NetSuite Certification & Training - The Ultimate Guide

With NetSuite certification, accountants, consultants, developers, and others can learn more about NetSuite's ERP solution and improve their skills with it. As the platform becomes more popular, a NetSuite certificate is becoming more useful for people looking for jobs or professionals who want to move up in their company.

This blog will explain what NetSuite certification is, how you can get it, and why it's beneficial.

What is NetSuite Certification?

The NetSuite Certification Program started in 2013. The program helps:

• Individuals who want to learn more about the platform
• Businesses that want to gain accredited expertise to support their NetSuite implementations in-house
• Companies who want to get the maximum from their ERP investment.

The program has certified thousands of individuals in many different roles. Accreditation is a formal way for NetSuite users and service providers to show that they know and understand a wide range of NetSuite specialties.

Benefits of NetSuite Certification for businesses

Better ROI

If your business invests in NetSuite, you'll want it to pay off. NetSuite certification ensures that you have employees with the skills and understanding to support other users, so you can glean the maximum ROI from your investment.

Better Implementation Deploying NetSuite in your business requires knowledge and expertise of both the platform and general best practices. If you have people on your team with these skills, they can help you get started with NetSuite and also add modules and add-ons. Additionally, having onsite expertise can help your organization adjust to new releases.

Boost productivity

When you have staff members with a strong working knowledge of NetSuite functions, you can improve productivity across the organization. These boosts in efficiency can come in many different forms, such as designing and building workflows that work for your team or training and teaching other staff members.

Support and maintenance

Having staff on your books that understand NetSuite will help you support other users and keep the system running optimally.

More badges

NetSuite certifications can be listed on your website in the form of badges that share your expertise. Adding these badges can give potential clients a sense of security and lead to more sales.

Benefits of NetSuite certification for end users

NetSuite certification has lots of benefits for businesses. However, if you are an end-user, there are some great arguments for taking these courses yourself, even in your own time.

Professional networking opportunities

NetSuite certification gives you access to an elite network of fellow professionals. This situation is a great way to find like-minded professionals, get advice, mentorship, or even find job opportunities. Additionally, certification gives you access to a private LinkedIn community of fellow NetSuite professionals.

Boost your resume

The demand for NetSuite-certified professionals is growing all the time. Enhancing your resume with NetSuite certifications can help you improve your resume and give you an edge over the competition.

Additionally, many recruiters now use Applicant Tracking Systems to sift through resumes via job-related keywords automatically. Having NetSuite Certifications in your skills or qualifications section can ensure your resume stays in contention.

When should you encourage employees to take NetSuite tests?

While it’s never a bad idea for your staff to learn and gain certification, there are several situations where NetSuite certification will solve common business challenges.

If professional development is a priority

In an era where employee retention is a challenge felt by many business leaders and organizations, professional development opportunities have become an important way to maintain and attract top talent. Alongside opportunities to progress, employees have also listed access to training and professional development as important reasons to stay with an organization.

Helping your staff add to their skills and prepare for life inside or outside your business strengthens your talent pool and makes your organization look more attractive to new hires.

If you feel your teams don’t have enough support

Getting your whole organization to use NetSuite or bringing on new users requires help from the administration and experienced users. A NetSuite certification helps them learn more about the platform so they can help new users and improve different parts of your day-to-day business operations.

Validating new hires

Having people on your staff who know about NetSuite can help you find new employees by letting you check the experience and qualifications of potential candidates. Many organizations don't have the resources to fully understand or measure technical expertise, so it's important to have someone on board who knows how to ask the right questions or read a resume.

Different types of NetSuite certification

NetSuite is a flexible, all-in-one business process solution. As such, a broad range of NetSuite certifications is available for different specialties. Each business uses NetSuite in its own way, as reflected in its diverse range of certifications.

You can obtain NetSuite certification for various roles and specialties. Each test involves different areas of expertise on an administrator or product level. Here is a list of the different exams that are available and who they might suit.

Suite Foundation Certification

The SuiteFoundation Certification makes sure that people know how the NetSuite platform works in the most basic ways. Some of the subjects it teaches are:

• Managing records
• Understanding business process flows
• How to handle sales and inventory in the platform

Who is the SuiteFoundation Certification for?

