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Most Popular Programming Certifications for 2024

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25th Jan, 2024
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    Most Popular Programming Certifications for 2024

    Programming is at the core of software development, which is why there is a huge demand for programmers—a demand that is growing exponentially and is expected to rise at a steady rate even in the future. In today’s world, just about everything is getting automated and digitization has become the new normal.

    Recruiters are on the lookout for professionals who have solid programming and full-stack development skills. Every recruiting agency and organizational HR recruiting team has put in place a thorough screening process, and this active hiring in startups, SMEs, and multinational companies has raised the bar for many aspiring programmers. Having a software development, web development, or programming certification will give you an upper hand at the time of recruitment. A certification from a reputed accreditation body will validate your skills and make you stand out among your peers. Also, read about what is markdown and, why should we use it. 

    Having an extra certification apart from your UG or PG degree makes you a better fit for the job role in which you have an interest. But before you opt for any certification, you need to understand which programming language will take you where; and the potential benefits of pursuing a certification course of that particular programming language.

    In this article, you will get to know about the top programming certifications of 2024 and how to achieve them.

    What are Programming certifications?

    For any type of software development or IT job role that involves programming, having hardcore coding skills is a must. However, did you know that your certifications carry some serious weightage when it comes to attracting prospective employers?

    Programming certifications help validate your skills as well as knowledge in a particular programming language, technology or framework. Additionally, they help you get an edge over other candidates, increasing your chances of being called for an interview.  

    Thus, if you are wondering which programming certifications you should go for in 2024, read on.

    Most Popular Programming Certifications

    Given the wide array of certifications available in the market, it can be difficult for you to choose the ones which can make a meaningful impact on your career.  

    Thus, here are the top 10 programming certifications which can help take your coding skills to the next level:

    1. C & C++ Certifications

    Regardless of your specialization in your UG or PG courses, clearing a developer-rated certification will not only make your resume stand out from others but also enhance your skills and boost your confidence. We have curated the top-most and popularly available certifications with descriptions that can help you decide which one is appropriate for your career path.

    C & C++ Certifications: C and C++ are often called the mother of Procedure-oriented and Object-oriented programming languages, which is absolutely true. These two programming languages have been around for many decades. Colleges and universities all over the world teach these as the base language. To get global recognition for the C and C++ certification, C++ Institute and Pearson VUE decided to carve a niche in this part of the certification landscape by offering the world's first international C/C++ certifications.

    Aspirants and professionals can choose either C or C++ as a career option/path and climb the certification ladder from associate to professional to senior. The C Programming Language Certified Associate (CLA) and C++ Certified Associate Programmer (CPA) are the core and first-level C and C++ certifications.

    CLA comprises of topics like

    • Introduction to compiling and software development;
    • Basic scalar data types and their operators;
    • Flow control;
    • Complex data types: arrays, structures and pointers;
    • Memory management;
    • Files and streams;
    • Structuring the code: functions and modules;
    • Preprocessor directives and complex declarations.

    CPA comprises of topics like

    • Introduction to compiling and software development;
    • Basic scalar data types, operators, flow control, streamed input/output, conversions;
    • Declaring, defining and invoking functions, function overloading;
    • Data aggregates;
    • String processing, exceptions handling, dealing with namespaces;
    • Object-oriented approach and its vocabulary;
    • Dealing with classes and objects, class hierarchy and inheritance;
    • Defining overloaded operators, user-defined operators, exceptions;

    Demand and Benefits: Having a CLA certification verifies that the programmer or the aspirant has an understanding of all the necessary and essential universal concepts of computer programming and developer tools. The course also covers all the syntax and semantics of different C constructs plus the data types offered by the language. This course brings crisp knowledge on writing programs using standard language infrastructure regardless of the hardware or software platform.

    A C++ Certified Associate Programmer (CPA) certification will give you an upper hand because it comprises syntax and semantics of the C++ language plus basic C++ data types. Apart from that, it contains principles of the object-oriented model and C++ implementation. Also, you will get to know about the various C++ standard libraries through this certification process. The average entry-level salary of a C/C++ developer with this certification will be $ 7,415 per annum. With two to three years of experience, the average salary hikes to $ 10,593 annually.

