SAP Certification for Partners: An Overview of the Latest Changes - Including Q&A

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On March 19, Suzanne Heiob, SAP Certification Product Management, and Axel Meinke, Partner Enablement Manager MEE, invited SAP partners to provide information on the latest updates in the SAP certification program. The German session offered insights into the transformation of the certification program and introduced a range of updates. It also provided space for questions and discussion. To help you as partners prepare for the new requirements, here is a focused summary of the webinar content and related questions from the Q&A.

What's New in the SAP Certification Program?

A key change in the certification program is the focus on role-based certifications. The goal is to align the skills of SAP partners precisely with practical requirements. The new certifications cover critical roles such as Enterprise Architects and Implementation Consultants, which were not sufficiently represented in the past due to the strong product focus. In addition, certifications that are no longer relevant have been removed from the portfolio to focus on supporting cloud deployments and S/4HANA transformations.

Additional Certification Requirements for SAP Partners

By July 2025, all partner resources in key roles – enterprise architects, developers, business transformation management consultants, project managers involved in RISE with SAP projects – must have a valid SAP certification. By the end of 2025, it is expected that 50% of relevant partner practitioners will hold at least one valid certification in the SAP solution portfolio. Overall, this means that SAP partners will need to continuously update and expand their skills.

The 'Get- and Stay-Certified' Model

Starting April 2024, certifications will need to be renewed annually through a ‘Stay-Certified’ assessment. This short quiz generally requires up to two hours of learning effort, lasts 20–30 minutes, and extends the certification by 12 months. This is particularly important for those who wish to retain their certifications after March 31, 2025, as without taking such an assessment, the certification status will expire.

Continuous proof of knowledge ensures that experts are always up to date with SAP innovations. This secures both the quality of SAP projects and individual competitiveness in the job market. To make this visible, there are digital badges available for both completing certifications and completing Learning Journeys (including a short self-test). These badges can be shared on LinkedIn or viewed on Credly.

SAP Universal ID: Simplified Certification Transfer

An important innovation is the introduction of the SAP Universal ID. This ID is a lifelong personal identifier that facilitates the management of certifications across different employers. At least two different email addresses, including a private one, must be linked to activate the Universal ID. This ensures that access to the ID remains even when switching companies.

SAP Learning Hub and Certification

A subscription to SAP Learning Hub includes access to all SAP learning materials and four certification attempts per year. The costs for the initial certification and the 'Stay Certified' assessments are included in the SAP Learning Hub subscription. A certification remains valid for 12 months as long as regular assessments are passed. Re-certification does not require a certification voucher and can be attempted an unlimited number of times.

Live sessions in SAP Learning Hub are particularly helpful for exam preparation, such as the 'Structured Guided Learning' or 'Stay Certified' formats. Furthermore, you gain access to pre-configured training systems for practical exercises. With a subscription to SAP Learning Hub, you are well equipped: You have the flexibility to design your learning times individually, prepare for exams, and take them. This combination of independent learning, practical exercise opportunities in test environments, and interactive sessions ensures that you are optimally prepared for your certifications.

The Learning Hub Adoption Dashboard is also a valuable tool that allows learning managers to monitor and manage the certification transformation within the company. Here you can view relevant information about the learning and certification status of your employees and coordinate necessary steps to secure certification status before the deadline.

Q&A from the Session (originially in German, translated below)

