SAP S/4HANA is SAP’s next-generation ERP system built for the SAP HANA platform. It provides a simplified data model, user experience and reporting capabilities compared to traditional SAP ERP. As organizations continue to adopt S/4HANA, there is growing demand for professionals with S/4HANA skills and certifications. So how long does it take to get certified in S/4HANA? Let’s take a closer look.
An Overview of SAP S/4HANA Certification
SAP offers various certification paths for S/4HANA including three primary certifications
-
SAP Certified Application Associate – SAP S/4HANA This certification covers basic S/4HANA configuration and functionality for sales, service, procurement, inventory, and more It demonstrates a well-rounded understanding of S/4HANA apps
-
SAP Certified Application Professional – SAP S/4HANA for Financial Accounting Associates: This certification focuses on financial accounting skills like general ledger accounting, accounts payable/receivable, asset accounting, and financial closing.
-
SAP Certified Technology Associate – SAP S/4HANA: This cert covers the S/4HANA architecture, deployment options, integration, and core technology like the SAP Fiori user experience and reporting with SAP Analytics Cloud.
In addition to these major certs, there are role-based and industry-specific S/4HANA certifications for logistics, manufacturing, oil and gas, utilities, and more. SAP highly recommends getting some hands-on experience with S/4HANA before attempting certification.
Steps to Achieving SAP S/4HANA Certification
The time needed to achieve S/4HANA certification can vary greatly depending on your background and how you approach preparation. Here are the key steps:
1. Review Certification Requirements
First, choose your target certification(s) and thoroughly review the exam syllabus and sample questions. This will reveal the topic areas and depth of knowledge required. Those new to SAP may need more learning time compared to experienced SAP pros.
2. Get S/4HANA Experience
Some hands-on experience working in S/4HANA is extremely helpful before taking an exam. Options include on-the-job experience, SAP education courses, or self-paced learning with an S/4HANA practice system. Expect to spend at least 40-60 hours getting comfortable in the system.
3. Take Relevant Training Courses
While you can self-study for SAP certification, training courses are highly recommended to fully prepare for the exams. SAP offers 3-5 day instructor-led or virtual classroom courses for each certification, combining lectures, demos, exercises, and practice questions. Budget $2,500-$3,500 for a training course.
4. Practice with Mock Exams
SAP provides a 180-question practice test for each certification exam. It’s essential to take these under exam conditions to get familiar with the format, time constraints, question styles, and navigate exam strategy. Plan to spend 10-20 hours practicing with mock exams.
5. Review Any Knowledge Gaps
After mock exams, review any areas where knowledge is lacking. Create a study plan to reinforce those topics through self-study, online learning, or by repeating related training exercises. Be ready to spend an additional 15-30 hours shoring up knowledge gaps.
6. Take the Certification Exam(s)
Schedule the actual certification exam through SAP’s partner Pearson VUE. Exams are computer-based, multiple choice, and 3 hours long. For each attempt, plan to pay $550 for the associate level exam or $850 for the professional level.
Estimated Timeline for SAP S/4HANA Certification
Based on the steps above, it typically takes 4-6 months of preparation for those new to SAP to pass their first S/4HANA certification exam. Those with 1-2 years of experience can usually prepare in 2-4 months.
Here is an example timeline for an SAP beginner pursuing S/4HANA Application Associate certification:
-
Month 1: Review exam syllabus, gain exposure to S/4HANA through online learning or an S/4HANA trial account.
-
Months 2-3: Complete a 5-day S/4HANA Associate training course and get hands-on experience with the system.
-
Month 4: Practice mock exams, identify and reinforce knowledge gaps.
-
Month 5: Take the S/4HANA Associate certification exam.
For experienced SAP professionals pursuing their first S/4HANA certification, the timeline could be condensed down to 2-3 months by reducing time needed for hands-on learning.
Those working full-time can expect the process to take longer when balancing study with their job. It’s common for professionals to study for 4-6 months for their first credential, then 2-3 months for additional certifications.
Key Tips for Earning SAP S/4HANA Certification
Here are some important tips to help you succeed in getting certified in S/4HANA:
-
Gain hands-on S/4HANA experience through on-the-job use, SAP education courses, or self-paced learning. This provides the foundational knowledge needed for certification.
-
Leverage training courses to benefit from an instructor’s guidance and sample questions to understand the exam format.
-
Use practice exams to rehearse timing, navigation, and identify knowledge gaps while there’s still time to improve.
-
Create a study plan and stick to a schedule, especially if balancing work/life demands.
-
Focus your preparation on topics with the most exam coverage and practice questions from those areas.
With diligent preparation over 4-6 months, even SAP beginners can achieve S/4HANA certification. Those already familiar with SAP can pursue certification more rapidly in 2-3 months. Follow these best practices to demonstrate your S/4HANA expertise through certification.
