The ISA Certified Automation Professional® (CAP®) certification is a mark of career excellence that affirms your commitment to quality and demonstrates your expertise and knowledge of automation and controls. ISA CAP certification provides you with a non-biased, third-party, objective assessment and confirmation of your skills and expertise as an automation professional.
CAPs are individuals who have proven they possess an extensive knowledge of automation and controls and that they have the expertise and qualifications to excel in their fields. As automation professionals who work in process automation and manufacturing automation industries around the globe, CAPs are responsible for direction, definition, design, development/application, deployment, documentation and support of software and equipment systems used in control systems, manufacturing information systems, systems integration, and operational consulting.
To become an ISA CAP, you must meet certain education and work experience requirements, pass an exam, and commit to the ISA Code of Conduct. Learn more about CAP requirements.
Automation is transforming industries around the world. As companies adopt more automated processes and technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, and IoT, there is growing demand for automation professionals with the right certifications and skills. Whether you are looking to break into the field or advance your career, getting certified in automation can help you stand out and open up new opportunities.
In this article, I’ll provide an overview of automation certifications, explain the benefits, and share tips on how to get certified.
What is Automation Certification?
Automation certification involves getting certified in specific automation technologies, systems, and best practices by passing exams administered by accredited organizations.
Some of the most sought-after certifications in industrial automation include:
- Certified Automation Professional (CAP®) from the International Society of Automation (ISA)
- Siemens Certified Automation Engineer
- Rockwell Automation Certified Professional
- Schneider Electric Certified Professional
These certifications validate your skills and expertise in areas like industrial control systems, automation engineering, programming PLCs designing and implementing automated solutions and more.
Certifications for IT automation include
- Puppet Certified Professional
- Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE)
- Hashicorp Terraform Associate
- Microsoft Certified: Azure DevOps Engineer Expert
These focus on competencies like infrastructure as code, CI/CD pipelines, container orchestration, and cloud automation.
Benefits of Getting Certified
Here are some of the top benefits of getting certified in automation:
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Prove your skills: Certification provides third-party validation of your expertise. Employers know you have the requisite skills.
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Higher salary potential: Certified professionals often command higher salaries than non-certified peers. The ISA CAP certification added $13,000 per year on average in one survey.
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Career advancement: Certification helps you move up into automation engineering and leadership roles more quickly.
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Learn best practices: Preparing for exams forces you to learn industry best practices and modern automation approaches.
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Stand out: Certification helps you stand out from uncertified applicants and candidates.
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Gain confidence: Knowing you possess in-demand skills gives you confidence in your abilities.
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Flexible career options: Broadly applicable certifications like ISA CAP allow you to work across industries.
Steps to Earn Automation Certification
If you’re ready to move forward with certification, here are the key steps:
1. Research Certification Options
First, spend time researching the main certifications for your field of automation. Look at vendor-neutral certifications like ISA CAP as well as vendor-specific certs from Rockwell, Siemens, etc. Compare exam topics, costs, eligibility, and other factors.
2. Determine Eligibility
Make sure you meet the work experience, educational background, and any other requirements for the certifications you’re considering. For example, ISA CAP requires at least 4 years of experience.
3. Create a Study Plan
Allow several months to prepare through self-study, online courses, training classes, review seminars, practice exams, and other methods. The ISA CAP exam covers 150 knowledge domains, for example. Create a study schedule to cover all required topics.
4. Review Resources
Leverage official exam review materials, textbooks, online training courses, flashcards, and practice tests. Hands-on lab experience is also invaluable. For ISA CAP, taking the exam review course is highly recommended.
5. Take the Exam
Register for the exam through the certification provider. For ISA CAP, the exam has 150 multiple choice questions and lasts 4 hours. You can take it online or at test centers.
6. Maintain Your Certification
Most certifications require continuing education and re-testing to stay current. For the ISA CAP, you must earn 35 professional development hours and retest every 3 years.
Top Certification Providers
Now let’s take a closer look at some of the top certification programs and providers:
ISA Certified Automation Professional (CAP®)
The CAP certification from the International Society of Automation (ISA) is one of the most globally recognized and valuable credentials. The CAP validates expertise across all automation domains including engineering, operations, control systems, safety systems, system integration, and more.
Over 17,000 professionals in 90 countries hold the CAP certification. It is designed for automation professionals working in process automation, manufacturing automation, and related fields.
To qualify, you need:
- 4-year technical degree OR 4+ years work experience
- Pass the 150-question, 4-hour CAP exam
Maintaining CAP certification requires earning 35 professional development hours every 3 years and passing the exam again.
The CAP exam covers a broad range of knowledge areas including project lifecycles, requirements management, automation technologies, cybersecurity, industry codes and standards, and much more.
