Advanced Professional WordPress Developer Beta Certification Exam
Over the past few months, WordPress VIP has been developing a new Advanced Professional WordPress Developer certification.
The certification will validate advanced skills in delivering secure, scalable, high-performance WordPress solutions and is intended for experienced developers.
We are targeting a launch in February 2026 and are about to enter a closed beta test period for the certification exam.
About the Beta Test
The goals of the beta test are to validate the accuracy, fairness, psychometric quality and difficulty of the exam items to ensure the final credential is valid and credible.
The beta exam contains a larger pool of questions than the final exam. We will analyze the performance of the questions presented in beta exam and use these statistics to create the final exam.
The beta test period is December 1st – January 11th 2026.
What’s Involved with the Beta Test?
Beta testing the exam involves taking the certification exam under live conditions, which means in-person in a test center or proctored online.
Exam delivery is managed through Webassessor by Kryterion, a platform trusted by leading technology providers including Google Cloud.
The beta exam includes 90 questions and must be completed within three hours. Candidates taking the online proctored exam should anticipate additional time for environment configuration and security procedures.
After completing the exam, you’ll receive a short survey to share your feedback.
Eligibility
The certification page outlines the recommended experience for candidates.
A practice test is also available on that page, which we recommend candidates take to assess their readiness. The exam and training guides can likewise be accessed from the certification page.
NB: The certification exam is platform agnostic and does not require knowledge of the WordPress VIP platform.
Why Take the Beta Exam?
- Earn the credential by passing the beta exam, issued by Accredible and valid for three years.
- Be among the first worldwide to access this new certification.
- Retake at no cost – if you don’t pass the beta exam, you can take the $300 final exam for free.
- Shape the final exam by providing feedback and question‑level comments on both content and user experience.
- Experience the platform – register and take the exam using the same system as the final version.
FAQs
How much time will it take to complete a beta exam?
The beta exam is longer than the final version of the exam, we expect it to take between 2 and 3 hours.
Will I receive my result immediately?
Test takers taking beta exams don’t receive the exam results right away.
The exam records are scored after the beta exam period ends, and exam results are typically available 4 – 6 weeks after the beta closes. All beta participants are notified of their results at the same time after the beta period is complete.
When the final exam is published, test takers will receive their results immediately.
What is the passing score for the beta certification exam?
We have not yet set the passing score, that’s exactly what the beta test is designed to help us determine. Once the beta phase concludes, we will establish the passing score, recalculate the results accordingly, and share the updated outcomes with all beta test participants.
What happens if I don’t pass the beta certification exam?
Beta participants are only allowed one attempt on the beta exam.
If you don’t pass the beta exam, you’ll need to wait until the final exam is released to the public to try again. Your beta attempt will not count toward the four allowable attempts for the final exam.
You’ll be able to retake the final exam at no cost, and the $300 exam fee will be waived.
Is the beta certification exam available in other languages?
The beta exam is available globally in English only.
Will I receive section-level feedback for the beta certification exam if I don’t pass?
You will receive a section level score breakdown.
Where will I take the exam?
Beta testing the exam involves taking the certification exam under live conditions, which means in-person in a test center or proctored online.
Find a test center near you and read about testing requirements.
How long will the credential valid for?
The credential is valid for three years and can be renewed at a 20% discount.
Are there training prerequisites to taking the beta certification exam?
No. There are currently no prerequisites to taking the Advanced Professional WordPress Developer certification exam.
However, we advise reading the exam and training guides, and taking the practice test. The VIP Learn courses will support your preparation.
Visit the help page for more FAQs.
Prepare for the Beta Exam
Step 1. Understand what’s on the exam
The exam guide contains a list of topics that may be assessed in the beta exam.
Review the exam guide to determine if your knowledge aligns with the topics on the exam.
Step 2. Refresh your knowledge
If you have knowledge gaps, we recommend reading the training guide and exploring he WordPress VIP Learn courses.
The Learn courses highlight any topic areas that are WordPress VIP platform specific.
Step 3. Prepare with sample questions
Evaluate your readiness with a short practice quiz.
Step 4. Schedule the beta exam
Decide whether to take the exam remotely (see online testing requirements and system check) or at a test center (locate a test center near you).
Read the testing requirements for online proctored or in-person exams, and ensure you’re prepared.
Exam registration will open on December 3rd.