Question 1

Which SAP certification should I start with?

Accepted Answer

Start with an Associate-level certification in your area of expertise. Popular entry points include SAP Certified Associate - Back-End Developer - ABAP Cloud for developers, or SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition for functional consultants. SAP recommends completing the relevant SAP Learning Journey on learning.sap.com first. Exam costs start at ~$236 for a single attempt (CER001).

Question 2

Do SAP certifications expire?

Accepted Answer

Yes, SAP certifications operate on a 12-month validity cycle starting from 2026. To stay certified, you must complete annual Stay Certified assessments (short, non-proctored quizzes with unlimited attempts) within your renewal window. These are included with an SAP Learning Hub subscription. Without a subscription, you must retake the full exam each year.

Question 3

Are SAP certification exams online proctored?

Accepted Answer

As of late 2025, SAP is transitioning to performance-based practical exams that are not live-proctored. Identity is verified through SAP Universal ID. Exams are open-book, allowing access to SAP Help Portal, SAP Learning, SAP Community, and AI tools like Joule for Consultants. Traditional proctored multiple-choice exams run in parallel through 2026.

Question 4

What is the passing score and format for SAP exams?

Accepted Answer

Legacy exams use multiple-choice questions (typically 80 questions in 180 minutes), passing at approximately 60-65%. New practical exams (2025+) are system-based (timeboxed tasks in live SAP systems) or scenario-based (AI avatar roleplay with customer situations), lasting 1-3 hours. Each certification has its own passing threshold. Over 100,000 practical exams completed as of May 2026.

Question 5

How much do SAP certification exams cost?

Accepted Answer

SAP offers flexible pricing: Single exam attempt (CER001) is ~$236 USD. Two-attempt bundle with 10 practice hours is ~$276 USD. Six-attempt bundle (CER006) is ~$500-580 USD. SAP Learning Hub (all-access subscription) provides 4 exam attempts plus Stay Certified assessments at ~$2,800-$3,500/year. Prices exclude local taxes.

Question 6

What is the retake policy for SAP exams?

Accepted Answer

With the new practical exams (2025+), unsuccessful candidates have up to 4 retry attempts with 24 hours between each. With traditional exam bundles: 2-attempt bundle allows two tries; 6-attempt bundle (CER006) allows up to 6 attempts (max 3 per specific exam). Tasks may vary between retakes to prevent rote memorization. After exhausting attempts, you must purchase a new bundle.

Question 7

What is the hardest SAP certification?

Accepted Answer

The SAP Certified Professional - Solution Architect for SAP Business Technology Platform and the new ABAP Cloud Back-End Developer certification are considered among the most challenging. The ABAP Cloud exam is a 3-4 hour system-based practical exam requiring hands-on development in live ABAP environments using CDS, RAP, and Eclipse ADT. The Data Architect certification is also notably demanding.

Sap

About Sap

Why certify?

Sap Certification FAQ