    Top companies and industries hiring CLA and CPA are Philips, Calsoft Pvt. Ltd., Cognizant, Synopsys Inc., private universities, Mphasis, etc.

    • Where to take Training for Certification: CPP Institute has all the study resources you need to prepare for this examination. Apart from that, you can study from YouTube free resources.
    • Who should take the Training (roles) for Certification: Any programmer or computer science aspirant - who wants to expand their knowledge of C/C++ or start their career as a C/C++ programmer or developer can opt for this certification course. There is no other prerequisite to appear for this exam.
    • Course fees for Certification:
      • CLA Certification: $ 147.50 (50% discount voucher)
      • CPA Certification: $ 147.50 (50% discount voucher)
    • Exam fee for certification:
      • CLA Certification: $ 295
      • CPA Certification: $ 295
    • Retake fee for certification: Aspirants who have paid the complete exam price (USD 295) or have completed a course aligned with certification in the self-study mode (50% discount voucher) can have a free retake of the CPA or CLA exam. There is no limit to the number of times a candidate may retake the exam. You must wait 15 days before being allowed to re-sit that exam.

    2. Oracle Certified Associate Java Programmer OCAJP

    This is a Java programming certification provided by Oracle. Java is among the most popular programming languages. James Gosling is the creator of Java which was earlier named Oak. It is a robust, high-level, general-purpose, pure object-oriented programming language developed by Sun Microsystems (now part of Oracle). Java consistently tops the 'most used programming languages’ list and is one of the most extensively used software development platforms. If you have the plan to get a proper training course online before appearing for the certification exam, KnowledgeHut has that for you.

    It is the preliminary and most basic certification provided by Oracle for Java. It helps gain fundamental understanding of Java programming and builds a foundation in Java and other general programming concepts. The certification encompasses two subcategories –

    • OCAJP Java Standard Edition 8 (OCAJP 8) and  
    • OCAJP Java Standard Edition 11 (OCAJP 11)

    It comprises of topics like

    • Java Basics
    • Working with Java Data Types
    • Using Operators and Decision Constructs
    • Creating and Using Arrays
    • Using Loop Constructs
    • Working with Methods and Encapsulation
    • Working with Inheritance
    • Handling Exceptions
    • Class Methods and Encapsulation
    • Describing and Using Objects and Classes
    • Handling Exceptions
    • Java Technology and the Java Development Environment
    • Inheritance and Interfaces
    • Understanding Modules
    • Using Operators and Decision Constructs
    • Working with Java Arrays
    • Working with Selected classes, Java Primitive Data Types and String APIs

    Demand and Benefits: Having an OCAJP certification verifies that the aspirant has all the necessary and essential skills to become an expert Java developer. This certification also helps in getting an internship or entry-level jobs in different organizations. The entry-level salary of a junior Java developer with this certification is $ 3670 per annum; when the candidate gathers two to three years of experience, the average salary hikes to $ 5430 annually.

    Top companies and industries hiring Oracle Certified Associate Java Programmers are Smart Monitor Pvt. Ltd., Fiserv, Micron Semiconductor Asia Pvt. Ltd., private universities and many others.

    • Where to take Training for Certification: KnowledgeHut has a fascinating course opportunity for beginners in Java programming. It has workshops with hands-on learning and 40 hours of instructor-led online lectures. Apart from that, Oracle also provides exam vouchers for this certification course.
    • Who should take the Training (roles) for Certification: Any programmer or computer science aspirant - who wants to settle as a Java developer or start his/her career as a Java programmer can opt for this certification course. There is no other prerequisite to appear for this exam.
    • Course fee for Certification: $ 245
    • Application fee for certification:
      • OCAJP8: $ 245
      • OCAJP11: $ 249
    • Exam fee for certification:
      • OCAJP8: $ 245
      • OCAJP11: $ 255
    • Retake fee for certification: Aspirants can retake the exam if the exam voucher has a free retake option. If the exam retake option is available, one can opt for the exam after 14 days.

