Successfactors

SuccessFactors Certification Process

In 2015 SAP introduced everyone to the new Training & Certification Shop of SAP. With this change, the SAP Learning Hub, SAP Credential Manager and SAP Certification Hub became really important for all Consultants and Consulting Companies.

One of the biggest changes was that the normal Associate Certifications, the ones you normally do after your training course, weren’t enough anymore. After the course (either; a booked course with trainer, or self-assigned from the Learning Hub) you have to do a proctored exam. The following Associate Certifications are available for those proctored exams:

• C_THR91_1505 – SAP Certified Application Consultant – SuccessFactors Onboarding
• C_THR88_1508 – SAP Certified Application Associate – SuccessFactors Learning Management Q3/2015
• C_THR86_1502 – SAP Certified Application Associate – SuccessFactors Compensation
• C_THR82_1411 – SAP Certified Application Consultant – SuccessFactors Performance and Goals
• C_THR81_1505 – SAP Certified Application Associate – SuccessFactors Employee Central Q2/2015

And two Delta Exams:

• D_THR88_1508 – SAP Certified Application Associate – SAP SuccessFactors Learning Management Q3/2015
• D_THR81_1505 – SAP Certified Application Associate – SuccessFactors Employee Central Q2/2015

Recruiting Management should be coming in 2016, and more will follow. I will describe later how a proctored exam looks, but first I want to talk about Delta Exams.

Consultants who are certified in a SuccessFactors module need to pass Delta Exams. I guess the reason is simple; SAP wants to make sure every consultant is always up to date with new developments. There are four releases every year, and some modules are rapidly developing so it is challenging to stay up to date with every release.

What is a Proctored Exam?

As said above, in some SuccessFactors Modules you need to do an additional exam via the Certification Hub. The 6 attempts can be used for one exam (but be aware that you just can use 3 attempts per Certification) or for 6 different Certifications. If you fail one Certification after 3 attempts, you need to wait for the next version of this Certification.

In the Exam Dashboard you can choose the exam and schedule an appointment. After that you will get an automatic E-Mail with confirmation of the appointment details. Appointments can be rescheduled at any time. Before you take the exam you should download Questionmark Secure and check if your system and connection are compatible.

If you start the exam you won’t have access to anything on your computer, as the software will ask you to close everything before you start. You will be connected to a person who will ask you to show the room you are in and your desk (which has to be empty). You are not allowed to read the questions out loud and obviously no smartphones or further help is allowed.

After finishing the Exam you get the results immediately (in %) and confirmation if you have passed or not. You don’t get any details of which questions were answered rightly or wrongly.

How to Prepare for a Delta Exam

All you need to prepare for a Delta Exam is in the Learning Hub. Check Learning Content if you have the “Employee Central HCM Academy Learning Room” assigned for you. Check the learning room and you will find the tab “Delta Release” with 3 documents:

• 1502 EC Flipbook
• 1502 EC Implementation Handbook
• 1505 Content and Exercises

Basically you have to review the complete EC course with the named Delta Version (1505 at the moment). You could also check all the Release Notes for every release to know about the changes in Employee Central. If you have had some SuccessFactors projects, most things will be very familiar and you should focus on the new features like Position Management, MDF Objects, Business Rules and Time Off.

The Training & Certification Shop also gives you a good advice about the content of the EC Delta Exam. 

For Employee Central the exam is arranged as:

• Events and Language Implementation > 12%
• Foundation Objects and Generic Objects > 12%
• Data Models 8% – 12%
• Manage System Security 8% – 12%
• Manage Employee Data and Position Management 8% – 12%
• Manage Time Off 8% – 12%
• Rules and Workflows 8% – 12%
• Importing and Exporting Data < 8

You also find some test questions to practice with. The best preparation for me was a little MDF example with Business Rules and Workflows. It also helped to have a look at the XML Files. Understanding of Data Models, Time Off and Configuring & Amending Data is also important. Not all the questions in the Delta Exam of EC are just theory based. You have to know where features are in Employee Central, and how to change and work with Data and Configuration changes. 

Certification FAQs & Answers:

 

1. What kinds of Cloud certifications are available from SAP?

       SAP Education offers two certification levels in its certification programs:

I).  Associate Certification: It covers the fundamental knowledge requirements for an SAP consultant, ensuring the successful acquisition of broad SAP solution knowledge and skills.

II).  Professional certification: It is an advanced certification that requires proven project experience, business process knowledge, and a more detailed understanding of SAP solutions.

