Apple offers a comprehensive certification program for individuals who wish to become proficient in repairing Apple hardware. The knowledge acquired through the certification program is suitable for those who support Apple products in corporations, education, and authorized service providers.
Beta testing
Apple reserves the right and may exclude any countries, testing centers or individuals from beta testing programs or offers. The opportunity to participate in beta testing is by invitation only and can be cancelled, revoked, or withdrawn at any time.
Certification ban appeal process
If you wish to appeal a ban for falsification of a score report, the AppleCare Service Certification panel will review your request and render a decision based on your appeal. You may submit your appeal to svc.trng@apple.com or by sending the original report (scanned documents or electronic copies will not be reviewed) to:
Apple Certification
1 Infinite Loop, MS 90-1AC
Cupertino, CA 95014
Candidate re-testing at request of Apple
Apple reserves the right to require you to re-test due to any suspected misconduct or unusual testing patterns. Re-testing will be held at a testing center site selected by Apple at a time agreed upon by you and Apple.
Challenging an Apple Certification exam Item
To ensure that exams are not misleading, ambiguous or biased, each exam item is analyzed by a panel of technical and job-function experts who review each item to ensure clarity, technical accuracy and the relevance of each item.
Learn more about how Apple Certification exams are developed
Steps for challenging exam items
Within 3 calendar days of taking an exam, please send an email to svc.trng@apple.com with “Exam Item Evaluation” in the subject line. You must submit a separate email for each exam item you challenge and provide your contact information, registration ID, the number and name of the exam, date and location of the testing center where you took the exam, and describe in detail the specific reasons you are challenging the item. Please provide as much information as possible about the item for review. Challenges will not be accepted for review unless all required information is provided. Do NOT take any screenshots of the exam.
Note: Exam item challenges will be accepted only for exams that have not been scheduled for retirement.
Apple will acknowledge your challenge by email and you will receive either the result of the review or an estimate of when you can anticipate a decision.
Conduct
You agree to the terms and conditions set forth in the Apple Certification Program Terms and Conditions and agree not to compromise the integrity or confidentiality of any exam or certification program. Any violation of this policy may result in a lifetime ban on all future Apple exams, voiding of all previous Apple certifications, and any other remedies available to Apple at law or in equity.
Confidentiality
The exams and the answers thereto are the sole property and confidential information of Apple. By taking the exams you represent that you have read and agree to be bound to the terms and conditions set forth in the Apple Certification Program Terms and Conditions.
Data forensics
Analysis of exam data
The Apple certification team conducts statistical analysis of exam data to identify misconduct by examinees and enforce certification policies. Apple reserves the right to ban examinees and close testing centers (AATCs) based on the results of data forensics or statistical analysis.
Accommodations for individuals with disabilities
Apple is committed to providing accessibility solutions for individuals with disabilities. Please contact your selected testing venue at least 14 days prior to your exam date if you have a disability that requires you to have special accommodations to take an exam in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act or other applicable laws in the region.
Electronic agreement
You must review the Apple Certification Program Terms and Conditions prior to taking the exam. By taking the exam, you acknowledge and agree to be bound by the terms of the Apple Certification Program Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree to these terms, you are not eligible to participate in the exam.
Exam security and integrity
Apple protects the integrity of the Apple Certification Exams and Program. Apple reserves the right to prohibit or ban an individual from taking any Apple Certification Exams or to decertify an Apple Certified Individual, Apple Certified Trainer, or any company sponsoring the individual who violates this Agreement or engages in any misconduct. Apple and test center proctors are authorized to take immediate appropriate measures against any individual violating testing rules.
Examples of misconduct include, but are not limited to:
- Submission of work that is not entirely your own
- Attempting to provide or accept improper assistance
- Attempting to use unauthorized materials (including, but not limited to publication of Exam questions or answers and brain dump material)
- Any misconduct as determined by data or statistical analysis
- Alteration or modification of any Exam records
- Impersonating another individual to gain access to the Exam
- Violating the Exam Retake Policy
- Any act to copy, publish, distribute, sell, reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, translate or otherwise disseminate any Exam or portion of an Exam.
