There are an estimated 6,000+ Magento certified developers in the world today and over 300,000+ developers in the Magento community that work with the platform. There are also 247 official Magento Solution Partners and 16 Magento technology partners listed in Magento’s online directory.
Recent changes
As of August 2020, Adobe has updated its certification program and changed all Magento certifications to Adobe certifications, and rebranded all badges it used to provide upon successful completion.
Although the certification exams are structured the same, all tests are now two hours in length compared to an hour and thirty minutes in the past. Adobe currently conducts all exams through PSI and Examity instead of Kryterion that was used previously. The validity for each certification has also been reduced to two years to ensure all experts remain updated with new solution features and capabilities.
Below are the updated names of the certifications as of August 2020.
Magento 2 Certified Solution Specialist
Magento 2 Certified Associate Developer
Magento 2 Certified Professional Frontend Developer
Magento 2 Certified Professional Developer
Magento 2 Certified Professional JavaScript Developer
Magento 2 Certified Professional Cloud Developer
Magento 2 Certified Order Management Developer
Magento 2 Certified Professional Developer Plus
AD0-E700 Adobe Certified Expert — Magento Commerce Business Practitioner
AD0-E702 Adobe Certified Professional — Magento Commerce Developer
AD0-E701 Adobe Certified Expert — Magento Commerce Frontend Developer
AD0-E703 Adobe Certified Expert — Magento Commerce Developer
AD0-E705 Adobe Certified Expert — Magento Commerce JavaScript Developer
AD0-E706 Adobe Certified Expert — Magento Commerce Cloud Developer
AD0-E707 Adobe Certified Expert — Magento Commerce Order Management Developer
AD0-E704 Adobe Certified Master — Magento Commerce Architect
The old Magento Certification program had a list of all certified partners and developers. The new program no longer lists any certified developers. All certifications and badges link to Acclaim accounts, and developers can share their badge using their Acclaim accounts to their professional networks and social media.
Adobe’s Partner Program
Adobe’s partner program for Magento experts consists of two types of agencies — Adobe Solution Partners and Adobe Technology Partners.
Adobe Solution Partners
An Adobe Solution Partner is an agency that can assist Magento users with multiple aspects of running an online store. Their activities include helping with website design and brand identity, customizing Magento to address needs in specific markets, maintaining and upgrading stores, and assisting with simple and complex integrations. There are the following Adobe Solution Partner types:
Community partners
These are regional businesses that match an Adobe Solution Partner profile and have expressed an interest in assisting customers with Adobe Experience Cloud solutions. However, they do not participate officially in the Solutions Partner Program and only contribute to the Magento community forums.
Bronze partners
These are regional companies that fit the Adobe Solution Partner profile and choose to participate in the Solutions Partner Program.
Silver partners
Silver partners are regional companies who commit to developing skills related to the Adobe Experience Cloud. They earn this status by achieving milestones based on bookings, proficiency, and customer satisfaction. They also receive direct assistance from Adobe to develop their skills with Adobe related software.
Gold partners
These are regional companies who earn the highest designation in a particular geographic area determined by Adobe. Gold partners usually develop specialized practices related to multiple Adobe Experience Cloud solutions.
Platinum partners
Platinum partners are companies or collections of organizations that have developed specialized practices across multiple Adobe solutions and have a significant presence in numerous geographic areas.
Adobe Technology Partners
Adobe Technology Partners are businesses that provide technologies that work with the Magento Commerce platform and provide functionality that helps enterprises globally. There are currently 16 official Adobe Technology Partners, including PayPal, dotdigital, and Vertex.
Technology partners are companies capable of helping merchants with enhancing their businesses in areas like product information management, payments and sales tax, delivery and fulfillment, and boosting user loyalty. Each partner is carefully selected by Adobe targeting its users in both B2B and B2C segments globally.
Should you hire certified developers and Magento partners?
As an open-source platform, hundreds of thousands of developers are working with the platform regularly. However, Adobe’s certifications and partner programs add a layer of authenticity to a developer or an agency’s claims. By choosing an Adobe certified developer or an Adobe Solutions Partner, you can be confident that the individual or business you’re dealing with is a professional entity with up-to-date knowledge of the platform and one that follows best practices recommended by Adobe.
An official certification that’s provided by Adobe is a reliable metric. However, past work, references, and client testimonials are metrics that are equally as important when searching for a Magento developer or an agency.