The CAP can open doors across many industries including oil and gas, chemical, pharmaceutical, power, manufacturing, and consulting. It demonstrates transferable automation skills.
ISA offers extensive exam preparation and review resources including online courses, seminars, study guides, and more.
Rockwell Automation Certifications
Rockwell Automation offers over 20 specialized certifications focused on their automation platforms and products including ControlLogix, FactoryTalk, PlantPAx, and others.
These certifications include:
- Certified Automation Professional (CAP)
- ControlLogix Engineer
- FactoryTalk Engineer
- PlantPAx Engineer
- Network Engineer
Certified professionals have proven expertise in Rockwell Automation technologies for modern industrial facilities. The exams validate skills in engineering design, implementation, troubleshooting, maintenance, and programming.
To be eligible, you typically need 1-2 years of direct experience working with their systems and software. Study materials and training courses are available through Rockwell.
Schneider Electric Certified Professional
Schneider Electric offers numerous credentials demonstrating expertise across their ecosystems of connected products and solutions for energy management, automation, and sustainability.
Relevant Schneider certifications include:
- Certified Automation Expert
- Certified Critical Power Expert
- Certified EcoStruxure Engineer
- Certified EcoStruxure Operator
- Certified EcoStruxure Power Expert
By validating your proficiency with Schneider’s technologies and integrated systems, these certifications can boost your career in energy and automation fields.
Closing Thoughts
Earning a certification like ISA CAP, Rockwell Automation CAP, or Schneider Electric CPE can help you excel and advance in the high-demand field of industrial and IT automation.
The right certifications complement your degree and work experience to showcase your expertise to employers. They also expand your knowledge through rigorous study of best practices.
Research the options, create a study plan, leverage exam prep materials, and register to get certified. The investment will be well worth it for your career. Best of luck with earning your automation certifications!
CAP Body of Knowledge
The CAP Body of Knowledge (BOK) encompasses the full scope of knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for competent job performance. It defines automation project domains, the tasks within the domains, and the knowledge and skills required to complete the tasks. View the CAP Body of Knowledge.
There is no application form to fill out for CAP certification. Simply complete the following steps:
- Commit to the ISA Code of Conduct.
- Meet CAP certification criteria, qualifications, and conditions.
- Acknowledge that you are subject to a random application verification audit.
- Agree to provide the supporting documents proving your qualifications if you are audited.
- Pay the exam fee.
Upon paying the exam fee, the application process is complete, and you have acknowledged that you meet the requirements listed above in numbers 1–3.
- Watch for an email from our testing provider, Meazure Learning ([email protected]). Expect to receive it fifteen days before your exam window. The email will include information about how to schedule your exam online or at a test center. NOTE:The CAP exam fee is not included with the CAP review courses (EC00, EC00V, EC00E, and EC00M)..
- Watch for an email summarizing your exam results. If you pass your exam, you will also receive your digital badge and you will be listed in the ISA Credential Directory.
- Watch for an email from [email protected] regarding an audit. You will only receive this email if you have been randomly selected to be audited. If you do not receive this email, you do not need to do anything. Audits are conducted three times per year, so it may take several months after completing your exam to receive an email if you have been selected for an audit.
Click the button below to add the exam fee to your cart.
You can take the CAP exam online from your office or home if the testing environment meets the requirements and your computer meets specifications. You can also take the exam at a Scantron test center. The CAP exam has 150 multiple-choice questions and is four hours long. Learn more about Certification Exams and Testing.
We highly recommend taking the Certified Automation Professional (CAP) Exam Review Course (EC00). ISA has also developed an extensive library of training courses, study guides and publications that are built around the technologies and topics covered on the CAP exam. These resources have been developed and reviewed by subject matter experts. Learn more about the review course and the additional resources here.
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How do I get an automation certification?
The next step is to enroll in a bachelor’s degree program in chemistry, engineering, math, physics or other related subjects. Automation certification programs often require formal education degrees in addition to or instead of professional work experience. Earning a bachelor’s degree helps you study and prepare for automation certification exams.
Does automation certification require experience?
Some certifications require years of automation experience as a prerequisite. While certification providers may accept education as part of your experience, gaining practical experience allows you to develop your skill set and knowledge to prepare for an exam.
What is an automation certification?
An automation certification is an official document recognizing an individual’s knowledge in automation techniques and technologies. You can earn automation certifications that demonstrate different levels of automation proficiency, which can allow you to qualify for certain automation positions.
What certifications do I need to become an automation solution architect?
*** To earn the Automation Solution Architect Professional certification, the Automation Developer Professional or Advanced RPA Developer (UiARD) is required. UiPath RPA Developer Advanced certification obtained through our legacy program does not meet this prerequisite.
