How to Prepare for a Certification Exam in 5 Simple Steps

[Former Member]

Over the last couple of months many of you have raised questions like “How can I prepare for my certification exam?” or “What kind of questions will be asked during an exam?” and “Which training should I attend in order to get ready for a specific certification?” .

Drawing on insights and experiences gained as a member of SAP Education’s global certification team, I would like to share with you here a brief guide I put together which I hope will help you find all the relevant information you need to successfully prepare for an exam.

The first thing you should do before you bury your head in your books is to have a look at our training and certification shop. Once you have chosen the exam you would like to take, the web shop gives you such helpful information as the number of exam questions, duration of the exam, which areas you will be tested on, and recommended course work and content you can reference.

Here are five simple steps that will help you to gather all relevant information you need for your exam preparation:

1. Find the right level of certification

You can either take an associate or professional certification exam. Associate certifications are for those who are new to SAP solutions. Professional certifications require proven project experience and a more detailed understanding of SAP solutions. Descriptions of each level are available here.

2. Find the right exam

Here are some useful tips for easy navigation in the web shop:

Start your search directly in the certification web shop.

You can browse through our catalogue and search for specific exams by solution.

If you know the exact exam code for a specific exam, you can also use the search field.

Select your country and language to get all relevant information for your location.

3. Consider training

Are you new to your chosen field? Training courses can help you to pass associate level exams, and SAP Education provides various training options. You can choose between classroom training (live or virtual), e-learning courses, and many more. Here you can find an overview of the different training options.

Not sure if you have taken all relevant training courses? For each exam, you can find the related training courses on the exam site.

Please note, if you prepare for a professional level exam the indicated exam-related training classes serve as refresher or foundations courses, but they are not sufficient for exam preparation. Candidates must also acquire ample practical experience in order to increase their chances of passing the certification exam.

Do you already have hands-on experience with a particular solution, or do you want to upgrade your certification to the latest release? SAP Education’s Learning Hub might be an option to help you to prepare for your certification exam at your own pace. As a subscriber to the SAP Learning Hub you have access to all relevant training materials and you can benefit from the Learning Rooms for your exam preparation. Learning rooms are virtual learning spaces that guide you through all the training related to the specific certification exam. They also offer supplementary materials. Learning Rooms are led by SAP's top instructors who help you with your learning and preparation and provide answers to your questions.

4. Locate the syllabus

In order to get an idea about which topics are important for your certification, you should review the syllabus. You can find an overview of the related topics on the certification site. Prepare for the exam based on the weighted value for each topic in the exam Topic Areas. 

5. Sample questions

For most exams, SAP Education provides sample questions; these are actual questions asked during past exams, so they are representative of the questions asked during a live exam. You can find the sample exam questions under the Certification Details for each exam.

I hope that these five steps will help you to get started with your exam preparation. So you’ve heard a lot from me here, but all of us in the global certification team are also interested in your opinion on this topic. What are your experiences with taking certification exams? What do you think is the best way to prepare for one?

It would be great to hear about your personal experience, plus any tips and tricks you would like to share with the community. If you need a bit of inspiration, have a look at the blog written recently by independent consultant and SAP Mentor Tom Cenens, in which he shared with us his experience preparing for the SAP HANA certification.

Feel free to share your thoughts with the community – we look forward to hearing from you!

Useful Links

• SAP Certifications - Where Do I Start?
• Preparing for HANA: How to Achieve SAP Certified Technology Associate Certification
• Just in Case or Just in Time? Taking Out an “Enablement Insurance Policy

[Former Member]

Good day Katrin,

Nice article which will help me get started with my SAP certification.

Regards,

Bryan

[VigneshV]

Hi Katrin,

I would like to know whether mail / letter from current working concern is acceptable for taking up the certification exam.

I have got domain experience (4 yrs) in Production Planning in discrete manufacturing industry,currently working as support / Testing profile for Automobile sector as a part of Functional Team.As was taking care of Bill of Materials , know the sequence of flow in case of MM.

I would like to proceed with SAP-PP - Variant configuration profile in a  functional role.

Which of the modules is best to suit PP/MM to take up certification.

Seeking your advice on the same.

