TEMECULA, CA (March 6, 2018) — Blockchain Training Alliance and Pearson VUE today announced the release date of three new certification examinations that will test developers and software architects in essential blockchain skills.
Pearson VUE, the global leader in computer-based testing, will offer the examinations at its network of more than 5,000 highly secure testing centers worldwide, with the first examinations scheduled for May 8, 2018. Certifications will be registered on public and private blockchains. The Certificates will be ERC-721 compliant, on the Ethereum network and also stored on the Central New Mexico Community College blockchain.
The certifications will help developers and software architects to establish their skills in three essential, high-growth areas, as follows.
BTA Certified Blockchain Solution Architect (CBSA): This examination will test proficiency in building blockchain solutions, such as writing applications on a blockchain and integrating them with widely used enterprise applications.
BTA Certified Blockchain Developer - Ethereum (CBDE): This examination will test proficiency in writing applications for the Ethereum blockchain, which is the public blockchain of choice for many businesses.
BTA Certified Blockchain Developer- Hyperledger (CBDH): This examination will test proficiency in using the tools created by Hyperledger, which is a leading source of permissioned blockchain frameworks for the enterprise.
“With these certifications, we are providing an essential service for the blockchain community,” said Chad Decker, CEO of Blockchain Training Alliance. “Managers need development talent they can trust, and trained developers need a way to prove their skills. We are meeting both those needs with certification programs that are thoroughly vetted by the industry. By partnering with Pearson VUE, we can ensure that all exams are completed in person, which minimizes certification fraud.”
“Our new agreement with the Blockchain Training Alliance is great news for their exam candidates,” said Bob Whelan, President of Pearson Assessment. “Our network of test centers means that candidates can sit their exam locally and at a date and time of their choice.”
A certification advisory board comprised of technology executives, trainers and developers worked with the Blockchain Training Alliance to develop the examinations, which each consist of approximately 70-80 multiple-choice questions. “The exams will gauge the requisite skills very effectively,” said advisory board member Mark Price, who is CEO at Devslopes. “Hiring managers can trust that professionals holding these certifications know how to build blockchain applications.”
Demand for Blockchain skills is accelerating, according to Upwork, which recently ranked blockchain behind only robotics in terms of demand growth. “Many businesses are pursuing blockchain developers, and they need a method of gauging applicants’ skills,” said Ernesto Lee who is CTO for Blockchain Training Alliance. “These certifications answer an acute need. Soon, every hiring manager will be looking for these credentials.”
Certifications will be registered on a blockchain that Central New Mexico Community College, in Albuquerque, NM, is building in conjunction with the Blockchain Training Alliance. “Blockchain is the future of credential registration,” said the college’s CIO Feng Hou, who is working on the certification registry blockchain. “Students and employers can easily verify their certificates on a trusted network, using a unique cryptographic hash given to each certificate holder.”
Software professionals will appreciate the marketability the certifications provide, according seasoned IT professional Kris Bennett, who serves on the certification advisory board. “Employers are making great offers to developers who know blockchain,” he said. “Demand for these certifications will only grow in the years ahead.”
Training organizations including Global Knowledge, Learning Tree and ProTech have partnered with the Alliance for the certification program.
The Blockchain Training Alliance offers in-person training in major cities in the United States and Europe, as well as private training sessions for businesses. For information on class schedules, visit blockchaintrainingalliance.com.
About Blockchain Training Alliance
Blockchain Training Alliance is based in Temecula, CA, and run by experienced IT trainers. Courses include Blockchain Training: An Overview for Professionals; Ethereum Training: Hands-On Ethereum Bootcamp; Hyperledger Training: Developing on Hyperledger Fabric; Blockchain Architecture Training; and Blockchain Security Training. The Alliance is a member of Hyperledger, a blockchain collaborative operated by the Linux Foundation.
About Pearson VUE
Pearson VUE (www.pearsonvue.com) is the global leader in computer-based testing for high-stakes certification and licensure exams in the healthcare, finance, information technology, academic and admissions markets. We offer a full suite of services to develop, manage, deliver and grow test programmes for over 450 clients via the world’s most comprehensive network of highly secure test centers in 180 countries, and through online solutions. Pearson VUE owns Certiport, the global leader in foundational IT certification solutions, and is a business of the world's leading learning company Pearson (NYSE: PSO; LSE: PSON).
