r/accessibility • u/Ok_Carrot4385 • 5d ago
CPACC
For those that have taken it:
Did you pass on the first try?
Did you find it easy or hard?
Has it helped your career in any capacity?
I've been working in accessibility for eight years (two years exclusively) and am a Trusted Tester, but I'm nervous. It's a lot of money!
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u/Apointdironie 5d ago
I studied a lot as frankly it was not (except global legislation) what I’d taught myself over 8 years in accessibility.
I will never forget it because I walked away going, I either aced it or bombed it but I’m just not sure! I would not say it was “easy” but the prep really rounded out my knowledge. I just had never encountered the models of disability for example.
Nat is right about the WAS, check the requirements. That one hurt my brain and took multiple tries because I again, was missing some “basics.”
In both cases, the Book of Knowledge they provide is your guide.
It has definitely helped with external credibility, and as I will keep saying the studying process was (mostly) really useful!
A11Y Slack often has people forming study groups. :)
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u/amber9 5d ago
Agree with what others have said. Passed on the first try in 2024, but I definitely spent 3+ months studying the entire body of knowledge. It also helped that I was familiar with the theoretical models of disability and assistive tech.
Career-wise, it’s certainly given me more authority for people to see me as the web accessibility expert, thought my title hasn’t changed (UX designer).
Make sure you use the body of knowledge. There’s also a free course with a sample test that is available if you’re an IAAP member.
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u/RuleRelevant2361 5d ago
I studied a good deal and did pass it on the first try with a very high score.
But I also left feedback on a lot of questions because I think many were written poorly, so while I felt confident with the material, wasn’t sure I passed when I finished because of some poor questions. There were only two questions I felt like I may have missed.
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u/GauntletInMyPussPuss 5d ago
Yeah, took it in 2024, cleared it on furst try. It does seem to help in terms of establishing youre an expert to potential clients goes (I'm a month shy of 8 years of experience). I also see job openings mention CPACC as a preferred qualification, so that's something.
Personally it's been worth it so far (I'm from the global south so the costs were also subsidized and my workplace reimbursed the cost once i passed it), but i hate the whole <expires in 3 years> thing. Idk why proving expertise needs to be a subscription, its not like we're gonna forget our primary work domain.
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u/sowasred2012 4d ago
1: Passed first time
2: I wouldn't call it easy, I did a lot of study for it and I was able to answer almost all questions in the first hour, then take the second hour carefully reviewing the answers I wasn't 100% on, and then taking educated guesses at the ones I really wasn't sure about.
3: It hasn't led to a title change or anything, but certainly has helped my credibility in my current role as senior web dev, where I'm seen as the accessibility expert.
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u/alia-eyre 5d ago
I’m still waiting on my result but took the exam very recently! It’s hard in that it’s basically a comprehension test where 2 answers could be right and you really have to think about it. It also relies a lot on just memorising facts which I found kind of annoying. The content itself is not hard to grasp though, it’s more the way they word the questions in the exam where you can get tripped up. That said, the majority of the questions for me had clear right/wrong answers.
I think it’s a waste of money if you’ve already been working in the industry, BUT recruiters and potential clients do seem to look for whether you have CPACC or CPWA, and look upon it fondly. I only got it because of this.
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u/Equivalent-Sorbet757 5d ago
1) First try 2) Easy, just don't underestimate the material. 3) It was a significant point in successfully asking for an increase in rates, and I think it will help more in the future. I am currently helping a company with an RFP and my credential may help them land it. A significant portion of public service websites need to be rebuilt in the US, and Europe has laws as well that will be on your test, so I think the demand for professionals here may just increase and the credential is one way of signifying that.
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u/wolfiex007 5d ago
Didn’t know if I got lucky or not. I had to reschedule my exam for some reason and completely forgot the date. Got the email a day before and suddenly remembered I had the exam. I quickly read a few questions online and that was it. Even in the exam, I finished it in like 30 mins. The questions were confusing, but I knew I hadn’t studied, so I didn’t put much thought into it. I just picked the first option that felt right. Wasn’t answering blindly, just going with my first instinct.
