SAP Certification

SAP is the industry leading ERP software and to get certified from SAP as a Consultant or an Associate is highly desirable. This article explores facts about SAP certification and gives you a clear picture on what it involves and what it fetches you.

What is SAP Certification

There are many forms of certification from SAP ( Like Vendor Certification, product certification ), but for the purposes of this article we will explore more about Consultant ( now split into Associate and Professional Certification ) certification.

Recommended Exam Topics

SAP recommends topics for weightage for each of the exams that it conducts. An example of can be obtained here. You can also find the exam pattern ( number of questions, weightage, time etc ), locations, requirements etc at this location.

Where do I take the test

You can take the SAP Certification test at any of the authorized testing centers ( Pearson Vue , Prometric, etc ). Please visit SAP education website by country to learn more. When applying for Pearson, you will be asked for an id ( called s-id ). You can call SAP and ask for the same. A number will be dispatched to you by snail mail from Germany within a couple of days if you are in the US. You can use this number to apply for certification at Pearson.

Which Certification exam should I take?

SAP has provided an easy SAP Certification finder tool (provided at the bottom ) where you can filter out the certification exams based on a number of criteria like the product you are writing the certification for, the type of certification and by the type of solution. If you are already training with an SAP Academy they will guide you. Otherwise, you can call up the SAP education services to learn more.

Cost of SAP Certification

SAP certification costs money ( around $ 500 ). If you are new to SAP add additional training costs, traveling costs( to attend the SAP academy), hotel costs etc. If you have already been working as an SAP consultant in the US there are ways you can avoid going to the training without even showing work experience. In countries like India, it is currently mandatory to go through SAP academy training to just qualify for SAP training ( once again if you show relevant work experience you are waived from this requirement ).

Types of SAP Certification

SAP currently offers two types of SAP Certification with the third one being under development.

1. Associate Certification

2. Professional Certification

Professional certification is the more advanced among the two. All of these certifications will be held on the latest product versions and any older style certificates will still hold their value depending on their validity.

Word of Caution

Please do not consider SAP Certification as your license to get rich. In spite of its merits, nothing beats

1. Quality Training

2. Project Experience.

Employers typically look at a combination of interview results, extensive project experience, referrals and certification in that order of priority. Certification alone will definitely not fetch you a job, but in conjunction with these other factors, a certified consultant will definitely be given a priority all else being equal.

Resources:

SAP Certification Finder

Sample Certification Questions