Certification ideas (proposals)
Note
Proposal, not a program. Nothing on this page exists yet. These are ideas for the Exponential Foundation and 7x to consider when they define the certifications named in the partner program (Certifications). Partners are invited to comment through the community issue tracker https://github.com/se7enxweb/exponential-community/issues.
This page is for partners and educators who want to help shape certification. It proposes structure, not prices or dates; those are to be defined by the Foundation.
Principles proposed
- Open syllabus. Publish what each certification covers as free documentation, so anyone can learn it without paying. Only the exam and the certificate would cost.
- Practical over trivia. Test what partners do for customers: install, model content, build a template, upgrade, secure, hand over.
- Version-aware. Tie each certificate to a major line (for example "Exponential 6.0") and expire it when the line changes significantly.
- Verifiable. A public list or a verifiable digital badge, so customers can check a claim.
- Community-reviewed. Questions and tasks reviewed by experienced partners and contributors, not one person.
Proposed tracks
| Track | Would show | Possible practical task |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | Builds and maintains Exponential sites and extensions | Create an extension with a module, a template override and a test; pass CI checks |
| Design | Builds accessible designs and editor experiences | Build a design within the administration styling rules (no inline CSS, tokens with dark values) |
| Solution (WCMS) | Models and runs content solutions | Model a multilingual site with roles and workflows from a written brief |
| Hosting (proposal; no hosting certification is published) | Runs Exponential well in production | Set up PHP, database, caches and backups from the hosting checklist |
| Sales | Presents Exponential truthfully | Give a 15-minute demo using only sourced claims |
Proposed renewal
- Valid for the major line plus a grace period.
- Renew by a short delta exam, or by documented contributions (merged pull requests, published tutorials) that show current knowledge.
How partners can help now
- Write tutorials that could become syllabus material (Earning points through community work).
- Collect the questions your new staff ask in their first month; those are the syllabus.
- Comment on these ideas in the community tracker.
Related pages
- Certifications
- Training partners
- Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.