Throwback Thursday: what was your first Atlassian exam/certificate? #TBT

[#1]

It's Thursday!

I know that taking exams is not the most fun experience in the world for many of us but it has been my experience that the more professional exams I take, the easier it gets. The first Atlassian exam I took was ACP-100, which was called "Jira Administration for Server" back then. Took it on July 13th, 2018. I can't remember why exactly I decided to take it but boy am I glad I took it! Having this certificate opened up all kinds of doors for me. It's been a huge blessing. 

In general, I feel it is good and healthy to take professional exams. Opportunity to have something to show for when it comes to our abilities. Also good for our brain to formally study up on a topic and then go for it. Pass or fail; still good to go for it. And the more exams we take, the more practice we get, and more relaxed we are taking them.

Soooo, what was the first Atlassian exam you took?

Let’s make it a great Thursday!
KGM

[Mia Tamm]

Hi @Kristján Geir Mathiesen 

Truth be told, I haven’t yet taken my first Atlassian exam. I’ve spent a lot of time working with Jira and Confluence in my day-to-day, and I know getting certified would be a valuable next step—so it’s definitely on my radar!

For those of you who have already earned your first cert, I’d love any tips or study hacks you found especially helpful. What resources gave you the biggest confidence boost?

Thanks in advance, and happy Thursday!

— Mia Tamm from Simpleasyty

[Andy Gladstone]

ACP-520, no studying, and the result proved it.

I used to have a goal of becoming Atlassian certified but have had to de-prioritize that goal in support of proper usage of my time for my company and team. I do hope to get it back on the roadmap one day, but for my role and organization it is more of a vanity goal than a necessity. 

[Robert Nadon]

The ACP-500.  To this day the most diffcult and best test.  You had to do things such as look at a graph of memory usage and determine the issue.  Could be things such as garbage collector, lack of memory, etc.  

[Tomislav Tobijas]

Not too long ago — in 2022 — I took my first Atlassian exam: ACP-620 (probably one of the easier ones to start with). I was already used to studying a lot in college, so preparing for it felt pretty manageable.

I remember hearing from colleagues how tough some of the exams are, especially the server/DC ones, so I made sure to put in some extra effort before jumping in.

Looking back, I'm really glad I started with ACP-620 and then moved on to 120, 520, and a bunch more after that.

I still get a bit nervous before and during each exam, but after taking 10+ of them, the process feels way more familiar — definitely less intimidating than when I started 🙂

To anyone just getting started: don’t stress too much (I know, easier said than done 😅). Prepare well, trust the process, and treat it as a chance to grow — not just a test to pass. Every exam is a step forward 💪

[Mikael Sandberg]

My first one was also ACP-100, I was part of the group that did the test version of it back in June 2016. I had no expectations going into it and failed it by 1%. At Summit that year I attended the study track and retook the test and passed it in February 2017.

[Susan Waldrip]

I'm so impressed with how many folks have multiple certifications!! I have no certs yet but am studying for ACP-520, Atlassian Cloud Org Admin and ACP-420, Atlassian Cloud Service Project Administration. Dreading both, I don't test well but regardless of passing I want the knowledge to better support my teams with JSM. I'm using the cert process to find my glaring weaknesses and shore them up.

[Matt Doar _Adaptavist_]

I was part of the teams from different Atlassian Experts (the old name for Partners) who wrote the questions for the Jira Administration and the System Admin certifications. Doing that gave me a certification. It was hard work!

The first exam I took was Confluence Administration, and I failed it, by about two points! Quite humbling that, but I passed it the next time around :)

[Shawn Doyle - ReleaseTEAM]

My first exam was the Confluence Admin one, it was both difficult and annoying, so many gotcha and trick questions.  I'm glad they have cleaned that up with the newer exams.

[Teodora V _Fun Inc_]

I started my way to certification this year and decided to start as a full-on beginner, climbing my way up. So I got the ACA-915 Atlassian Cloud Foundations, and I am on my way to all other foundational certifications before jumping into the fun stuff :)

[Shreeja J]

Throwback to my first Atlassian exam — ACP-620 (Managing Jira Cloud Projects)! I was a bit nervous at the start, but as I went through the exam, I felt more confident.
Later, I completed ACP-420 (Managing Jira Service Projects for Cloud), where I learned many new topics in Jira Service Management. Both certifications helped me improve my skills and knowledge.
Hope everyone had a great Thursday!

[Daria Kulikova_GitProtect_io]

I haven't had my first certification yet... But recently started considering that it's worth trying to take an exam ;) However, I like the courses Atlassian University provides, and I've already completed a few.

[Kristján Geir Mathiesen]

Thanks for all your comments!

[Amanda Barber]

ACP-620 was my first. Not sure why I didn't start with the Associate Certs. 😆 I'm working through the ACAs now!