PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP) (14%)
The PMI risk management professional certification qualifies an individual as one who can address and mitigate risks associated with projects. The certification is best suited for those with some experience in risk management and is expected to or wants to do risk management for large and complex projects. The exam is 170 multiple-choice questions and candidates are given 3.5 hours to complete it. To maintain the certification requires earning 30 professional development units (PDUs) in risk management topics every three years. For those who are members of PMI (Project Management Institute) the exam costs $520. Non-members pay $670.
Salesforce.com Certified Technical Architect (14%)
IT pros in organizations that use Salesforce.com’s CRM (Customer Relationship Management) platform or ones who serve as consultants to Salesforce customers, can find a salary boost in becoming a Salesforce.com certified technical architecture. According to Salesforce, those certified have demonstrated the ability to assess customer architecture, design secure, high-performance solutions on the Force.com platform, and provide a delivery framework that ensure quality and success. The certification program has three components: a free, self-evaluation test; a 120-minute, 60 multiple-choice question exam, and a review board presentation. The registration fee for the multiple-choice exam is $500 ($250 to retake). The review board presentation fee is $6,000 and $3,000 to re-do.
PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) (14%)
For those experienced or interested in agile project management and its various approaches, including Scrum, Kanban, and Lean, the PMI Agile certified practitioner (PMI-ACP) certification is worth considering. As per PMI, the certification proves real-world, hands-on experience and skill. The exam has 120 multiple-choice questions and candidates have three hours to finish. The cost of the test is $435 for PMI members and $495 for non-members.
Cisco Certified Architect (CCAr) (14%)
The Cisco certified architect is the highest level of Cisco certification. The certification designates a senior network infrastructure professional who can translate complex business strategies into infrastructure requirements and for those who will or want to manage teams of network engineers and administrators. CCArs are typically achieved by those who start with a lower level of Cisco certification, such as the CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional) and the CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert) exams. These exams are not required to take the CCAr, however, all candidates must demonstrate before a review board that they can develop and defend a network infrastructure that can meet a set of realistic business requirements.