HashiCorp’s New Vault Operations Pro Certification Is Lab-Based

HashiCorp associate-level exam-takers told us they wanted hands-on exams where they could prove their knowledge of our products in the real world. We listened, and are now happy to make our first professional-level exam available. The HashiCorp Certified: Vault Operations Professional exam contains multiple-choice questions and lab-based scenarios to test deploying, configuring, managing, and monitoring a production Vault environment.

Obtaining a HashiCorp Cloud Engineer Certification validates practitioners’ knowledge and experience with a HashiCorp product. As our suite of tools continues to be adopted by enterprises around the globe, our certifications enable practitioners to instantly communicate their proficiency to current and prospective employers.

Cloud engineers specializing in DevOps, IT, security, or development have already earned more than 17,000 associate-level credentials from HashiCorp. Vault professionals can now go to the next level with real-world validation of their skills.

»Prerequisites

This professional-level Vault certification is the next step after the HashiCorp Certified: Vault Associate. We strongly recommend passing the associate-level exam before taking the professional-level exam. However, we will not enforce that as a requirement. Practitioners who are already experienced with Vault operations in a production environment may be able to successfully pass the professional-level exam.

The exam’s labs are built inside of Docker containers. You don’t need to be a Docker expert to take the test, but you should understand the concepts and functionality of infrastructure running in containers. You will have access to a container GUI for when you need to stop or start a Vault server or read the logs.

Other prerequisite knowledge includes:

• Linux skills such as list and edit files via command terminal
• Understanding of IP networking
• Experience with public key infrastructure (PKI), including PGP and TLS
• Information security fundamentals such as network security and role-based access controls (RBAC)

»Prepare for the Exam

Visit the Prepare for Vault Operations Pro Exam page on HashiCorp Learn for a list of exam objectives and links to free preparation materials including documentation, project-based tutorials, and sample questions. Sign in and click the bookmark icon to build your own study guide.

This professional-level exam does cover some functionality specific to HashiCorp Vault Enterprise. If you do not have access to Vault Enterprise to study with, you can access a free 30-day trial binary.

»Schedule and Take the Exam

All HashiCorp exams are taken online and facilitated by a proctor. The proctor verifies your identity, goes over exam procedures, and stays with you during your exam. Our Exam Handbook provides details and requirements for your physical environment, computer equipment, and other procedures.

When you are ready to schedule your exam, you can start from the exam homepage. From there you will log in to HashiCorp and be forwarded on to our exam delivery partner, where you can schedule and purchase the exam for $295.

»Share Your Certification

After you complete the exam, HashiCorp will inform you of your test results via email. One free retake is included (for this exam only) if you don’t pass on your first attempt.

We have partnered with Credly to offer a digital badge to everyone who passes the certification exam. This service is included in the exam price and acceptance is up to you. Sharing your badge via social media such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter links back to a real-time verification feature that describes your qualifications and provides instant recognition from your professional network. You can also include the badge in your email signature, digital resume, and even embed it on your personal website or blog. Share it on social media with the #CloudEngineer and #VaultCertified hashtags!