    3. Certified Associate in Python Programming (PCAP)

    Python is an interpreted, general-purpose, and high-level programming language developed by Guido Van Rossum. Python released in 1991 and within 5 to 6 years, this programming language become the most popular and widely used programming language in various disciplines. Today, companies use Python for GUI and CLI-based software development, web development (server-side), data science, machine learning, AI, robotics, drone systems, developing cyber-security tools, mathematics, system scripting, etc. PCAP is a professional Python certification credential that measures your competency in using the Python language to create code and your fundamental understanding of object-oriented programming.

    It comprises of topics like

    • Basic concepts of Python
    • Operators & data types
    • Control and Evaluations
    • Modules and Packages
    • Data Aggregates
    • Exception Handling
    • Strings
    • Functions and Modules
    • Object-Oriented Programming
    • List Comprehensions, Lambdas, Closures, and I/O Operations
    • Classes, Objects, and Exceptions

    Demand and Benefits: Having a Python certification verifies that the programmer or the aspirant has all the necessary and essential skills needed to become an expert Python developer. This certification also helps in getting an internship or entry-level jobs in different organizations. The average entry-level salary of a Python developer starts at around $100k per annum. With a few years of experience, the average salary hikes to $ 105k annually.

    Top companies and organizations hiring certified Python programmers are Bank of America, Atlassian, Google, Adobe, Apple, Cisco Systems, Intel, Lyft, IBM, etc.

    • Where to take Training for Certification: KnowledgeHut has a fascinating course opportunity for beginners in Python programming. It has hands-on learning with 24 hours of instructor-led online lectures. Apart from that, the course has 100 hours of MCQs and three live projects.
    • Who should take the Training (roles) for Certification: Any programmer, graduate, post graduate student, or computer science aspirant - who wants to pursue a career as a Python developer or  Python programmer can opt for this certification training. There is no other prerequisite to appear for this exam.
    • Course fees for Certification:  $ 295
    • Exam fee for certification: $ 295
    • Retake fee for certification: If a candidate fails the exam, he/she has to wait for 15 days before being allowed to retake the exam for free. There is no limit to the number of times a candidate may retake an exam.

    4. MongoDB Certified Developer Associate Exam

    MongoDB is a NoSQL, document-based high-volume heterogeneous database system. Instead of having tables with rows and columns, MongoDB uses a collection of documents. It is a database development system that provides scalability and flexibility as per query requirements. Its document models are easy to implement for developers and can meet complex demands at scale.

    MongoDB created this MongoDB Certified Developer Associate Exam for individuals who require to verify their knowledge on fundamentals of designing and building applications using MongoDB. They recommend this certification for those who want to become software engineers and have a solid understanding of core MongoDB along with professional experience.

    It comprises of topics like

    • MongoDB Basics
    • CRUD
    • Indexing and Performance
    • The MongoDB Aggregation Framework
    • Basic Cluster Administration
    • Aggregation & Replication
    • Sharding
    • MongoDB Performance  
    • MongoDB for Python Developers
    • MongoDB for Java Developers or MongoDB for JavaScript Developers
    • Data Modeling

    Demand and Benefits: Having a MongoDB Certified Developer Associate Exam certification verifies that the programmer or the aspirant has all the necessary and essential skills to become a NoSQL database expert. The MongoDB certification is inexpensive and in demand. The average salary for a software developer with MongoDB skills starts from $ 8200 per annum.

    Top companies and organizations hiring certified MongoDB developers are Accenture, Collabera, Leoforce LLC., Adobe, Trigent Software, Lyft, etc.

