What’s all this noise about Python?
At the time of publication of this article, Python ranked number one in the TIOBE index of the most popular programming languages in the world. As you read this article, Python is more than likely still number one. If you want to make a living as a programmer, not only do you need to know Python, but you also need to prove it. And one of the best ways to prove it is by getting a certification.
What is certification and why is it important?
At heart, the idea of certification is quite simple: a certification tells people who don’t know you that you are able to do the things you say that you can do. That doesn’t mean that people without certification cannot do those things — it simply means that the people with the certification can.
Who uses Python?
The short answer: almost everybody.
Python is used almost everywhere on Earth, and not only on Earth — the James Webb Space Telescope operates at a distance of 1.5 million kilometers (932,000 miles) from Earth thanks largely to Python. Closer to home, Python is used in game development, app development, data science, automation, and AI. In the world of marine biology, scientists use Python to communicate with whales and dolphins. In nuclear physics, Python is used at every stage in the research of nuclear fusion, the holy grail of unlimited energy.
What is the OpenEDG Python Institute?
The OpenEDG Python Institute is an independent, non-profit project venture set up, run, and managed by the Open Education and Development Group (OpenEDG) to promote the Python programming language, train a new generation of Python programmers, and support professional careers in programming in Python and related technologies.
The OpenEDG Python Institute works closely with schools, colleges, and universities, as well as companies, organizations, and institutions to help them fulfill their needs, goals, and commitments regarding the Pythonlanguage.
What certifications does the Python Institute offer?
The OpenEDG Python Institute offers a wide selection of general-track and specific-track certifications. The general track is made up of three certifications:
- PCEP™ – Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer certification, for beginners
- PCAP™ – Certified Associate in Python Programming certification, for intermediate-level Python programmers
- PCPP1™ – Certified Professional in Python Programming 1 certification, for advanced programmers
Once you have reached the advanced level, you can then choose to specialize—the OpenEDG Python Institute offers the PCAD™ – Certified Associate in Data Analytics with Python certification and the PCAT™ – Certified Associate in Testing with Python certification, with more specialized tracks on the way.
Who should take the OpenEDG Python Institute certified exams?
These certified exams are ideal for people who either want to start their careers in Python programming, or who are looking to expand their professional horizons and perhaps earn a promotion. Python, being one of the most popular programming languages in the world and one of the easiest to learn, is an ideal language not only for beginners, but for anybody who needs even a basic knowledge of programming.
According to Oliver France, Senior Forensics Data Analyst at PwC Australia, certification has been essential to the progress he has achieved in his career. "If you are working as a Data Analyst and want to open your career to Data Science,” he says, “the Certified Associate in Python Programming certification is a must!"
If you are applying for a new job, you should know that employers often use certification as a screening tool. They use these certifications to reduce the number of potential candidates they invite to interview. When a single job posting can receive hundreds, or even thousands, of applications, employers only have seconds to browse each resume, and they need some way to reduce that vast number to something more manageable. They often do that by rejecting applicants who do not already possess the right certification.
Andrew Smith, Senior Lecturer at The Open University, believes that the right certification can be directly linked to a candidate’s employability, citing in particular the benefits of the OpenEDG Python Institute certifications in the job market. “At the OU, we have seen how the employability of OpenEDG's Python certification has underpinned the popularity of our linked micro credential, it is the value that PCAP and PCEP offer that makes the difference.”
Preparing for Python Institute certified exams with Logical Operations:
We are pleased to announce our partnership with Logical Operations, a courseware publisher who offers courses that will help prepare students for OpenEDG Python Institute exams.
These certifications include Certified Entry-Level Python Programmer (exam PCEP-30-0x), Certified Associate in Python Programming (exam PCAP-31-0x), and Certified Professional in Python Programming 1 (PCPP-32-10x).
To assist you in your preparation for the Python Institute certification of your choice, Logical Operations offers two courses: Introduction to Programming with Python® and Advanced Programming Techniques with Python®.
What sets Logical Operations’ courseware apart from the rest?
For 40 years, Logical Operations has supported technical training providers by providing course materials designed for instructor-led events. Millions of students have been trained on topics ranging from Basics of Computer Keyboarding to Advanced Internetworking and everything in between. With over 3,500 active training providers utilizing Logical Operations’ authored courseware, the CHOICE materials are student tested and instructor proven.
One of the underlying principles in Logical Operations’ CHOICE instructional approach is that their courseware is built for student success. The material promotes that goal in several ways:
- Within topics, hands-on activities (those that use hardware or software) are written with two levels of scaffolding. The numbered step is a general target for what the student will accomplish in that part of the activity. Then, the lettered sub-steps provide detailed, click-by-click instructions to ensure the student can complete the task.
- Hands-on Mastery Builders at the lesson level are deliberately more open-ended and less scaffolded, to allow for more student challenge. In this case, a Solution file is provided as a student self-check tool.
- For “minds-on” style material throughout the course, (quizzes, guided discussions, case studies, and so on), sample answers are provided for the student in a Solutions section at the back of the Student Manual.
The support built into the CHOICE courseware along with their training partners’ expert guidance are a winning combination for ensuring that students master each learning objective in the course.
So, what now?
If you are a student wanting to get Python certified and you’re ready, then you can purchase an OpenEDG Python Institute certified exam voucher here.
If you are a #trainingprovider and you’d like to purchase the Python certification courseware prep, visit the Logical Operations store here.
Written by: William Alan McNeice | Edited by: Michelle Farney
