Definition of Key Terms

There are several terminologies that have specific meaning in the context of certification and skills assessment; hence, we provide below a list of definition of key terms as defined by the AppDynamics University certification team.

Exam Discontinuation

When an exam is discontinued, that certification exam is no longer available for purchase. It is also no longer deliverable. No one can take it once it is discontinued. Discontinued exams do not impact the certification status of current certification holders. Certifications already attained remain valid until the date of expiration. AppDynamics will provide the public with ample notice prior to the discontinuation of any exams and the retirement and expiration of any certifications. Discontinued exams, and retired and expired certifications, are listed on our website for a period of 12 months.

Certification Retirement

When a certification is retired, that certification is no longer attainable. Certifications already awarded remain valid until the expiration date of those certifications.

Certification Expiration

When a certification expires, that certification is no longer considered valid. Certifications can expire in two ways, both of which are defined by AppDynamics. A certification can expire based on a preset time limit, for example, two years from the date attained or based on a program decision.

AppDynamics Certification Life Cycle Phases

The following steps describe the life cycle phases for each AppDynamics certification:

1. Certification is announced.
2. Certification exam is released to the public.
3. Discontinuation of certification exam is announced three to six months before the discontinuation date.
4. Certification exam is discontinued.
5. Retirement of certification is announced three to six months before the certification is expired. Certification is valid until the expiration date.
6. Certification is expired.

AppDynamics Certification Program Candidate Agreement

AppDynamics LLC and its affiliates ("AppDynamics") and you ("you" or "your") hereby agree that the following terms and conditions (the "Agreement") govern your participation in the AppDynamics Certification Program (the "Certification Program").

1. Definitions

1.1.  "Certification Designation" shall mean the specific Certification Program designation granted to you upon successful completion of and compliance with the certification requirements for the applicable solution, product line or technology as specified in this Agreement.

1.2.  "Certification Exam" shall mean the applicable certification test for the particular solution, product line or technology for which you have registered.

1.3.  "Certification Requirements" shall mean those requirements in Section 2.1 of this Agreement that you must meet in order to use and maintain the certification designation and use the Badge in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

1.4.  "Badge" shall mean the specific Certification Program logo or badge designated for one of the following certification designations you have earned: AppDynamics Certified Associate, Professional, Expert and/or Master.

1.5.  "Certification Program Website" shall mean the Certification Program website located here.

2. Certification

2.1.  Certification Requirements. In order to use a Certification Designation, you must:

2.1.1.  Register for the Certification Exam, which may involve paying the applicable fees;

2.1.2.  Accept the terms and conditions of this Agreement before taking the necessary Certification Exam(s);

2.1.3.  Pass all required Certification Exams specified on the Certification Program Website for the applicable Certification Designation;

2.1.4.  Comply with any additional requirements specified on the Certification Program Website for the applicable Certification Designation;

2.1.5.  Keep your contact information up to date (including, without limitation, maintaining an updated profile in AppDynamics' certification tracking system so that you may access Certification Exam results and for other purposes);

2.1.6.  Meet all of the Certification Program's continuing certification requirements specified on the Certification Program Website for the applicable Certification Designation.

2.2.  Modification to certification requirements or the Certification Program. AppDynamics reserves the right to change the Certification Program, without cause or notice, including but not limited to changing Certification Requirements; specifying an expiration of any Certification Designation; changing recommended and/or required training courses; and changing Certification Exam objectives, content, passing score, item type, time allowed for testing, or the Certification Exam delivery platform for any Certification Exam. Furthermore, AppDynamics may, upon notice, require you to update your Certification Designation by requiring that you to re-take any or all applicable Certification Exams and/or execute a new version of this Agreement with AppDynamics. The most current certification requirements for your applicable Certification Designation may be found on the Certification Program Website.

2.3.  Certification Designation Grant. Upon your satisfaction of the applicable Certification Requirements and your receipt of your certification kit, and subject to the terms of this Agreement, AppDynamics grants you a non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-assignable, non-sublicensable, personal, revocable right to use and display the applicable Certification Designation in connection with yourself. You may use that Certification Designation only to promote your qualifications related to the use of the applicable product line or technology and for no other purpose.

2.4.  Badge Rights and Restrictions. Upon completion of the applicable Certification Requirements and your receipt of your certification kit, and subject to the terms of this Agreement, AppDynamics grants you a non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-assignable, non-sublicensable, personal, revocable personal right to use the Badge (in the form provided by AppDynamics) in your social media profile, in your blog posts, on your resume, business cards, marketing collateral, letterhead and website solely in connection with your provision of services in relation to the AppDynamics solution, product line or technology for which you have a current, valid Certification Designation. You are granted no other right, title, or license to the Logo or any other AppDynamics trademarks or logos.

