If you’re interested in becoming a WordPress developer – or even just developing your own website – you may be interested in WordPress certifications to help you learn and add credentials to your resume.
Do you need WordPress certifications to be a WordPress developer? And who certifies you?
No, you don’t – there are no rules about who can work on WordPress sites. Nor are there any official WordPress certifications. That is, the WordPress Foundation, which is the actual non-profit behind the WordPress software, doesn’t directly offer any certifications.
What you can find, though, are some unofficial WordPress certifications from third parties.
These certifications offer a more structured way to ensure that you know all the ins-and-outs of WordPress. Additionally, they give you something tangible to market yourself to potential clients or help you create a professional looking resume.
It’s a fair assumption that most WordPress developers do not have these types of certifications. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be valuable to you.
Three third-party WordPress certifications to consider
Our top three WordPress certifications come from WP Training Courses and are online, private, and hands-on with your own personal WordPress instructor. Basically, unlike many other WordPress courses, you’re not learning from a shared or pre-recorded webinar. You get to ask questions as they come up.
Since 2010, WP Training Courses has helped over 4,000 students learn more about WordPress and development.
Here are the three certifications that they currently offer…
1. WordPress Manager
In this package, you’ll learn how to quickly manage, modify, and secure your WordPress website in a private, instructor-led class.
You’ll learn all about…
- WordPress fundamentals
- Admin settings
- Dashboard settings
- SEO page optimization
- On-page settings
- On-post settings
- Theme option settings
- Header and footer customization
- Custom menus
- Sidebars
- Widgets
- Plugins
As well as some other advanced functionality and tools that all WordPress site developers should know about.
This package was created to help you manage your website as well as the content you provide and costs $399.
Next up, we have…
2. WordPress Administrator
In this training package, you’ll gain the experience, skills, and confidence needed for professional WordPress administration.
You’ll learn how to administrate, manage, edit, and secure custom (or premium) WordPress themes.
But that’s not all. You’ll also learn all about…
- WordPress Fundamentals – all the basics of running a WordPress site.
- CSS and Child Themes – customizing your site with child themes and custom CSS.
- Modifying Page Structure – changing the layout of your site with PHP and HTML.
- Updating and Security – keeping your site and its data secure.
- Advanced SEO – go beyond basic WordPress SEO tips into more advanced topics.
You get all of this for the price of $799. While this is quite a bit more than the first, it’s more in-depth and will provide tons of value to get your WordPress website up and running.
Finally, we have…
3. WordPress Front-end Developer
The final package that WP Training Courses offers was built for individuals looking to start a professional career developing WordPress websites.
It covers everything you learn in the previous two courses, plus:
- Database installation
- Maintenance and security
- Site publication and migration
- Multi-Site Networking – creating a network of sites with WordPress Multisite.
- Multimedia – including multimedia content in your site.
- Social Media – marketing your WordPress sites on social networks.
- eCommerce – building a fully-functioning eCommerce site with WordPress.
This package costs $1,487. It’s a hefty price to pay up front, but the one-on-one training and information you get from this package is worth it – if you’ll use it all.
Other less intensive options for WordPress certifications
If you don’t want to take a full course, there are a couple other routes you can go to get WordPress certifications.
First, if you’re active on the Freelancer.com platform, you can take the WordPress skill test to get certified that way. You’ll also get a badge on your profile that says you’ve passed the skill test.
Similarly, Upwork also offers a WordPress skill test that performs the same function.
Neither approach is especially in-depth, but it’s a good way to display some credentials on your profile if you’re active on either of those freelancing platforms.
Final thoughts
With the information we’ve provided, you’ll be able to choose a certification that fits your specific needs and get your WordPress site up and running in no time!
If you’re not interested in these or want some more options, check out our review of the top 5 online WordPress courses. We take a deep dive into WordPress 101, WordPress for Beginners, and more – including some free courses!
Or start the conversation in our Facebook group for WordPress professionals. Find answers, share tips, and get help from other WordPress experts. Join now (it’s free)!