OCUP 2 FAQ

Because the OCUP 2 Program is an objective, validated measurement of a candidate’s knowledge and skills in the ways that UML modeling is used in today's complex distributed IT environment, by both model builders and model users (a category that includes implementers - coders! - and stakeholders). The examinations cover the IT modeling domain with the breadth and depth that will let peers and prospective employers feel confident about a certified candidate’s ability to participate in or lead real-world initiatives in enterprise and technical IT. For a general view of the topics covered by all three exams, look here. For links to specific lists of topics for each exam, click through on that page to the individual levels' Coverage Maps.

OCUP 2 is OMG's updated certification program for UML practitioners - both model Builders and model Users (a category that includes implementers and stakeholders). The program tests a candidate’s knowledge and skill in the construction and interpretation of model diagrams using OMG’s Unified Modeling Language. It consists of three levels - Foundation, Intermediate, and Advanced - replacing the original OCUP certification program which has grown obsolete both because of its basis in older versions of the specification and its emphasis on language details over usage. Lower levels are prerequisite for certification at higher levels, although the exams themselves may be taken out of order.

Yes, of course you should! You are still certified in UML 2, but this certification is now obsolete - replaced by OCUP 2 which goes beyond knowledge of UML language details to cover UML modeling - for model users in addition to model builders. To bring your credentials up-to-date and so keep up with industry expectations, you need to take and pass the OCUP 2 examinations corresponding to your level of expertise - Foundation for everyone, adding Intermediate for practitioners working above the most basic level, and Advanced if you're the modeling Guru in your department. Currently during its first year of availability, holders of the original OCUP Advanced certification can receive substantial discounts on this OCUP 2 exam from OMG - see the second question below this one for details.

After many years, the OMG and our modeling professionals felt that it was time to replace the venerable OCUP certification program with another, adding model interpretation and construction to the language details that were emphasized in the original program. The adoption of UML 2.5 gave us an opportunity to tie our new certification program to a restructuring of the language (even though, as UML experts know, the changes to the underlying language structure make only minimal changes to the modeling layers). 

The OCUP 2 examinations are totally new - No questions carried through from the original OCUP program to this one. (So new, in fact, that studying from the original OCUP Certification Guide book will not prepare you for the OCUP 2 Foundation exam! Study from the new OCUP 2 Certification Guide by Michael Chonoles instead.) If you're OCUP-certified, we encourage you to upgrade your certification to OCUP 2 where you'll notice that most of the questions, even those that touch on UML element definitions, relate that definition to the way it gets used in a model. Another difference is that the knowledge and skills tested, especially at the Foundation level, apply to model users as much as to the model builders addressed exclusively in the original OCUP. It's important that these users - a group that includes implementers (coders!), end-users, and stakeholders - be able to read and interpret the model diagrams that foretell what the final application will do, and how it does it, and OMG is pleased to be able to serve this important group of professionals. 

If you upgraded to Advanced during the interim period by taking its original OCUP exam, your effort (and investment) were not wasted - - everyone who paid for and took this original OCUP Advanced exam during this transition period starting 1 March 2014 may apply to OMG for a voucher to take the OCUP 2 Advanced exam for free by filling in this form. Vouchers will expire on 31 January 2019, one year after the OCUP 2 Advanced exam became available. Remember that lower level OCUP 2 certifications are prerequisite for higher level OCUP 2 certifications.

Not on the Foundation or Intermediate exams, since their discount programs have expired, but candidates who took the original OCUP Advanced exam after 1 March 2014 may apply to OMG for a voucher to take the corresponding OCUP 2 exam for free (as we pointed out in the paragraph just above). Candidates who took their Advanced exam before 1 March 2014 will receive lesser discounts; amounts vary depending on when the original exam was taken. Vouchers expire on 31 January 2019, one year after publication of the Advanced exam. Apply for your voucher by filling in this form. NOTE that these discount offers only apply if you took your OCUP Fundamental exam in English. If you took your exam in Japanese, your program is administered by OMG's certification partner, the UML Technology Institute (UTI) and they do not offer these discounts.

