What is C++ Certification?
There are many ways to learn C++. You can learn it through online courses, blogs, books, real-world projects, hands-on experience, classroom coaching, etc.
Well, everyone does that!
That’s why you need something that will prove you are worth more than just experience.
Certification is proof of your experience and knowledge in a particular course. For example, even before going to an interview, a certification accredited by valid institutions will earn you brownie points over other resumes. There are different certifications for various levels of knowledge, for example, if you are a beginner, you could get the basic certification like CPA or Star certification (we will discuss these later), if you want more advanced knowledge, say for gaming purposes, or building complex hardware, you will need more learning than just pointers and control statements – that’s where validation or proof for your advanced knowledge will be put to the test.
Why are C++ Certifications Required?
With popular languages like Java, Python, and PHP getting more attention as general-purpose languages, one might think that C++ will become obsolete.
That’s wrong, though!
C++ is required for specialized purposes like writing code for hardware, embedded systems, games: basically wherever you want faster performance and direct memory manipulation. C++ programmers are in top demand in various positions, like video game designers, computer programmers, embedded software engineers, and so on. A C++ certification will, therefore, give you better job opportunities, better growth in terms of career and salary, validation of your skills, and, most importantly, a competitive edge over other candidates having a profile similar to yours.
Best C++ Certifications
Certifications that are given by C++ institute:
C++ Institute is well recognized worldwide with international standards, and certification from them can get you better job prospects with top companies. The certification will also give you the necessary skills and confidence to work on complex projects.
There are 2 levels of certifications offered by the institute:
1. CPA (C++ Certified Associate Programmer Certification)
This C++ certificate is an indication that you are well-versed with the basics of C++ and can write programs independently. With this certification, you are expected to be thorough with concepts of computer programming, OOPS, usage of standard C++ libraries, basic data types, solving code problems, etc. There are no prerequisites for this course. Here are the details of the certification:
Exam Details
- Name: C++ Certified Associate Programmer
- Code: CPA
- Language: English
- Number of questions: 55
- Duration: 65 minutes for the exam, 10 mins for the Non-Disclosure Agreement/Tutorial
- Format: Multiple choice, single choice
- Passing score: 80%
- Price: USD295
Exam Syllabus
- Basics like compilation process, high-level programming language, variables, scalar data types, basic I/O operations, and streams.
- Control statements, logic and float operators
- Functions: declaring & invoking functions, parameter passing, default parameters, inline functions, overloaded functions
- Data access and Exception handling: strings, objects, methods, properties, namespace, exceptions
- Basic OOPS concepts: class, objects, constructors, components, friend classes, overloading
- Single and multiple inheritances
- Polymorphism, abstract classes, virtual methods
- Custom exceptions: throw/catch exceptions
You can sign up here.
2. CPP (C++ Certified Professional Programmer Certification)
This is the next level of certification, and the prerequisite is the CPA certification. It is a professional certificate that proves your knowledge of advanced C++ concepts like templates, standard template library, third party templates, advanced STL input-output operations, etc. As an advanced certification holder, you should be able to create and solve complex algorithms and understand various techniques, customs, and advanced library functions. The fee is USD 295, and you can retake the exam 15 days after the first failed attempt. You can visit the official C++ CPP page to get more information about this certification.
Exam Details
- Name: C++ Certified Professional Programmer
- Code: CPP-22-02
- Language: English
- Number of questions: 40
- Duration: 65 minutes for the exam, 10 mins for the Non-Disclosure Agreement/Tutorial
- Format: Multiple choice, single choice
- Passing score: 70%
- Price: USD295
Exam Syllabus
- Templates: syntax, function template & class template, problems of using templates, appropriate usage of templates
- STL sequential containers: vectors, deque, list, stack, queue, priority Q
- STL associative containers: set/multiset & map/multimap along with API
- Non-modifying STL algorithms: find_if, count_if, for_each, search, equal, etc.
- Modifying STL algorithms: transform, swap, copy, reverse_copy, fill, replace, etc.
- Sorting STL operations: sorting algorithms like binary_search, equal_range, random_shuffle, etc.
- STL merge operations: merge algorithms like merge, min_element, max_element, etc…, stl operations for sets
- STL utilities and functional library
- STL advanced I/O: file I/O, console I/O, Strings I/O formatting
You can visit the official C++ CPP page to get sample questions and other study materials.
You can sign up here.
Other C++ Certifications
3.Star C++ Certification
Star C++ Certification is a highly recommended certification in the USA that provides you with in-depth knowledge of the subject. The certification course starts with the basics of OOPS and then moves to more advanced topics like C++ data structures, pointers, input-output operations, exception handling, and much more. It is a unique course that is designed by industry experts and helps you gain just the right programming skills to land your dream job. The certification is accepted worldwide. It is good for beginners and intermediate level programmers.
Exam Details
- Exam Code: C++ S07-111
- Language: English
- Duration: 2 hours
- Type of questions: Multiple choice
- Number of questions: 60
- Passing marks: 70%
Exam Syllabus
- Exploring Programming Basics and OOP Concepts
- C ++ Programming basics
- Tokens, Expressions and Control Structures in C++
- Managing Input and Output Data
- Arrays
- Classes and Objects in C++
- Implementing OOPS Concepts in C++
- Constructors and Destructors
- Functions
- Implementing Structures and Unions
- Pointers
- File Management
- Templates in C++
- Exception Handling
- String Manipulation
- Working with Pre-processor Directives
You can sign up here.
