In the fast-evolving world of digital ecosystems, having real-time insights into application performance and security is vital. As the complexity of these systems grows, so does the demand for observability solutions. This growing industry doesn't just call for tools and technologies—it's increasingly dependent on professionals who possess observability expertise. Enter the recently launched New Relic Observability Certification Program.
Why Observability Matters
Observability is the practice of understanding a system's performance through the data it generates. It goes beyond traditional monitoring by offering deeper insights into system behaviors, enabling engineers to enhance performance and reliability proactively. As companies realize the value of observability in maintaining their digital eco-systems, the demand for skilled professionals capable of leveraging these insights increases, adding observability skills to existing roles like IT Operations, Cloud Architecture, Security Engineering, as well as new roles like Site Reliability Engineers (SREs) and Application Performance Monitoring Engineers (APM Engineers).
Observability Certification: Your Path to Success
In a time where technology is continually advancing, a report from Pearson Vue (2025 Value of IT Certification Candidate Report) underscores the importance of IT certifications, highlighting the competitive edge and organizational success they bring. According to the report, 63% of certified employees received or anticipated job promotions, while 76% reported enhanced innovation capabilities for their organization.
Recognizing the growing importance of skilled observability professionals, New Relic has launched its Certification Program, devised to help practitioners demonstrate proficiency in deploying, using, and managing the New Relic platform to drive performance and reliability.
Program Overview
The program encompasses four role-based certifications:
- New Relic Verified Foundations (NVF)
- New Relic Certified APM Practitioner - Associate (APA)
- New Relic Certified Performance Engineer - Professional (PEP)
- New Relic Certified Reliability Engineer - Professional (REP)
These certifications are tailored to cater to various roles and levels within the observability field, allowing candidates to showcase their expertise and experience, and help organizations optimize their digital environments.
Each certification is offered as a multiple-choice online exam via the Webassessor testing platform. The Foundation level exams, designed as an entry-point into the observability field, are not proctored, allowing participants to complete them with greater flexibility. In contrast, Associate and Professional level exams are proctored—a procedure that involves live monitoring by a proctor via webcam. This common practice ensures that the integrity of the certifications is maintained and they meet professional standards, bolstering their credibility and recognition within the industry.
Exploring the Certification Roles
New Relic Verified Foundation (NVF)
As a recommended starting point, the New Relic Verified Foundation certification is ideal for individuals new to observability or New Relic. Offering a free exam without prerequisites, this certification allows candidates to demonstrate foundational knowledge in observability and New Relic platform. The core sections are: Observability Fundamentals, New Relic Platform UI & Capabilities, Configuring data, Performance Monitoring, and Full Stack Observability Practises.
New Relic Certified APM Practitioner - Associate
The APM Practitioner certification is Associate level and elevates the skills acquired in the Foundation level, focusing on monitoring, analyzing, and improving application performance using APM data sets. Although there are no prerequisites, six months of experience with New Relic is recommended. The core sections are: APM fundamentals, Agent Data Management, Insights Visualization, and APM Practices.
New Relic Certified Performance Engineer - Professional
Designed for professionals who have deeper and more extensive knowledge and experience in analyzing, troubleshooting and optimizing systems. The Performance Engineer certification validates expertise across a broad range of New Relic capabilities. While it requires no prerequisites, two years of experience is recommended. The core sections are: Platform Capability Fundamentals, Backend Application Performance, Client-Side Performance, Infrastructure and Cloud Performance.
New Relic Certified Reliability Engineer - Professional
Focusing on improving reliability at scale, the Reliability Engineer certification proves a candidate's ability to maintain effective and reliable IT operations using the New Relic platform, with two years of experience recommended for optimal success. The core sections are: Alerts & Incident Management, SLM (Service Level Management), Infrastructure and Cloud Integration, and Automation of Observability.
Benefits of Certification
Validate Expertise: Gain recognition for your proficiency with observability knowledge and skills and New Relic technologies.
Expand Knowledge: Engage with structured learning to master observability concepts and practical skills.
Advance Your Career: Enhance opportunities for promotions and new roles.
Join the Community: Connect with fellow certified professionals to expand your network.
Testimonial
Oscar Lopez, an Observability Consultant at cloudEQ, recently passed the Performance Engineer Professional (PEP) and Reliability Engineer Professional (REP). He says:
“...earning both the Performance Engineer and Reliability Engineer certifications has been a rewarding experience. These certifications complement each other by covering both the development and operational perspectives of the platform, deepening my understanding of how to maximize its features. Having this confirmation of my expertise is a significant achievement—it boosts my confidence as a consultant, enables me to advocate best practices more effectively, and keeps me in tune with exciting new features in the years ahead.”
Resources & Getting Started
Fuel your career with New Relic certifications by exploring our learning resources, including certification learning paths and detailed exam guides with example questions, and start your certification journey today:
Certification Program Guide - a downloadable PDF providing details on the certification program, the levels and the roles.
Certifications Summary: Overview & Links - a summary table of the certifications with links.
Certification Exams - each exam has an Exam Guide and an associated Certification Learning Path
Exam Preparation Courses
To help you prepare and gain the knowledge and skills required to pass each Certification we have built ‘Certification Learning Paths’ and dedicated online Exam Prep Courses:
New Relic Verified Foundation (NVF): Certification Learning Path
New Relic Certified APM Practitioner Associate (APA): APA Certification Prep Course
New Relic Certified Performance Engineer Professional (PEP): PEP Certification Prep Course
New Relic Certified Reliability Engineer Professional (REP): REP Certification Prep Course
The New Relic Certification Program positions you at the forefront of observability excellence and innovation. Fuel your career today and embrace the future of observability with confidence!
The views expressed on this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of New Relic. Any solutions offered by the author are environment-specific and not part of the commercial solutions or support offered by New Relic. Please join us exclusively at the Explorers Hub (discuss.newrelic.com) for questions and support related to this blog post. This blog may contain links to content on third-party sites. By providing such links, New Relic does not adopt, guarantee, approve or endorse the information, views or products available on such sites.