OMG recommends that you start with the OCUP 2 Foundation exam. If this is your first OCUP experience, your Foundation certificate will demonstrate that your UML modeling skills, knowledge, and even your point of view are up-to-date. If you're already OCUP certified, you'll recognize that an up-to-date certification will better demonstrate that your skills and knowledge cover today's complex distributed business process environment. Next, consider adding OCUP 2 Intermediate certification especially if you work above the most basic level (as almost everyone does). 

Note that the prerequisite for OCUP 2 Intermediate certification is (only!) OCUP 2 Foundation certification - Your original OCUP Fundamental cert is not enough. These conditions apply to the Advanced level also. Keep in mind that each lower level OCUP 2 certification is prerequisite for the next higher - While you are allowed to take the exams out of order, OMG will not award your certification until you meet the prerequisite requirements.

The OMG specification on the exams can be downloaded free using the links on the Coverage Map web page

All of the articles and white papers referred to may be downloaded and/or viewed free using the links on the Coverage Map web page.

The books are listed in the References on the Coverage Map pages, specifically detailed for each Exam level. If you already own a different book that covers a topic, you may decide to study from it instead of buying a new one. IMPORTANT: Also see the question and answer about (NOT!) studying for the new Foundation or Intermediate exams using the study guide written for the original version. Study from Michael Chonoles' book OCUP 2 Certification Guide instead.

Here is a link to our page with general information about all of the OCUP 2 exams including links to the Coverage Maps,  which are detailed descriptions of the material covered in each exam.

Yes, there are both. Several of the Subject-Matter Experts who wrote the exam questions, and others, have written a book and prepared courses that will prepare you for the OCUP 2 examinations. We have listed the book, training companies, and related materials on this Study Materials page.

In a word, No! The two exams are very different - while the original restricted itself to UML syntax and semantics (including the UML metamodel), the OCUP 2 exams test UML usage in the context of modeling. Study for the Foundation exam from Michael Chonoles' book OCUP 2 Certification Guide, which covers the material in that exam and includes sample questions in the same format. For the higher-level exams (and to supplement your knowledge of the Foundation material as well), study from one of the books mentioned on the Coverage Map and References page or another good book about UML modeling, and explore the ways you can control the listed UML elements in your modeling tool. Learn how to use, or recognize and interpret, these elements in larger diagrams, and how they can relate to each other. We based the new examination on these aspects of UML because they are the ones that you will use in your career as either a model builder or a model user. If you concentrate on the material presented in the original OCUP Certification Guide, you will be unprepared for the new OCUP 2 exam and so, results demonstrate, perform quite badly

Yes: Michael Chonoles' book, OCUP 2 Certification Guide, just mentioned, includes practice questions for all of the topics covered in the Foundation exam. Sorry, but there are no similar questions available for the higher-level exams.

The minimum passing score for each OCUP 2 exam is displayed on its individual web information page. Once you have completed an exam online at a Pearson VUE Testing Center, your score and pass/fail result will automatically be displayed on your screen. You will also receive a printed copy of your score report before you leave the testing center.  OMG does not release information on pass rates.

You should arrive at the testing center at least 30 minutes before the test is scheduled to begin. During that time you will provide (2) two proper identifications and the test center administrator will give you a short orientation and then escort you to a workstation. If you do not provide appropriate identification, you will not be allowed to test for security reasons. Late arrivals will not be admitted.

You must have two (2) forms of ID, one with a photo and both with a signature.
Acceptable forms of primary (photo) identification include:

• Government issued driver’s license
• Employee ID work badge
• School ID
• Military ID*
• Passport*
• Alien registration card
• Permanent resident visas (Green Cards)
• State/Country ID

* Primary ID’s which contain an embedded signature are permitted as long as the Secondary ID presented has a visible signature.

Acceptable forms of non-photo identification include:

• Bank ATM card
• Credit card
• Any ID on the Primary list

The Exams are administered only at authorized Pearson VUE testing centers, in their secure environment, on their secure equipment.

You may bring your identification, but not much else. No computers, PDAs, cellphones, pagers, books, notes, scratch pads, writing instruments, coats, jackets, backpacks, briefcases, purses, and so on.

Some centers may have lockers, but they are usually small, and there may be none available when you take your Exam. Please do not bring personal items to the test center.

No. There may be candidates taking other professional exams at the same time using Pearson VUE's computer-based delivery system technology.

