Getting certified in DevOps can be highly lucrative. For businesses, adopting the methodology can enable greater collaboration and efficiency, as well as higher ROIs across the service development lifecycle. DevOps engineers also stand to benefit, with official DevOps qualifications often helping to unlock higher-paying roles.
That said, there is no strictly defined path to becoming a DevOps engineer. There are no prerequisites for taking the DevOps Foundation exam, making it open to candidates of various backgrounds. Experienced candidates who do not want to start with an introductory course can opt for DevOps Leader, an advanced qualification that takes a management-level perspective of DevOps (and also does not have any prerequisites to satisfy).
Prospective practitioners can also choose to branch out from the core DevOps Institute syllabus. The DevSecOps (DSOE) Foundation exam focuses on the importance of Security in DevOps, giving it the same prominence as Development and Operations. It also has no prerequisites, making it a great choice for employees interested in studying a newer, more security-oriented version of the methodology. Students can also consider the Site Reliability Engineering Foundation (SREF) exam, which focuses on the practices, tools, and principles behind SRE.
In other words, the DevOps examinations offer a variety of options, very few of which have set prerequisites. Each candidate simply needs to be aware of the essential elements of DevOps, how to help drive cultural transformations, and where the knowledge of their chosen syllabus will fit into a wider DevOps environment.
The best way to develop such an understanding of DevOps, DevSecOps, SRE, or any other corporate topic is with online training. With a structured and fully-accredited training approach, candidates can cement their understanding of their training in the run-up to their exams. Providers like Good e-Learning also offer free downloadable materials and apps for studying on the move, along with practical insight from highly-experienced practitioners. It also goes without saying that an official qualification obtained with help from a highly-rated training provider can make a candidate far more desirable than non-certified competitors.
Preparing for the DevOps Exams
It is important to remember that DevOps is not just a badge for engineers to wear. Nor is it a simple checklist of tasks to complete in IT. Rather, it is an organic and ever-evolving methodology: one that practitioners understand well enough to adapt for specific teams, departments, and businesses, depending on their exact requirements.
While there are no prerequisites for the exams offered by the DevOps Institute, that does not mean the exams are easy to pass. The DevOps Institute recommends that candidates complete an accredited training course (typically with at least 16 ‘contact hours’ in instruction or lab work) in order to fully prepare.
Students must commit an appropriate amount of time to exam prep work. This can include:
- Carrying out knowledge checks
- Taking practice exams
- Completing exercises
- Discussing progress with colleagues
- Reviewing case studies
- Utilizing additional materials, such as downloadable assets, videos, podcasts, and so on
The last point is particularly important. The DevOps methodology is currently thriving, with practitioners all over the world creating thought leadership content and sharing it freely online. Exploring these resources is a fundamental part of learning how the methodology works in practice, as well as how it can be adapted for individual organizations. Looking at DevOps from different professional angles, and reading about the experiences of working DevOps managers and engineers, will also help you get a much stronger grasp of the content covered in the exams.
In the run-up to your exam, you may also want to consider DevOps/ DevSecOps/ SRE in the context of your own experience, especially if your business is planning to utilize it or has done so in the past. Try answering questions like:
- How does your organization define ‘value’?
- What is the purpose of your organization?
- Are there any processes in your organization that can be automated?
- What are the biggest constraints you face in the workplace?
In the same vein, it can be worth considering your organization in the context of:
- Key DevOps/ DevSecOps/ SRE definitions
- DevOps/ DevSecOps/ SRE goals
- How DevOps/ DevSecOps/ SRE relates to business values and stakeholders
- How your organization could be improved by DevOps/ DevSecOps/ SRE concepts and practices
Naturally, you will also want to take full advantage of any practice exams in the run-up to the real thing. Good e-Learning provides a practice exam simulator with its DevOps, DevSecOps, and SRE courses, allowing students to experience the conditions of official examinations. Utilizing the simulator can also help students to pinpoint areas in which they are struggling. If a learner requires additional help with a course syllabus, they can also take advantage of Good e-Learning’s experienced and fully qualified support team.
Taking the DevOps Foundation Exam
The DevOps Foundation Certification (DOFD) exam covers the eight modules of the DevOps Foundation syllabus. The exact number of questions per module varies between exams, so it is important to ensure you have a full grasp of the syllabus before taking the official test.
