Preparation for Autodesk Certification Exam

Last week, I had a chance to have Autodesk Certification exam for Revit Architecture 2010. Yes I know, the latest version is 2011, but for certification is still 2010 that available. I tried to find some people experiences and tips to pass the certification by googling. Many of the posts said that it is very easy test. But thanks to some friends, for reminding me that it’s not that easy.

John Evans (@johnevansdesign) mention that the test is not that difficult. But they who don’t pass are usually they who are thinking they don’t need to learn. Assis (@haubert) reminds me to review all the answer and don’t forget to unmark if I marked any question. Assis also told me to learn from AOTC because everything is there.

I decided to purchase the AOTC material from Autodesk store and learn from it. The Learning Autodesk Revit Architecture 2010 book is very thick to read (2 volumes, 270+ pages each). But since I have used this application for several years, I only read the theories, and read the exercises without doing it. I have to admit that you need to learn from the AOTC if you want to pass. After spending some time on the AOTC materials, I finally pass the certifications, and may use title along with my name:

Autodesk Revit Architecture 2010 Certified Professional

For you who are interested to have the certification exam, probably these tips can help.

The certification path has changed since version 2013. Read about it here. There is no associate certification anymore.

The Associate vs the Professional Exam

There are two level of certification for Autodesk applications: associate and professional. You have to pass the associate before can get your professional certification. It is kind of ironic because many people pass the professional more than the associate.

The Associate Exam

The associate certification is all about theories. For you who already used the applications for years, don’t think about passing it without learning from AOTC! You may be able to do that, but I believe not many of you can do that. Well, from 23 people who took the test with me, only 2 pass the associate exam, and we both learn the AOTC! Thank you for my friends who remind me about that.

If you want to take Revit Architecture 2011 associate or professional exam, you need to use Mastering Autodesk Revit Architecture 2011 book. It’s an Autodesk Official training guide (AOTG), a replacement for AOTC that’s no longer published for new versions.

You need to understand everything in the book. Things that many people would ignore. In this decade, people tends to be very impatient. People easily get frustrated if they have to spend a little bit more time. The AOTC, full of theories and many people simply would ignore them. And it’s not easy to teach new users all of the bit size information. Most students eager to see what they can do with the application right away. They don’t care about all the details.

So in my opinion, learning how to use the application and passing the exam is a bit different. You may want to skip all the theories and practice to your own model. Just like what I wrote in my e-book. Or you can also use the AOTC and just do the exercises without worrying the theories. Try to read them, but if you don’t understand, don’t worry. Come back later to read it.

Use it in the real work until you feel confident, and when you need to take the test, take 2-3 days to read all the theories in the AOTC. You will easily understand it. Better than you try to absorb all the information before you know the application.

The Professional Exam

The professional exam is easier than the associate. At least I see more people pass it than the associate. But if you pass the associate, I believe professional certification is much easier for you :) Yes, you can pass this test without learning the AOTC if you already familiar with the application. But it will not be useful if you didn’t pass the associate exam.

There are some tricks that you will learn after using the application after a while. And it would be very helpful. Because the only test is the time limit. More exercise, then faster you can finish it. And 90 minutes for 20 questions are not really an issue. But if you want to check all your answer, more time would be an advantage.

So this is my certificate ;)

Have you took the certification exam? What do you think about the exam? Did you pass? And does the certification help you to get more opportunities in your industry?

About Edwin Prakoso

I work as a Sr. Consultant in PT Cipta Satria Informatika. I've been using AutoCAD since R14 and Revit since Revit Building 9. I occasionally write for AUGIWorld magazine and I am also active in Autodesk discussion forum. I'm a member of Autodesk Expert Elite, an appreciation for individuals who give contributions to the Autodesk community.
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