*** From the Archives ***
This article is from October 7, 2010, and is no longer current.
InDesign CS5 ACE Recertification Exam Available
Adobe’s InDesign CS5 ACE Recertification Exam is now posted through the online test provider Testrac. This is the non-proctored examination which is only available for those who are currently ACE certified for InDesign CS4. The ACE Recertification Exams for Illustrator CS5 and Photoshop CS5 are also available. All recertification exams are in the English language.
The full InDesign CS5 ACE Examination has not yet been posted. It will be offered at Pearson/VUE testing centers as a proctored examination when it’s available. You can find out its availability by checking this link. (Note that at the time of this posting, this link doesn’t yet list the CS5 recertification exams.)
Anne-Marie wrote a posting a couple years ago explaining how to become an InDesign ACE.
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Is it true that these ACE Exams are not as obscure as they used to be?
I’ve been studying InDesign for some time now. I think I have a pretty good grasp on most parts but I still haven’t worked my confidence up enough to take the test.
I think I am in the same boat. I get most of the Obscure InDesign features of the Week eeek eeek but I still don’t have the confidence. Plus I guess I don’t know the benefits of being certified other than being able to put it on your resume. Been at my current job for awhile now. Don’t see that changing anytime soon. Knock on Wood.
The ACE Exam for InDesign is tough but fair (not bizarre or flaky as in the past); partly because David & I are managing the exam content for Adobe. ;-)
If you’ve never passed an ID certification before, you should definitely check out Mike Rankin’s PDF eBook, “InDesignSecrets Guide to the InDesign CS4 ACE Exam.” https://creativepro.com/in-design-secrets-store#guide
He’s working on one for CS5 as we speak, not sure how far along that is.
Great news!
Waiting for full InDesign CS5 test!
Thanks!
The CS5 guide is well on the way! The moment it’s ready, you’ll see the news here. :)
I made ACE Exame for InDesign CS4 last April. It was hard (my native language is not english…), but if you know deep the program i think you pass without problems.
But be prepared for questions like “what is that red “u” in Bullets and Number?” ;)
Cheers!
hi,
i am also working in indesign from quite some time and feels that i’ve a fair knowledge of the software but problem area is that how i can check that i’m ready for the test, secondly english is not my native language also.
Suggestions WELCOME.
If you need to practice your language skills with practice questions, you can try the practice questions that are posted on the Adobe ACE Prep site and also the practice questions that Mike has at the end of test-related chapter in his eBook (you can download a free chapter there too).
And then there’s also ExamAids, an actual software program with hundreds of questions for ACE aspirants. It’s an excellent way to practice for the Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator ACE exam.
Me too, I made and passed the InDesign CS4 Exam this year for the first time and english isn’t my native language even if I work with the english version erveryday.
I must admit that it was harder than expected. But you can do it with a good preparation. The ?InDesignSecrets Guide to the InDesign CS4 ACE Exam? is really very helpfull. I have also bought the ACE Practice Exam Questions you can find here https://www.acequestions.com/index.html
It’s a good addition to the questions contained in Mike Rankin’s guide.
As it is my first recertification exam, is it true that there are just questions to the new functions of InDesign?
Yes, the Recertification test will only cover CS5 features.
Thx for the confirmation!
I just took and passed the CS5 recertification exam, and I’d agree with Anne-Marie that it’s tough but fair. And you really need to know all of the new aspects of CS5. Reading through the summary of new features in InDesign CS5 Help, and then working with them is probably the best way to pass.
I’ve had recertification tests cover older features that are related to new features too. For example, you might get a question about metadata in Bridge or you might get a question about variables when dealing with metadata captions. (These are not real examples.)
For my CS4 recertification test, I think most of the questions I pulled were NOT about new features. However, I just took the ID, AI, and PS recerts this past Sunday and I think most of the questions dealt with new features.
I just passed the CS5 recertification exam. Do I have to send something to Adobe now or they will automatically update my certification progress??
The Adobe ACE Prep sample questions, mentioned by Anne-Marie, are for InDesign CS4. Will the CS5 Prep Guide be posted soon?
Luiz,
I believe that your certification should be posted right away. I passed my test a couple days ago. I checked mine, and it was already posted. But you can always go to the website and check.
Luiz,
I made the recertification on 10.10.10. Adobe updated my profile today and send me the new certficates. It can take up to a week.
The recertification exam was not easy, but fair at all. Anne-Marie and David did a good job with the questions.
I proudly passed the CS5 recertification and agree that it is a good and fair test. The questions are absolutely better now than they used to be around the CS3-exams. I found just 1 out of 54 questions a bit confusingly written. Otherwise great questions and good candidate answers. That is not to say they are easy, nor that I got them all right.
To be well prepared, you must focus on the new features in CS5. Check the list in the official ACE Program file that Steve referred to at the top.
I would also recommend going through the “What’s New” section in the InDesign Help (which is an awesome tool, by the way) and using this as a checklist really try out and experiment with all the new features of InDesign CS5.
Does anyone know the date by which we have to take the re-cert for CS5? I can’t seem to find that info anywhere. I’m afraid I may have left it too late…don’t want to have to take the full exam again! Thanks!
Erica, I don’t know an official date, but in the past, it’s always been 90 days after the test was released. So that would make it early January 2011.
Erica-
Anne-Marie’s right. Your certification expires 90 days after the recertification test was posted.
Unfortunately, it’s not easy to find the exact date for that. Steve posted this info about the test’s availability on October 7th. So 90 days after that is January 5th.
I’d advise anyone planning to recertify to get it done before the end of the year.
Other test details:
It costs $50 to take the recertification test.
The recertification test contains 54 questions.
You have 2 hours to take it (you can pause the timer in case of emergency).
A passing grade is 78%, which means you need to get at least 43 out of 54 right.
Pay attention to the wording of the questions, as sometimes you have to select more than one choice.
Thanks, Mike and Anne-Marie! I was hoping the post was made right after the exam became available…guess I know what I’ll be doing over Christmas!
Singing, “All I want for Christmas is my CS5 recertification!”
Today I visit after a long time my Adobe account and find in the Announcements-Section this comment from 10/25/2010: “The available recertification exams should be taken by the end of December to remain current.”