2. How do I get started with the SAP Certification in the Cloud program?

All new entrants to the SAP Certification in the Cloud program will have to pass an Associate exam for the certification they wish to pursue. For example, if you were seeking the SAP Certified Application Associate - Employee Central certification, you would need to pass the exam that verifies you have basic knowledge of the SuccessFactors Employee Central application. 

You only need to pass the Associate exam once, but you will be required to pass Delta exams to maintain your certification. Please see below. Full information regarding each exam is available on the SAP Training Web Shop, http://training.sap.com/certification.

3. How do I get started if I already am SuccessFactors Associate Certified?

If you certified in the SuccessFactors Certification program, you will receive an e-mail with instructions on how to transfer your certification data to the new program. If you certified in the SAP program it is important to activate your Credential Manager account so that you will know when the corresponding Delta exams will be available so that you can enroll in the Certification in the Cloud program.

4. Will I need to take additional exams to maintain my certification?

Since SAP is committed to ensuring that SAP Cloud certified consultants are up-to-date with their skills and knowledge, they will offer Delta exams when necessary. There will only be delta enablement and certification offered for delta solution releases with significant change. This normally means 1-2 Delta exams per year.

You must pass the Delta exam within 6 months of the exams’ availability and will receive notification via Credential Manager when a Delta exam is available in your solution certification area.

5. Where can I learn the Delta content?

Delta content will be covered in learning rooms. Note you will need to be an SAP Learning Hub, customer, partner, or enterprise subscriber to access the learning rooms.

6. Are there specific classes designed to prepare me for Cloud certification(s)?

All related content available on SAP Learning Hub will be helpful for preparing for the certification exams. Certain certification-specific instruction will be delivered via SAP Learning Hub learning rooms. Please note that learning rooms are only available via SAP Learning Hub customer, partner, or enterprise subscriptions.

7. Are SAP Learning Hub learning rooms scheduled, or are they available 24x7?

SAP Learning Hub learning rooms are available 24x7 to SAP Learning Room customer, partner, or enterprise edition subscribers. 

8. Is there a fee to take the exams?

A 12 month subscription will be available to you which will allow you to take a maximum of six tests of your choice within a year. Please see SAP Training Shop for more details: http://training.sap.com/certification.

9. If I buy a certification subscription, can I use it for other SAP exams?

Yes. You can choose from any of the available exams within the Certification in the Cloud Program at the time of scheduling, up to the number you have remaining in your subscription (see above). The range of exams available via the subscription will increase with time, so it is important to check regularly what new exams are available for your subscription.

10. If I don’t pass the exam the first time, how frequently can I take it?

You can take the Associate and Delta exams up to three times each. If you do not pass an exam after three attempts, you will need to re-register for the next version of the exam. If you do not pass the Delta exam after three (3) attempts, you will be required to retake the Associate exam. If you do not pass the Associate exam after three (3) attempts, you will not be able to retake the exam until the next edition is released, normally within 1 year.

11. Do I need to take the exams at a predetermined time or place?

No. The exams are available on-line 24x7. Each exam is proctored remotely. You can book a remote proctored slot via the Certification Hub once you have a valid subscription.

12. How does SAP determine whether I qualify for Professional Certification? What kind of documentation do I need to submit?

You will need to document which projects you have completed in which solution areas and for which customers. SAP Education itself will not do the evaluation of your experience; rather, the evaluation will be done by the SAP partner management team.

You will need to provide detailed references from responsible people from the projects on which you have worked. References will be validated. Please check back to the SAP Training Shop as the information around this program will be included there when it is launched in April 2015.

13. Does SAP promote certified SAP Cloud consultants to customers?

Yes, SAP not only provides a list of all SAP Certification in the Cloud certified consultants on the SAP Credential Manager page, but also our customer communications regularly point to the consultant registry to make finding a certified resource easy.

14. How soon after I register can I take my exam?

Once you receive confirmation of your exam subscription, you will be able to register for an exam. However, we strongly suggest you schedule your first exam at least 24 hours in advance of your proposed exam date. This will give you the opportunity to do a technical check and ensure that your equipment is functioning properly.

15. How can I cancel or reschedule my exam?

It is possible to cancel or reschedule your exam easily up to 15 minutes prior to taking your exam via the SAP Certification Hub without losing your subscription attempt.

16. How soon after I take my Associate exam will I be required to take a Delta exam?

That will vary depending on when you take your first exam and when the related Delta exam is released. On certifying for the first time you will receive a link inviting you to register with SAP Credential Manager. Once you are registered with Credential Manager, you will receive automatic notification when Delta exams will be available and by when you need to take your next test.