarily to protect program integrity and security.

Once registered, candidates can arrange to take exams at Pearson VUE testing centers. The cost for each exam will vary by geography as well as the exam level and type. There occasionally may be opportunities to participate in beta exams at a reduced cost. Please find the latest information and available exams at the Pearson VUE website.

All F5 Technical Certification Program credentials require the completion of Application Delivery Fundamentals as a prerequisite. F5 Certified BIG-IP Administrator is the first certification level and a prerequisite for almost all further certification.

Once I’m certified, can I indicate my F5 certification or use the F5 logo on my business card?
Yes. By achieving F5 Technical Certification, you have earned the use of specific logos developed exclusively for F5 Certified individuals and subject to the Logo Usage Guidelines. The Logo Usage Guidelines also indicate the appropriate certification names and acronyms to use when listing certifications in text on resumes, signature lines, and biographies. These guidelines are available on the F5 certification management site for those authorized to use them.

Does certification expire?
Yes. Certification has a normal two-year expiry. However, recertification need not be a terrible burden. The two-year certification window is based on the last, highest certification achieved.

For instance, suppose you earn F5 Certified BIG-IP Administrator certification and achieve Certified Technology Specialist, Local Traffic Manager, 18 months later. In six more months, when your BIG-IP Administrator certification expires, you don’t have to take those exams again because you have superseded them. When your latest certification is about to expire, if you haven’t achieved a higher certification, simply retake and pass your most advanced exam — in this case, Technology Specialist, Local Traffic Manager — to recertify. If you have achieved a higher certification, you only need to pay attention to the expiry of that latest certification.

Program Transition and Previous Program FAQs

Why do we need a new certification program?
F5 products and markets have substantially changed since the creation of the first F5 certification program, which fails to adequately address today’s needs or trends and capture the true power of integrated IT solutions.

What will happen to the old program and certifications?
Candidates who have achieved certification under the old F5 program (until June 29, 2012) will have valid certifications for their full 2-year expiry. Like any F5 product or service, these certifications have intrinsic value, which candidates have paid and trained for, and they will still be used for some time in conjunction with many aspects of F5 business, especially partner/channel and support programs. Full rollout of the new program will take about three years, and the validity of previous certifications is important to our partner program, for which partners must maintain a certain number of certified individuals to be eligible.

When certifications from the old program expire, however, individuals will not be able to simply recertify but will have to start over in the new F5 Technical Certification Program.

Why don’t we grandfather old certifications into the new program, instead of making candidates start over?
The new F5 Technical Certification Program incorporates a new philosophy and exam process that verifies fundamental and prerequisite knowledge as well as knowledge about F5 products. As the environments in which F5 equipment is deployed continue to increase in complexity, is no longer feasible to simply assume that fundamental understanding.

In addition, the new program includes important skills and knowledge that are necessary to be successful with F5 products in typical application delivery situations—but that were not previously included. Consequently, the new program is much more rigorous and doesn’t easily map to the previous one, so grandfathering is not feasible.

Is there a transition plan between the two programs?
If a candidate’s previous certification expires prior to the availability of a new, similar certification, F5 will extend the validity of the previous certification for up to one month past the date on which the new certification exam becomes available.

If the new certification (and any prerequisite certification) is not achieved within that time, the candidate will lose certification status until the new requirements are met. Note that the new program does not differentiate between the product consultant and systems engineer certifications used in the old program, so the one-month extension and prerequisites also apply to those with expiring product consultant certifications from the old program.

For the purposes of the F5 partner program and for F5 internal or service organizations using the certifications as a business tool, the transition plan is up to the sponsoring organization. The F5 Technical Certification Program simply creates a set of standards and certifications that organizations use as part of their own processes and procedures. How they choose to handle the transition between programs is entirely up to them. If you participate in such a program, please contact your program representative for more information.

What about F5 FirePass certifications?
Given the current lifecycle stage of the F5 FirePass product, FirePass certification is being replaced with BIG-IP Access Policy Manager certification. The continued need for FirePass certifications for various channel and support programs will be met by updating the existing FirePass exam and certification to the product’s final release version and continuing to offer that exam and certification until no longer necessary. However, this will be an individual certification with no relationship to the new F5 Technical Certification Program.

What about F5 ARX certifications?
New ARX certifications will be part of the F5 Technical Certification Program but are slated for development after completion of certification requirements for the BIG-IP family. Therefore, the existing ARX certification program will continue as is until at least 2015.

Exam FAQs

What do you recommend concerning exam preparation?
Each exam has an exam blueprint available for it. This blueprint lists all the objectives an exam expects to measure. In addition, the published blueprint gives examples of knowledge that meets the objective. Finally, after each objective, F5 has attempted to provide a (non-exhaustive) list of educational resources that would provide the information being tested. These educational resources may or may not be F5 courses, open-source solutions, competitive courses, or a combination thereof.

How do I register for an exam?
Before you can register to take an F5 certification exam, you must first register for the F5 Technical Certification Program by going to the F5 Credential Management System website. After registering for the program, you become eligible to sit for your first exam. All F5 exams are delivered via Pearson VUE testing facilities. To find a Pearson VUE testing center near you and schedule your exam, please visit the Pearson VUE website.

How much do the exams cost?
The cost for each exam will vary by geography as well as the exam level and type. In the U.S. and Canada, one exam costs approximately US $135. International exams range from approximately US $135 to US $185, depending on the location and taxes.

There occasionally may be opportunities to participate in beta exams at a reduced cost. Please find the latest information, including specific pricing, at the Pearson VUE website.

