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Can someone get certified in C++? Are there certification programs you recommend?

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You get certified by explaining during the interview how you invoked UB and lived to tell the tale. – Hans Passant Feb 4 '11 at 22:53

migrated from stackoverflow.com Feb 4 '11 at 21:07

closed as not constructive by Yannis Rizos♦ Feb 10 '12 at 8:44

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11 Answers

up vote 21 down vote

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Certification is a scam.

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not always,for example,Sun certification (now controlled by Oracle) was pretty decent,and I think it still is – Mahmoud Hossam Feb 4 '11 at 21:27
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@Phobia Training may be useful, but certification is a scam. – Matthew Read Feb 4 '11 at 21:41
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@Phobia: When looking for new hires, in general, I've found that individuals with a certification for anything have bigger egos yet do a poorer job than individuals with no certifications. – BlueRaja - Danny Pflughoeft Feb 4 '11 at 22:34
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certification should be a morale boost and a way to get past the HR drone,nothing more,you'e talking about people who abuse certification,and I don't think that applies to EVERYBODY who's certified – Mahmoud Hossam Feb 4 '11 at 22:44
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+1 Certification - Proof that you were taught something and you managed to pass the final exam. It does not prove you actually know how to apply the knowledge you've learnt(if at all). Most certifications are decent, but the people who get "certified" are mostly conmen - and hence, certification is a scam(for most) :) – yati sagade Nov 12 '11 at 8:55
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up vote 11 down vote

From Stroustrup's FAQ:

To the best of my knowledge, there isn't a good certification program for C++ programmers. That's a pity. A good certification program would be most useful. However, C++ lacks the central organization that would produce a solid certification program, and a certification program without authority or that focused on syntax would be worse than useless.

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up vote 8 down vote

Technically, yes, there are tests (like this one), but really, if you passed it what would it prove? That you had $15 to blow and could answer some questions. It doens't mean you're a good developer. Stay away from trying to get meaningless certifications and focus on getting real-world development experience.

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up vote 7 down vote

I believe certification doesn't prove anything. Learn C++, and prove yourself.

Here is a list of really really good books:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/388242/the-definitive-c-book-guide-and-list

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Unfortunately much of the corporate world disagrees with you – Chris Thompson Feb 4 '11 at 21:08
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@Chris pretty much, the more letters you can add to your name the better off you are in the real world. – Woot4Moo Feb 4 '11 at 21:09
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much of the HR people would disagree with you. – Muad'Dib Feb 4 '11 at 21:14
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This may be your opinion but I can't see how it helps answer the original question. – Charles Bailey Feb 4 '11 at 21:14
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Nowhere did he ask how to get good/better at C++ or did I miss something? I would assume that he know something (or thinks so) since he is basically looking for a way to prove his knowledge (eventhough improving knowledge might be a better idea than proving it :)) – Palmik Feb 4 '11 at 22:47
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up vote 5 down vote

Brainbench is one. IKM is another. But I wouldn't consider them more valuable than toilet paper. But many companies value them quite heavily.

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There are Brainbench question banks all over the net. – Jim In Texas Feb 21 at 6:45
up vote 3 down vote

I've never heard of a meaningful C++ cert. Nor have I seen development positions that required a C++ certification. Ever. I've seen one (1) job wanting a MS cert. I've looked at hundreds of dev positions in the past 4 years... certs are just not mentioned in general.I don't look at Java jobs; possibly they want certs.

Looking at the hot tech companies, they want a BS+ in CS and experience in a given area.

If you want to get good at C++, write high-quality C++ code using high class techniques, and either get paid for it or open source it. Either are a far better demo of skills than getting a cert.

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up vote 3 down vote

Qt's Qualified with C++ in Qt covers quite a lot of stuff (I can not tell you more than you can read from the curriculum since I would break the NDA). Of course it can not substitute for real world experience and/or CS degree (of course) but I still think it might be good to have something like this on your resume.

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up vote 2 down vote

The only thing I can think of for C++ right now is Microsoft Certification

yes,you learn C++/CLI,not standard C++,but it's the closest you get to a certification in C++

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up vote 2 down vote

A CS degree and/or experience in the real world C++ projects is worth more.

Real world experience is king (most employers would like junior developers to have a CS degree but as you get older more experience will offset that need).

At some point you will be asked to-do a technical screen before you get the job. This will be done by a real Engineer who knows C++ and he will not care one jot about any certification (only if you can answer the technical questions correctly).

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up vote 1 down vote

A number of professional development training organisations provide C++ training and will award a certificate. These have some value, but should be considered as part of a broader professional development programme covering broader aspects of software engineering.

In most cases, if you wanted ot work as a C++ developer, you would be expected to have a relevant academic background, typically t honors degree level in computer science, or software engineering or similar; but other disciplines may be approriate such as electronics engineering, mathematics or chemistry for example.

Selection of a suitable training organisation would depend on your location, (which your profile does not reveal), although distance learning is probably available.

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up vote 0 down vote

I have a Java certification and I'm also a CS student, now on my last academic semester.

I'd say I've learned about 40% of what I know about programming by reading cert manuals and 60% by working on student projects.

That said, I think Nokia's C++ Core Certification for Qt is valuable, due to the breadth of its curriculum, and I'm planning to get it.

I think the testimonials do a good job selling the thing, but what I want is something that proves that I studied C++ all the hours that I did.

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