Which of the institutes is good/best institutes,kindly guide

Currently I am located in Chennai,Tamil Nadu

Thanks in advance.

Vignesh.V

[Former Member]

Hi,

Thanks for the info... Was really helpful....

~ Guru

[Former Member]

Thank you for all valid advices. It is an excelent post. Just today, I got pass the test in Pearson V institute. During registration they gave me a SAP ID, which is different to the current one (issue on behalf of the organization I work for). Does anyone know the difference between those two SAP's IDs?

Thanks again

Reinaldo

[Former Member]

Karen,

Thanks for the tips!! Starting as SAP BW student so this kind of info is key for me! Hope i can come soon with info to help other professionals from all over the world know SAP the best they can!

Cordially

Marcio

[Former Member]

Really good article katrin...

Thank you...

[Former Member]

Hello katrin,

When do I need to choose the professional certification, is it during the exam registration?

Since, I have good years of experience as a SAP Basis consultant and worked on various projects.

If I choose professional certification would there be any benefit when I reveal my certification while looking for a new job.

[Former Member]

wow! really good article.

Please advise:

I would like to get certification but unlike all of you who are gurus here.
I am just starting out.

My experience with SAP for the last year has been at user level.

Over the last couple of months i have advanced my training and now the core
user for MM in our organization.

However, i am still learning MM config and intergrations with FI and other
modules.

This is personal training.

Kindly advise on certification level and relevant materials to advance.

Thanks.

Carol.

[Former Member]

Hi,

Kindly guide with teh procedure for retaking sap certification.I didnt pass in my first leve,Would like to go for the second time.Please help with the procedure.

[Former Member]

Hi Sony,

Go through the sap books atleast 5-6 times throughly.Then appear for it.

Thanks

[Former Member]

Hi Katrin Rissberger,

Thanks for your valuable suggestions, its really help full for us to go for certification. The second point which you discussed "find the right exam" I liked most because a good beginning makes a good ending.

Regards,

Delli Kumar

[Former Member]

Hi,

I had recently appeared for transactional banking ceritication ( C_FSTBAN_80). and scored 69.5 % whereas passing % was 71 %. To clear cerification I wanted just 1 correct answer. In such cases whether SAP in giving any grace marks. As exam question level was really tough to answer.

Regards,

Sunil

[former_member182098]

Hi Sunil,

I do not think there is any concept of "grace marks". It is only pass / fail. If you are fail, just re-apply.

Regards,

Ravi

[Former Member]

Hi Vignesh

SAP Certification is one of the prestigious vendor certificate program which validates the knowledge and skills of SAP customers, internal consultants, and SAP partners and SAP independent consultants. For get this there are no mandatory restriction or individual selection criteria. If you are employee or students or business maker you can get SAP certificate.

Summery:

• 1 year of SAP Implementation Experience in module specific.
• 1 year in present employer and the employer must be SAP CUSTOMER or PARTNER.
• You need SAP service market place ID given by present employer.
• your updated profile.
• sample profile should contains the bellow information.

1. To appear for Associate level certification without attending any SAP Education course or training you need Minimum 1 year of SAP Implementation Experience or 2 years of Support experience with minimum of 6 months experience in the module and version in which you wish to take up certification.

To appear for Professional level certification without attending any SAP course you need Minimum to 3 - 7 years of SAP Implementation Experience with minimum of 6 months experience in the module and version in which you wish to take up certification.

2. The last 1 year should be with your present employer.

3. Your present employer should be a CUSTOMER or PARTNER of SAP India Pvt Ltd

If you fulfill the above criteria please send your updated project profile as per the attached format to tulasi.ram@sap.com or education@sap.com for direct certification evaluation. On establishing your eligibility they will guide you through the process of registration.

Please send in your profile once you are ready to appear for the certification as the certification approval mail is Valid for 2 MONTHS only you are requested to complete your certification within the given time frame.

Evaluation of profile will take minimum 3 - 7 working days.

Please visit the webpage https://training.sap.com/ for available certification details.

Please note no assistance with regard to study material/questionnaire is provided for direct certification. Study material is offered only with training and not as a standalone component.