    • Where to take Training for Certification: KnowledgeHut has a comprehensive course structure for those who want to learn MongoDB & Mongodb Administrator. It has 24+ hours of instructor-led online lectures and 80+ hours of hands-on with cloud labs. This self-paced course also includes capstone projects to give participants a feel of real world working.  
    • Who should take the Training (roles) for Certification: Any programmer, graduate, post graduate student, experienced developer or computer science aspirant - who wants to embark on a career as a MongoDB developer or start his/her career as a NoSQL database expert or do better in their current role as a MongoDB developer can opt for this certification course. There is no other prerequisite to appear for this exam.
    • Course fees for Certification:  $ 150
    • Exam fee for certification: $ 150
    • Retake fee for certification: MongoDB University is no longer allowing a free retake with the exam fee. The candidate has to pay an additional $10 to reschedule or retake the exam.

    5. R Programming Certification

    It is a part of the data science specialization from Johns Hopkins University. This course teaches R programming for efficient data analysis. It covers different R programming concepts like building blocks of R, datatypes, reading data into R from external files, accessing packages, writing functions, debugging techniques, profiling R code, and performing analysis.

    It comprises of topics like:

    • Basic building blocks in R
    • Data types in R
    • Control Structures
    • Scoping Rules - Optimization
    • Coding Standards
    • Dates and Times
    • Functions
    • Looping
    • Debugging tools
    • Simulating data in R
    • R Profiler

    Demand and Benefits: Having an R Programming certification verifies that the programmer or the aspirant has all the necessary and essential skills require to get a job role as data analyst. This certification also helps in getting an internship or entry-level jobs in different organizations and firms. The average salary of a certified R programmer with this certification is ₹ 508,224 per annum.

    Top companies and industries hiring certified R programmers are Technovatrix, CGI Group Inc., Amazon, Sparx IT Solutions, Accenture, Uber, etc.

    • Where to take Training for Certification: KnowledgeHut has a fascinating training course for those who wants to become a R programmer. It has 22+ hours of instructor-led live training and three self-paced live projects.
    • Who should take the Training (roles) for Certification: Any data analyst, graduate, post graduate student, experienced data analyst or computer science aspirant - who wants to settle as a R programmer or data analyst can opt for this certification course. There is no other prerequisite to appear for this exam. 
    • Course fees for Certification: Free
    • Retake fee for certification: Free

    6. Oracle MySQL Database Administration Training and Certification (CMDBA)

    It is another course offered by Oracle for SQL developers. Oracle University designed this course for database administrators who want to validate their skills with developing performance, blending business processes, and accomplishing data processing work. Structured Query Language (SQL) is one of the top database management query languages that allows us to access and manipulate databases. If you want to verify your database skills during a job interview or impress your peers at your workplace then this certification is worth getting. This certification path includes Professional, Specialist, and Developer levels. The candidate should pass the MySQL Database Administrator Certified Professional Exam Part 1 & Part 2 to earn the certification.

    It comprises of topics like

    • Installing MySQL
    • MySQL Architecture
    • Configuring MySQL
    • User Management
    • MySQL Security
    • Maintaining a Stable System
    • Optimizing Query Performance
    • Backup Strategies
    • Configuring a Replication Topology

    Demand and Benefits: Having an CMDBA certification verifies that the programmer or the aspirant has all the necessary and essential skills required to get a job role as SQL developer. This certification also helps in getting an internship or entry-level jobs in different organizations and firms. The average salary of a certified MySQL DBA or backend developer with this certification is $ 66,470 per annum.

    Top companies and industries hiring Certified MySQL database administrators are Fiserv, IBM, HCL, Adobe, Microsoft, Apple, Accenture, Collabera, and more.

    • Where to take Training for Certification: KnowledgeHut has a cutting-edge curriculum for those who want to become  MySQL database administrators. It has 16+ hours of instructor-led online lectures and 80+ hours of hands-on lab. Apart from that, this self-paced course has Capstone projects.
    • Who should take the Training (roles) for Certification: Any developer, graduate, post graduate student, experienced developer or computer science aspirant - who wants to pursue a career as a DBA or backend developer or start his/her career in database management or backend software development can opt for this certification course. There is no other prerequisite to appear for this exam or course.
    • Course fees for Certification: $ 255
    • Exam fee for certification: $ 255
    • Retake fee for certification: Aspirants can retake the exam if the exam voucher has a free retake option. If the exam retake option is available, one can opt for the exam after 14 days after the initial attempt.

