Frequently Asked Questions

Am I eligible to register for a ADP certified specialist exam? 

The minimum requirements to participate are six months experience utilizing the product, one year-end utilizing the product and administrative credentials to access the product on your company’s own platform.

This program is currently only open to clients of ADP who utilize Workforce Now, Vantage or who are a RUN Wholesale, or Accountant ConnectSM Partner.

This program is not geared towards clients who utilize our Comprehensive Services product or Enhanced Time product. This program is not open to the general public who are not clients of ADP and is not a program for job seeking individuals to gain employment with ADP if you do not meet the eligibility requirements.

Accountant ConnectSM  exam takers must first complete the self-guided, preparatory materials located on Coursera before eligible to purchase the exam. 

What happens after I register for my exam?

You'll receive access to your learning path within 24-48 hours after purchase. Your learning path will contain optional preparatory courses, including a practice exam. All exams will be listed as the last course in your learning path. 

What happens after I take the exam?

You'll receive a score report at the end of the exam indicating whether you received a Pass or Fail grade.  

The passing score for the ADP Certified Specialist exams were derived from a combination of subject matter expert opinions based on minimal competence and observations about how well the exams differentiate between high-performing and low-performing candidates.  

The score report will include diagnostic scores indicating performance in each knowledge area. These scores allow you to evaluate your own performance within each knowledge area. 

Can I find out whether I answered specific questions correctly or incorrectly?

To maintain the integrity of the exam, questions and answers won’t be made available. Your best course of action is to review your percentage scores for the exam sections listed on your score report to determine how well you did on each section. Then compare your scores to the “Exam Description and Topics” section of the Certification Guide to target the topic areas to review.

When or how will I receive my certificate and badge?

  • Preparation Course Certificate - You can download a copy of your completion certificate by going to myLearning@adp "Achievements" tab. 
  • ADP Certified Specialist Certificate - A copy of your completion certificate can also be downloaded from myLearning@adp "Achievements" tab.  
  • Digital Badge - You will receive an email from admin@credly.com notifying you that ADP issued you a new badge within 1-2 weeks after earning your certification. Follow the steps on this video on how to accept, manage and share your accomplishment!  You can also download a copy of your digital certificate.  

How long is my certification valid?

Your ADP Professional Certification is valid for three (3) calendar years from the exam date. 

How do I maintain my certification?

Earning your certification is a big step and as an ADP Certified Specialist, you must demonstrate continued competence in using our ADP solutions.  To make it easy for you to maintain your certification, we will automatically assign the course "Maintaining Your ADP Certified Specialist Status" after passing the exam. This course outlines the requirements to maintain your certification and the activities could include:

  • Completion of our product release, seasonal training, and webinars such as year-end and quarter-end training.  
  • Completion of advanced product training.
  • Participating in any ADP Client Conference such as Pro Conference or Meeting of the Minds. Practitioners will be required to upload proof of attendance or participation.  

What do I do if my online exam is interrupted or if I experience technical issues? 

Try the following: 

1. Refresh your web browser to return to the exam. Make sure your answers are saved before continuing with the exam. 

2. Reconnect to the Internet and log back into myLearning@adp. Follow your original instructions to access the exam. Make sure you start where you left off.

For U.S clients:  If the above steps do not work, contact our team by sending an email to enterpriselearningsupport@adp.com.  We will respond to you within 24-48 hours with a resolution. 

For International clients: If the above steps do not work, please open a ticket via  ADP eService Portal.

What is your exam integrity policy? 

ADP is dedicated to keeping the highest levels of security, integrity, and validity for all of our examination programs. We maintain the integrity of the ADP Professional Certification Program by ensuring that:

1. Only qualified individuals pass our exams and earn ADP Professional certifications. 

2. No candidate has an unfair advantage over another 

3. Exam content is secure and not shared or posted to a public forum. 

Exam takers are reminded of these responsibilities during the Exam Acknowledgement, which is presented immediately prior to beginning an exam. 

Candidates who violate the Agreement, or any Certification policies or requirements will have disciplinary action taken against them. 

Which ADP products offer professional certification?

ADP offers professional certification for ADP Workforce Now®, ADP Vantage HCM®, Accountant ConnectSM and RUN Powered by ADP® Payroll for Partners. Certification for other ADP solutions will be available in the future and will be added on this site.

What is your exam rescheduling and refund policy?

It's totally understandable if you need more time.  Exam fees are reissued via a voucher code if you reschedule within the same testing window.  You will use the voucher code provided to register for the subsequent testing window.

For U.S clients: send an email to enterpriselearningsupport@adp.com before the testing window closes to reschedule your exam and receive your voucher. No shows or cancellations made after the testing window are non-refundable.  

For International clients: Open a ticket via  ADP eService Portal.

What is your retake policy?

Candidates who fail the exam must wait 90 days if testing for RUN Powered by ADP or Accountant ConnectSM before retaking the exam. Traditionally, ADP Workforce Now and Vantage HCM candidates must wait until the next testing window to retake the exam. However, candidates registered in the spring 2022 testing window will be allowed to retake their exam before the extended deadline, 11/1/2022, due to the combination of the spring 2022 and fall 2022 testing windows. Candidates who retake the exam must pay the full exam fee at each attempt. 

How do I reschedule a preparation course?

To reschedule a virtual instructor-led course, you must first unregister from your current session.  Once you have completed that step, you will be allowed to register to a different session date.  

For Employers: How can I verify the authenticity of my employee’s certification? 

We maintain a database of those who are certified however we cannot legally share that information. Every candidate who passes the exam is provided with an official certificate from ADP and a digital badge. We recommend that employers ask for proof of certification by requiring that the candidate provide a copy of their certificate and/or a link to their digital badge.