Universal ID
I have a question about the Universal ID. Why do I need to link two email addresses? And why must the two email addresses have different domains? This results in needing to link a private email address for everyone requiring a Universal SAP ID.	The purpose of the second email is for recovery, in case you lose your access credentials. It's recommended to use a private email as a recovery option because the UID accompanies you throughout your career (unlike the old user model where S-Users, for example, belonged to the employer).
If you're experiencing the error: "Can't see your certifications? Your emails linked to SAP Universal ID are not verified.” How can you verify your email if it has been the associated email for years?	You should have received a verification email to the corresponding address. If it's not there, please check your spam folder.
Certification
Where can I find an overview of which certifications already exist in my company?	If you're a Learning Manager, you can request the reporter role for the Learning Hub Dashboard by submitting a ticket. You'll find an overview of your certified consultants under Certifications (provided the learners have a license for SAP Learning Hub).
I have certifications under different S-User/C-User accounts. What do I need to do to transfer these certifications to the new UID?	You need to generate the UID and add the certified S-/P-Users (simple context menu – "Add User" in the process).
Do certifications obtained without LH not count for the company?	They do count – you can also directly purchase certification attempts. Re-certification is only possible via SAP LH.
Is there an overview of certifications available without Learning Hub access?	You can find an overview of all certifications here: https://learning.sap.com/certifications?page=1. The overview of your certified learners, regardless of SAP Learning Hub licenses, can also be found in SAP for Me.
Can a certification completed in 2022 on an old Universal ID (with a previous employer) be transferred to a new one, and if so, how?	The UID does not belong to an employer like the user in the old model but is personal to you. In your case, you simply need to add the S-User ID of your new employer to your existing UID.
It has recently been communicated that special certification requirements are being imposed on SAP partners. What (type) of certifications are specifically needed? Are there must-have certifications?	For partners, certifications listed in the Partner Competency Framework are particularly relevant: https://partneredge.sap.com/en/partnership/manage/competency/requirements.html
What does the status "certified stay" “completed” and “in progress” mean?	The status "completed" does not exist. We have on SAP Learning the status "up to date" when someone is valid with their current certification and the due date is a long time away. Then there is "Stay certified due", when the due date is within the next two weeks.
Currently, it's still possible to purchase certification attempts separately without LH. At the end of last year, SAP communicated frequently that a license for SAP Learning Hub will soon be mandatory and that certifications cannot be acquired mid-term without Learning Hub. Is there a clear, definitive statement from SAP on this matter? Can certification attempts still be purchased separately without a license for SAP Learning Hub?	"Stay certified": this requires a valid SAP Learning Hub subscription. "Stay Certified": this requires a valid SAP Learning Hub subscription. There is a separate package with 2 standalone certification attempts. These attempts can only be used for the initial certification. Delays for extending validity must subsequently be completed through LH; therefore, LH is necessary long-term to remain certified.
Is there an overview listing which certifications bring how many points towards partner status? How do we know which certifications will be retired and which will remain?	The Partner Competency Framework can be found here: https://partneredge.sap.com/en/partnership/manage/competency/requirements.html The list of all certifications can be found here: https://learning.sap.com/certifications?page=1. Any certifications not listed there have already been retired.
If the exam for re-certification is not completed by March 31, 2025, can the exam still be taken later?	Yes, but you lose your status and are no longer certified until you pass the new exam. Instead of simply taking the shorter re-certification test, you need to get fully certified again.
The News Alert states "By July this year, all partner resources in key roles – such as enterprise architects, developers, business transformations management consultants, and project managers involved in RISE with SAP projects – must have a valid SAP certification." Which certifications are specifically meant here?	You can find an overview of the necessary training and certifications for GROW and RISE in the following link: https://partneredge.sap.com/en/partnership/manage/competency/requirements.html
Is the competency relevance of a certificate visible only in the Learning Hub Adoption Dashboard or is this overview available outside of this dashboard?	The Partner Competency Framework can also be found here: https://partneredge.sap.com/en/partnership/manage/competency.html
Can we use certifications from our external consultants? Even if they are not employed by us?	Once the external consultant receives an S-User from your company and links this S-User to their SAP Universal ID, this certification will also be counted for your company.
How is the certification status of consultants in projects verified?	Via the Digital Badge, which indicates whether a consultant is still validly certified.
What does the status "Completed" mean in SAP for me?	Someone has completed the stay certified assessment and extended their certification.
What does "Stay certified" = "In Progress" mean?	This means that the learner has created a Universal ID but has yet to pass an assessment.
Are there new or additional certifications for authorization consultants planned?	Currently, no new certification is planned. Here is the portal to check if there is a successor for a specific certification: https://www.sap.com/certificationfinder
Learning Manager
How do I become a Learning Manager or nominate others?	Initially in the contract – for further nominations, information can be found here: https://partneredge.sap.com/en/partnership/manage/training/certified.html
What resources are available for Learning Managers?	The Learning Manager Hub (https://partneredge.sap.com/en/partnership/manage/training/certified.html)in the Partner Portal provides Q&A, email templates, and other helpful resources.
SAP Learning Hub
When I want to log in to the Learning Hub via web, I receive the message "HTTP Status 400 – Bad Request." Is there a new link for this? (https://learninghub.sap.com/login)	https://learninghub.sap.com is the official page for the SAP Learning Hub. Issues might also be browser-related. Try using a different browser in case of problems.
I want to know how I can obtain the "Learning Manager" permission.	The "IT Contact Person" automatically gains access to the Learning Analytics Dashboard for all learners. When purchasing, you can request admin authorization for additional users via ticket.
Learning.sap.com
Why are there now two pages: Learning.sap.com and Learninghub.sap.com? Will they be merged in the future?	That is the long-term plan. Unfortunately, in the ongoing operation, this can only be gradually adjusted, including the information from training.sap.com that is also being migrated. The goal is to have everything on learning.sap.com. For example, openSAP courses, certification information, and more have already been migrated there. It is increasingly becoming the single point of access, where some content or features, such as re-certification or hands-on systems, live sessions, are only accessible through the Learning Hub subscription.

Additional Resources

You can find more information and details on the topic at the following addresses – feel free to browse:

• German materials from the session can be found here: Recording & Slides
• SAP Learning Hub – Overview of the Learning Platform
• Overview of all SAP certifications
• SAP Certification Finder: Find the right certification for your needs
• SAP Certification on learning.sap.com: Your central entry point
• Partner Competency Framework: All requirements for SAP partners
• Stay updated on training and certification with the SAP Learning Newsletter (German version here)!

Do you have questions? Feel free to leave them in the comments!