Interview: Ben Forta, Author of Certified ColdFusion Developer Study Guide (QUE, March 2001)

Published December 30, 2001

By Super User

Take two in-demand skill sets, add one professional credential that marries them together, and your resume will become so hot it may scorch the fingertips of eager recruiters. The skill sets are database expertise and Web development; the credential is Certified ColdFusion Developer. Professionals with this credential know how to put databases on the Web and build applications around them in record time.

Macromedia ColdFusion was created by Allaire Corporation, which merged with Macromedia in March 2001. To find out what it takes to become certified on this hot product, we contacted Ben Forta, author of the Certified ColdFusion Developer Study Guide. Here's what he had to say:

GoCertify: What does the Certified ColdFusion Developer designation certify and who is it for?

Ben Forta There are over 300,000 ColdFusion developers out there with varying skill levels - from complete beginner to highly experienced developer. Learning ColdFusion is easy, becoming a top ColdFusion developer is not. The Certified ColdFusion Developer designation (and the more exclusive Advanced Certified ColdFusion Developer, awarded to the highest scorers only) allows developers with experience and expertise to stick out from the crowd, and be noticed and acknowledged for what they are - the best of the best.

GoCertify: What is required in order to earn this title?

Ben Forta To earn the title Certified ColdFusion Developer, examinees must demonstrate a thorough working knowledge of ColdFusion and related technologies. Questions are asked on a variety of subjects, a score of 60% is required to pass, 80% to be certified as an Advanced developer.

GoCertify: Do people have to recertify with each release of ColdFusion? If so, how often does that occur and what's involved in updating?

Ben Forta Recertification may be required when new versions of ColdFusion are released, in which case an "upgrade" test is available. This was not the case for ColdFusion 5, developers certified in ColdFusion 4 are automatically certified in ColdFusion 5 too.

GoCertify: What technologies/knowledge areas are specifically tested on the exams?