How many questions are on the exams, and how long does it take to complete one?
The number of questions on an exam depends upon the level and type of exam, but in most cases, exams are scheduled to fit within a 90-minute test session. At times, beta exams may be available and will generally have twice as many questions and take up to twice as long to complete.

What are beta exams?
Beta exams are F5 Certification exams in the later phases of their development. They generally include twice as many questions and can take up to twice as long to complete as a regular (production) exam. The objective of a beta exam is to gather data about the questions to determine whether they achieve the intent and to eliminate questions that cause problems. Beta exams are a critical part of developing exams that are fair, dependable, and valid.

Why would I take a beta exam?
There are many good reasons. Beta exams will often be available for a significant discount over production exams, and while the final results may not be available for some time after taking the exam, when those results are finalized, they do count toward achieving certification. In addition, beta exams give candidates a unique opportunity to influence and participate in the development and refinement of the exams and the program.

What should I bring with me to the testing center?
Pearson VUE testing centers require two forms of identification. One must be a currently valid, official government-issued photo ID with signature. Acceptable government-issued photo IDs include driver's licenses, state-issued photo IDs, military IDs, and passports. The second form of ID also must have the candidate's signature on it.

Typically, candidates are not allowed to take anything into the testing environment except a pencil and scratch paper. (Some centers use dry erase markers and laminated boards.) Anything that candidates bring with them, including cell phones, calculators, coats, bags, etc., must be checked in with the testing proctor. Contact your local Pearson VUE testing center for more details.

How and when will I get my exam results?
In general, you can expect to receive a provisional pass/fail notification once your exam is complete. For more information, refer to the F5 Credential Management system, which will notify you when full, final exam results are available for review within the system.

What if I need extra time or equipment to take an exam because of special circumstances or if the exam is not available in the language of my choice?
F5 exams are currently published in English only. A 30-minute extension is automatically granted in countries where English is not the primary language.

If a candidate needs special accommodations because of a disability, extended testing time or other accommodations may be provided. F5 will determine whether special accommodations are appropriate in each instance. For time extensions of this nature, we require notification at least 30 days prior to the desired testing date. All special requests must be made via the F5 Credential Management System or by emailing F5Certification@f5.com.

What is the passing exam score?
There is no single passing score. Every exam has been created individually following a rigorous process to ensure appropriate content and inclusiveness, so no single score is applicable across all exams. Furthermore, as F5 maintains and refines the exams, the passing score may change.

Information provided when you sign up for an exam includes all of the pertinent information: number of questions, time allowed, and passing score.

How can I get a copy of my transcript or see which exams I have passed?
Visit the F5 Credential Management System.

What happens if I fail an exam? Can I retake it?
If you attempt an exam and do not pass, you will not be allowed to take that exam again for 14 days. If you do not pass a second time, you will be required to wait 90 days before taking the exam again. A failure on the third attempt will require the candidate to request permission before attempting the exam a fourth time. This policy is primarily intended to protect the integrity of the exam and the security of exam questions.

How are the F5 Technical Certification Program exams developed?
F5 Certification exams are developed through a rigorous and legally defensible process led by an industry-leading psychometric consulting organization. This process includes a full job-task analysis of the skills and knowledge necessary at each defined level, item development workshops, beta exams, psychometric analysis and review, and industry accepted cut-score analysis. All in all, each exam takes more than 1,000 hours of subject matter expert time over more than six months from test design to publication.

Training FAQs

How do I find training related to certification topics?
All courses offered at F5 training facilities are listed by region in our Course Schedules section.

What exam preparation do you recommend?
An exam blueprint is available for every exam. This blueprint lists all the objectives the relevant exam expects to measure and gives examples of knowledge that meets each objective. In addition, for each objective F5 has attempted to provide a (non-exhaustive) list of educational resources that would address the information being tested. These educational resources may or may not be F5 courses, open-source solutions, competitive courses, or a combination thereof.

Certificate FAQs

Once I’ve completed all requirements, when will I receive my certificate?
Visit the F5 Credential Management System for all information and updates about your certification status.

Is there a telephone number I can call for information on my certification status?
No. Check your status on the F5 Credential Management System. If you can’t find what you’re looking for there, email certification status inquiries to F5Certification@f5.com.

How can I get a copy of my certificate(s)?
Visit the F5 Credential Management System.

Advanced certification FAQs

Which of the various Technology Specialist certifications should I pursue first?
Technology Specialist certification can be pursued in any order. Many people start with BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager Technology Specialist or iRules Technology Specialist certification, since both are required for any Solution Expert certification. After that, consider the requirements of the Solution Expert certification that interests you most.

Do I have to be an F5 Certified BIG-IP Administrator to be certified as a Technology Specialist in iRules?
No. The iRules Developer exam is the only 300 Level exam that does not require passing the BIG-IP Administrator exam. This makes certification more practical for software development individuals who want to understand and conquer the power of iRules in application delivery, but who don’t have any particular need for the detailed knowledge necessary for F5 Certified BIG-IP Administrator status.

What if I have an exam or certification question not answered here?
Please email your questions to F5Certification@f5.com for a timely response.

Services

Certification Frequently Asked Questions

Basic FAQs

Program Transition and Previous Program FAQs

Exam FAQs

Training FAQs

Certificate FAQs

Advanced certification FAQs

Basic FAQs

Program Transition and Previous Program FAQs

Exam FAQs

Training FAQs

Certificate FAQs

Advanced certification FAQs

Overview