SAP Certification and stay current process
You have 2 subscription options for the SAP Certification Hub. Based on your needs, you can purchase one exam attempt or six exam attempts. Please visit SAP Certification for more information.
For questions regarding your order, booking, training confirmation letter or course consultation, use the Business Support contact information at the bottom of the SAP Training Shop Help Center.
Frequently Asked Questions
· After purchasing my SAP Certification Hub subscription (either by Activation Code, online purchase or Purchase Order), when will I receive my training confirmation letter? And how do I access?
It may take up to 48 hours for your training confirmation letter to be sent to you. Once you have received your training confirmation letter, you will have access to the SAP Certification Hub. To access your subscription, please refer the instructions here.
· My SAP Certification Hub subscription purchase was made through SAP Training and Adoption directly. After receiving my confirmation letter, what is the next step to gain the access?
Please access your subscriptions by following the instructions here.
To help you drive the most value out of your certification opportunities, SAP offers multi-tiered SAP Certification paths for specific subjects. For more information, please click here.
150+ different certifications are available in up to 9 languages to meet the needs of learners across your entire organization. Please see our list of available and valid certifications.
For more information on environment requirements and proctoring procedures in the SAP Certification Hub, please consult the FAQ and the SAP Training Shop Help Center.
For technical support in the SAP Certification Hub, contact the support team via email at [email protected].
Learners can keep their skills up-to-date and stay current with SAP Certifications – with training and exams that are continuously updated for every SAP Certification cloud product release.
How to Stay Certified
Note: Please ensure that you have a valid SAP Universal ID set up and at least two email accounts assigned. (Refer to the “How to assign a second email account to your SAP Universal ID” guide for instructions.) If you have already registered a UID using any email address, please do NOT register a new UID. Instead, follow this guide to link your new email address to the existing UID.
a. You must have an individual SAP Learning Hub subscription to access the stay current content and assessments. You should review the content and complete the assessments to keep your digital badge current and avoid it expiring. Please visit here for more information.
Check the validity of the SAP Learning Hub subscription you have, please follow the guidance here. If you have a valid SAP Learning Hub subscription, but you cant find it, please check whether you are logged in with the associated account to SAP Learning Hub subscription.
If you want to purchase an SAP Learning Hub subscription to stay certified, please visit here for more information.
b. You need to ensure the email address which is stored in your SAP Certification is the same email address you use to book SAP Learning Hub subscription and the same email address is added to your Credly account to ensure your certificates status is updated correctly.
If your email address which is stored in your SAP Certification is not the same as the email address you use to book SAP Learning Hub subscription, please contact your local Training & Adoption team to arrange the transfer. And please go to Credly to add your new email addresses to your account when needed.
Important note: The issue date on your actual stay current year badge will not be updated after the completions – it remains valid. To know your stay certified status, please check your digital badge status on Credly. If your digital badge is still valid, it means that you are stay certified. You can also check if your assessment is completed in the learning content area in SAP Learning Hub, under the “Learning History” tile.
Read more FAQ: https://learning.sap.com/frequently-asked-questions#sap-certification
If the assessment to stay certified is not completed within the required time frame:
• The SAP Certification is not current.
• The SAP Certification digital badge expires.
• There is no provisioning access for future projects (for SAP SuccessFactors solution certifications only).
• To be certified again and to reenter the program to stay certified, you must complete the latest associate certification in the Certification Hub.
HOW TO MAKE $151 PER HOUR – SAP CERTIFICATIONS and HOW TO START A SAP CAREER
FAQ
How long does it take to learn SAP S4 Hana?
|
Track
|
Week Days
|
Fast Track
|
|
Course Duration
|
40-45 Days
|
8 Days
|
|
Hours
|
1 Hrs. Per Day
|
6+ Hrs. Per Day
|
|
Training Mode
|
Classroom/Online
|
Classroom/Online
|
How do I get a sap s4/hana certification?
You can receive training from SAP or a SAP partner, which is a business that SAP allows to have training materials and the exam for their certifications. Depending on the SAP S4/HANA certification you’re earning, training may differ, but each exam has 80 questions reviewing the information you learn in training.
How do I prepare for SAP S/4HANA certification exam?
This certification exam is relevant for SAP S/4HANA Cloud, private edition and SAP S/4HANA on-premise. To ensure success, SAP recommends combining education courses and hands-on experience to prepare for your certification exam as questions will test your ability to apply the knowledge you have gained in training.
How to get SAP certification?
1. Purchase SAP Certification exam attempts In order to get certified, you need to purchase SAP Certification exam attempts. You can subscribe to SAP Learning Hub or SAP Learning Hub, partner edition and get four certification exams included in your subscription.
How long does it take to get SAP certification?
You can complete the courses to earn certification within three to six months. If you’re familiar with SAP technology, you may be able to learn quickly and take the certification exam early. There are many options for taking the courses, such as online options, in-person classes and blended learning.