- Exploring DevOps – Purpose, objectives, and business value of DevOps – 5 questions max
- Core DevOps Principles – The Three Ways – 4 questions max
- Key DevOps Practices – Emerging DevOps practices such as continuous delivery and continuous integration – 7 questions max
- Business and Technology Frameworks – The relation between relevant frameworks and standards and DevOps – 7 questions max
- DevOps Values: Culture, Behaviors, and Operating Models – Characteristics of a DevOps culture and of cultural change – 6 questions max
- DevOps Values: Automation and Architecting DevOps Toolchains – The Deployment Pipeline, DevOps toolchains, and other automation considerations – 5 questions max
- DevOps Values: Automation and Architecting DevOps Toolchains – Common DevOps practices and related processes – 2 questions max
- DevOps Values: Sharing, Shadowing and Reporting – Responsibilities of key roles and considerations relative to organizational structure. Getting started with adoption challenges, risks, critical success factors, and key performance measures – 4 questions max
Students can get used to the structure of the exam itself by using the Good e-Learning exam simulator. This DevOps certification exam uses the following format:
- 40 multiple-choice questions
- Candidates have 60 minutes to complete the exam
- If a candidate is taking the exam in a country where English is a second language, the time will be extended to 75 minutes
- The exam is open book, with only the provided materials being permitted for use
- Students must answer 26/40 questions correctly (65%) in order to pass
- The exam can either be taken online or in person with an invigilator (Good e-Learning provides FREE vouchers to take the exams online)
Taking the DevOps Leader Exam
The DevOps Leader exam is based on the eight modules of the DevOps Leader syllabus. The exact number of questions per module varies between exams, so it is important to ensure you have a full grasp of the syllabus before taking the official test.
- DevOps and Transformational Leadership – Define and list the benefits of DevOps, as well as Transformational Leadership – 6 questions max
- Unlearning – Discuss the psychology and neuroscience background of DevOps. Identify both DevOps and other existing systems – 5 questions max
- Becoming a DevOps Organization – Describe shared goals and explain to others how they can participate in DevOps cultures – 7 questions max
- Measuring to Learn – Describe value stream maps and mapping. Students also learn how to measure – 2 questions max
- Measuring to Improve – 2 questions max
- Target Operating Models and Organizational Designs – Differentiate between TOM and OD, integrate Agile and Ops, identify elements of Agile at scale, and describe Spotify’s organizational model – 6 questions max
- Articulating and Socializing Vision – Describe organizational change and explain how to broadcast outside of an organization – 6 questions max
- Maintaining Energy and Momentum – Describe blended innovation – 6 questions max
The DevOps Leader exam follows a similar format to the DevOps Foundation exam. Students can use the Good e-Learning exam simulator to get used to the atmosphere and structure of the exam:
- 40 multiple-choice questions
- Candidates have 90 minutes to complete the exam
- If a candidate is taking the exam in a country where English is a second language, the time will be extended to 105 minutes
- Supervised
- The exam is open book, with only the provided materials being permitted for use
- Students must answer 26/40 questions correctly (65%) in order to pass
- The exam can be taken online or in person with an invigilator (Good e-Learning provides FREE vouchers to take the exams online)
Taking the DevSecOps Engineering Foundation Exam
The DevSecOps Engineering (DSOE) Foundation exam is based on the 10 modules of the DevSecOps Engineering (DSOE) Foundation syllabus. The exact number of questions per module varies between exams, so it is important to ensure you have a full grasp of the syllabus before taking the official test.
- Course Overview and Recap
- Module 1: An Introduction to DevSecOps Engineering
- Module 2: Culture and Management
- Module 3: Strategic Considerations
- Module 4: Security Considerations
- Module 5: Identity and Access Management
- Module 6: Application Security
- Module 7: Operational Security
- Module 8: GRC and Audit
- Module 9: Logging, Monitoring, and Response
The DevSecOps exam uses the following format. Students can use the Good e-Learning exam simulator to get used to the atmosphere and structure of the exam:
- 40 multiple-choice questions
- Candidates have 60 minutes to complete the exam
- If a candidate is taking the exam in a country where English is a second language, the time will be extended to 85 minutes
- The exam is open book, with only the provided materials being permitted for use
- Students must answer 26/40 questions correctly (65%) in order to pass
- Candidates can take the exam online or in person with an invigilator (Good e-Learning provides FREE vouchers to take the exams online)
Taking the Site Reliability Engineering Foundation Exam
This Site Reliability Engineering exam is based on the nine modules of the Site Reliability Engineering Foundation (SREF) syllabus. The exact number of questions per module varies between exams, so it is important to ensure you have a full grasp of the syllabus before taking the official test.
- An Introduction to SRE Foundation (SREF)
- Module 1: SRE Principles & Practices
- Module 2: Service Level Objectives & Error Budgets
- Module 3: Reducing Toil
- Module 4: Monitoring & Service Level Indicators
- Module 5: SRE Tools & Automation
- Module 6: Anti-Fragility & Learning from Failure
- Module 7: Organizational Impact of SRE
- Module 8: SRE, Other Frameworks, Trends
The SRE Foundation exam uses the following format. Students can use the Good e-Learning exam simulator to get used to the atmosphere and structure of the SRE exam:
- 40 multiple-choice questions
- Candidates have 60 minutes to complete the exam
- If a candidate is taking the exam in a country where English is a second language, the time will be extended to 85 minutes
- The exam is open book, with only the provided materials being permitted for use
- Students must answer 26/40 questions correctly (65%) in order to pass
- Candidates can take the exam online or in-person with an invigilator (Good e-Learning provides FREE vouchers to take the exams online)