    7. CCA Spark and Hadoop Developer

    With the exponential growth in data, IT firms and organizations have to manage this tremendous amount of data generated. So, many companies are actively looking for Big data and Spark developers who can optimize performance. Big Data is the term used to describe enormous volumes of data. Apache Spark supports data management as it is an open-source centralized analytics engine that handles large-scale data processing.

    It requires prerequisite knowledge of Scala and Python. This certification also verifies and showcases your skills through Spark and Hadoop projects. Passing this certification course gives you a logo and a license to authenticate your CCA status.

    It comprises of topics like

    • Load data from HDFS for use in Spark applications
    • Write the results back into HDFS using Spark
    • Read and write files in a variety of file formats
    • Perform standard extract, transform, load (ETL) processes on data using the Spark API
    • Use metastore tables as an input source or an output sink for Spark applications
    • Understand the fundamentals of querying datasets in Spark
    • Filter data using Spark
    • Write queries that calculate aggregate statistics
    • Join disparate datasets using Spark
    • Produce ranked or sorted data
    • Supply command-line options to change your application configuration, such as increasing available memory

    Demand and Benefits: Passing the CCA Spark and Hadoop Developer Exam (CCA175) by Cloudera verifies that you have all the essential skills required to get a job as a Hadoop developer and handle Big data projects. The average salary of a certified CCA Spark and Hadoop Developer with this certification is $ 74,200 per annum.

    Top companies and industries hiring Certified Spark and Hadoop Developers are Primus Global, IBM, Collabera, CorroHealth, Genpact, Xerox, Accenture, and more.

    • Where to take Training for Certification: KnowledgeHut has extensive courses for those who want to become Big Data experts and want to work as Hadoop developers. It has different courses on Big Data Analytics, Apache Storm, Hadoop Administration, Apache Spark & Scala, Big Data with Hadoop, and more.
    • Who should take the Training (roles) for Certification: Any Big Data developer, graduate & post graduate students, Hadoop developer or computer science aspirant - who wants to make a career in Big data development or start his/her career as a Big Data or Hadoop project developer can opt for this certification course. There is no other prerequisite to appear for this exam.
    • Course fees for Certification: $ 295
    • Application fee for certification: $ 295
    • Exam fee for certification: $ 295
    • Retake fee for certification: Within 30 to 60 minutes of exam completion, Cloudera will send a scorecard mail with a pass or fail status. If the candidate fails the exam, then they have to wait for 30 days for another try.  Cloudera gives additional discounts on retakes.

    8. AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate

    The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate certification establishes your expertise across numerous AWS services. This focuses on fostering a comprehensive understanding of Amazon Web Service's Well-Architected Framework, along with the designing of performance and cost-optimized solutions.   

    Additionally, this certification enhances your skills in AWS services like database, networking, storage, compute, etc., along with the platform’s management and deployment services.   

    Demand and Benefits: As an increasing number of companies are shifting to the AWS platform, the demand for AWS Solutions Architects is on the rise. Having an AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate certification indicates that the candidate has adequate skills and knowledge for operating, managing and deploying workloads. Additionally, it signifies that the individual has an understanding of AWS's Well-Architected Framework and Command Line Interface, making it easier for him/her to get a programming or computer science-related job.    

    • Exam fee for certification: $150 
    • Retake fee for certification: $75 (including the 50% discount voucher)  
    • Prerequisites: None. (However, having at least one year of experience in AWS technology and the basic concepts in programming is recommended) 
    • Duration: 130 minutes 
    • Passing Score: 720 
    • Job Roles with Salary
    Job RolesAverage Salaries
    AWS Solutions Architect$134,000 per annum
    AWS Enterprise Architect$200,182 per annum
    AWS Senior Enterprise Architect$227,353 per annum

     9. AWS Certified Developer - Associate  

    The AWS Certified Developer - Associate certificate validates your knowledge and understanding of the platform’s core services as well as the basic AWS architecture best practices. It also establishes your proficiency in the development, deploying and debugging of AWS’s cloud-based applications.    

