In the Atlassian ecosystem, continuous training and the validation of knowledge have become a differentiating factor for administrators, consultants, and technical teams. With the evolution of the certification program and the introduction of the new Atlassian Certified Designations, there are more options than ever to prove your expertise in Jira, Confluence, Jira Service Management, and the Cloud platform. In this article we'll walk through all the certifications and professional designations available, explain what each one is about, and help you identify the best path based on your profile and career goals.
Today, Atlassian organizes its credentials into 4 levels, ranging from basic knowledge to advanced recognitions.
1. ACH – Atlassian Certificate Holder
These are free certificates aimed at end users. They are not proctored exams and are designed to demonstrate foundational knowledge.
Examples:
- Jira Essentials
- Confluence Essentials
- Jira Service Management Agent Essentials
- Atlassian Cloud Foundations
- Forge Fundamentals
- Loom Fundamentals
- Rovo Fundamentals
They are ideal for users, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, and team members.
2. ACA – Atlassian Certified Associate
These are official certifications for people who regularly work with Atlassian products, but not necessarily as administrators.
Some of the most well-known are:
- Jira Essentials
- Jira Board Configuration
- Confluence Essentials
- Atlassian Cloud Foundations
These certifications include an exam and are an intermediate step before the professional-level (ACP) credentials.
3. ACP – Atlassian Certified Professional
These are the highest technical-level certifications and are aimed at administrators, consultants, and partners.
The main ones include:
Jira
- Jira Administration for Cloud
- Managing Jira Projects for Cloud
Jira Service Management
- Managing Jira Service Projects for Cloud
Cloud Organization
- Atlassian Cloud Organization Admin
Confluence
- Confluence Administration for Cloud
The old Data Center certifications (such as Jira Administration for Data Center) have been progressively retired as Atlassian focuses its program on Cloud.
4. Atlassian Certified Designations
The Designations are the equivalent of the former ACE (Atlassian Certified Expert).
They don't require an additional exam: you earn them automatically when you maintain a set of related certifications.
There are currently four:
🏅 Atlassian Certified Administration Expert
The most prestigious designation for administrators.
Earned by maintaining 4 of these certifications:
- Jira Administration for Cloud
- Managing Jira Projects for Cloud
- Managing Jira Service Projects for Cloud
- Atlassian Cloud Organization Admin
- Confluence Administration for Cloud
(Previously, the now-retired Data Center certifications also counted.)
🏅 Atlassian Certified Agile DevOps Specialist
Specialized in agile development and DevOps.
Earned with a combination of credentials such as:
- Jira Essentials
- Jira Board Configuration
- Atlassian Cloud Foundations
- Confluence Administration
- Forge Fundamentals
- Rovo Fundamentals
- Loom Fundamentals
You need to maintain 4 of them.
🏅 Atlassian Certified ITSM Specialist
Aimed at Jira Service Management administrators.
Combines credentials such as:
- Jira Service Management with AI Fundamentals
- Managing Jira Service Projects for Cloud
- Jira Service Management Agent Essentials
- Atlassian Cloud Foundations
- Rovo Fundamentals
- Loom Fundamentals
It also requires 4 active credentials.
🏅 Atlassian Certified Teamwork Collection Specialist
Focused on the Atlassian collaboration ecosystem.
Requires maintaining all of these:
- Jira Essentials
- Confluence Essentials
- Rovo Fundamentals
- Loom Fundamentals
What path would I recommend?
If you have, for example, a Jira administrator profile with consulting experience, I'd follow this route:
- Jira Administration for Cloud (ACP).
- Managing Jira Service Projects for Cloud (ACP).
- Atlassian Cloud Organization Admin (ACP).
- Confluence Administration for Cloud (ACP).
- Managing Jira Projects for Cloud (ACP).
With those credentials you would automatically earn the Atlassian Certified Administration Expert designation, the successor to the former ACE and the most valued one for Atlassian consultants and architects.
If you have any questions, you can always contact us.
The QUABU SOLUTIONS Team
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