Magento 2 Certified Solution Specialist is out there for a while and some of you may have already registered and are up to get more familiar with what to expect from the exam. However, some of you might still be wondering if it’s worth spending time on the preparation and test itself.
The certification
For me, Magento 2 Certified Solution Specialist exam turned out to be a great experience not only because the certificate confirms that you are on top of things when it comes to Magento 2 and eCommerce knowledge but mainly because it is a great chance to make sure you know what Magento 2 has in store for merchants and developers. This way the solutions you offer are in line with the platform features and you do not reinvent the wheel. To be honest, it was a great boost from my understanding of the platform.
If you are new to Magento, the certification could also be a starting point to get to know the platform and gain some new knowledge. You can probably start preparing for the exam after you work for a few months with Magento 2 and learn some basic stuff. The exam is also a great challenge to take if you are into the Magento for a long time. In such case, it will be a good opportunity to get your knowledge organized and up to date with Magento 2.
The certification covers quite a range of topics, which you can check here. The questions range from Magento APIs specifics to eCommerce slang and EU cookie law. This makes the certification useful not only for Managers and other non-technical specialists but as well for Magento developers. There are 75 questions in the test, from which only 70 are considered (5 are test questions).
Where to start the preparation?
I would say that the first place to visit is Magento U — there you will get an official study guide (no answers, no questions, just topics that you should consider when preparing). Also, it is a good idea to get familiar with Magento Open Source and Magento Commerce.
The next very important thing is to get some test environment. The best option would be to get your hands on Magento Commerce 2.1.x. You also should be able to send emails, change products, place orders and do what required with it, so make sure this is not a production store.
Now, as you are all set with some basic materials about the exam and have some Magento Commerce 2 environment on hand to practice what you have learned let’s take a look at some study guides out there and how to work with them.
My personal favorite is the one from swiftotter.com. The guide itself is an aggregation of short answers to some of the common questions that you may face during the exam. Along with that, it has tons of useful links in it. These articles and related resources will help you to dig deeper into the matter if needed.
What else do you need?
While preparing for the exam, I understood that knowing just Magento is not enough to pass it. You should be on top of things when it comes to eCommerce and business in general. Below are some of the resources that I use.
We need bullet points below:
- MageTalk podcast — Magento community podcast. Guys talk not only about Magento but about eCommerce as well.
- Future Commerce podcast — one of the greatest shows about business and eCommerce out there.
- Magento Forums — Sherrie Rohde puts together a great weekly digest — #MagentoMonday Community.
What do you get in the end?
Despite a cool badge you get in the end, it is a lot of efforts made day by day in order to help your clients and work effectively with the team. The Magento certification helps you get it right and it leads you to some important things you might have been missing. So take the challenge, study it and get certified!