Overview
In our ongoing efforts to enhance our certification offerings and provide more professional and cutting-edge learning resources and certification services, Alibaba Cloud Academy is performing a refresh of our certification offerings. We will be upgrading key courses to match the latest trends in cloud computing and AI technologies, focusing on job roles and the key skills required to take up such roles in enterprises.
During this period, some courses and certifications will be retired and replaced by new ones, while others will be retired for a period of time as we perform the upgrade.
Replacement Certifications
Which certifications are affected?
1. ACA Cloud Computing Associate was replaced by Cloud Engineer (Associate)
● End of Sales (EOS): December 31, 2024
● End of Life (EOL): March 31, 2025
● Grace Period: June 30, 2025
2. ACP Cloud Computing Professional was replaced by Cloud Architect (Professional)
● End of Sales (EOS): February 13, 2025
● End of Life (EOL): May 13, 2025
● Grace Period: August 13, 2025
3. ACA Cloud Security Associate was replaced by Cloud Security Engineer (Associate)
● End of Sales (EOS): February 13, 2025
● End of Life (EOL): May 13, 2025
● Grace Period: August 13, 2025
4. ACE Cloud Computing Expert was replaced by Solutions Architect (Expert)
● End of Sales (EOS): February 13, 2025
● End of Life (EOL): May 13, 2025
● Grace Period: August 13, 2025
5. ACA System Operator will be replaced by SysOps Administrator (Associate)
● End of Sales (EOS): May 16, 2025
● End of Life (EOL): August 15, 2025
● Grace Period: November 14, 2025
How will this affect me?
● Learners who have already purchased exam codes or classroom training for this certification will have two options:
I want to continue with the current exam/content:
- Schedule a date for classroom training to be delivered before End of Life (EOL).
- Redeem and use the exam codes before End of Life (EOL).
I want to start with the new exam/content:
- Contact Alibaba Cloud Academy to convert your exam code. You will be able to take the new exam after End of Life (EOL).
- Contact Alibaba Cloud Academy to reschedule or schedule a date to take the classroom training for the upgraded course.
●Learners who meet the requirements for the grace period can contact Alibaba Cloud Academy to convert exam codes or retake their certification exam based on the new content. View more information about the Grace Period.
● For any inquiries, contact Alibaba Cloud academy at intl_training@list.alibaba-inc.com.
Retiring Certifications
Which certifications are affected?
1. Retiring Certification List
ACA Cloud Computing Associate was replaced by Cloud Engineer (Associate)
ACA Database Associate
ACA Big Data Associate
ACA Cloud Native Associate
ACA Developer
ACP DevOps Engineer
ACP Big Data Professional
ACP Cloud Security Professional
ACP Cloud Networking Certification
ACP Container Service Professional
ACE Big Data Expert
● End of Sales (EOS): December 31, 2024
● End of Life (EOL): March 31, 2025
● Grace Period: June 30, 2025
2. ACP Cloud Computing Professional was replaced by Cloud Architect (Professional)
● End of Sales (EOS): February 13, 2025
● End of Life (EOL): May 13, 2025
● Grace Period: August 13, 2025
3. ACA Cloud Security Associate was replaced by Cloud Security Engineer (Associate)
● End of Sales (EOS): February 13, 2025
● End of Life (EOL): May 13, 2025
● Grace Period: August 13, 2025
4. ACE Cloud Computing Expert was replaced by Solutions Architect (Expert)
● End of Sales (EOS): February 13, 2025
● End of Life (EOL): May 13, 2025
● Grace Period: August 13, 2025
5. ACA System Operator will be replaced by SysOps Administrator (Associate)
● End of Sales (EOS): May 16, 2025
● End of Life (EOL): August 15, 2025
● Grace Period: November 14, 2025
What will happen to these certifications in the future?
● A retired certification means that Alibaba Cloud Academy is reviewing our certifications and evaluating how well we're meeting customers' needs.
