Demystifying the API Engineer Certification Exam  

The API Certified Professional page describes Apigee's API Engineer Certification. It gives an overview of the test and the topics you should know to pass the test. However, that page doesn't go into too much detail about the test process itself.

This article gives details about my experience with the testing process, but not about the specific topics on the test. I took the online-proctored version of the test, not at a testing center, so my description below focuses on that.

The current certification exam has 110 questions, mostly multiple-choice single-answer, with some multiple-choice, multiple-answer questions. The exam must be completed in 120 minutes, and you must get 70% correct to pass.

The online exam software allows you to mark questions for revisiting later during the exam. It also allows notes to be taken in a text box below each question, which will be available if you return to the question. I recommend providing an answer for each question during the first pass even if you are guessing and marking the question as not completed, so that there is a chance to receive points if you have no time to return to the question. There is no penalty for guessing. I also frequently used the text box to keep notes of decisions I had already made so that it would take less time when I revisited the question.

No notes, phones, watches, web access, pen/paper or aids of any kind are allowed. I forgot to remove my watch, and the proctor stopped the test and asked me to remove it. If you are not taking the test at a testing center, you will be monitored with your computer's camera and microphone. However you take the test, you will not be allowed to get up, pause the test, or talk to anyone during the test, and failure to follow these rules may result in the test being invalidated. This includes leaving for any reason, including using the restroom -- there are no exceptions to this rule, so plan ahead! I recommend you find a quiet place to take the test. Make sure you are ready and have the time to spend two-plus hours at your computer without interruption.

Note: If you do not pass the test on the first attempt, you will need to wait 7 days before attempting the test again. If you do not pass on the second attempt, you will need to wait a year before retrying.

Successful completion of the test will grant you an Apigee Certified Professional API Engineer Certification that is valid for two years from the date of certification. You will receive a certification badge like this one that you can share on LinkedIn or wherever you'd like:

Hope this article helps demystify the exam!