    Demand and Benefits  

    When it comes to development, most companies prefer AWS, as the platform provides a range of services like serverless compute, API gateway, etc. This makes it easier for them to develop, manage, and scale apps as per their needs. Thus, there is significant demand in the market for AWS Developers, resulting in high salaries for such job roles. Moreover, such professionals can move on to specific fields like security, DevOps, and machine learning, in order to avail lucrative career prospects.   

    • Exam fee for certification: $150 
    • Retake fee for certification: $75 (including the 50% discount voucher)  
    • Prerequisites: None (However, 1-year experience in AWS technology and in-depth knowledge of a minimum of 1 high-level programming language is recommended.) 
    • Duration: 130 minutes 
    • Passing Score: 720 
    • Job Roles with Salary 

    10. CompTIA Security+ 

    The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a globally recognized vendor-neutral software security IT certification. It offers intermediate-level training on the core aspects of network security, risk management, and a wide range of software security issues including operations, application, network, data, and host.      

    This certification tests your proficiency on topics like access control, encryption, secure software development, and other security-based topics. Thus, adequate preparation is a must to clear this test.  

    Demand and Benefits  

    This certification will help candidates handle both security and administration-related tasks, along with being eligible for various network and security-based job roles. Moreover, it adheres to the DoD 8570 standards. This makes it easier for individuals to apply for management level one jobs, technical level two roles and even cybersecurity or networking-based posts in government agencies.   

    • Exam fee for certification: $392 
    • Retake fee for certification: $392 
    • Prerequisites: None (However, experts recommend having prior experience in CompTIA Network+, along with an experience of at least 2 years in IT administration with a special emphasis on security). 
    • Duration: 130 minutes 
    • Passing Score: 750  
    • Job Roles with Salary
    Job Role
    		Average Salary
    Systems Administrator
    		$69,538 per annum
    Information Security Analyst
    		$75,646 per annum
    Cyber Security Analyst
    		$80,663 per annum
    Network Engineer
    		$81,838 per annum
    Information Technology (IT Manager)
    		$86,393 per annum
    Security Engineer
    		$94,471 per annum
    Cyber Security Engineer
    		$100,071 per annum

    Conclusion

    In a nutshell, going for these above-mentioned programming certifications can be an excellent choice to take your career to the next level. However, to crack them on the first go, having hardcore coding skills is a must.

    Thus, candidates need to adequately prepare themselves by opting for a professional programming language course. In this regard, opting for KnowledgeHut’s Java course can be an ideal choice.  

    It is an instructor-led certification course consisting of over 90 hours of hands-on training, which can help you gain the necessary skills to crack any programming certification of your choice.  

    Enroll on KnowledgeHut today and get ready for a high-flying career!

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    1. Which coding certification is the best?

    Some of the best coding certifications are Oracle Certified Associate Java Programmer OCAJP, AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, R Programming Certification, and AWS Certified Developer - Associate Certification.

    2. What are the benefits of earning a programming certification?

    Earning programming certifications will validate your skills and knowledge in a specific programming language, framework or technology. Moreover, they add a significant weightage to your CV, enabling you to gain better career prospects.

    3. What certifications do you need to get a programming job?

    AWS Certified Developer – Associate, Oracle MySQL Database Administration Training and Certification (CMDBA) and Certified Associate in Python Programming (PCAP) are some of the best certifications you can go for if you want to get a programming job.

    4. How long does it take to prepare for a programming certification?

    The time needed for you to study for a programming certification will depend upon the exam’s topics, difficulty level and your previous experience in that field. However, experts recommend at least 2 to 3 months of preparation before sitting for a test. 

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