Certification fee for Associate level will be INR 39,326/- and for professional level the fee will be INR 56,180/- inclusive of current taxes applicable. Please note the price is subject to change as per SAP policy in a timely manner.

Important Note:

Clarifications required by SAP on the profile should be adhered to without which evaluation will not be done.

Please update your profiles at the first instance. If SAP does NOT approve the profile on the basis of incorrect or incomplete information, you will not be allowed to update your profiles or re-apply for direct certification for the next 6 months.

Once profile is approved, the same will not be re-validated. Re-validation of profile will take please once in six months.

Certification dates are not pre-scheduled & will be shared only on approval on receipt of documents for registration. If your profile is approved for direct certification, documents required for registration will be shared on the same approval mail.

Feel free to mail back in case of further clarifications.

Note: Pearson VUE in India is authorized to offer only A1 and B1 certifications. All other certifications are offered by SAP India. To know more http://www.pearsonvue.com/sap/ but you have to get your profile approved by SAP Education before you can appear in Pearson VUE.

Who Can Be SAP Certified? At What Levels? And At What Focus Areas?

SAP announced three levels of certification:

1. Associate,
2. Professional and
3. Master.

Currently the associate level and professional level exams are available. The master level is still in development.

Associate “This certification covers the fundamental knowledge requirements for an SAP consultant ensuring the successful acquisition of broad SAP solution knowledge and skills.”

Professional “This advanced certification requires proven project experience, business process knowledge, and a more detailed understanding of SAP solutions.”

Master “This certification, under development, involves demonstrating an expert-level understanding of a specific area of SAP software and the ability to drive innovation and solution optimization through in-depth knowledge and vision. Certification at this level requires broad project experience, comprehensive SAP product knowledge, and the ability to create a future IT vision within complex project environments.”

The Associate level exams test book knowledge. In most cases, this level does not require SAP implementation experience in order to pass the exams. Questions on the Professional level exams are designed to test the SAP experience of the test taker.

SAP takes care to point out that you don’t need to pass the Associate level exam before sitting for the Professional level exam. So you get to select which level you think you are qualified for and take that exam.

Know More at SAP site : https://training.sap.com/in/en/training-options/certification

Thanks,

Mohana

[Former Member]

Hi Ravi,

Thanks for the revert.

Can you please guide me regarding the certification second attempt.

What will be  cerfication fees and whether I can reapply for exams immediately after one month ?

[Former Member]

Dear Sunil,

As per My knowledge .You can opt for the online exam one and only one time with the same fees. You have to secure minimum 70 % overall in order to get certified. You can give second attempt but for that you will need to pay exam fees to SAP.

There are 2-4 institutes (Genovate, Siemens, Delphi ,ATOS )where in you will get information in more detail

My suggestion is go for certification if you have 2-3 years of functional experience .

Take authentic information in detail about institutes in terms of placement before enrolling.

Regards,

Mohana

[Former Member]

REally Great

[Former Member]

This is great.

Nice one!!!

[Former Member]

Hie Katrin,

A very useful blog..thanks for sharing this information.

I have one query can we do online Associate certification?

Very useful information.

Thanks

Yogesh

[Former Member]

Hie Katrin,

A very useful blog..thanks for sharing this information.

I have one query can we do online Associate certification?

Very useful information.

Thanks

Yogesh

[Former Member]

Good article to prepare SAP certification

[Former Member]

Great article.......

[Former Member]

Hi Katrin,

Its really helpful to go for SAP Certification.

Thanks for your good article.

[Former Member]

Great information! however, what happens if I fail to pass the Associate SAP certification test? can you get employment or you have to retake the test first?

[former_member182098]

Hi Jesse,

If you fail: You may need to retake the test.

If you pass: Congrats!!!!! :smile: You are going to receive the certificate soon.

Unfortunately, in either case there is NO guarantee that you are going to get a job.

Job is largely depends on your education, qualification, experience, domain knowledge, soft skills, communication and cultural fit etc. Certification is just one part in the whole process, which may give you additional marketability.

Kind Regards,

Ravi

[former_member199232]

Hi Sunil,

There is no grace marks in certification exams.

