ONF-Certified SDN Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I register to take an ONF Certification Exam?
A: Certification exams can be taken online (webcam proctored) or with our training partners. Individuals wanting to take the exam can contract directly with ONF Approved SDN Training & Exam Providers.
Q: How much will it cost to take the test?
A: Pricing is $150 for Associate exam, $240 for Engineer exam. ONF Members will receive a 10% discount for the Associates exam and a 25% discount for the Engineer exam.
If you fail the test, you may retake the test, but the fee will not carry over for the retest. You will need to pay each time you take the test.
Q: Do I have to take training in order to take an ONF SDN Professional certification exam?
A: Training is NOT mandatory but in our experience those who take the courses receive higher pass marks and have a higher chance of passing the exam. ONF does not provide training itself, but has a network of Approved Training Providers who can assist you with your individual or corporate training needs.
Q: Are there any online or self-study materials available?
A: Please refer to our SDN Learning Resources section for online and print resources currently available for self-study. We will update this section on an ongoing basis as more materials become available.
Q: Is there courseware that will provide me with a hands-on component in order to practice my skills?
A: For the ONF-Certified SDN Associate certification, hands-on familiarity with SDN technologies may not be necessary. On the other hand, the ONF-Certified SDN Engineer will require great familiarity with actual tools, switches and controllers, and hand-on practice and expertise is recommended. Many of our Approved Training Providers do provide a hands-on component as part of their training. Please contact them directly for more information.
Q: What is your Re-Take Policy?
A: If you take an ONF exam and do not pass it, ONF requires that you wait 24 hours before taking it again. If you do not pass the exam a second time, you must wait seven (7) days. If an ONF Exam is taken three (3) times without a passing score, you must wait 30 days to take it again.
Q: When can I expect to receive my certificate from ONF?
A: You can expect to receive a .pdf certificate along with the appropriate ONF credential logo in an email about 3 weeks after you have completed the online exam. ONF will also send you a logo that can be used on business cards, websites, and on your social networking profiles.
Q: Do I get a paper certificate?
A: ONF promotes a “green” process whenever it can. Our ONF certifications come in the form of a pdf. Along with that, you get the CSDN logos to put on your business cards, stationery, or badges.
Q: What if my name is spelled incorrectly on my certificate?
A: The name that will appear on your certificate is the name that you put into the testing registration system when you register for your first test and get your student ID. If you need to change the name on your certificate for a misspelling, ONF will change it in our records, but you must also contact the testing provider and change your student ID information as well.
Q: What is your Exam Security Policy?
A: It is the policy of ONF and its Approved Training Providers to revoke or refuse a credential to any person suspected of using unauthorized materials obtained using websites that advertise exact copies of ONF exams. Psychometric data from a person’s testing session will isolate patterns of cheating and gives ONF the right to take legal action to protect the integrity of this copyright-protected exam. Furthermore, anyone caught cheating on any ONF certification exam will be ineligible for participation in the program for 5 years.
Q: How do the vendor-specific certifications in networking and ONF certifications fit within my SDN education as a whole?
A: ONF certifications address the vendor-neutral baseline SDN knowledge, skills, and abilities that are a foundation regardless of the software and hardware used in an SDN architecture. ONF certifications will prepare you to put the individual product nuances for each vendor into a context in the industry. To be successful in your career, it is necessary to understand how all these networking products fit together in a multi-vendor environment.