Your use of our Badge is subject to the terms of this Agreement and AppDynamics Badge usage guidelines which are subject to change at AppDynamics' discretion. You agree that the Badge is owned solely and exclusively by AppDynamics. You agree not to use the Badge in any manner that would diminish, tarnish or otherwise damage AppDynamics image or reputation, or the goodwill associated with the Badge. Upon request, you agree to promptly provide AppDynamics at your expense samples of any materials bearing the Badge. You agree not to file any application to register any trademark, service mark, or domain name for the Badge or any other mark confusingly similar to the Badge, and not to use AppDynamics' trademarks or potentially confusing variation of AppDynamics trademarks (including "APD" or "APPD") as part of your company name, product or service names, or domain names. You agree not to interfere with or bring any kind of action or legal or administrative proceeding in relation to the rights and title of AppDynamics in or to the Badge or any other AppDynamics' trademarks or logos.

2.5.  Certification of Minors. If you are under the age of 18, you must have this Agreement countersigned by your parent or legal guardian before taking any Certification Exam. You must mail or fax the signed Agreement to AppDynamics at the address provided on the parental/guardian signature page. You may access this entire Agreement and the required signature page provided below. Minors are not eligible to complete their Certification Exam until the Certification Program sends you an email confirming receipt of the signed Agreement. Minors must carry a copy of the receipt with them if they are scheduled to take their AppDynamics exams at testing centers. Results of Certification Exams completed by a minor without the signed Agreement by a parent/guardian are voided and annulled.

2.6.  Term of Agreement. This Agreement will commence immediately upon a candidate’s acceptance of the terms and conditions of this Agreement and will remain in effect until terminated in accordance with Section 2.8.

2.7.  Certification Term. The term during which you may use your applicable Certification Designation and Badge shall commence upon achieving your Certification Designation and shall continue for a period defined for each Certification Designation in our AppDynamics Certification Policies ("Certification Term"). To maintain your Certification Designation, you must complete the designated continuing Certification Requirements prior to the end of your Certification Term. If you do not complete such continuing Certification Requirements by the end of your Certification Term, your Certification Designation and right to use the applicable Badge shall automatically terminate. AppDynamics will publicly announce any changes to such requirements and set reasonable deadlines for achieving those requirements in order to maintain Certification status.

2.8.  Termination. You may terminate this Agreement at any time upon written notice to AppDynamics. AppDynamics reserves the right to terminate this Agreement for cause and revoke your certification designation at any time upon written notice to you (sent to your last known mailing and/or email address). Cause for termination shall include, without limitation, (i) any breach of this Agreement which remains uncured for 30 days following notice of the breach by AppDynamics, (ii) AppDynamics' determination, in its sole discretion, that you have cheated on any Certification Exam, aided another person in the cheating on a Certification Exam or have disclosed test questions of any Certification Exam to a third party, or (iii) your misrepresentation of your Certification Designation. Upon termination of this Agreement, all rights related to your Certification Designation, including all rights to use your Certification Designation and Badge, will immediately terminate. Except as provided herein, neither party shall have any further rights or obligations under this Agreement after termination.

2.9.  Verification of Candidates. AppDynamics reserves the right to use any reasonable methods for the purpose of verifying the identity of certification candidates, including, without limitation, the use of challenge questions, identification numbers, photographic verification, and signature verification.

2.10. Fees. You will pay AppDynamics the fees for the Certification Exam as set forth on the Certification Program Website. All fees are non-refundable and payable on the date they come due.

3. Compliance with testing regulations

3.1.  You agree to comply with all testing regulations required by AppDynamics and/or AppDynamics authorized contractors administering the Certification Exam including, without limitation, the policies listed below.

3.2.  No Cheating. You agree that all work submitted by you in completing the Certification Exam and in satisfaction of the Certification Requirements, including Certification Exam answers, assignments, resolutions and personal registration information, is entirely your own. You will neither: (i) provide nor accept improper assistance; nor (ii) use unauthorized materials in attempting to satisfy Certification Requirements (including unauthorized certification content provided by third parties).