Yes. When you sit down to take an Exam at the test center, you will be asked to agree to keep the contents of the Exam confidential and to accept some terms and conditions relating to the Exam and your certification. You will not be allowed to take the Exam if you do not agree to these requirements.

You can review the Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) here. You can review the Candidate Agreement here.

All questions are multiple choice. All Exams are closed book. No written materials, notebook computers, cell phones, etc. will be allowed in the testing area.

Yes: As you take the exam, you may either mark questions that you feel are too difficult, or just skip them, to go back to after you reach the end. After you finish the last question, you will see a review screen that lets you jump back to any questions that you want to review. On the review screen, different symbols will identify questions that you marked, and questions that you skipped. Both marked and unmarked questions will be scored when you finally submit your exam. Unanswered questions will be scored as incorrect.

The Exams are not scored negatively - that is, no points are deducted for incorrect answers. This means that you can safely - and should - guess an answer to every question that you don't know. It is best to check if you have actually answered ALL questions before completing the exam (and the Review Screen makes this easy). If you are running short on time, just click any answer and move on. This way, you will at least have a chance to get some of them right.

Yes. Candidates with documented visual, physical, hearing, or learning disabilities, which would prevent them from taking an examination under standard conditions, may request special testing accommodations and arrangements. Please contact Pearson VUE directly.

(If you are taking a Beta exam, skip to the next paragraph) As soon as you have completed your exam at a Pearson VUE Testing Center, your score will automatically be displayed on your screen. You will also receive a printed copy of your score report before you leave; this printed report will include your score on each of the major sections of the exam as well as your total. This information is transmitted to OMG for our records. If you passed the exam you just took, and any prerequisites, you will receive your Certificate in the mail within about one month of taking the Exam. 

(If you are taking a Beta exam) You'll know that you're taking a Beta exam because you've applied for, and been accepted into, the Beta program for your exam and received a voucher to take the exam for free. (It is not possible to register and pay to take an OMG Beta exam.) Your Beta exam will contain more than 200 questions, and have a scheduled time of 4 hours or more. You will not receive a score or pass/fail notice when you finish - Instead, your results will be combined with those of all our other Beta candidates and analyzed statistically to produce the final 90-question forms of the exam, and set the cutoff score - a process that takes several weeks and cannot start until the last Beta exam has been taken. When this work is complete, we will calculate your score on the final forms of the exam and, if it meets or exceeds the cutoff score, you pass - Congratulations! If you have also passed the required prerequisites for your level, you'll receive a certificate in the mail, and an email notice on how to download the certification logo for your level and opt in to the OMG Certified Professionals Directory.

Starting with the OCUP 2 Foundation is recommended, because passing it is a prerequisite to getting certified at the OCUP 2 Intermediate and Advanced levels. Certifying at Intermediate level (that is, passing both the Foundation and Intermediate examinations) is required to certify at Advanced level. So, the question is - How high should I go? That will depend on the job title that you have, or want, and the skill set that you have, or are learning. Look here or here for a functional description of the skills that each level of certification indicates.

No but - Lower levels of certification are prerequisite for higher levels of certification, but you are not required to take the exams in order. So, you won't receive an OCUP 2 certification at a level until you've passed all of the prerequisite exams required for its level. And, regular OCUP exams do not serve as prerequisite for higher OCUP 2 levels - You must pass all OCUP 2 exams, starting with Foundation, to qualify.

Look at these Coverage Maps to see what is covered in each Exam.

In the United States, the cost to take an OCUP 2 examination is US$200; in many countries where English is not the first language, the testing time will be a half-hour longer and the price will be US$10 more (that is, US$210 or the approximate equivalent in local currency. Currency conversion does not track short-term fluctuations). This time extension is automatic in every country where it applies; when you finalize your registration, you'll see the extension. The only exception is Quebec (which is not a country, of course, but qualifies because French is the first language of the province). Québécois should email to <certificationinfo@omg.org> before you register (but after you have created your Pearson VUE account), stating your name and address. We will send you an email with instructions on how to register and receive the time extension. You have to pay each time you take an examination, even if you're taking an examination over because you failed the first time. Payment is by major credit card. For exact pricing in your country, please look here on the Pearson VUE test site.