Ex. If your passing is 71% and you scored 70% in this case also your result will show sorry please attend next time.

It will show immediately you will pass or not.

Thnaks,

Puran

[Former Member]

Thanks for this post. Very helpful article for anyone considering to take certification!

[Former Member]

Hi Jesse,

I didn't heard from anyone that He/She got job just because of Certification and i have seen no. of People working in SAP without any certification as all  said getting a job depends on your soft skills and Technical skills. Like beauty is an asset for a Human same Certification is an Asset in SAP which will give you a Good Recognition and Value in all manner.

Do remember one thing.

Don't be AFRAID to fail, be Afraid not to try... :smile:

Best Regards,

Chandra.. :smile:

[Former Member]

like your word:

Don't be AFRAID to fail, be Afraid not to try..

[AmalaSrinivasa]

Mohana,

Detailing is very good !!! :smile:

[Former Member]

Katrin, good thinking, really a helpful blog for everyone willing to go for SAP certification in a proper direction.

[Former Member]

Hi Katrin. Somehow partneredge has changed for SAP Business One 9.0 and Sample Questions cannot be located (actually there is no more Certification Details).

Can you provide me with an updated link?

[former_member198942]

Susan

I have passed my Certification C_TPLM40_65 long back and yet the certificate hasn't been delivered. My Certificate id : S0008628869. Please let me know by when will I be receiving my Certificate from SAP. I had given my Exam thru Pearson VUE. The contact details and phone number are true and correct to the best of my knowledge.

Regards

Murad

[Former Member]

Hi Katrin,

Thanks for your guidance ! Really , I appreciate this.This is a valuable article.

BR,

Nitin

[Former Member]

Hi Vaggelis

you can find all you need to know here

https://training.sap.com/v2/certification/c_tb1200_90-sap-certified-application-associate--sap-busin...

Best regards

Sue

[Former Member]

Hello Susan ,

Its really a great information you have shared thankyou veryu much for your kindness.

YR

[Former Member]

Hi Katrin

Thanks for the article, very relevant.

[gurucharanscm]

Hi, i would like to know if the training is mandatory for taking up the certification examination? Or is it so that there is a specific eligibility criteria defined - like, say - should have at least had one year implementation experience - sort of conditions for taking up the exams?

Kindly clarifty this. Thanks.

[Former Member]

Hi Katrin,

What is the process to become SAP Partner for an organisation? We have many technical resources in our organization and we are planning to do certification. Would it be helpful us to become SAP Partner for our organization automatically? or Do we need to follow any other process?

Thanks

Nagabhushanam G

[Former Member]

Thanks a lot for this very helpful article

[Former Member]

Everyone,

if Certification exam is based on prescribed course content distributed while attending the training .

Here I am talking about the same version which has been evolved. Example - BPC 10, current actual product screens elements are different than in the original course material. 

I mean course content is prepared and printed while a SAP product is launched. If the same course content is relevant  for certification after 1 or 2 years. In Due time, As the product may have evolved with addition of new enhancements and product bug fixes with new SP and patches.

So the certification questions cover only the actual course content , will the new enhancements/SP/patches wont cover in certification exam?

Please clarify.

Regards

Veera Kommineni

[Former Member]

Hi Katrin,

Good document for fresher. see lot of posting on certification.Hope your document will give a brief idea.

Thanks

Sukant Chakraborthy

[Former Member]

Hi All ,

Can any body suggest me to exam code which i need to take up as i have register for the course ( SOL CONS SCM - PROCUREMENT  i2010 - MM)

Regards

Nischith Ramesh

[Former Member]

Hi caroline

• 1 year of SAP Implementation Experience in module specific.
• 1 year in present employer and the employer must be SAP CUSTOMER or PARTNER.
• You need SAP service market place ID given by present employer.
• your updated profile.
• sample profile should contains the bellow information.

1. To appear for Associate level certification without attending any SAP Education course or training you need Minimum 1 year of SAP Implementation Experience or 2 years of Support experience with minimum of 6 months experience in the module and version in which you wish to take up certification.

To appear for Professional level certification without attending any SAP course you need Minimum to 3 - 7 years of SAP Implementation Experience with minimum of 6 months experience in the module and version in which you wish to take up certification.

