How to get the Qiskit developer certificate
Quantum computing is a rising branch of computing, and it can be disruptive in the near future.
IBM provides the world’s first certification in the field: the Qiskit developer certicate. Qiskit is the quantum computing language for simulating circuits and running on real IBM computers.
See links below.
https://www.ibm.com/certify/cert?id=C0010300
https://www.ibm.com/blogs/research/2021/03/quantum-developer-certification/
I just got certified in August 2021. Here are some tips.
About study sources
I’ve been studying quantum computing for a couple of years. The theory can be seen in books like the ones listed in the link below.
https://informacaoquantica.wordpress.com/roadmap-computacao-quantica/
About the Qiskit language, the best source comes from IBM itself.
In addition, IBM does an excellent job of sponsoring annual challenges, the IBM Quantum Challenge.
https://challenges.quantum-computing.ibm.com/iqc21
I have the philosophy that the best way to learn is teaching, and in that sense, I write a blog recording a bit of theory, interesting links, and so on.
About the test
It is necessary to pass a test to obtain certification. It costs 200 dollars. This year, IBM gave a voucher to those who applied for the Qiskit Advocate program, which aims to select theme enthusiasts who can be Qiskit promoters around the world. So I didn’t have to pay to take the test.
https://www.ibm.com/certify/exam?id=C1000-112
I can’t write about the content, but in general the scope is as indicated in the link above: quantum circuits, quantum gates, qasm, how to use the simulator backends, different visualizations, etc.
The questions are of the type shown in the exam example, also in the link above.
It’s an online test, no consulting of books, no access to other programs, no paper to take notes, nothing.
We have to install a special program to take the test. It’s a software that only allows the test to work, you can’t access anything else. Worse than that, this software only works on Windows (my personal computer is Linux), it also doesn’t work on corporate computers (which have a series of firewalls). I had to get an old computer just to take the test.
We have to make an appointment to take the test, and then I understood why. The camera is on all the time, as is the microphone, with one person looking and listening (but we don’t see her, which is even more stressful).
And the inspector keeps monitoring all the time… once, she complained that I was a bit far from the camera’s framing, and if I continued like that I would be eliminated… I’ve already taken on-site tests with less tension.
A tip is not to try to cheat on this test. Keep cell phone, calculator away. Also you cannot talk to other people, you must be isolated. Monitors are trained to notice who is trying to cheat. I don’t doubt that a lot of people have been eliminated just for small mistakes.
The cutoff score was 73%, and the result, I did exactly 73%! The questions weren’t so difficult, for those who know quantum computing. If it were with consultation, my grade would certainly be higher, after all, nobody keeps memorizing the exact syntax of the code.
Result
I got the certificate and a medal like the one below.
https://www.credly.com/badges/98140686-15d1-47dd-9d65-e363fe7b2562/linked_in
This still doesn’t have much practical application for me. It’s more of a hobby, an intellectual challenge, than anything else. Perhaps, in the future, the pioneering spirit in mastering the subject will pay dividends.
For now, the main advantage is that the certificate makes me eligible for the Qiskit Advocate program (but that’s no guarantee), which in turn can open the door to a select group of students of quantum computing.
Well, let’s see (and try to write) the next steps of this technology!
In time: while writing the post, I found out that I was approved in the Qiskit Advocate program! So all the effort was worth it!