Yes! OMG offers pre-paid Certification Examination voucher bundles at discounts starting at 5% and ranging all the way up to 20%, depending on how many vouchers you buy. Each voucher lets you take any one of OMG's exams. Vouchers are non-refundable and expire one year from date of purchase. Discount is applied to the price in your country.  Minimum purchase for the 5% discount is 10 vouchers. These 5% vouchers may be purchased from the Pearson VUE voucher store through this link: www.vue.com/vouchers/pricelist/omg.asp.

You can receive a substantially larger discount by purchasing a larger number of vouchers directly from OMG:

Discount is applied to the price in your country. For more information, or to purchase one of these voucher bundles, email <certificationinfo@omg.org> or directly to OMG's Director of Certification  Dr. Jon Siegel at <siegel AT omg.org>.

NOTE: For details about discounts on the updated OCUP 2 Advanced exam for candidates who took the original version, see this FAQ question. The update discount program for Foundation and Intermediate levels has expired.

All of the Exams are in English. A Japanese version of the OCUP 2 Foundation exam is available now in Japan from the UML Technology Institute Co., Ltd.(UTI); the Intermediate examination will follow. (The original OCUP exams are already available in Japanese from UTI.) In non-English-speaking countries, the time allowed to take the examination in English will be a half-hour longer; see two questions down.

The Exams are computer-based tests (CBTs) delivered at testing centers owned or licensed by Pearson VUE. Exams are multiple-choice and include text and UML diagrams. For OCUP 2 exams, every multiple-choice question will present at least four options, and ask you to choose exactly one. 

The time may vary from level to level. The base time allowed for OCUP 2 Foundation is 120 minutes, and for OCUP 2 Intermediate and Advanced is 105 minutes. When these English-language exams are delivered in a non-English-speaking country, the test time will be extended by 30 minutes and the price will be higher by US$10; this accommodation is automatic but you should check with your testing center to be sure. The only exception to this being automatic: Residents of French-speaking Quebec must request the half-hour accommodation; Québécois should email to <certificationinfo@omg.org> with your request before you register and allow time for arrangements to be made.

No. All of these original exams have been withdrawn. OMG is pleased to offer the OCUP 2 Foundation, Intermediate, and Advanced exams and so certify candidates in the current version of the UML specification with the emphasis on modeling added by this new program.  See the first section of this FAQ for program details.

The answer to this question has two parts: First, as OMG promised originally, Yes, your certification is still valid - the certificate shows no expiration date, and your certification will appear on the OMG Certified Professionals Directory if you opt in. The Second part of the answer, however, is this: Your original OCUP certification tested an older version of the UML specification and only its language details, without covering the modeling skills and knowledge included in OCUP 2. Only an OCUP 2 Certification will demonstrate that you've been tested on the UML modeling knowledge and skills required to work in today's complex distributed IT environment. That's why OMG produced the OCUP 2 program, and why we encourage everyone to upgrade their certifications.

The Exams are available worldwide, exclusively at Pearson VUE Testing Centers. There are thousands of centers in over a hundred countries around the world. You can locate a test center by going to the OMG registration page at Pearson VUE, http://www.pearsonvue.com/omg , and clicking on Locate a Test Center.  You will also be able to search for and choose a test center as part of your registration process

You will schedule your Exam as part of the registration process. The Pearson VUE registration website will display available days and times for each testing center that you select to view on the web page, allowing you to choose the appointment that best fits your schedule.

When you schedule your Exam, you should be prepared to provide any of the following information:

• Your name (you may be asked to provide your name as you would like to have it appear on your certificate)
• Your Social Security, Social Insurance or Pearson Vue Testing I.D. (SP#) Number
• Contact phone numbers - If there is a problem, we will use these numbers to reach you
• Mailing address - Please provide the address to which you would like your certificate mailed
• Exam number and title
• e-Mail address - Once again for contact purposes, this is often the fastest and most effective means of contact. Many test sponsors require e-mail contact information for registration
• Method of payment

Yes, you must cancel and/or reschedule your test through the Pearson VUE Web site and not through OMG. Please read the rescheduling policies in the confirmation letter for your appointment.

First, Congratulations! You will have received your score at the test center immediately after you finished your Exam. If you have passed all of the exams required for a certification level, we will send you (by mail) a certification kit, usually within one month after you pass the Exam. The kit will include a letter explaining the certification, the actual certificate (suitable for framing) and instructions for downloading the OCUP 2 logo for the level of Certification that you have passed. You'll also receive an email telling how to register for the OMG Certified Professionals Directory.