● Certifications under review might be upgraded, combined, replaced, or no longer offered in the future.
How will this affect me?
● Learners who have already obtained certificates for retiring certifications will have their certificates remain valid until they expire.
● Learners who obtain a certificate before the EOL of a retiring certification, the validity of the certificate is still two years.
● Certified learners who wish to recertify are encouraged to complete their purchase by End of Sales (EOS), and complete recertification by End of Life (EOL). Learners won’t be able to recertify after End of Life (EOL) because these exams will no longer be offered.
● Learners who have already purchased exam codes or classroom training for this certification please:
- Schedule a date for classroom training to be delivered before End of Life (EOL).
- Redeem and use the exam codes before End of Life (EOL).
For partners and customers please consult your contact or contact Alibaba Cloud Academy via email for more information.
For any inquiries, contact Alibaba Cloud Academy at intl_training@list.alibaba-inc.com.
End of Sales (EOS)
What is End of Sales?
- End of Sales, or EOS, is defined as the last day on which a particular certification and its related services is available for purchase. Purchases are no longer possible after EOS.
What are certification related services?
- Certification-related services include:
● Classroom training (online or offline)
● On-demand courses
● Certification exam
How will this affect me?
- ● Learners can no longer purchase services related to this certification, but learners who have already purchased the certification services can still redeem them.
● For partners and customers please consult your contact or contact Alibaba Cloud Academy via email for more information.
End of Life (EOL)
What is End of Life?
- End of Life, or EOL, is defined as the last day on which a particular certification and its related services is available for use or redeem. You can no longer redeem the certification services after its EOL.
What are certification-related services?
- Certification-related services include:
● Classroom training (online or offline)
● On-demand courses
● Certification exam
How will this affect me?
- ● Learners can no longer redeem services related to this certification.
● Learners who have already purchased on-demand courses will not be affected and the courses are still available.
● For partners and customers please consult your contact or contact Alibaba Cloud Academy via email for more information.
Grace Period
What is Grace Period?
- The Grace Period is defined as a phase that enables users to smoothly transit from a retiring certification to the new certification. This concept is applicable only to retiring certifications that have replacement.
How will this affect me?
- If you purchased a certification A that is retiring and replaced by certification B and you haven't taken the exam and classroom training before the EOL of certification A, you can:
● [Recommended] Contact Alibaba Cloud Academy to convert your exam code. You can take the exam of certification B after the EOL of certification A.
● Contact Alibaba Cloud Academy to reschedule or schedule a date to take the classroom training for the upgraded course.
● Take the exam of certification A anyway, but note that the content of certification A may be outdated. We recommend that you learn and get certified based on the latest content.
How to contact Alibaba Cloud Academy?
- You can contact us at intl_training@list.alibaba-inc.com.
FAQ
I still want to take the exam of a retiring certification and hope to obtain the certificate before EOL. Is this certificate valid? How long is the validity?
Yes, the certification you obtain is still valid. The validity of all professional certifications is 2 years. We recommend that you take the exam of new certifications and get certified based on the latest content.
I am a partner / customer of Alibaba Cloud. How will this affect me?
Please consult your Academy PIC or contact us at intl_training@list.alibaba-inc.com for more information.
Can I take the retired certification exam after End of Life?
No, you can pay attention to other certifications that can be purchased.
Will my successfully scheduled exam be affected?
No, you can take with the exam as scheduled.
I have obtained a certificate for a retiring certification. Will the certification retirement invalidate the certificate I have obtained?
No, certifications that you obtained are not affected. The validity is 2 years.
Will there be a replacement for the retired certification?
Currently, Alibaba Cloud Academy provide replacement for specific certifications, not all. In general, we continuously upgrade our certification content. Existing certifications may be upgraded, combined, replaced, or retired in the future.
I have questions about the updates on the professional exam and need clarification.
For any inquiries, please contact us at intl_training@list.alibaba-inc.com.