The NetSuite Foundation Certification is great for all NetSuite users. It teaches the basics that are needed by anyone who uses NetSuite on a regular basis, by administrators who manage and run NetSuite, and by anyone who has just started using NetSuite.

It is also required if you plan on taking tests for:

• NetSuite Certified Administrator
• ERP Consultant
• SuiteCloud Developer

Administrator Certification

The NetSuite Administrator Certification ensures that individuals can manage and administer any NetSuite implementation.

Who is the Administrator Certification for?

People who would benefit from NetSuite Administrator Certification are:

• Anyone who has already taken the SuiteFoundation Certification
• Individuals that have managed NetSuite implementations for over a year and have a good grasp of its features and utilities
• Accounting practices with clients that use NetSuite

NetSuite ERP Consultant Certification

With the NetSuite Enterprise Resource Consultant (ERP) Certification, people can prove that they know how to use some of NetSuite's most powerful features. NetSuite consulting is a useful area of expertise as more businesses seek to implement ERP solutions. Some of the subjects covered under this certificate are web security, analytics, finances, and data strategy.

Who is the ERP Consultant Certification for?

The NetSuite ERP Consultant Certification is suitable for:

• Anyone who has already taken the SuiteFoundation Certification
• Individuals who have experience with NetSuite implementations and plan to offer their expertise as a NetSuite consultant

Application Developer Certification

One of the best things about NetSuite is that it makes it easy to make changes that improve the platform. The Application Developer Certification backs up people who say they have the skills to build solutions that add to, change, or interact with the platform as a whole. This specialization includes developing, testing, and scaling these solutions.

Who is the Application Developer Certification for?

The Application Developer Certification is ideal for anyone who wants to administer:

• SuiteScript
• SuiteFlow
• SuiteBuilder
• SuiteCloud Development Framework.

When combined with the Suite Foundation and Web Developer certifications, users can obtain the full NetSuite SuiteCloud Developer certification.

Web Services Developer Certification

The Web Service Developer Certification is a good way to show that you know how to design and build integrations for the NetSuite platform.

Who is the Web Services Developer Certification for?

The Full Web Service Developer Certification, as mentioned above, requires passing the SuiteFoundation and Web Services Developer certifications. This certification is perfect for developers who want to specialize in subjects such as:

• SuiteTalk REST Web Services
• SuiteTalk SOAP Web Services.

Financial User Certification

The Financial User Certification is for users who want to show how well they know how to use NetSuite's accounting and finance features. It’s a great option for those who want to understand NetSuite standard account modeling.

Who is the Financial User Certification for?

The Financial User Certification is a great choice for:

• Accounting professionals
• Anyone who uses the accounting and financial aspects of NetSuite
• Individuals who have passed NetSuite Financial Management course

NetSuite SuiteAnalytics User certification

NetSuite SuiteAnalytics User Certification helps establish a user's understanding of reports, searches, and dashboards inside the NetSuite environment.

Who is the NetSuite SuiteAnalytics User Certification for?

The NetSuite SuiteAnalytics User Certification is a good choice for individuals that have passed the:

• SuiteAnalytics: Reports and Searches
• SuiteAnalytics: Financial Reports and Searches courses
• SuiteAnalytics Advanced Searches

Additionally, it’s a good choice for anyone who works in Business Intelligence or Data Analytics

SuiteCloud Developer II Certification

Application Developer and Web Services Developer certification is great for people who want to show that they know about the NetSuite Cloud platform and other basic development elements.

For whom are application developers and web services developers employed?

• Web developers
• Anyone interested in building integration for NetSuite
• NetSuite administrators

Note: The SuiteCloud Developer II Certification will be discontinued for the end of February 2023. It will be replaced by new Application Developer and Web Services Developer tests.

What’s the difference between NetSuite User and Administrator level exams?

NetSuite User and Administrator level exams differ in depth of knowledge and complexity. User-level exams are, as the name suggests, aimed at NetSuite end-users.

