Word of advice: Davinci Certificate is a great tool to test your knowledge but it's not "easy"
TL;DR: Read the DaVinci Resolve Editor Guide, practice to remember what the different playhead colors mean, and pay close attention to detail. You have 50 questions to answer in one hour, so you don't have much time to search for answers—but it's a great way to test your actual knowledge.
I am writing this post to:
- Share my excitement about having passed the test (yeah!!!).
- Offer some advice for those looking to get certified (I looked for these tips myself, but couldn't find them beforehand).
My background: I’ve played around with DaVinci for a long time, but last week I decided to step up my game and read the DaVinci Resolve Editor Guide. It’s an easy read and truly awesome material. Beyond structuring what I already knew, I acquired a lot of new knowledge. If I had read it earlier, I think I would have saved hours that I otherwise "lost" watching tutorials.
So, after finishing it yesterday evening, I decided to take the test this morning.
First things first: Yes, it’s an open-book test, but don't be mistaken—the time limit will severely restrict your ability to search for answers. There are 50 questions to answer in only one hour. Some are easy, others are a bit more tricky.
Simply knowing how to do things (multicam editing, compound clips, etc.) is not enough. If you have to search through menus, you will run out of time (I finished mine in 50 minutes). You also need to know the specific technical vocabulary—I'm looking at you, fellow non-native English speakers! ;)
Something I feel is important to underline: yes, you can copy/paste a question into your favorite AI or search the manuals. And yes, in my personal opinion, that's fine for a couple of questions. But at the end of the day, only you will know how much of your knowledge this certificate really represents. Ultimately, I think it’s a great tool to test your skills and identify what you need to study further.
I will try (if it’s possible) to take it again in a few months. This time, I hope to improve my score (I got 86% this time) without having to look at references. That way, I'll be able to measure my progress!