3.3.  No Misconduct. You agree that you will not (i) falsify your identity or impersonate another individual; (ii) forge any Certification Designation certificates, Certification Exam score reports, identification cards or any other certification exam records; (iii) engage in fraudulent conduct or misrepresent yourself as certified when you have not successfully met the applicable Certification Requirements; (iv) misuse or disclose to another person your testing id number, member site username and/or password or any other Certification Program identities; (v) copy, resell, distribute or misuse any Certification Exam voucher(s) or any other Certification Exam discount; (vi) use any Certification Exam vouchers obtained from an unauthorized source; or (vii) engage in any other misconduct that could be considered by AppDynamics, in its sole discretion, as compromising the integrity, security or confidentiality of the Certification Exam or the Certification Program.

3.4.  No Misuse of the Certification Exam. You agree that you will not copy, publish, offer to sell, sell, publicly perform or display, distribute in any way or otherwise transfer, modify, make derivative works thereof, reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble or translate any Certification Exam or part thereof.

3.5.  Retake Policy. You agree to comply with AppDynamics’ Certification Exam retake policy when retaking any Certification Exam that you previously failed. Retaking a passed Certification Exam is prohibited. The retake policy is available on the Certification Program Website.

3.6.  Certification Exam Materials. AppDynamics may impose restrictions governing the use of any materials that you may bring into the examination area and/or refer to during the Certification Exam. You agree to return any examination material provided by AppDynamics, as may be directed upon completion of the Certification Exam.

4. AppDynamics action for noncompliance

You understand and agree that, if for any reason and at its sole discretion, AppDynamics believes your exam results do not accurately reflect your true knowledge or mastery of the subject matter of the test and/or that you have violated the compliance terms set forth in section 3, AppDynamics has the right (without refund of any kind) to deny you any further participation in the test, cancel a passed test result, revoke any pre-existing AppDynamics certifications, your AppDynamics’ certified status and any other rights previously conferred on you by AppDynamics, and to permanently bar you from any further participation in the Certification Program.

5. Representations and warranties

5.1.  By You. You represent and warrant that (i) you will refrain from any conduct that could reflect unfavorably on or may harm the goodwill and reputation of AppDynamics or its products; and (ii) you shall not make any representation, warranty or promise on behalf of or binding upon AppDynamics.

5.2.  Disclaimer. APPDYNAMICS PROVIDES ALL MATERIALS UNDER THIS AGREEMENT "AS IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, AND HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, PERFORMANCE, ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. THIS DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY CONSTITUTES AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THIS AGREEMENT. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

6. Privacy

AppDynamics will treat the personal information you provide while participating in the Certification Program in accordance with the AppDynamics privacy policy, located at https://www.appdynamics.com/privacy-policy/. Please note that AppDynamics’ test delivery and learning management system vendors may gather your personal information on behalf of AppDynamics. Those vendors may also request to contact you directly about their products and services; you should review their privacy policies for information on how they may treat your information.

If you are, or become, employed by an AppDynamics partner, AppDynamics may provide information to such partner about your Certification Designation status (including information regarding any revocation by AppDynamics of your Certification Designation) without notice to you.

7. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend and hold AppDynamics harmless against any losses, liabilities, damages, claims and expenses (including attorneys’ fees and court costs) arising out of any claims or suits, whatever their nature and however arising, in whole or in part, which may be brought or made against AppDynamics, or its affiliates, officers, employees or assigns, in connection with: (i) any personal injury, property damage or other claims which are caused, directly or indirectly by any negligent act, omission, illegal or willful misconduct by you, (ii) your use or misuse of Certification Designation(s) and/or Badge(s); (iii) your use or misuse of AppDynamics confidential information; and/or (iv) your breach of any of your obligations under this Agreement.

8. Limitation of liability

8.1.  Liability. The Certification Exam may be administered by an independent testing vendor. You acknowledge and agree that AppDynamics shall have no liability to you for any claim in any way related to the Certification Exam, including but not limited to registration, the testing environment, delivery of the Certification Exam, exam fees, and the accuracy, timeliness or reporting of Certification Exam results.

8.2.  Damages.UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES AND UNDER NO LEGAL THEORY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, TORT, CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE, WILL APPDYNAMICS OR ITS SUPPLIERS OR RESELLERS BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY OTHER PERSON FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOST PROFITS, LOSS OF GOODWILL, ACCURACY OF RESULTS, COMPUTER FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION, OR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM YOUR USE OF THE MATERIALS PROVIDED UNDER THIS AGREEMENT. APPDYNAMICS’ LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER ARISING OUT OF THIS AGREEMENT WILL BE LIMITED TO THE FEES PAID BY YOU HEREUNDER. THE FOREGOING LIMITATIONS WILL APPLY EVEN IF APPDYNAMICS WAS INFORMED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION AND EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

9. Independent contractor

You acknowledge that both parties are independent contractors. You will not represent yourself as an agent, employee, consultant, contractor or legal representative of AppDynamics or any subsidiary thereof based upon this Agreement.

