For Drupal professionals, earning an Acquia Certified Drupal Developer credential is more than just a resume booster—it's a strategic move to enhance career growth, establish credibility, and deepen technical expertise. Whether you're an aspiring developer or a seasoned expert, certification is a structured validation of your skills, helping you stand out in the competitive Drupal ecosystem.
In this overview, we'll explore the Acquia certification process, its value, and how to prepare effectively using resources like the WebFirst Acquia Certification Study Guide, a modern successor to the well-regarded WidgetBurritos Drupal study guide.
Different Types of Drupal Certifications Available
Acquia offers several certifications tailored to different skill sets within Drupal:
- Drupal Site Builder: Focuses on configuring and managing Drupal sites without custom code.
- Drupal Developer: Covers module development, APIs, and best practices for building robust Drupal applications.
- Front End Specialist: Examines theming, Twig, and the Drupal rendering system expertise.
- Back End Specialist: Evaluates knowledge of Drupal's back-end architecture, performance tuning, and security.
- Acquia Cloud & Site Factory Certifications: Geared towards professionals managing Acquia's hosting solutions.
Most developers start with the Acquia Certified Drupal Developer Certification, while others focus on the site-building aspects of Drupal or Acquia Products. Choosing the proper certification depends on your current role, expertise, and career aspirations.
Prerequisites for Acquia Certification: What You Need to Know
Before pursuing Acquia Certification, candidates should have hands-on Drupal experience and familiarity with best practices. Exams are multiple-choice, timed, and taken online under proctored conditions. The required background knowledge varies by certification type:
🛠 Site Builder Certification (6+ months experience)
- Proficiency in Drupal's admin UI, Views, content types, and user roles
- Knowledge of configuration management and contributed modules like Webform & Pathauto.
👨💻 Developer Certification (1-2 years experience)
- Strong PHP and Symfony skills with experience in custom module development
- Understanding of Drupal APIs, Hooks, Services, and Composer
🎨 Front-End Specialist
- Proficiency in Twig, CSS (SASS/SCSS), JavaScript, and render pipeline
- Experience in custom theming and accessibility best practices
⚙️ Back-End Specialist (2+ years experience)
- Deep knowledge of Drupal's Entity API, caching, and performance tuning
- Experience with database schema, custom queries, and third-party API integration
Additional Key Technologies to Learn
You should actively use these in your development and be comfortable using them. You should also be comfortable working from the command line. If you haven't already, start practicing using it in place of your preferred GUI.
- Drush for CLI-based tasks
- Git & Composer for version control and dependency management
- PHPUnit for testing
- Basic Linux commands for server management
How to Know If You're Ready?
Remember, the exams are attempting to measure your ability to be productive in real-world Drupal projects. Questions often ask scenario-based questions that test your depth of understanding of how things are interconnected. Knowing the systems without knowing how they are used together will not be enough for some questions. Here are suggestions to prepare.
- Work on real-world Drupal projects to reinforce knowledge.
- Review Acquia's study guide for your chosen exam.
- Take practice quizzes. Acquia Academy and WebFirst Study Guide offer self-assessments.
- Engage with the Drupal community to stay updated.
By mastering these core skills, you can confidently pursue Acquia certification and take your Drupal expertise to the next level!
The Value of Being Acquia Certified
Market Demand for Certified Drupal Developers
The demand for skilled Drupal developers remains strong, especially in enterprise and government sectors where Drupal powers high-traffic websites. Acquia certifications help professionals validate their expertise, making them stand out in a crowded job market.
Increase in Earning Potential
Certified developers often earn higher salaries than their non-certified peers. Many agencies and organizations prefer hiring certified professionals, making the certification a valuable investment in long-term career growth.
Cost of Certification
The cost of Acquia certification exams typically ranges between $150 and $350, depending on the level and type of exam. Acquia occasionally offers discounts and vouchers at DrupalCon and through agency partnerships. Some organizations even cover the cost of certification as part of employee development programs.
History of the WidgetBurritos Drupal Study Guide
The WidgetBurritos Drupal study guide was a widely used resource among Drupal developers preparing for Acquia certification. It provided structured study materials, practice questions, and documentation links to help learners grasp key concepts.
While WidgetBurritos' guide has become outdated, its approach inspired modern study resources, including the WebFirst Acquia Certification Study Guide, which offers updated content tailored to the latest Drupal certification exams.
Introducing the WebFirst Acquia Certification Study Guide
A Spiritual Successor
In preparing for internal training for our team at WebFirst, several senior members shared how they had passed their Acquia certifications. One resource came up over and over: WidgetBurrito's study guide. After revisiting the repo, we realized the work had fallen behind, was outdated, and was eventually archived on GitHub. It had 'good bones' and was a proven resource. The guide inspired our team to breathe new life into it and refresh it for Drupal 10's certification needs. The WebFirst Acquia Certification Study Guide builds on the strengths of the WidgetBurritos guide by offering:
- Up-to-date study material aligned with Acquia's latest certification exams.
- A structured approach covering all major exam topics.
- Links to official documentation and additional learning resources.
- Interactive learning opportunities with quizzes and self-evaluation questions.
How to Use the WebFirst Study Guide
- Identify the Certification You Want to Pursue: Assess your experience level and choose between Site Builder, Developer, Front-end, or Back-end Specialist exams.
- Follow the Study Plan: Each section of the guide maps to specific certification topics, allowing for targeted studying.
- Engage with Hands-on Learning: Work through practical exercises to reinforce theoretical knowledge.
- Take Practice Quizzes: Use built-in self-assessment questions to gauge exam readiness.
- Review Key Documentation: Follow links to http://Drupal.org and official Acquia study materials for deeper learning.
Future Roadmap for the Guide
WebFirst plans to continue enhancing the study guide with:
- Drupal 11 certification content as the platform evolves.
- More quiz questions and self-evaluation tools are needed to simulate the exam experience better.
- Expanded training materials for each section, ensuring developers have access to a rich learning experience.
Other Recommended Resources for Acquia Certification
Aside from the WebFirst Study Guide, the following resources can help developers prepare for their certification exams:
- Drupal.org Documentation - Comprehensive reference on Drupal APIs, best practices, and site-building techniques.
- Acquia Academy - Free courses for Acquia customers and partners covering Acquia's ecosystem.
- Drupalize.me - Paid video tutorials covering various aspects of Drupal development.
- Talking Drupal Podcast (Episode #450) - A deep dive into certification prep featuring industry experts.
- Debug Academy - Offers live courses and training specifically for Acquia certification preparation.
Is Acquia Certification Worth It?
Acquia certification is a worthwhile investment for Drupal professionals looking to validate expertise, boost career prospects, and increase earning potential. While it requires time and effort, the tangible and intangible benefits far outweigh the costs.
The WebFirst Acquia Certification Study Guide is an excellent starting point for anyone preparing for certification. With structured study materials, self-evaluations, and future expansion plans, it's designed to be the go-to resource for developers looking to pass their Acquia exams confidently.
