Area Man Achieves Impossible: Gets 100% on ID ACE Exam
Our newbie InDesignSecrets contributor, James “The Intern” Fritz, sent a gleeful e-mail to David and I a few days ago about his results from the InDesign CS4 ACE Recertification exam:
I just took the test and got 100%.I think it was a great test. I really enjoyed it.
Hmm. I looked at the date of the e-mail: Nope, not April 1st. (April Fool’s Day, for our international readers … the day to play practical jokes on each other. Wondering … does “practical jokes” translate?)
As you may have read in earlier posts or heard in our podcasts, David and I managed the development of this test, all the questions and answers, for both the full certification exam and the CS4-focused recertification exam, which InDesign geeks who’ve passed the previous version’s full test must pass to remain certified.
I clearly remember when Adobe returned the exams to us for a final check, after we hadn’t looked at it for a month. I read over the questions and my heart clutched. Were we insane? These were tough questions! All were fair and accurate, no nitpicky things, but … still. I called David and he had the same reaction. When this test was released, were we going endure the wrath of thousands?
Fortunately, Adobe decided you only needed to answer 69% of the questions correctly to pass the test. That is a fair assessment. And anyone who scores above 85% has to be a stone-cold InDesign genius, we’re certain of it.
Then we received Fritz’s e-mail. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. David wrote him:
No way. 100%? That is beyond incredible. I want a photo of you holding your certificate with the percentage. We should post pictures of anyone who gets 100%. I’m serious that I think anyone over 75% is truly “expert” and I honestly don’t think I would get 100%, even after having seen and edited all the questions.
So, Fritz complied. He’s our first entry in our InDesign ACE Exam 100% Guru Club:
Are you as cynical as I am? 
Of course I had to zoom in to really see that score. Here’s a close-up, with a small amount of sharpening:
Fritz, once again, congratulations! Incredible. And if anyone else gets 100% on the InDesign CS4 ACE exam, please by all means send in a photo!
Congrats again, Fritz. However, AM, now that I look at your sharpened version (very CSI of you), I’m thinking that looks more like 109%. Hm…
Well done Fritz, fantastic for you.
Great job Fritz!
Don’t forget Fritz is also a master of Photoshop…
Seriously: congrats. That is amazing!
In recognition, I suggest that scoring 100% on the InDesign ACE be henceforth known as “a Fritz.”
I can’t wait to Fritz my ACE exam
Thanks for your kind words, but that score would not have been possible without everyone here at InDesignsecrets.
I want to thanks my parents,
my first grade teacher
the mailman
(orchestra music starting up)
I guess I have to go.
thanks again for everyones dedication to this site. It is only as strong as its users.
Congratulations Fritz, but I was not surprised. You’re an InDesign Guru!
I agree, it was a great test and really enjoyed the challenge. I got a 93% (Feb 26th).
Since I am “a Fritz”, does that mean I automatically get a 100% on my ACE exam?
Ahh, probably not.
Proud of you though!
Isn’t Fritz the same guy who aced the Sandee competition at the last InDesign Conference and won a copy of CS4? Knew all those ridiculous icons.
Well done
Yes, I was the one that knew all of the icons for the panels in ID at the InDesign Masters conference.
Congratulations Fritz.
This is phenomenal!!!
You gave me something to shoot for.
Congrats, Fritz! That’s something to celebrate!
WOW! , and to think it was Fritz that tested me for my talent application at C-2 I think if I’d known he was such a genius, I would been more nervous! Well done.
a humble InDesign newbie
So, Fritz, how do you like your stay here on Earth so far? Will you have many strange tales to bring back to your home planet? Will you pity us mere Earthlings — at least a little?
Nevertheless: My Kompliments & Kongratulations! Your fellow Vulcans must be proud of you!
*cough* GEEK *cough*
Well done!
No way is Fritz a Vulcan. Look at that grin. (Though I did notice his ears are strategically cropped out. So can’t discount that entirely.)
But I’m thinking a Betazoid (he was reading minds for the right answers — and look at those black irises) or maybe a Bynar.
Just checked with Wikipedia, yup, he’s a Bynar:
“The Bynars are a highly intelligent species who have become almost machine-like due to a constant connection with their homeworld Bynaus’s master computer.
“The Bynars are asexual beings roughly the size of regular Human adolescent. They have over-sized heads that accommodate large brains. The Bynar skin-tone is purplish in color. [Fritz must have used a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer on his pict --AM]
“The Bynars are an official member of the United Federation of Planets. Due to the Bynars’ total dependence on their master computer they have become so machine-like that their speech is essentially a form of binary code. Hive-like in nature, disconnecting a Bynar from the master computer or each other is near fatal. Due to this total interconnectivity, and their ability to speak in machine language, they are able to communicate at a rapid rate. [I have heard him speak at this rate, so can confirm. --AM] So fast in fact that they require the aid of data buffers to be built into their clothing. It should be noted that, not surprisingly, the Bynars are known throughout the Federation for their skill with computers.
“When a Bynar is born, a surgeon removes the infant’s parietal lobe and replaces it with a synaptic processor.”
Yep, case closed.
(All hail the Wikipedia page of every Star Trek race)
I am suprised no one thought of cylons.
So say we all.
CAN ANYON HLEP WHAT IS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SAVE AND SAVE AS THANKS SORRY IF WRONG FORUM
When you Save it overwrites the file you’ve got open. If you Save As you get the option to name it something else “Save As…> New Design.indd”
If you’ve just started a new document you have no choice but to Save As as it needs a name.
I do wish that when you press Ctrl + s it did a version save and not overwrite the one you started with. Or the option to do a version save every 5 minutes it’s open or something.
You might try my “SaveVersion” script here (link to file about 10 lines from top of page). As usual, this will save time as long as you set up a keyboard shortcut.
So, getting ready to take mine. Any tips?
Aaron, once you work out the difference between Save and Save As, maybe you can Fritz the ACE exam too!
Or not.