10. Confidentiality and ownership

10.1. Confidential Information. The Certification Exam (including without limitation, questions, answers, worksheets, computations, drawings, diagrams, length and number of exam segments and/or questions, or any communication related to the Certification Exam) is the confidential property of AppDynamics (the “Confidential Information”) and is made available to you for the sole purpose of testing your knowledge in the technical area referenced in the applicable Certification Exam.

10.2. Protection. You agree (i) to hold the Confidential Information in confidence and take all reasonable precautions to protect it; (ii) not to use the Confidential Information at any time during the term or after the termination of this Agreement; except as provided herein; and (iii) that you shall not disclose, publish, reproduce or transmit any Confidential Information to any third party, in any form, including without limitation, verbal, written, electronic or any other means for any purpose.

10.3. Ownership. AppDynamics and its licensors retain all rights, title and interest in and to all information, content and data contained in Certification Exams and all intellectual property and other proprietary rights therein.

11. General

11.1. Governing Law. This Agreement is governed by the substantive and procedural laws of California and you and AppDynamics agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of, and venue in, the courts in San Francisco County in California in any dispute arousing out of or relating to this Agreement.

11.2. Severability and Waiver. The waiver by either party of any default or breach of this Agreement shall not constitute a waiver of any other or subsequent default or breach. In the event any provision of this Agreement is determined to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, then the other provisions of this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect. Except for actions for nonpayment, breaches of confidentiality or infringement or violation of AppDynamics’ intellectual property or other proprietary rights, no action, regardless of form, arising out of this Agreement may be brought by either party more than two years after the cause of action has accrued.

11.3. No Assignment. You may not assign your rights and/or obligations, in whole or in part, under this Agreement to any third party. Any such attempted assignment shall be null and void. AppDynamics may freely assign this Agreement without your consent.

11.4. Survival. Provisions that survive termination or expiration of this Agreement include those pertaining to limitation of liability, indemnification, nondisclosure, and others, which by their nature are intended to survive.

11.5. Entire Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the complete agreement between the parties and supersedes all prior or contemporaneous agreements or representations, written or oral, concerning the subject matter of this Agreement. This Agreement may not be modified or amended except in writing signed by a duly authorized representative of each party; no other act, document, usage or custom shall be deemed to amend or modify this Agreement.

Minor Parent/Guardian Signature

By signing below, the Minor Certification Candidate and Parent/Guardian acknowledge and agree that the candidate is bound by the terms and conditions of the AppDynamics Certification Program Candidate Agreement, and consent to AppDynamics’ use of the candidate’s personal information as stated in the Agreement.

Upon receipt of the Agreement and this signature page by the Certification Program, AppDynamics will process your signed Agreement. The candidate will receive an email confirmation from certification@appdynamics.com once the Agreement has been processed. The Minor Certification Candidate may not complete any Certification Program exam until s/he has received the email confirmation and presented it to the Testing Administrator administering the Certification Exam.

Download and Sign Form

AppDynamics Certification Program Code of Conduct

Certification candidates must read and agree to abide by the terms and conditions of the AppDynamics Non-Disclosure Agreement before sitting any AppDynamics certification exam.

No candidates will participate in any cheating, breach of security, misconduct, or any actions that will compromise the integrity or confidentiality of an AppDynamics examination or otherwise compromise the integrity or confidentiality of AppDynamics’ certification programs. Such behaviors include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Making public the questions, answers, or any of the content of an exam with any person, without prior written approval from AppDynamics.
• Discussing exam content prior to or following an examination, without prior written approval from AppDynamics.
• Obtaining or making a copy of an AppDynamics exam (by any means including reconstruction through memorization), advertising, selling, and/or distributing actual exam content by any means including web postings, discussion forums, chat rooms, study guides, etc.
• Using unauthorized preparation materials (examples of which include, but are not limited to, “brain-dump” materials, actual exam questions, and other unauthorized published exam content) prior to or during an exam.
• Providing falsified documentation as means of providing false identity or false address information when registering or taking an exam, including impersonating another candidate or soliciting someone to take an exam on your behalf.
• Using falsified or altered certificates, score reports or other documents or electronic media to misrepresent certification status.
• Altering or tampering with the testing equipment for the purposes of gaining an unfair advantage on an AppDynamics certification exam.
• Giving, receiving, or obtaining assistance of any kind for any AppDynamics exam.
• Causing a disturbance or behaving unprofessionally at any testing facility.
• Talking or communicating with other exam-takers while testing is in progress.
• Breaching the terms of the AppDynamics Exam Retake Policy or Candidate Agreement.