Apple expressly reserves all rights and remedies available at law or in equity arising out of a breach of the Apple Certification Program Terms and Conditions this agreement, or any infringement of Apple’s intellectual property rights to the exams. If Apple determines that a service provider has acted illegally or unfairly in connection with an Apple certification exam, Apple may terminate its Service Provider Agreement immediately.
Acceptance of the Exam Agreement
You acknowledge and agree that you are solely responsible for your compliance with and understanding of the Apple Certification Policies and the exam security policies. By taking the exam, you acknowledge that you have read, understand, and agree to be bound by these policies, terms and conditions.
Logo Guidelines
While AppleCare Service Certification does not use logos, certified candidates in other Apple certification programs may only use certification logos, certificates and other collateral as provided and in accordance with the published Logo Guidelines. Individuals or entities that misuse certification logos, certificates and/or other collateral may be subject to penalties up to and including a lifetime ban on all future Apple exams and the nullification of all previous Apple certifications in addition to any and all other remedies available to Apple at law or in equity.
Payment
Payment for exams are made directly to the testing service, and the method of payment is determined by the testing service. Payment for exams are the responsibility of the examinee, and are paid directly to the testing service via a valid credit card, online, and prior to taking the exam. The examinee is responsible for any fees their financial institution may charge to complete the payment transaction.
Privacy notice
Apple’s Customer Privacy Policy covers the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information that may be collected by Apple anytime you interact with Apple, such as when you visit our website, when you purchase Apple products and services, or when you contact our sales or support associates. Please take a moment to read the following to learn more about our information practices, including what type of information is gathered, how the information is used and for what purposes, to whom we disclose the information, and how we safeguard your personal information. Your privacy is a priority at Apple, and we go to great lengths to protect it.
Retake policy
If you do not pass an exam, you may retake the exam after one (1) twenty-four (24) hour period has passed between attempts.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, beta exams may only be taken once.
In some cases, Apple may have special policies for specific exams which may supersede this retake policy.
Revoking certifications
Any individual attempting to violate testing rules, cheating or undermining the security or integrity of the Apple Certification program in any way will have their scores and credentials revoked. This remedy shall not limit or impair any remedy at law or in equity available to Apple.
Right of exclusion
Apple reserves the right to exclude or limit the Apple Certification program to specific regions, countries, and test centers at its sole discretion.
Frequently asked questions about exam policies
Frequently asked questions about exam security
Support
Please note that Apple and its testing services do not offer phone support for online exams. We offer email support with a two-business-day turnaround. This means that if a candidate takes the exam less than two business days before a deadline and encounters problems, of any sort, including internet service provider (ISP) issues, bandwidth issues, log-in or code issues, they will not be eligible to retake the exam online. If you require support due to technical issues or otherwise, please visit our support page.
System Requirements for online exams
- Mac OS X 10.5 or higher
- Safari 3.2.2 or above; other browsers may not be fully supported
- Cable / DSL / broadband connection
Apple Certification Development Process
Apple Certification exams are carefully developed with input from industry professionals to reflect how Apple products are used in organizations throughout the world. The exams are computer administered to accurately measure one’s ability to perform specific, skilled tasks. The exams are objective based, mapping back to the skill set necessary to competently repair an Apple hardware product. These rigorous exams go well beyond testing routine knowledge or terminology.
Development phases
To ensure the validity, reliability, and relevance of Apple Certification exams, developers create exams in eight phases:
- Job Task Analysis definition: Tasks are gathered into a comprehensive set of specific and measurable skills.
- The Job Task Analysis is the stepping stone on which objectives are created. Objectives are building blocks to ensure the candidate has the required skill set to competently perform the job, which corresponds to the certification.
- Blueprint survey: The objective domain is transformed into a blueprint survey, in which technical and job function experts rate the importance of each objective. This helps to determine the appropriate number and types of items to include on the exam. Item development: Exam developers write the exam items according to the objectives. Developers review and revise items to ensure that they are:
- Technically accurate
- Clear, unambiguous, and relevant
- Not biased toward any population, subgroup, or culture
- Not misleading or tricky
- Testing for useful knowledge rather than obscure or trivial facts
- Items that meet these criteria are included in the item pool.
- Alpha review and item revision: A panel of experts review each item for technical accuracy.
