SAP shakes up its certification process

SAP is overhauling how IT pros earn certifications in its technologies — with the aim of better aligning credential evaluation with the way IT pros work with SAP products in real-world settings.

Rather than testing candidates with dozens of multiple-choice questions, the ERP giant is shifting to a more practical approach, beginning with half a dozen exams featured at SAP TechEd Berlin this week. The company will roll out the new format to the rest of its certification portfolio throughout 2026.

“For decades, professional certification exams have tested candidates’ ability to recall facts through multiple-choice questions. SAP is breaking with tradition, introducing a new certification model that mirrors how professionals actually work in today’s AI-enabled business environments,” SAP said. “Rather than testing memorization, SAP’s new approach evaluates candidates’ ability to solve real-world problems using the same tools they’ll rely on in their careers. The reimagined assessments are practical, open-book exams that take place in authentic SAP environments where candidates navigate scenarios, engage in roleplays with simulated stakeholders, and tackle challenge-based case studies within a defined time frame — typically one to three hours, depending on the certification.”

Candidates will be permitted to use any resource to solve the problem, including AI tools such as ChatGPT or SAP’s Joule for Consultants, and non-AI resources such as the SAP Help Portal. The process is designed to reflect that of a real-world situation.

The assumption, SAP said, is that only well-prepared candidates will know where to look for the answers they need. “Professional success comes from knowing how to work effectively with available tools, not from memorizing information those tools can provide,” it stated.

Each certification has its own threshold for success, depending on its complexity and scope, and unsuccessful candidates will have up to four retry attempts, 24 hours apart. To ensure the additional attempts aren’t just rote efforts, the tasks may vary in each retry.

The initial six certifications being tested using the new format are:

• SAP Certified – SAP BTP Administrator
• href=”https://learning.sap.com/certifications/sap-certified-associate-low-code-no-code-developer-sap-build” rel=”nofollow”>SAP Certified Associate – SAP Build Developer
• href=”https://learning.sap.com/certifications/sap-certified-professional-solution-architect-sap-btp” rel=”nofollow”>SAP Certified – Solution Architect – SAP BTP
• href=”https://learning.sap.com/certifications/sap-certified-associate-sap-business-data-cloud” rel=”nofollow”>SAP Certified Associate – SAP Business Data Cloud
• href=”https://learning.sap.com/certifications/sap-certified-associate-rise-with-sap-methodology-and-experience” rel=”nofollow”>SAP Certified Associate – Rise with SAP methodology and experience
• SAP Certified Associate – SAP Generative AI Developer

‘A reset’ toward real-world results

“SAP has taken a long-overdue step in reshaping how enterprise professionals are assessed. The move away from multiple-choice exams toward scenario-based, open-book formats is not just modernization, it’s a reset,” said Sanchit Vir Gogia, chief analyst and CEO of Greyhound Research. “It’s not about remembering answers; it’s about delivering outcomes.”

Added Robert Kramer, VP and principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, “I’ve always believed open-book exams are a better measure of capability. Either you understand the material or you don’t. Having reference material doesn’t automatically help — in many cases, it exposes who truly knows how to navigate information and apply concepts. … The skill isn’t memorizing screens; it’s understanding the logic behind the system and knowing how to solve problems in context.”

Gogia noted that in the past, some consultants have earned certifications without having ever configured a system, generating frustration among clients and partners.

“What this change really addresses is confidence,” he said. “When a consultant walks into a room with a certification under this new model, they’re not just credentialed; they’re tested in a way that mirrors what the client expects from day one. There’s no room for shortcuts. It’s harder, and that’s the point. It rewards preparation, judgment, and system fluency, not test-taking strategy.”

Kramer pointed out that SAP isn’t alone in this change. “Other vendors are moving in this direction, too. Microsoft, Google Cloud, and AWS have all introduced more hands-on and scenario-based components, and Cisco has long used practical labs at advanced levels. SAP leaning in signals a broader shift toward certifying real skills rather than test-taking ability.”

This could be a game-changer for other technology certifications, Gogia added. “If SAP can maintain the quality and integrity of this model as it expands it, we believe it will raise the bar not just for its own ecosystem, but for how enterprise technology certification is approached more broadly.”

Kramer agreed. “For this to be valuable, the bar has to stay high and the format has to reflect real-world tasks,” he said. “If SAP keeps the standard tight, this change should make its certifications more meaningful and relevant.”