Hey everyone! I recently passed the Cardano Blockchain Certified Associate exam, and I wanted to share my experiences in today's post.
Bottom Line Upfront
The Cardano Blockchain Certified Associate exam is a fantastic way to receive cryptocurrency and blockchain training from a well-respected organization and earn a certificate that demonstrates an intermediate level of cryptocurrency knowledge.
Strengths
The course and exam are both designed by Cardano. Consequently,** there is a strong alignment between the training material and the exam questions**. I can't discuss specific questions on the exam, but I can say that I think the training material prepared me very well, and there weren't any gotcha questions or questions out of left field that I didn't remember discussing in the training material.
The exam is proctored. In my opinion, this is one of the most distinguishing advantages of the Cardano exam compared to some of the other blockchain certificates. Many of the other blockchain certificates require you to take an exam at home, and there's really no way of verifying that you were actually the one that completed the exam or that you didn't use notes or other study aids.
The training, but not the exam, is free. A lot of programs require you to buy a package that includes both the training as well as the exam, but the actual preparation materials for the Cardano exam are completely for free and can be accessed online through the Cardano Academy. This is a great option for people who want to learn about blockchain from a reputable authority, but who don't want to take the exam.
The training is well designed and covers the essentials of blockchain. Although this credential has "Cardano" in the title, it isn't just a program about Cardano. It covers the foundational aspects of a wide range of cryptocurrency topics. The way I look at it is that it is a blockchain and cryptocurrency program with a focus on Cardano.
Weaknesses
Overall, I thought the course was well-designed and it was hard to find a lot of weaknesses. One small thing that I will mention is that the videos in the course appear to be AI-generated and the tone of the voice can sometimes be a little bit distracting. The AI announcers will sometimes mispronounce certain words. It's not a huge drawback. I do think it's something worth mentioning.
Is It Worth It?
The short answer is that it completely depends on your situation and circumstances. I can only speak from my personal experiences. I have been active in the cryptocurrency space for several years and I consider myself to be well-informed on the topic. That being said, I think this credential is valuable because it helps establish that I have a certain standard of competency. This is something that can be difficult to do just by saying that I have written a lot of blogs or made a lot of videos about cryptocurrency. Obviously, I have no idea how this credential will impact my resume or job opportunities, but, can't imagine it would hurt!
Disclaimer
At the time that I am making this post, I am not affiliated with the Cardano Foundation and I am not being endorsed, sponsored, or officially approved by them. This is simply educational and informational content that does not constitute financial advice. I am making this post simply to share my experiences.