Trying to decide whether getting my AOA - AOA Board Certified is worth the time and money investment. I've been doing research on "AOA" and the salary data is all over the place.
Some sources say it adds $5-8k/year on average, others suggest it's more of a requirement to even get considered for certain roles now rather than a pay bump.
Has anyone here seen a direct salary impact from getting AOA certified? Or is it more of a "required to apply" thing in your industry now?
Also — how long did the whole process take from starting to study to passing? And what was the exam fee in your state/country?
Trying to do a real cost-benefit before I commit 2-7 months to this.
I actually failed the first time by a few points. Total gut punch. But passed on the second attempt with a comfortable margin.
What changed: I stopped trying to memorize answers and started actually understanding the material. Specifically on AOA exam — I went back to basics and worked forward from first principles.
Also switched from reading to doing. Less time with the textbook, more time on practice questions with detailed answer explanations.
You've got this. The second attempt is always better because you know exactly what the exam is like.
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