- Beta exam: The reviewed items are beta-tested. During the beta exam, candidates comment on items. The beta exam allows Apple to evaluate the quality of the item in an actual exam situation, and helps ensure that only the best content is included in the live exam.
- Item selection and cut-score setting: The results of the beta exam are analyzed to determine which items should be included in the live exam. This analysis focuses on many factors, including item difficulty and reliability. Apple reviews the technical accuracy of questions, determines the final item pool for the live exam, and the cut score (minimum passing score) for the exam. This score differs from exam to exam, because it is based on the difficulty of the item pool and the expected performance of the minimally qualified candidate.
- Publishing: Apple Certification exams are published in test engines owned by Apple’s testing partner.
Frequently Asked Questions about exam policies
Q. Why can't I find out exactly which items I missed?
A. To help protect exam security and the value of Apple Certification, we cannot share information about which items you missed. This is a standard practice in the certification industry. The bars on the score report show your relative performance in the various subject areas covered by the exam.
Q. What is the exam-retake policy?
A. Our exam-retake policy helps to ensure that candidates take the necessary time to prepare for their exam, and to prevent unauthorized use and/or piracy of the exams or any of their content.
View the Apple exam retake policy
Q. Can I request a re-evaluation of my score?
A. No. Exams cannot be re-scored. If you have a concern about the technical accuracy of a particular item, please submit an email svc.trng@apple.com with your contact information, your registration ID, the number and name of the exam, the date you took the exam, and the location of the testing center. Please provide as much detail as possible about the item to expedite review.
To offer other types of feedback, please contact the AppleCare Service Certified Program Manager at svc.trng@apple.com.
Q. What is cheating?
A. Cheating is any activity that negatively affects the integrity and/or security of the Apple Certification program or enables an unqualified candidate to pass an exam.
Q. What happens if someone is caught cheating on a Apple exam?
A. As explained to all exam candidates at the testing centers, if a candidate violates testing rules, the candidate is permanently ineligible for any Apple Certification and may lose any Apple Certifications the individual already holds. Examples of violations include, but are not limited to, using notes brought into the testing center (whether on crib sheets or electronically), copying test questions, and looking at the monitors of other test takers.
Q. What are brain dumps, and are they legal?
A. A "brain dump," as it relates to the certification exams, is the practice of copying and sharing actual certification exam questions—or questions that are very similar to the actual questions. Brain dump providers, including Web sites and printed study materials, are in violation of Apple intellectual property rights and non-disclosure agreements.
Q. Why should I be concerned about brain dump sites and material?
A. Brain dump users may have memorized enough information to pass an exam, but they do not have the requisite knowledge to manage Apple software or systems effectively. Hiring managers find this out eventually. There is no substitute for hands-on experience. Please inform Apple if you think you have discovered a brain dump site. Send an email message to svc.trng@apple.com.
Q. What is proxy testing?
A. Proxy testing occurs when someone takes an exam for another candidate.
Q. How can I identify a proxy testing Web site or organization?
A. The primary warning sign of a proxy testing Web site or organization is any guarantee that you will pass the test without having to take it. Proxy testing sites indicate that they will provide a full credential if you send them your credit card information.
Q. Why should I avoid proxy testing?
A. Corrective action—up to and including removal from the Apple Certification program and prohibiting the taking of any Apple Certification exams—will be taken against any candidate who obtains certification through proxy testing, even if the candidate did not intend to defraud the Apple Certification program. Furthermore, giving your identification and credit card information to an unknown entity on the Internet could put you at risk of credit card fraud or identity theft. If you believe a Web site or company provides proxy test-taking services, please inform Apple immediately.
Send an email message to svc.trng@apple.com.
Q. What are falsified score reports?
A. Falsified score reports are reports that Apple deems to be unauthentic or that deceive or defraud the Apple Certification program in any way.
Q. What happens if I falsify a score report?
A. If Apple determines that a candidate has falsified a score report, the candidate will be ineligible to take any future Apple exams and their Apple Certification credentials may be revoked.
Q. Whom should I contact if I find a Web site that discloses Apple Certification exam information, or if I discover an individual who cheats on or sells exam questions and answers?
