I’ve been programming for a number of years now and this past Saturday finally got around to taking the Zend certification exam for PHP 5 (PHP is the main language I work in).
And I passed! Woo hoo! So now I can get letters after my name to show that I’m more important that you. 
By the way, ZCE stands for Zend Certified Engineer.
It was easier than I anticipated but that’s probably due to me knowing about the language. Much of it seemed to apply to practical knowledge. That is, if you have the experience working in it, you’re likely to know and understand the questions on the test.
I was glad to see that - and I knew that’s how they planned the test to be - because when it comes to being called certified in a field you really want that to apply to the real world and not just theory.
Part of me wants to know my final score but it’s just pass or fail. That’s how it should be I suppose. You’re either past a certain level or not.
What does being a Certified Engineer mean to me?
- I can show that I meet a certain level of expertise according to Zend (a big player in PHP since the beginning - they should know)
- Have a feeling of improving the PHP community and the way we’re viewed
- I can raise my prices
- No, really, I think it’s justified
Now I’m looking forward to growing from here. I enjoy learning more about the language and how it’s being used. Sources such as the php|architect magazine and all the blogs out there keep me up to date with what’s going on with other programmers and the PHP world.
And I’m also hoping to get back to the php|tek conference next year. Check out the band at the Rock Band competition 2008. That’s right, we won.
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