In careers like web developer, programmer and web coder, your formal education matters less than the technical skills you develop. One way you can prove your proficiency in the most in-demand skills in the web programming industry is by earning certifications. Some of the most valuable certifications you can seek include Oracle’s Java SE 8 Programmer certification, Microsoft Technology Associate certifications and HTML5 certification. Earning your associate’s degree in web programming accomplishes more than merely getting one of the fastest online associate’s degrees available. It equips you with foundational and technical knowledge of web programming in in-demand programs and languages and prepares you for success in popular industry certification exams.
Oracle’s Java SE 8 Programmer Certification
Java is a very popular programming language that web developers use to create the portable code used for computer programming. To get certified as an Oracle Certified Associate, Java SE 8 Programmer, you’ll need to develop proficiency in using the eighth version of the Java Platform, Standard Edition.
The exam tests your knowledge of Java SE 8 fundamentals. The exam content includes questions pertaining to Java basics. You need to answer queries about using operators and decision constructs, using loop constructs, working with inheritance, working with selected classes from the Java API, working with Java data types, creating and using arrays, working with methods and encapsulation and handling exceptions.
The Java SE 8 Programmer I exam is a 70-question multiple-choice test, which you have two and a half hours to complete. To pass this exam, you must score at least a 65 out of 100. As of 2020, the cost to take this test is $245.
You can also get certified as a Professional Java Developer if you pass a second exam, the Java SE 8 Programmer II, which tests your knowledge of a more advanced level of skills using the same Java SE 8 platform.
Microsoft Certifications
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Microsoft, the company behind Windows operating system, Office Suite and the Xbox gaming consoles, offers numerous certifications for tech-savvy professionals in many different fields, from finance and operations consultant to security engineer. An entry-level certification that is great for developers is the Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) certification. The company offers MTA certification exams across numerous topics in the development, database or information technology (IT) track.
As of March 2020, the MTA certification exams available include Windows Operating System Fundamentals, Software Development Fundamentals, Database Fundamentals, Windows Server Administration Fundamentals, Networking Fundamentals, Security Fundamentals and Mobility and Devices Fundamentals. The MTA certification exams most relevant to developers include HTML5 Application Development Fundamentals, Introduction to Programming Using Java, Introduction to Programming Using HTML and CSS, Introduction to Programming Using JavaScript and Introduction to Programming Using Python. There are no skills or educational prerequisites for taking MTA exams.
Developers may also benefit from taking the Database Fundamentals exam, which covers skills in using Microsoft SQL Server and other relational databases.
HTML5 Certification
Today’s webpages are made with HTML5. This modern markup language combines three kinds of code, each used for a different purpose, according to TechRadar. The structure of the code that creates a webpage is built with Hypertext Markup Language, or HTML. Cascading Style Sheets, or CSS, is a different kind of language called a style sheet language. Coding done using CSS affects the presentation of a webpage rather than the structure of the HTML code. The third component of HTML5 is JavaScript, the programming language that allows developers to bring static, boring webpages to life with complex features like real-time updates, interactive content and animated art.
Among the organizations that award certification for HTML5 proficiency is CancanIT, an organization that confers 8 different types of certification for web developers.
To get certified in HTML5, you would need to pass both a theoretical test and a practice test administered by CancanIT. The content on the exam encompasses everything from language basics of HTML structure and tags to the integration of audio and video. In the practice test, you have two hours to write the code to create a basic webpage.
The theoretical test consists of 20 questions, each timed at just one and a half minutes. You must pass the exam with at least 15 correct answers to move on to the practice task section of the test.
Schools’ Help in Securing Industry Certification
The coursework you take for an associate’s degree in web programming naturally helps prepare you for industry certification exams. However, some degree programs go farther than others. In fact, there are web programming associate’s degree programs that even provide certification study materials and practice exams and pay the fees for taking your industry certification exams out of your program costs. Even if your school doesn’t offer a certification reimbursement program, some certification organizations offer discounted academic pricing for students.
Unlike certification exams in many other industries, certification in web programming is not dependent on your formal education or years of work experience. You usually don’t need to meet any eligibility requirements to sit for a certification exam in a programming language or platform or another type of technology. However, learning these programs on your own can be difficult, especially without the fundamental coursework, such as foundations of software design, web frameworks and database fundamentals, that introduce you to the principles and practices used in web programming.
The breadth of coursework covered in an associate’s degree program in web programming can also prepare you to work as a developer or an analyst.
Additional Resources
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