2. The last 1 year should be with your present employer.

3. Your present employer should be a CUSTOMER or PARTNER of SAP India Pvt Ltd

If you fulfill the above criteria please send your updated project profile as per the attached format to tulasi.ram@sap.com or education@sap.com for direct certification evaluation. On establishing your eligibility they will guide you through the process of registration.

Please send in your profile once you are ready to appear for the certification as the certification approval mail is Valid for 2 MONTHS only you are requested to complete your certification within the given time frame.

Evaluation of profile will take minimum 3 - 7 working days.

Please visit the webpage https://training.sap.com/ for available certification details.

Please note no assistance with regard to study material/questionnaire is provided for direct certification. Study material is offered only with training and not as a standalone component.

Certification fee for Associate level will be INR 39,326/- and for professional level the fee will be INR 56,180/- inclusive of current taxes applicable. Please note the price is subject to change as per SAP policy in a timely manner.

Clarifications required by SAP on the profile should be adhered to without which evaluation will not be done.

Please update your profiles at the first instance. If SAP does NOT approve the profile on the basis of incorrect or incomplete information, you will not be allowed to update your profiles or re-apply for direct certification for the next 6 months.

Once profile is approved, the same will not be re-validated. Re-validation of profile will take please once in six months.

Certification dates are not pre-scheduled & will be shared only on approval on receipt of documents for registration. If your profile is approved for direct certification, documents required for registration will be shared on the same approval mail.

Feel free to mail back in case of further clarifications.

Note: Pearson VUE in India is authorized to offer only A1 and B1 certifications. All other certifications are offered by SAP India. To know morehttp://www.pearsonvue.com/sap/ but you have to get your profile approved by SAP Education before you can appear in Pearson VUE.

Who Can Be SAP Certified? At What Levels? And At What Focus Areas?

SAP announced three levels of certification:

1. Associate,
2. Professional and
3. Master.

Currently the associate level and professional level exams are available. The master level is still in development.

Associate “This certification covers the fundamental knowledge requirements for an SAP consultant ensuring the successful acquisition of broad SAP solution knowledge and skills.”

Professional “This advanced certification requires proven project experience, business process knowledge, and a more detailed understanding of SAP solutions.”

Master “This certification, under development, involves demonstrating an expert-level understanding of a specific area of SAP software and the ability to drive innovation and solution optimization through in-depth knowledge and vision. Certification at this level requires broad project experience, comprehensive SAP product knowledge, and the ability to create a future IT vision within complex project environments.”

The Associate level exams test book knowledge. In most cases, this level does not require SAP implementation experience in order to pass the exams. Questions on the Professional level exams are designed to test the SAP experience of the test taker.

SAP takes care to point out that you don’t need to pass the Associate level exam before sitting for the Professional level exam. So you get to select which level you think you are qualified for and take that exam.

Thanks mohana.

Know More at SAP site : https://training.sap.com/in/en/training-options/certification

[Former Member]

Very helpful for al fresh implementers

[Former Member]

Thanks a lot for the detailed info

[Former Member]

thanks for the blog mohana

[Former Member]

Can anybody clarify my query.

I am an ex-SAP employee with SAP Certification starting with "i" user and not "S" user. I don't remember my password and if i try to reset it goes to my sap email id, which is not valid anymore. I came to know that i can apply for exam directly through pearsonvue as I am currently working in Middle East. I tried contacting Education.Mena@sap.com, but they didn't respond to my query clearly. Instead, they just gave the website of Pearsonvue. Can I directly apply through pearsonvue and write my exam with my "i" user or should i convert my "i" user SAP certification to "S" user and then only allowed to write my exam? For information, i have already updated the correct details in the pearsonvue login a/c. I hope that will suffice.

Your suggestions are appreciated.

[debabrata_dash]

Hi Katrin,

Iam trying to book a exam slot through Pearson VUE but its saying that my SAP user ID is invalid whereas i do have a valid user ID .(My user ID-S00024955)

Kindly help me out.

[Former Member]

Hi Avinash,

From where u took training for your certification ? did u opted for ILT or OLT ?

Regards

R.K.