ACO
Active Directory Monitoring
Domain health, replication, and a full security audit trail — logons, account changes, and shutdowns — across every domain controller.
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2:37
4
Progressive certification levels
40+
Focused lessons
Labs
Hands-on practice & a capstone
Verified
Shareable digital badges
The pathway
Four levels. One clear path.
Each level builds on the one before it and ends with a graded assessment. Pass, and you earn a verifiable Applicare credential you can add to your résumé and LinkedIn.
1
Beginner
Associate
ACA
4–6 hrs · Free
2
Intermediate
Operator
ACO
8–12 hrs · exam + lab
3
Advanced
Professional
ACP
12–16 hrs · exam + 2 labs
4
Expert
Expert
ACE
20+ hrs · proctored + capstone
Certifications
Choose your level.
Start free at Associate and progress as far as you like. Each course bundles the guided lessons, labs, and the certification exam.
Beginner
Applicare Certified Associate
ACA
Free
You'll learn
- Observability fundamentals
- Platform tour & navigating the dashboard
- Metrics, logs & traces
- Monitoring your first application
Intermediate
Applicare Certified Operator
ACO
$149
You'll learn
- Service flow & topology mapping
- App Analyzer & HTTP transactions
- Alerts, definitions & blackouts
- Dashboards, KPIs & database monitoring
Advanced
Applicare Certified Professional
ACP
$299
You'll learn
- ArcIn AI root-cause analysis
- IntelliSense anomaly detection
- IntelliTune auto-remediation
- Integrations, synthetic monitoring & SLOs
Expert
Applicare Certified Expert
ACE
$499
You'll learn
- Reference architecture & scale
- Multi-cloud & Kubernetes
- Security posture & capacity planning
- Capstone: design a full deployment
How certification works
Five steps to certified.
1
Enroll
Pick your level and sign up. Associate is free; paid levels include a one-time fee.
2
Learn
Work through the guided lessons at your own pace, with knowledge checks along the way.
3
Practice
Apply it in hands-on labs against a live Applicare environment.
4
Pass the exam
Sit the timed assessment. Meet the passing score to qualify; retakes available.
5
Get your badge
Receive a verifiable digital badge and PDF certificate to share anywhere.
Assessment & credentials
A credential that proves it.
- Timed, scenario-based exams — multiple choice plus hands-on labs at higher levels.
- Passing score of 75% (Associate / Operator) or 80% (Professional / Expert).
- Expert level adds a proctored exam and a reviewed capstone project.
- One free retake per attempt window if you don't pass first time.
- Badges are verifiable online and valid for two years, renewable with continuing education.
🎖
Applicare Certified
Shareable on LinkedIn and embeddable on your site — backed by a public verification link.
Pricing
Simple, per-certification pricing.
Associate
Free
Onboarding for everyone
Operator
$149
For SREs & platform engineers
Professional
$299
For senior & AIOps engineers
Expert
$499
For architects & leads
Training a team? Volume licensing, private cohorts, and instructor-led sessions are available for enterprises.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Do I need experience to start?
No. The Associate level assumes no prior Applicare knowledge and starts from observability basics. Each level lists its recommended prerequisite before you enroll.
How much does it cost?
Associate is free. Operator is $149, Professional $299, and Expert $499 — each a one-time fee that includes the guided lessons, labs, and the certification exam. Team and enterprise pricing is available.
How are the exams delivered?
Exams are online and timed. Lower levels are multiple-choice; higher levels add hands-on labs, and the Expert level includes a proctored exam plus a reviewed capstone project.
What happens if I don't pass?
You get one free retake per attempt window. Additional attempts can be purchased if needed.
Is the certification recognized and verifiable?
Yes. Every credential comes with a public verification link and a shareable digital badge for LinkedIn, plus a downloadable PDF certificate. Badges are valid for two years.
Can my whole team get certified together?
Absolutely — we offer volume licensing, private cohorts, and instructor-led sessions. Use the team-training button below to talk to us.
Get started
Start your certification today.
Begin free with the Associate level and progress at your own pace toward Applicare Certified Expert.