The rapid pace of technological development and social changes make digital transformation a necessity. But how to select the right partner and distinguish mediocre digital agencies from top-notch, highly experienced experts? Authors of Kentico – a critically acclaimed digital experience platform – came up with the idea of managing such dilemmas. Their idea of separating the best from the average was to combine a partnership programme with a strict certificate examination. The partnership status implies the complexity and the vast amount of the developed Kentico projects. It also affirms the number of certified agency employees. Passing Kentico exams denotes acquiring specialised knowledge and good practices in digital experience projects. If you are wondering why to become a Kentico partner and invest in Kentico certification – keep reading to find all the answers you need.
Partnership benefits
The people behind Kentico not only created an advanced digital experience platform but also a partner programme that grants multiple benefits like:
- 24/7 technical support,
- technical consulting,
- marketing and sales collaboration,
- access to the training portal,
- vouchers for certification exams.
Of course, becoming a Kentico partner is not a trivial matter for a digital agency. It requires experience in project development and passing certification exams by the agency’s employees: software developers and digital marketers. Kentico offers them two ways of proving their expert knowledge – the possibility to undertake the following types of certification exams:
- a developer certification,
- a marketer certification.
Kentico Certified Developer exam
Undertaking the Kentico certified developer exam proves commandment of Kentico-specific knowledge and general experience in the field of ASP.NET Core MVC and ASP.NET MVC 5 software development. This certification is dedicated to front-end, back-end, and full-stack developers, as well as solution architects and consultants involved in designing, developing, maintaining, optimizing and deploying Kentico-based projects.
Passing this exam proves having theoretical knowledge and a profound understanding of Kentico features and functions. What is more, it requires a high level of experience in .NET Framework development, MS SQL database management and the creation of data-driven web user interfaces. The developer exam covers the following areas of Kentico-based software development:
- Data storage (data structure planning, system providers configuration, custom tables management)
- Data structure design (data structures and objects, system tables, page database structure)
- Kentico development models (ASP.NET MVC 5 and ASP.NET Core)
- Kentico features (mapping Kentico features to business requirements, customization and routing)
- Data presentation (content displaying, page builder development, forms and page templates)
- Kentico development environment (continuous integration and team development)
- Kentico API (databases and pages in API, macro syntax, website security)
- Kentico customization and configuration (custom development and extending Kentico features)
- Troubleshooting tools and techniques (troubleshooting the website, code validation and accessibility)
- Optimization (performance optimization, performance troubleshooting)
- Deployment (deploying projects and websites)
- Maintenance (maintaining, upgrading and migrating Kentico projects)
Kentico Certified Marketer exam
Most DXP software vendors offer only developer certification programmes, but Kentico went for a different approach. You can be also recognized as a certified Kentico marketer, proving your digital marketing skills and fluent command of marketing features available as a part of the Kentico ecosystem. This exam is dedicated to marketing implementation specialists, marketing consultants as well as solution architects.
Passing the Kentico certified marketer exam confirms proficient abilities in implementing, configuring and analysing digital marketing mechanisms of Kentico-based projects. What is more, it requires a high level of general experience with content marketing, email marketing, PPC and SEO. The exam covers the following areas of planning, designing and developing Kentico solutions:
- Mapping business needs to marketing strategies and Kentico features
- User management
- Activity tracking
- Web analytics
- Contact segmentation
- Lead scoring
- Defining personas
- Digital campaigns
- Web content personalization
- Email marketing
- Marketing automation
- A/B testing and content optimization
How to pass developer and marketer certification exams?
Both of the Kentico exams require:
- a thorough reading of Kentico’s online documentation,
- understanding the ideas behind the platform’s mechanisms,
- learning about the details of each and every functionality,
- practical experience gained through solution implementation, configuration and optimization.
Daily work with Kentico projects is also an important part of exam preparation. What if you do not work on commercial projects involving the Kentico platform? First of all, familiarize yourself with the documentation available online. It is practical, well written and informative. What is more, you can easily install a local demo version or use the platform’s cloud trial. This way you can get your hands on Kentico functionalities: experiment, practice and learn all the skills necessary to pass the Kentico certified developer or marketer exam.
What are the benefits of certification?
Both exams cover a wide range of topics. They require a deep understanding of Kentico mechanisms as well as acquiring broad knowledge about software development or digital marketing. Preparing for the certificate will help you dive deeper into low-level switches, options and functionalities of the Kentico platform. By exploring new possibilities and writing custom code, you can easily overcome limitations that come with out-of-the-box solutions and meet the specific business needs of your projects. Participating in the Kentico certification exams will also inspire you to see new possibilities of the platform and expand your horizons.
The Kentico platform is constantly evolving, which means with each new version, there is a corresponding updated certificate exam. Once developers and marketers become certified for the current version of Kentico, they are entitled to receive a free seat for recertification. This can help you stay motivated in expanding your skills by learning about the new features available within Kentico’s higher versions. Last but not least, companies interested in obtaining one of the three Kentico partner statuses (bronze, silver, or gold) are required to have a specific number of certified developers and marketers in their team. This in turn allows them to create top-notch Kentico-based solutions and satisfy even the most unique business needs of their partners. As a Kentico Gold Partner, we recognize the impact our certified Kentico specialists have in ensuring the success of our projects. Passing the Kentico examination truly helps to take the extensive knowledge of the platform and translate it into practical solutions that meet our client’s objectives.
Summary
Kentico developer and marketer certifications offer invaluable benefits for digital professionals. By passing one of these comprehensive exams, you not only validate the skills you already have but also gain opportunities for further growth in the area of your current digital expertise. If you are still considering whether it is worth taking the Kentico exam, you can find more information about my personal experience with the marketer certification in the following interview. But do not just take my word for it – join the community of Kentico experts and explore the benefits yourself!
