Python is a vast language that can possibly be used in so many domains, be it software engineering, data science and machine learning, web scraping and automation, web development, and whatnot! It comes with a vast set of frameworks, tools, and a huge community of developers contributing to the language to make it more robust. Due to so many types of uses of this language, it has become the most loved language today and is currently just a little behind JavaScript in popularity.
If you are a Python developer or want to grow your skillset in this language to land a high-paying job, the next thing that comes after mastering this is acquiring certifications from reputed institutions. And there are many authentic certification exams for Python, which you can attempt and get a certificate after successfully passing that exam.
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Best Python Certification Exams
Certificates not only demonstrate that you have a good grasp of the subject but also help organizations verify and build confidence in your ability to carry out the job and make you more likely to be hired than someone without recognized certifications. Today we are going to discuss the top Python certifications exams that you can go ahead with to improve your probability to land a higher-paying job.
1. Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer (PCEP)
This is a professional certificate that verifies your skills in carrying out technical tasks or coding in the Python programming language. There are no prerequisites for this Python certification and tests you in areas like the fundamental concepts of computer programming. This Python Certification exam includes questions about the working of computers, program execution, how is a programming language defined or how is it constructed, key differences between interpreted languages and compiled languages, and differences between various versions of Python. It not only covers the basic concepts like formatting data or how is data outputted in Python and arithmetic operators but topics like definition, usage, and purpose of functions.
This Python Certification Exam tests you on pointers and specific information like the relationships and bindings between numerical operators, variables and their naming conventions, expressions, and data conversion. It also assesses you on control statements like loops (for and while) and if-else, controlling the behaviors of these control execution using break and continue keywords, list slicing, multi-dimensional lists, scoping mechanisms, tuples, and dictionaries.
Details
- Exam Level: Entry
- Prerequisites: None
- Exam Code: PCEP-30-01
- Duration of test: 45 minutes (exam). Additional 5 minutes for a non-disclosure agreement.
- Number of questions: 30
- Passing score: 70% of the total score
- Language: English
- Exam Price: 59 USD
- Format of questions: MCQs, Fill blanks, Drag and Drop
2. Certified Associate in Python Programmer (PCAP)
This professional Python certification exam builds upon the PCEP certificate and additionally tests your practical and coding skills in carrying out basic technical tasks in Python programming language and the fundamentals of Object-Oriented Design (OOPs). The exam for this certificate includes all concepts that are present in Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer along with Python modules and topics associated with them like imports, shared modules, module functions, how are modules combined to make packages, exceptional handling in Python, how Python implements it, try-except instructions, raise instruction, strings in Python and related methods and how are they similar or different than lists.
Coming on to topics for Object-Oriented Programming, questions include differences between classical and this approach, and pillars of OOP which include abstraction, inheritance, polymorphism, and encapsulation. A few higher-level topics include Python generators and closures, which test the ability of Python programmers to deal with creating, reading, and writing files.
Details:
- Exam Level: Associate
- Prerequisites: None
- Exam Code: PCAP-31-02
- Duration of test: 65 minutes (exam). Additional 10 minutes for a non-disclosure agreement.
- Number of questions: 40
- Passing score: 70% of the total score
- Language: English
- Exam Price: 295 USD
- Format of questions: MCQs
3. Certified Professional in Python Programming 1 (PCPP 1)
This Python certification Exam can be broken down into 5 exam blocks.
The first block carries a weightage of 25% and is based on the advanced perception of Python classes and OOPs. It includes classes, methods, instances and attributes, inheritance, polymorphism, subclassing, serialization of objects, making objects persistent, and metaprogramming concepts like decorators and metaclasses.
The second block carries a weightage of 15% and consists of Python Enhancement Proposals (PEP), coding conventions to be followed in Python, and important PEPs which should be to be adhered to.
The third block tests knowledge of GUI Python programming with topics like event-driven programming, toolkits, Tkinter, pygame, etc, and has a 20% weightage.
The fourth exam block again has a weightage of 20% and has topics on network programming. This block is said to be hard as it covers advanced topics like sockets, REST, client-server communication, testing, CRUD, etc.
The final block has a weightage of over 20% and assesses your knowledge of processing files (with modules like sqlite3, XML, logging, CSV, and configparser) and communicating with a program’s environment (datetime, io, time, os).
Details:
- Exam Level: Professional
- Prerequisites: PCAP
- Exam Code: PCPP-32-101
- Duration of test: 65 minutes (exam). Additional 10 minutes for a non-disclosure agreement.
- Number of questions: 40
- Passing score: 70% of the total score
- Language: English
- Exam Price: 195 USD
- Format of questions: MCQs, Fill blanks, Drag and Drop
4. Certified Professional in Python Programming 2 (PCPP 2)
This Python Certification Exam is an extension to the PCPP 1 and includes Python concepts in creating and distributing packages, design patterns, interprocess communications, network programming, and Python-MySQL database access. Some topics from the aforementioned concepts are sharing, storing, and installing packages, testing using(unittest and Pytest), design patterns like Singleton, Proxy, Façade, Observer, Command, etc., multiprocessing, threading, subprocesses, synchronization, sockets, relational databases, MySQL and CRUD applications.
This certification includes a huge set of advanced topics and therefore you need to be thoroughly prepared. This is the final certification after which you will be recognized as an expert in the Python programming language.
Details:
- Exam Level: Professional
- Prerequisites: PCPP-1
- Exam Code: PCPP-32-201
- Duration of test: 65 minutes (exam). Additional 10 minutes for a non-disclosure agreement.
- Number of questions: 40
- Passing score: 70% of the total score
- Language: English
- Exam Price: 195 USD
- Format of questions: MCQs, Fill blanks, Drag and Drop
5. Certified Expert in Python Programming (CEPP)
Any candidate who manages to successfully complete the OpenEDG Python Institute general Programming certification program which includes PCAP, and PCPP (both 1 and 2) exams is known as the OpenEDG Python Institute Certified Expert in Python Programming (CEPP). This certification is widely recognized as having tremendous value in one’s Python career. Anyone who earns this certification is proven to be an expert in Python programming language with mastery of Python-related technologies, including core and advanced concepts.
These were the top Python certification exams you can go for as they will have a huge impact on your career and will open a dozen opportunities in Python-related jobs!
Conclusion
If you have any certification, then it is easy for organizations and interviewers to believe that you have a good grasp of that subject. Python is one of the fastest-growing programming languages and is used in several domains such as web development, data analytics, data science, machine learning, etc. Having a Python Certification will definitely give you an upper edge over other candidates in interviews and selection preferences. We have discussed Top Python Certification exams, which involve both beginners and advanced levels that you should try to clear. If you want to be a Python developer then these exams are a reality check for you as well, whether you actually know about the subject or not.
FAQs on Python Certification Exam
1. What are the top Python Certification Exams?
These are some of the best Python Certification Exams
1. Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer (PCEP)
2. Certified Associate in Python Programmer (PCAP)
3. Certified Professional in Python Programming 1 (PCPP 1)
4. Certified Professional in Python Programming 2 (PCPP 2)
5. Certified Expert in Python Programming (CEPP)
2. Is there any Python certification exam?
Yes, there are exams to get Python Certification, such as PCAP, PCAT, PCAD, PCPP1, and/or PCPP2 exams, and once a candidate successfully clears any exam, he will be awarded a certification, issued by the Python Institute.
3. What is the hardest Python certification?
CEPP- Certified Expert in Python Programming is considered one of the hardest exams of Python Certifications to crack and it represents the most advanced Python Certification Exam.