Classifying Scores as Indeterminate

AppDynamics monitors the health of all exams to identify violations of the Certification Program Code of Conduct and to ensure the validity of exam results. During the monitoring of exam health, AppDynamics may classify test scores as indeterminate when abnormalities in performance are detected for which there is no satisfactory explanation. A test score may be classified as indeterminate as a result of a breach in this Code of Conduct or other violations. If a test score is classified as indeterminate, the candidate who holds the affected test score will be advised of options for appealing the decision. Scores classified as indeterminate will not be reported to anyone other than the individuals associated with those scores. Indeterminate test scores will be removed from AppDynamics’ system of records for certifications within 30 calendar days from notice of the violation, unless otherwise specified. If a breach of the Code of Conduct has contributed to the classification of indeterminate results, AppDynamics may also take additional action as described below.

Notification of Violations of Policy and Possible Sanctions

If AppDynamics determines that a candidate has violated this Code of Conduct, a notice of the violations and applicable sanctions will be sent to the candidate. A certification candidate flagged for violating the Code of Conduct will have an opportunity to provide relevant information for evaluation to challenge the allegation of violation. It is the candidate's sole responsibility to ensure that your current contact information, including address and email address, are stored in AppDynamics systems of record for certification by emailing certifications@appdynamics.com.

Appeals Process

After a candidate has received notice of a violation and the applicable sanctions from AppDynamics, the candidate will have thirty (30) calendar days to file a written request for an appeal pursuant to the AppDynamics Candidate Appeals Process.

Remedies for Violating the Code of Conduct

Any candidate determined by AppDynamics to have violated the Code of Conduct will be subject, but not limited to, one or more of the following remedies, if determined necessary by AppDynamics as based on the severity of the incident or violation:

• Denial of an AppDynamics certification for the applicable examination for a maximum period of 12 calendar months from the date of such determination
• Indetermination of test score
• Required to retake an examination
• Ineligibility to register and/or schedule ANY AppDynamics examination for a minimum of 6 calendar months
• Any and all other appropriate actions, including legal remedies, that AppDynamics deems necessary and appropriate to enforce this Code of Conduct

Questions Regarding the Candidate Conduct Policy

It is the goal of AppDynamics to ensure certification candidates are aware of the Code of Conduct and the consequences for violating it. If you have questions regarding the Code of Conduct, please submit them by emailing certifications@appdynamics.com.

Report a Security Incident to AppDynamics University

Maintaining the value of AppDynamics’ certifications is a collaborative effort. Individuals with information or evidence indicating violations of these policies are encouraged to submit these incidents to AppDynamics by emailing certifications@appdynamics.com.

AppDynamics Certification Exam Retake Policy

Candidates for certification must adhere to the following rules pertaining to retaking an AppDynamics certification exam:

• A certification candidate who fails an AppDynamics certification exam must wait 24 hours after his or her first attempt prior to retaking the exam he or she failed. The candidate can reschedule the exam at any time, but he or she must not take the exam prior to the 24-hour mandatory waiting period.
• A certification candidate who fails an AppDynamics certification exam more than once must wait 14 days after each failed attempt before attempting to retake the same exam he or she failed. The candidate can reschedule the exam at any time, but he or she must not take the exam prior to the 14-day mandatory waiting period.
• A certification candidate who passes an AppDynamics certification exam is not allowed to retake the same exam without written approval from the AppDynamics University team. To request such approval, please submit a written request to certifications@appdynamics.com stating the reason(s) for wanting to retake the exam. Only individuals who must attain a passing score higher than the passing score for the general public will be allowed to retake an AppDynamics certification exam they have already passed.

Failure to observe these rules will result in the invalidation of your test score, which will lead to the revocation of the certification associated with that test score. Subsequent violation of this policy will result in additional disciplinary actions up to and including a temporary ban from pursuing any AppDynamics certifications.

Certification Term

Discontinued Exams, and Retired and Expired Certifications