How much does CARS actually matter to employers right now?

I've been doing a lot of searching on "CARS" and while the certification looks solid on paper, I'm getting mixed signals about how much employers actually care in 2026.

Some job postings list it as required, some say "preferred," and some don't mention it at all even for roles where it seems relevant.

For those of you who have your CARS certification — has it actually opened doors or increased your rate? Or has the job market shifted to the point where it's table stakes rather than a differentiator?

Context: I'm entering the field and trying to decide whether to prioritize CARS or invest the same time into CARS - Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills.

Also — how current does the cert need to be? If I pass now, is a 2-3 year old cert still valuable or do employers want recent?