A. Send an email message to svc.trng@apple.com and include as much information as possible about the situation and the persons involved. Although we appreciate anonymous tips, we often need more information to conduct a thorough investigation; if you are willing, please include your full contact information so that someone from Apple can contact you to discuss the details, if necessary. Apple has dedicated staff that investigates these tips. Because of tips from individuals like you, several Web sites have been terminated. Due to the volume of email we receive, you may not always receive a personal response.
Frequently Asked Questions about exam security
Q. How can I submit feedback about an exam?
A. We appreciate your feedback about the Apple Certification program and your testing experience. If you have a concern about the technical accuracy of a particular item, please send an email to svc.trng@apple.com.
To offer other types of feedback, please email svc.trng@apple.com.
Q. How can I challenge an exam question?
A. Apple welcomes feedback about their program and exams, but we do not allow our exam questions to be challenged.
Q. Will a Apple employee review and evaluate the exam question I am challenging?
A. An Apple employee will conduct an initial evaluation. If additional evaluation is needed, an independent subject-matter expert (technical and job-function expert) will review and evaluate the challenge. This process may require evaluation and input from a number of people.
Q. What if I don't agree with the evaluator's decision? Can I appeal it?
A. No. Apple applies a rigorous exam development process to ensure the technical accuracy, clarity, relevance, and objectivity of our certification exams. Furthermore, given the credentials of the independent subject-matter experts and the respect they garner from the hardware service community, we consider their evaluation final.
Q. Can I find out whether I answered a specific question correctly, or whether this answer affected my pass/fail status?
A. No. By not providing this information, we are better able to maintain exam security.
Q. Can I learn about the rationale for the decision?
A. No. To help protect exam security, we keep the rationale for challenge decisions confidential. The evaluation remains a part of Apple records until the exam is retired. All feedback is compiled and carefully considered as Apple makes decisions on how to improve the overall quality of the exam.
Frequently Asked Questions - Preparing for and taking an Exam
Q. How do I register for an Apple Certification exam?
A. Apple certified technician exams are available from Pearson VUE. Their website for exam registration is www.pearsonvue.com/apple.
Q. I have a disability that might affect my performance on a certification exam. What accommodations are available?
A. Apple is dedicated to developing technology that is usable by and accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. If you are unable to take an Apple Certification exam, either using standard testing equipment or within the standard exam duration, the Apple Certification program is committed to making all reasonable efforts to accommodate you. Please contact a svc.trng@apple.com to determine your options.
Q. How much do certification exams cost?
A. Certification exams cost US $150 but are priced according to currency values in specific countries and regions. Certification exam prices are subject to change. In some countries and regions, additional taxes may apply.
Q. How are exam scores calculated?
A. Here is some general information about exam scoring:
- There is no penalty for guessing on single answer questions. If you choose an incorrect answer, you simply do not earn credit for that item. No points are deducted for incorrect answers or answers left blank.
- If a question specifies that you must choose a specific number of correct answers, you must choose the exact number of correct answers specified in the question.
Q. How should I interpret my score report?
A. There are several important pieces of information on the score report:
The score report also indicates the time that a candidate finished the exam. A candidate must wait one 24-hour period after completing an exam before they are eligible to retake an exam.
Q. What does the score report look like?
A. The score report details the areas in which a candidate demonstrates technical strength and the areas in which the candidate shows a need for improvement. The report provides a numeric score for overall exam performance.
Q. What does my numeric score mean?
A. Apple provides numeric scaled scores on all exams that provide the candidate with some indication of their level of performance on the exam. Apple has worked with customers and testing industry experts to create an exam scale that is consistent across all exams.
Q. The bars on the score report show that I have scored more than XX percent, but I didn't pass the exam. Why is this?
A. Each section of the exam may contain a different number of questions; therefore, the relative results on individual exam sections might not reflect your final exam result. In other words, there is no one-to-one relationship between the length of the bars and your pass/fail status.
Q. The resulting score shows a passing amount, but the exam states I did not pass the exam. Why is this?
A. There may be mandatory section in which you must pass with a minimum score. If you have failed this section, you will fail the exam even if your total exam points meet the passing score.
Q. How many points is each item worth?
A. In most cases, each item is worth one point; however, some questions or question types may be worth more than one point. Apple does not provide information about how many points specific items are worth.
