Certification - Starting Again!

[rgarzon1]

After 7 years working with Dynatrace, being certified twice as Associate and once as Professional, I’ve seen how the certifications have evolved. This year, for example, the Master certification disappeared and now you need 7 different certifications just to apply for the Ambassador program.

But beyond adding a new badge in Credly, I keep asking myself: how meaningful is this really for those of us who have been contributing for years with projects, extensions, and community support? Personally, I always thought the Professional certification would create a stronger connection with the brand and other teams, but in practice it felt more like a commercial hook than an opportunity for real integration or recognition.

To make things even more interesting, I now have to retake the Associate certification again, and soon my Dynatrace Partner Sales Engineer badge will expire. While I do appreciate the training that came with it, I honestly never understood the real value of having it — in the end, it felt like just another badge to show.

On top of that, after working with more than 60 clients across 3 countries, and even being recognized as a partner, we still have to deal with the egos of local Dynatrace leaders. If they’re in a good mood, they can be great allies — but if not, they become the biggest barrier. And here’s the key difference: as a customer, the experience is one thing, but as a partner, you would expect to have more influence on changes, greater collaboration, and a more open relationship with the brand. Unfortunately, Dynatrace remains quite closed in that sense.

And yes, I understand that perhaps part of this is because I am not in a major economic region, and maybe the focus is naturally stronger in areas where other brands are more inclusive. But honestly, that shouldn’t be a limitation.

What I’d really like —and I share this as an invitation to the conversation— is for certifications and partnerships to be more than just a visual badge or a commercial agreement. They should be a real bridge to collaborate more closely with Dynatrace, to access specialized support groups, to share field experiences, and to truly feel like part of a living community that is close to the brand.

What do you think? Have you experienced something similar, or has your journey with Dynatrace certifications, partnerships, and community been different?

[AntonioSousa]

@rgarzon1 ,

Yes, the Masters certification was a joke, or at the very least, in my case it was. I promised myself I would never pursue it again. There's a thread in the Community about it, but it's limited to DynaMights. Masteers was terminated, and that was well done by Dynatrace. I also wont take Ambassador in it's current form.

Associate is going the same way. More than six months into the new process, and besides other basic things, there's still no "Taste of the Test". Most people (not all) are totally blind when going into an exam. Some conditions are hilarious, and one exam done (by a person I know) last week had a condition that was not documented, and the person taking the exam had to replace the laptop last minute. He had a spare one, just in case, but not related to the condition. But you have to be Murphy's friend 🤣

And than there's the automatic grading. I have heard some strange things about it, and am following the case above from last week. Dealing with the University Team, so not telling any more about it, at least for now.

For now, I do relate to everything you said. We as a Community need to address these issues, and let Dynatrace know our feelings. Because, if not, good things might not come. It's also quite revealing no one has replied to this thread. I was keeping notice of it, because I knew I might have something to tell after what I would be presencing last week.

[MaciejNeumann]

Reply from the Dynatrace Certification team:

"Hi AntonioSousa,

Thank you for your patience — and apologies for the delay in responding. We’ve had some temporary staff outages due to health issues and travel, but we’re back and catching up.

We really appreciate you sharing your thoughts so openly. These conversations are important, and we’re listening closely.

To clarify one key point: the absence of a “Taste of the Test” is intentional, and it’s not something we plan to introduce. From an adult learning perspective, our goal is to promote meaningful understanding and long-term knowledge retention — not just familiarity with test formats. We want candidates to focus on mastering the concepts and applying them in real-world scenarios, rather than preparing for specific question types.

That said, we absolutely recognize the need for structured preparation. That’s why we’ve launched Dynatrace Essentials, a new eLearning program designed to support the Associate journey. It includes knowledge checks, interactive activities, and exercises to help learners assess their understanding and build confidence. While it’s not a 1:1 replica of the exam, it’s a highly recommended part of the preparation process.

We’ve also been clear in the exam instructions that the Associate exam includes both a written component (multiple choice and multiple response questions) and a practical component, which is open book. We encourage all candidates to review the exam guide carefully before scheduling.

If anyone experiences technical issues or unexpected conditions during an exam, we strongly encourage reaching out to Dynatrace Support right away. They’re there to help ensure a fair and smooth testing experience.

We’re committed to continuously improving the certification experience, and feedback like yours helps us do that. Thanks again for being part of the conversation — and the community.

— The Dynatrace Certification Team"

[MaciejNeumann]

Hi @rgarzon1 and @AntonioSousa, here is a reply from the Dynatrace Certification team:

"Hi rgarzon1,

Thank you for sharing your perspective so openly — we truly appreciate the time, dedication, and passion you’ve brought to the Dynatrace ecosystem over the years.

We understand your concerns, and you're absolutely right that the certification journey has evolved. The transition from Master to Ambassador was a thoughtful decision based on feedback and experience. What we found with the previous Master program was that acceptance was often subjective, depending heavily on who conducted the evaluation or interview. That inconsistency made it difficult to ensure fairness and transparency across the board.

With the new Ambassador program, our goal is to introduce clear, measurable criteria — not just in terms of certifications, but also in demonstrated community engagement and advocacy. This isn’t about collecting badges for the sake of it. It’s about recognizing individuals who actively contribute, share knowledge, and help others grow within the Dynatrace community.

We hear you on the desire for certifications and partnerships to be more than symbolic. We agree — they should foster deeper collaboration, open doors to specialized support, and build stronger bridges between individuals and the brand. That’s the direction we’re committed to, and feedback like yours helps us stay aligned with that goal.

We’d love to keep this conversation going. If you have ideas on how we can make the Ambassador program or other initiatives more inclusive and impactful, please share them. Your experience — across countries, clients, and roles — is incredibly valuable to us.

Thank you again for your continued contributions and for helping us shape a stronger, more connected Dynatrace community.

Warm regards,
The Dynatrace Certification Team"