The NetSuite Administrator tests are longer and require a deeper understanding of the platform, including configurations, setup, and workflow processes. These exams are more thorough, more detailed, and more complicated.

Preparing for NetSuite Certification

Study Materials and Resources

When preparing for your NetSuite Certification, there are a lot of resources you can find – official NetSuite guides, recommended books, and online resources. 

The official NetSuite website offers comprehensive study guides and sample questions tailored to each certification. For a more in depth understanding, books such as "NetSuite for Dummies" by Julie Kelly and Luke Braud provide practical insights into using NetSuite. There are also online platforms like Udemy and LinkedIn Learning that offer courses aligned with NetSuite's certification coverage. By leveraging these resources, you can ensure a well-rounded preparation strategy.

Training Courses and Workshops

NetSuite's official training programs are also very helpful. These training courses are designed to cover all aspects of the certification exams that offer a range of training options, including self-study, instructor-led online classes, and in-person workshops. 

Additionally, third-party providers like SuiteTraining.com offer specialized courses to complement NetSuite's official training. These courses often provide hands-on experience for a really thorough preparation.

Tips and Strategies for Exam Preparation

When preparing for the NetSuite Certification, you have to be strategic. Start by thoroughly reviewing the exam study guide and identifying key areas of focus. Then, create a study schedule that allows ample time for each topic including regular review sessions. To familiarize yourself with the exam format, practice with sample tests available on NetSuite's website and question types. Finally, ensure to get a good balance of theoretical knowledge and practical application, as NetSuite exams often test both.

The Certification Process

Exam Registration and Fees

To register for a NetSuite Certification exam, visit the NetSuite Certification webpage and select your desired certification. The registration process involves creating an account with NetSuite's exam provider then scheduling your exam. The fees for NetSuite Certification exams vary depending on the certification type but it generally ranges from $250 to $300 which is required at the time of registration. Note that fees are subject to change, so check the latest information on the NetSuite website.

What to Expect on Exam Day

On the exam day, expect a rigorous testing process that assesses your knowledge and application skills. The exam typically consists of multiple-choice questions, with the duration varying from 80 to 120 minutes, depending on the certification. The questions are designed to test both theoretical knowledge and practical application. Ensure to arrive at the testing center early, with a valid ID. For online proctored exams, ensure your computer setup meets the required specifications provided by NetSuite.

After the Exam: Certification and Beyond

After completing the exam, you will receive your results immediately. If successful, the official certification will be emailed to you within approximately two weeks. This certification is a testament to your expertise in NetSuite. To maintain your certification status, NetSuite requires certified professionals to complete a new release quiz annually to ensure they stay updated with the latest NetSuite features. This ongoing learning process is crucial to keep you up-to-date in the ever-evolving landscape of ERP solutions.

How can Seller Universe help?

Encouraging your staff to take the certification and gain the requisite knowledge to help you implement and administer NetSuite can take considerable time and effort. When you need expertise and specialized help straight away, or you have large projects that an ERP solution can solve, Sellers Universe Ecommerce Group is here to help.

When you need NetSuite-certified experts to augment your team or help you get the most ROI from your implementation, get in touch for a talk about what we can do.

Key Takeaways:

• NetSuite Certification enhances skills in NetSuite's ERP solution which adds value for professionals in various roles including accountants, consultants, and developers.
• NetSuite Certification Program started in 2013 to offer formal accreditation in demonstrating comprehensive knowledge and understanding of NetSuite's diverse functionalities.
• For businesses, NetSuite Certification improves NetSuite implementation and support quality which leads to better ROI.
• Certified professionals gain access to an elite network which enhances professional networking opportunities and boosts their resumes.
• The certification is beneficial in situations like prioritizing professional development, supporting teams in using NetSuite, and validating the expertise of new hires.
• Depending on the different roles and specialties within NetSuite, various certifications are available including SuiteFoundation, Administrator, ERP Consultant, and more.
• The certification exams are only available in English. However, extra time is available for non-native speakers and a 30-day waiting period for retaking failed tests.
• NetSuite Certification requires keeping qualifications current with New Release quizzes and offers a Certification Status Search tool for verification of credentials.