Strangely, I got my certification this month. I have 4 years of audit + remediation experience, so that might have helped. If you’re confident in your auditing skills, I’d say just read a few theory topics and practice some online questions. At least, that’s what worked for me.
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u/Zoya_The_Destroyah 5d ago
I passed on my first try 2 months ago. I didn’t think the exam was very difficult, and I didn’t dedicate more than about 10 days to studying, but I’ve been working at a large university overseeing efforts to get accessible before the ADA Title II deadline for almost two years now, so a lot of the content was very familiar.
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u/XenlaMM9 5d ago edited 5d ago
Yes, easy, no.
I had been in the field for a bit already so I already knew a lot. I studied only on the weekend before my exam (monday) where I learned the international laws.
Also I got my employer to pay for it. It's worth asking if you haven't already!
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u/Do-not-Forget-This 4d ago
- Yes.
- I took the Deque course, as well as read the BOK twice and followed links where I had less knowledge (eg Japanese law & Universal Design for Learning).
I'm not US based, so the format is not the same as what I am used to. If there is a multiple choice exam, you see 1 correct answer and 3 incorrect, not 1 correct answer, 1 almost correct answer and 2 incorrect.
There were a couple of questions that were surprisingly subjective, one I had was talking about appropriate workplace accommodations, which really was a 'it depends'.
- I don't think so. More and more people are getting CPACC now, so I don't perceive the value as being that high in all honesty.
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u/Nice-Factor-8894 4d ago
- Yes I did pass on the first try. But I studied a lot. Depending on your experience, you might have to study more if you’re less familiar with broader accessibility concepts.
- Hard; but this is subjective - it really helped writing my own notes
- It helps with credibility and visibility. I got more interviews and more recruiters reach out. It probably won’t get you a job though.
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u/MKArs 4d ago
First try, back in 2018 when they first were rolling out the cert.
It's nuanced. The test was mostly easy based on my experience, but during the exam I took nearly the full two hours as the questions were tricky. I blazed through the first hour getting most questions answered then spent the next hour doing about 15 hard questions that needed nuanced answers, then double checking all my answers with the remaining time. Maybe they've improved the test questions in the 8 years since.
Three years after I got certified I applied for a senior level position and the other people that were in competition did not have CPACC. I had comparable experience and skills otherwise. I did get the position and I believe the CPACC gave me an edge. That investment has paid off immensely.
I'm also a DHS TTv5 after taking the new position.
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u/Commercial_Boat5224 4d ago
yes cleared it in june 2024 cycle, first cycle with current pearson view examination with new content
I find it moderately hard since it less techynical in nature more to remember things.
it did help in convincing my prev and current employers since I had just 2 years of work exp back then.
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u/Short_Fortune9434 2d ago
I passed on the first try on 2023, I did the exam on a test facility.
I didn't find it hard, but I had some previous knowledge. I studied the body of knowledge and enrolled in the CPACC Deque course, which was a huge help.
I was a UX designer, so personally didn't really help in my career. My goal was to become an accessibility analyst, but I didn't get any opportunities because of this, even having experience.
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u/NatTarnoff 5d ago
I passed it on the first try in 2023. However, I took it to get promoted to Principal Accessibility Consultant. I don’t think it’s fair for me to say if it was easy, but I finished in well under an hour. I did get the promotion.
If you’ve passed the DHS testing, you’re actually more aligned with the WAS cert, but you’d have to check the resume requirements. CPACC is more focused on the rules, regulations, universal design/education, assistive technologies . You’ll need to brush up on international laws like EAA, EN 301 549, KWAG, eMAG, JIS X 8341-3.
I do recommend taking either or both if you want to do accessibility full time.
Good luck!