If you fail an Exam, you can retake it after a minimum of 30 days, but you cannot take a particular Exam more than three times in a twelve-month period. There is no discount price for re-taking an Exam. The fee is the same as for the initial Exam. The diagnostic feedback that you will receive with the test score report will indicate the areas that need further study.

Candidates who qualify for OCUP 2 certification may use the OCUP 2 Certification Logo for their level (Foundation, Intermediate, or Advanced) as a graphic symbol to demonstrate to clients their skill and knowledge in UML modeling. Please follow these guidelines to correctly promote your relationship with OMG and protect the integrity of the Logo:

While your OCUP 2 Certification remains valid (see below), you may use the Logo on your business cards, letterhead stationery, resume, Web site, and marketing materials for individual service, to indicate that you have earned a credential in the OCUP 2 Program. If you write a book or course and your name appears as author (or a co-author), the logo may appear associated with your name; not in a way that associates it with the work as a whole. The logo may not appear on any other type of product or other material. You may not use it for any purpose other than to designate your OCUP 2 certification credential.

You may use the OCUP 2 Certification Logo only as permitted by the OMG Trademark Usage Guidelines at http://www.omg.org/legal/tm_guidelines.htm.

Some of these guidelines are:
 

• You may not alter the Logo in any way.
• Your name, trade name, or company name must appear on any materials where the Logo is used.
• The Logo cannot appear larger or more prominent than your name, product or service name, trademark or service mark, logo, or trade or company name.
• OMG may, in its sole discretion, terminate your right to use the Logo at any time.

OMG will re-issue a lost certification kit for a fee calculated based on your location and shipping costs, that must be paid before we ship. Please send an email to certificationinfo@omg.org with the following:

1. full name
2. current address
3. candidate ID number

Once we've determined shipping costs, we'll reply with an invoice and as soon as payment is received your kit will be shipped.

You should receive your certification kit within one month of passing an Exam although shipment to some locations remote from our fulfillment service in the US may take a bit longer. If you have not received your kit within this period, please contact OMG by email at certificationinfo@omg.org.

Yes, it does. Each OCUP 2 Certification expires 5 years from the date that you pass your exam, and this expiration is printed on your certificate and recorded in our Certified Professionals Directory.

However, any time-limited OMG certification can be renewed or extended during its term by passing the exam for either that same certification or the next certification level higher in its program for which the original is prerequisite. Any certification extended or upgraded in this way will remain valid for its full five-year term even though its lower-level prerequisites expire sooner.

For a detailed explanation of how this affects prerequisites (consistent with this policy), see the next question:

NOTE THAT Certifications earned in the original OCUP program (NOT OCUP 2) do not expire. However, these certifications, which are based on UML 1.X, the previous major release version of UML, may be considered obsolete. OMG recommends that holders of these certifications update to OCUP 2 by studying and taking the current examinations. Start with the Foundation exam, because only OCUP 2 lower-level certifications can serve as prerequisites for OCUP 2 higher-level examinations.

To become certified at OCUP 2 Intermediate or Advanced level, you must pass the exam for that level before your next-lower level (i.e. prerequisite) certification expires at the end of its five-year term.  The Intermediate or Advanced certification that you attain in this way will remain valid for a full five years after you pass its exam even though your prerequisite Foundation certification will expire earlier during that term. During the full five years after the date you passed your Intermediate examination, you will be listed in OMG's Certified Professionals Directory at Intermediate Level, and may use that status as the prerequisite for Advanced Level certification which will, similarly, remain valid for a full five years after the date that you passed its examination. If you take and pass the exams in reverse order as described in Do I have to take the exams in order? question, your higher-level certification will still expire five years after the date you passed its exam even though your lack of prerequisite kept you from holding its certification until some time after that.

Certifications are associated with individuals, not companies. Your certification is granted to you and it will move with you wherever you go. If your listing in the OMG Certified Professionals Directory shows your previous company address and contact information, you can update it by emailing your new location to certificationinfo@omg.org but you must update your record at Pearson VUE first.

You can contact OMG by email at certificationinfo@omg.org.