Citrix is a renowned enterprise software company that specializes in offering excellent products and solutions in desktop virtualization, software as a service, networking, cloud computing, and server. This is a first-rate product suite, which to many, acts as the most suitable alternative to Microsoft Hyper-V, VMware, and other cloud solution providers.

Citrix Certification Program Overview

Citrix is globally recognized for its Workspace and App Delivery and Security certifications. This means an aspiring candidate can tailor his/her learning path to suit the career goals. A flawless certification journey within the Citrix professional designation would usually begin at the Associate level as one climbs slowly to the top. Ideally, the Citrix Workspace certification path should be taken by anyone keen to demonstrate his/her commitment to bringing all the products and data into a unified workspace, and thus, it suits all candidates working with the Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops in real-world scenarios. In particular, this includes the setup, transformation, management, and support of complex environments. Generally, these certificates are arranged in three levels including the Associate, Professional, and Expert. With that in mind, some of the most popular certification options within this track include the Citrix Certified Associate-Virtualization (CCA-V), Citrix Certified Professional-Virtualization (CCP-V), and Citrix Certified Expert-Virtualization (CCE-V). On the other hand, the Citrix App Delivery and Security certification track recognizes IT specialists tasked with leveraging the capabilities of Citrix ADC, which comprises its implementation, network optimization, security, orchestration, and automation. That being said, the vendor provides a total of 4 validations along this path including the Citrix Certified Associate-App Delivery and Security (CCA-AppDS), Citrix Certified Professional-App Delivery and Security (CCP-AppDS), Citrix Certified Expert-App Delivery and Security (CCE-AppDS), and Citrix SD-WAN Certified (CC-SDWAN) certificates.

Look at Most Popular Citrix Exams

Now, let's focus on the details of the 3 most popular tests alongside certifications offered by Citrix:

1. Citrix 1Y0-204: Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 7 Administration

The 1Y0-204 exam proves your mastery of the setup, transformation, and management of an operational and available environment. Usually, such platforms are made up of Cloud Connectors, StoreFront, Virtual Apps and Desktops Delivery Controllers, Citrix Workspace app, Studio, and Profile Management on the Citrix cloud or on-premises. This is the test that candidates have to pass to obtain the above-mentioned Citrix Certified Associate-Virtualization (CCA-V) certificate. It has a seat time of 90 minutes and presents 65 questions with a passing score of 62%. Besides, scheduling it will cost at least $200.

2. Citrix 1Y0-231: Deploy and Manage Citrix ADC 13 with Citrix Gateway

Conversely, the Citrix 1Y0-231 exam targets IT specialists who understand the implementation and management of the Citrix ADC for load balancing, SSL offloading, or traffic management. This exam is taken by candidates pursuing the Citrix Certified Associate-App Delivery and Security certification as an alternative to exam 1Y0-241. Usually, it is a 105-minute-long test that emphasizes administration skills. Plus, it is written in English with a total of 70 questions and a passing score of 68%. Primarily, the 1Y0-231 evaluation should be taken by candidates whose job profile suits the administration of Citrix ADC 13 and Citrix Gateway within operational enterprise environments. These include systems engineers, systems administrators, Citrix administrators, network engineers, and network administrators just to mention a few.

3. Citrix 1Y0-312: Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops 7 Advanced Administration

In conclusion, the 1Y0-312 is the exam associated with the Citrix Certified Professional-Virtualization (CCP-V) certificate. It targets highly experienced solution specialists including consultants as well as engineers who are constantly involved in supporting or managing complex environments built around the Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops. In a nutshell, the 1Y0-312 test will bring a total of 71 items that learners must attempt in 90 minutes if English is their first language. Luckily, the non-native speakers of English will be given an extended time limit of 120 minutes to complete the same test. Usually, the standard passing score is 64% and the following groups of individuals greatly benefit from this evaluation:

• Desktop Virtualization Engineers;
• Desktop Virtualization Consultants;
• Citrix Engineers;
• Citrix Partners;
• Systems Administrators.

Career Opportunities

In brief, the Citrix professional certification track opens doors to the following jobs:

• Citrix Engineers

  Citrix engineers offer first-class solutions to the problems that exist in Citrix platforms. Also, they are tasked with maintaining and monitoring the Citrix settings, offering technical support to the end-users when called upon, and completing a range of administrative tasks within a functional Citrix platform. To conclude, these individuals ascertain that the Citrix platform is up to date by keeping an eye on the latest trends to identify the possible optimizations or upgrades. According to ZipRecruiter, a typical Citrix engineer is guaranteed an average of $118,476 per year.

• Systems Administrators

  As the name suggests, systems administrators are recognized for their role in ensuring the effortless running of IT operations. What is more, these individuals are acknowledged for their significant role in installing, monitoring, and upgrading hardware as well as software. Also, they may be involved in tasks around disaster recovery and backup. In some cases, the job scope of systems administrators will cover the maintenance of essential systems including LANs, WANs, PCs, emails, web servers, security tools, business applications, and operating systems. When it comes to the salary, the latest information from PayScale estimates that a typical systems administrator earns an average of $62,983 annually.

• Systems Engineers

  In conclusion, systems engineers are highly experienced individuals who manage and monitor the existing infrastructure alongside systems, install, configure, and test operating systems, and ensure system availability in real-time. In addition, they write custom scripts, design information support systems, test applications to assess performance and maintain the strategies for security as well as data backup. As a result, according to PayScale, these individuals are compensated with an average salary of $80,445 per annum.

Certification Path

As you already know, the Citrix designations are arranged in 3 major levels including the Associate, Professional, and Expert. This implies that candidates can now choose a certification program depending on their career level. For starters, the Associate-level certificate in one of the Workspace or App Delivery and Security categories would make more sense. Thus, these include the Citrix Certified Associate-App Delivery and Security (CCA-AppDS) and Citrix Certified Associate-Virtualization (CCA-V) validations. This will put you on course to attaining more advanced certificates endorsed by the same vendor. Upon successful completion of the Cisco certification programs at an advanced level, you may want to check out other qualifications from third-party websites and renowned vendors such as Cisco, ISACA, Juniper, and Microsoft.