What the Drupal is and how it works

According to Acquia, “To take Certification exams, you must have an account on Acquia Academy.”^[5]

Acquia runs its Drupal certifications as online exams on Acquia Academy, proctored by ProctorU. There are no formal prerequisites, but you need an Acquia Academy account to register. Each certification has its own format and passing mark:

• Site Builder (Drupal 10/11): 50 questions, 75 minutes, 68% to pass, $190 per attempt
• Developer (Drupal 10/11): 60 questions, 90 minutes, 65% to pass, $300 per attempt
• Front End Specialist (Drupal 10/11): 60 questions, 90 minutes, 68% to pass, $350 per attempt
• Back End Specialist (Drupal 10/11): 60 questions, 120 minutes, 70% to pass, $420 per attempt

Book at least 72 hours ahead. If you schedule within 72 hours, Acquia treats it as premium scheduling and charges an extra $12. Your score appears on screen as soon as you finish the exam.

If you do not pass, you have to wait 24 hours before you can retake the same exam. You can retake up to 3 times, and a 4th retake needs a waiver. Each retake means registering again and either paying the full exam price or using an exam voucher. Acquia certifications do not expire, though Acquia says they do age. Fees and formats can change, so check the current details on Acquia's certification pages before you book.

Drupal Exam at a Glance

Drupal content outline and where to practise each area

The content areas below are copied from the official Drupal content outline published by Acquia, with the share of the exam each area carries. The right-hand column shows which of our practice sets covers it.

Worked examples: how to reason through Drupal questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: How should an Drupal professional present complex information to non-experts?

1. Use full technical terminology
2. Translate into accessible language, use visuals, and check for understanding
3. Skip complex topics entirely
4. Provide written reports only

Answer: B. Translate into accessible language, use visuals, and check for understanding

Explanation:

B is correct. When you explain technical work to people outside the field, you change the language but keep the substance. Plain wording, a diagram or a quick demo of the site, and a check that the listener followed, for example asking them to restate the decision, leave a client or editor able to act on what you said.

A is wrong because full technical terms, such as render arrays or cache tags, lose a content editor. C is wrong because skipping hard topics hides risks the stakeholder may need to decide on. D is wrong because a written report alone gives you no way to spot confusion or answer questions.

Rule to remember: fit the message to the audience, back it with visuals, and confirm they understood before moving on.

Example 2

Question: How do Drupal professionals maintain digital competency?

1. Skills from initial training are sufficient
2. Through ongoing training, practice with new tools, and staying current with technological advances
3. By hiring IT support for all tasks
4. Digital skills are not required

Answer: B. Through ongoing training, practice with new tools, and staying current with technological advances

Explanation:

B is correct. Drupal and its tooling keep changing. New major versions deprecate APIs, Composer and Drush workflows change, and front-end build tools shift. To stay useful you need ongoing training, hands-on practice with new tools, and the habit of reading release notes and change records.

A is wrong because skills from initial training go stale as the platform moves. C is wrong because handing every task to IT support leaves you unable to do the core work yourself. D is wrong because building, configuring and maintaining a Drupal site is digital work by definition.

Rule to remember: treat learning as part of the job, and read the change records when a new release comes out.

Example 3

Question: What does the Drupal `DeprecationHelper` (or `@trigger_error` with `E_USER_DEPRECATED`) enable in quality assurance workflows?

1. Flagging code paths that will break in future Drupal major versions so they can be fixed proactively
2. Stopping the site from running deprecated functions immediately
3. Logging deprecated function calls to the watchdog database table
4. Automatically replacing deprecated functions with their successors

Answer: A. Flagging code paths that will break in future Drupal major versions so they can be fixed proactively

Explanation:

A is correct. When code calls @trigger_error() with E_USER_DEPRECATED, or uses DeprecationHelper for calls that depend on the Drupal version, it marks an API that is due to be removed. PHPUnit's deprecation reporting and tools such as Upgrade Status collect these notices, so you can update the code before a major version upgrade breaks the site.

B is wrong because a deprecation notice does not stop execution. The deprecated code keeps running until the API is actually removed. C is wrong because the purpose is to flag usage for developers and test runs, not to keep a watchdog record of each call. D is wrong because nothing is swapped automatically. A developer, or a tool such as Drupal Rector, has to change the code.

Rule to remember: deprecated means it still works now but will be gone in a future major version.

How to use these practice tests

Start with the official outline. Acquia's content areas are Fundamental Web Development Concepts, Site Building, Front end Development (Theming) and Back end Development (Coding). Decide which certification you are taking, then read its page on Acquia's site so you know its question count, time limit and passing mark.

1. Take a timed run of the main practice test to see where you stand. Note every question you missed or guessed.
2. Work through the topic set for each weak area: Site Building & Configuration, Theming & Frontend Development, Module Development & API and Performance & Security. Read each explanation, then check the point in the Drupal documentation or on a local test site.
3. Build something small for each area: a content type with fields and a View, a sub-theme with a Twig template override, and a custom module with a service or a form.
4. Go back to the main test under timed conditions and compare your results by topic.
5. Book the exam at least 72 hours ahead to avoid the $12 premium, and check ProctorU's system requirements on your computer before test day.

Sources & last verified

1. Acquia — number of questions, time limit, passing score, exam fee (official source). “Exam length: 60 questions” Verified Oct 25, 2026 · source checked Oct 25, 2026.
2. Acquia — number of questions, time limit, passing score, other (official source). “Exam length: 60 questions” Verified Oct 25, 2026 · source checked Oct 25, 2026.
3. Acquia — retake fee, retake policy, score release (official source). “To retake an exam, you must re-register for the exam and either pay the exam's cost or use an exam voucher.” Verified Oct 25, 2026 · source checked Oct 25, 2026.
4. Acquia — validity (official source). “Technically, Acquia certifications don't expire, but they do age.” Verified Oct 25, 2026 · source checked Oct 25, 2026.
5. Acquia — delivery, eligibility, registration deadline (official source). “Acquia Certification exams are now conducted on Acquia Academy.” Verified Oct 25, 2026 · source checked Oct 25, 2026.

How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.