Q. Is there a penalty for guessing? Are points deducted for incorrect answers?
A. Points are not deducted for incorrect answers for single answer questions; if you answer incorrectly, you will simply not earn the credit associated with answering correctly.
Q. I have taken this exam multiple times and have received the same score every time. Does this indicate an error in the results computation?
A. No, it does not indicate an error. It is not uncommon for candidates to obtain similar or identical scores on multiple attempts of an exam. Receiving the same score on multiple attempts does not indicate that the program computing the results is in error.
Q. I scored zero in one of the sections. How is this possible?
A. You answered all the questions in that section incorrectly.
Q. I experienced significant delays between some of the questions. Did these delays impact the calculation of my score?
A. In some cases, you may experience a delay of up to a minute while your next question loads. Our exam vendor’s software is designed to accommodate this event. A delay between questions does not impact the responses you have recorded. Your exam will be scored correctly regardless of delays between questions.
Q. Can I find out whether I answered a specific question correctly, or whether this answer affected my pass/fail status?
A. No. By not providing this information, we are better able to maintain exam security.
Q. Where can I find additional information about my areas of weakness?
A. Although Apple Certification exams provide feedback about the areas where examinees need to develop their skills further, Apple Certification exams are not designed to provide detailed feedback. We encourage you to use the relevant Skills Assessment Guide or Exam Prep Guide to identify your strengths and weaknesses.
Q. What is the most effective way to prepare for an Apple Certification exam?
A. The content of all Apple end-user exams is strictly limited to the content of the corresponding AppleCare Technician Training (online self-paced training ). Students who master the contents of the training should be able to pass the certification exam, whether they attended an instructor-led class or used the online training.
Learn more about preparation guides
Q. Can I find out how many questions there will be?
A. The Skills Assessment Guide for a hardware service exam provides information about how many questions will be presented in each section of that hardware related exam.
Q. How much time will I have to complete the exam?
A. The time varies from one exam to another, but it will not exceed two hours under normal circumstances. In addition to answering the exam questions, you will have time to review instructions and provide comments after the exam is completed. The testing software provides a notification screen before the exam begins that shows the maximum time allowed for answering the questions in that exam. Some candidates may complete the exam before reaching the maximum time.
Apple is dedicated to developing technology that is usable for and accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. If certification candidates are unable to take an Apple Certification exam within the standard exam duration, the Apple Certification program is committed to making all reasonable efforts to accommodate these candidates.
Q. What is the most efficient way to use my time during a certification exam?
A. Individuals vary in their approaches to test taking, so there is no one approach that works for everyone. However, these tips help most candidates:
- Use all of the time allowed for the entire exam.
- Answer the questions you know first. If you are unsure of a question, mark it for review, and return to it later.
Q. What is the most efficient way to navigate through previous questions on a certification exam?
A. To return to the question immediately preceding the question that you are answering, use the Previous button. To return to any other questions, use the Review Screen at the end of the exam.
Q. The study materials I used to prepare for the exam included technically inaccurate information. How can I provide feedback?
A. If you have feedback about an instructor-led Apple training course, you can provide it directly to the instructor. For AppleCare Technician Training, email svc.trng@apple.com.
Q. How and when will I get my exam results?
A. You will receive notification of your pass or fail status immediately upon completing your exam. The exam provider will forward your score to the Apple Global Certification Exchange System within five working days of your test.
Q. If I fail what can I do?
A. If you do not pass a certification exam and want to retake it, review the exam preparation/skills assessment guide and continue to practice the necessary skills. When you are ready, schedule a retake in accordance with our retake policy. Note that you must pay for each exam you retake.
Q. What testing formats and question types appear on Apple Certification exams?
A. Apple Certification exams include various formats and question types, which are applied on a per-item basis to accurately evaluate the candidate's knowledge and skills.
Question types might include:
Multiple-choice questions with either a single response, or multiple responses; some multiple-choice multiple-response questions may earn a candidate partial credit - partial credit exams means part of the one point that each exam item is worth.
Q. Can I find out which testing formats will be used in the exam I’m taking?
A. No. Apple does not identify the formats of any given exam at the time of registration. Also, we adopt new testing technologies and question types periodically. Both practices help us protect exam security and the value of Apple Certification.