Get Certified
in SDS2

SDS2 Certified is a certification program offered by ALLPLAN for professionals to enhance their skills and knowledge in the use of SDS2. By becoming an SDS2 Certified Professional, you can validate your technical proficiency and establish your credibility in SDS2. 

There are currently three certifications offered for people who use SDS2: Operator, Technician, and Power User. These are all part of a track, from basic knowledge to expertise. 

There is an additional certification for people who teach SDS2. This SDS2 Instructor certification identifies individuals who know SDS2 well enough to teach it to others. 

The SDS2 certifications offer several benefits for both you and your organization. By earning your certification, you demonstrate your knowledge and technical skills within SDS2, thereby boosting your professional credibility and earning potential. 

Certified SDS2 Instructors can further benefit by offering training services, both internally and externally. This can help organizations train up their workforce or develop a new revenue stream to train others.

No, as the developer of the SDS2 product, certifications are only issued by ALLPLAN. Certified SDS2 Instructors issuing certifications of their own in ALLPLAN software may have their credential revoked. SDS2 Instructors are allowed to provide certificates of completion to learners who participate in and complete their courses. 

However, Certified SDS2 Instructors can submit requests to register their courses with ALLPLAN. More information on Course Codes is available on this page. 

No. None of the exams require any previous coursework. If you feel prepared for the exam, then you can take it. If you do not perform as well as you expect, then please explore the courses on Learn Now to prepare for your next attempt. Or see what other training options are available at this web page: https://www.allplan.com/us_en/training-consulting-services/

The general track for the SDS2 Certifications is Operator, Technician, Power User, then Instructor. However, there is no need to complete the certifications in any order. If you are confident in your skills, feel free to jump ahead in the sequence.

The current certification offerings are not the first that we have offered. In the past, we have issued certifications for Power Users and for Instructors. In those cases, your previous certification will be grandfathered in and considered equivalent to the nearest comparable certification. This also makes those older certifications subject to current expiration policy, meaning that some of the certifications may be out of date. However, we are extending a grace period from 2026-01-01 through 2026-06-30 to allow holders of older certifications to renew their certification. See examples below.

Example 1: A person earned the SDS2 Detailing Basic Instructor Certification on 2024-10-11. The closet comparable certification is the SDS2 Instructor Certification which is valid for 3 years. The certification is valid through 2027-10-11. 

Example 2: A person earned the Power User Certification on 2022-05-02. The nearest comparable certification is the SDS2 Power User Certification which is valid for 2 years. The certification would normally be valid through 2024-05-02. However, the grace period extends the certification through 2025-06-30. 

Example 3: A person earned the Power User Certification on 2023-02-16. The nearest comparable certification is the SDS2 Power User Certification which is valid for 2 years. The certification would normally be valid through 2025-02-16, but this falls within the grace period. Therefore, the certification is valid through 2025-06-30. 

We do differentiate between “certificates of completion” and “certifications”. We have and continue to issue “certificates of completion” for learners who complete all the activities associated with a training course. This often includes a quiz at the end of the course. These “certificates of completion” are used to prove that you completed the coursework. 

The “certifications” are used to prove knowledge in the product and technical skills. The examinations to earn certifications are generally more difficult; the questions are more challenging, and time limits are enforced. 

If you were given a document after completing a training course, then you likely have a “certificate of completion”, even if there was a quiz involved. 

If you sat for and passed an exam offered by SDS2 / ALLPLAN, then you may have a “certification”. If you are not sure which of the current certification offerings is closest to the one you had earned, please contact training.us[at]allplan.com.

If your certification expires, then you are no longer permitted to use the title corresponding with the certification. 

If you are a Certified SDS2 Instructor, then you will no longer be permitted to request reports on the performance of your learners on the certification exams. Certified SDS2 Instructors working at an Authorized Training Center (ATC) should notify the ATC’s contract holder immediately if their certification expires. 

You can renew your certification the same way it was initially earned: by passing the corresponding certification exam. It does not matter if the certification is still valid or has expired, the process is always to retake the certification exam. 

We update the certification exam as the products change, so the certification exam will likely be slightly different each time you take it. You are also free to update your certification more frequently than necessary to ensure you are up-to-date on the latest version of SDS2. 

Before renewing your certification, we do recommend checking if you meet the recommended experience for the next certification level. 

The retake policy varies between each exam and is shown in the Exam Specifications. Generally, each exam can only be taken once per day (i.e., there is a 24-hour wait period after completing the exam). Some exams may have a maximum number of attempts.

Your exam results will appear immediately after submission. At this time, we only provide the overall score. You can request a breakdown of your score based on exam topics, by sending a message to training.us[at]allplan.com. Requests can only be submitted for attempts made from the same email address; you must also include both the name of the certification and the date that the exam was attempted. 

This varies between the exams and can be seen within the Exam Specifications. 

The exam results will not provide a question-by-question report of correct and incorrect answers. You can request a breakdown of your score based on Knowledge Area, by sending a message to training.us[at]allplan.com. Requests can only be submitted for attempts made from the same email address; you must also include both the name of the certification and the date that the exam was attempted. 

Congratulations! You are now permitted to use the title associated with the certification. This varies between the certifications and is shown in the Exam Specifications. 

Please send an email to training.us[at]allplan.com to verify certification credentials. Please include the full name and email address of the person whose credentials you wish to verify.