4. PCE C++ Certification
PCE (Professional and Continuing Education), comes from the University of Washington, which is one of the most distinguished public universities. It provides certifications in various disciplines that can greatly enhance the value of your resume. The C++ certification program is a detailed 8 months program that covers all aspects of C++ programming, from basic to advanced. You should have a sound understanding of C programming language fundamentals and at least 2 years of programming experience in a high-level programming language to be able to take this certification. The course is one of its kind and taught by industry experts from organizations like Microsoft and Siemens. If you feel that the fee is a bit overwhelming for you, the university also offers some financial aid based on certain conditions. Although the registration for this year is closed, the course makes it to our list, as you can always apply in January next year.
Course Details
- Duration: 8 months
- Mode: online
- Structure:
-
- Quarter 1: Introduction ($1333)
- Quarter 2: Intermediate ($1333)
- Quarter 3: Advanced ($1333)
- Cost - $3999 for all 3 levels
Course Syllabus
Basic course:
- OOPS Principles
- Data types in C++
- Object centered program designing, modeling
- Comparison between C & C++, C++ extensions
- Class constructs, messages, objects
- Design, write, and debug C++ programs.
- Scaled-down the real-world project
Intermediate course (9 weeks):
- Exceptions
- STL containers
- Iterators
- STL algorithms
- Class templates
- Function templates
- Design patterns (singleton, proxy, template method, prototype, observer)
- C++ 17 topics (tuple types, polymorphic wrappers for function objects, threading support, thread-local storage, and regular expressions)
Advanced course:
- Programming to interfaces and abstractions
- Separation of responsibilities
- Standard library in-depth: streams, containers, iterators, algorithms
- Smart pointers
- Design patterns: Prototype, Iterator, Decorator, others
- Rvalue references and move semantics
- Constexpr: generalized constant expressions
- Hash-based, unordered standard collections
You can sign up here.
5. Basic C++ Certification from edX
Although the beginner course is free to add a verified certification, you need to pay $99, which is quite worth it – it is signed by the instructor and can be easily added into your resume. As this is an introductory course, there are no prerequisites. You will learn some basic concepts as well as a high-level overview of the next level (advanced) course.
Course Details
- Course length: 4 weeks with 3-5 hours of effort per week
- Price: Free with $99 for a verified certificate
- Language: English with video transcript in English
- Institute: Microsoft
Course Syllabus
- C++ language basics and syntax
- Writing C++ functions
- Overview of what you will learn in the intermediate and advanced courses
You can sign up here.
6. From Beginner to Beyond C++ Course
This is an extensive certification course from Udemy that starts with very basics (to the point of setting up and installation) and goes on to explain many complex C++ concepts like templates, exception handling, and I/O streams. This course doesn’t have any prerequisites and will get you through many important job interviews easily. The course has a lot of self-study material, and you can choose to complete it at your own pace. Udemy offers lots of discounts, so check out for those before buying the course.
Course Details
- Self-paced learning
- 41.5 hours of on-demand videos (277 lectures), 2 articles, 65 resources to download, assignments, 37 coding exercises
- Quizzes, live exercises, challenge coding exercises
- Access from TV, mobile or desktop
- Completion certificate
- Language: English with subtitle options in English and 8 other languages
Course Content
- Introduction – why C++ is still important, modern vs. standard C++, expectations from the course
- Installation and setup on various platforms
- Variables, data types, constants, arrays, vectors
- Statements, operators, control statements
- Characters and Strings
- Functions
- Pointers and reference types
- Advanced OOP concepts
- Operator overloading, polymorphism
- Inheritance
- Unique, shared, and weak pointers.
- Exception handling
- I/O and streams
- STL (Standard Template Library)
You can sign up here.
7. The Unreal Engine C++ Developer
If you are into the gaming world or want to get into it, this is one course you will love for life. A lot of OOPS and C++ concepts are taught from a practical gaming perspective, so you will know why those concepts are there in the first place. The course also focuses on problem-solving skills and writing clean code by following best practices. The prerequisites for this course are some gaming experience, basic C++ knowledge, working knowledge of vectors, and a lot of free space (15GB) on the PC. This course has been critically acclaimed and is constantly updated with new material.
Course Details
- Self-paced learning
- 48.5 hours on-demand videos (302 lectures), 16 articles, 14 downloadable resources, Access on mobile and TV
- Certificate of Completion
- Language: English with subtitles in English and 4 other languages
Course Content
- Introduction to Unreal and setup
- Introduction to C++, TripleX and Gavin: variables, functions, control statements, parameters
- The bull cow game: Looping and control statements, dot operator, Boolean, parameters and arguments, cursor usage in VS code, logical operators, memory management, structs, etc.
- Building escape games: pointers, vectors and transforms, moving objects using C++, references, iterators, etc.
- Battle tank game: setting up GitHub repository, landscapes, Tank control system, Unreal UI, creating Unreal engine with C++, Virtual and overriding functions, overloading and polymorphism, C++ compilation process, AI controller with C++, etc.
You can sign up here.
Job Prospects for C++ Certified Professional
Here are some top jobs offered by companies to C++ programmers having at least one certification, along with the salaries paid:
| Video game designer | $60k - $102k |
| Video game programmer | $45k - $99k |
| C++ programmer | $38k - $100k |
| Embedded Software Engineer | $63k - $121k |
Source: PayScale
Conclusion
We have seen the benefits that certification can give to enrich the learning experience as well as getting better career opportunities. It adds the necessary boost to your resume, and companies offer bigger and more challenging roles to those who have certifications compared to those who don’t have. Your experience sure counts, but certification gives another competitive edge to your career. All the above certificate courses are recognized by top companies worldwide. You can start with basic courses, or if you have some working experience, you can directly go for the self-learning courses. As a serious C++ programmer, you should consider taking up end-to-end or advanced courses, as skilled C++ programmers and designers are in high demand, especially in the gaming world.
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