How to Prepare for the FinOps Practitioner Certificate
In this guide, we explain how to prepare for the FinOps Practitioner Certification exam (by the FinOps Foundation), designed for professionals interested in cloud financial management.
By Barbara Gaspar | FinOps
Who is this FinOps certificate intended for?
The FinOps Practitioner Certificate is designed to provide professionals with comprehensive knowledge of the FinOps framework, its components, and the cloud financial management practices that optimize business value. This course covers the essentials of FinOps, including its iterative phases, vocabulary, and motivations for key personas such as finance, procurement, and product teams.
The certificate is ideal for professionals such as FinOps Core Personas (finance, procurement, and product), Allied Personas (ITAM, ITFM, sustainability, security), and professionals from the sales and marketing teams of FinOps tooling vendors. It’s also beneficial for product managers developing FinOps tools and industry analysts seeking deeper insights into the practice.
To take the course, participants should have a basic understanding of cloud computing, consumption-based billing, and at least one major cloud provider (AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud). Upon successful completion, the certification is valid for 24 months and is accompanied by a digital badge.
What does this exam consist of?
Learn how to pass the FinOps Practitioner Certificate exam with expert recommendations in this article. This certification is considered an entry-level qualification for entering the world of cloud cost optimization. Ideally, the person taking this certification should be the one responsible for implementing FinOps methodology within their organization to improve the commercial value of cloud spending.
The exam is available in three different formats by the FinOps Foundation (2024):
- Exam only
- Self-paced course and exam
- Synchronous course and exam
All exam details
- Number Questions: 50 multiple-choice questions (MCQs)
- Exam duration: 1 hour
- Exam mode: not proctored
- Passing Score: minimum score of 75% is required
- Retry Policy: two additional retries to achieve certification
- Certification Validity: valid for 24 months
Exam Princing for Finops Certification
Discover the price of the “FinOps Practitioner Certified” exam in its various models.
FinOps Certified Practitioner Course (Training Modules Only)
$250
FinOps Certified Practitioner Certification (Exam Only)
$325
FinOps Certified Practitioner Self Paced Course + Certification Exam
$550
FinOps Certified Practitioner + Focus Analyst
$600
FinOps Certified Practitioner Virtual Instructor-Led Course + Exam
$1500
Scholarships for FinOps Practitioner Certified
The FinOps Foundation is committed to providing training and certification in FinOps to support the next generation of FinOps professionals. We are offering scholarships to individuals who demonstrate a passion for helping shape the future of FinOps but lack the financial means to pay for training courses or certification exams.
Who Can Apply for a Scholarship?
- Community members who are not supported or sponsored by a company or organization and are unable to participate due to financial reasons.
- Students currently enrolled in high school, university, or a full-time or part-time coding course or bootcamp.
- Underrepresented and/or marginalized groups who cannot participate without some form of financial assistance.
What does this exam consist of?
To prepare for the exam, you can follow different paths, but I recommend the following:
Study key cloud concepts: Understand cloud principles, service models, deployment models, and the different cloud providers offering services.
Study the phases of implementing the methodology:
- Phase 1: Inform: The primary goal here is to ensure cost visibility and allocation. Reporting should be transparent and concrete.
- Phase 2: Optimize: Identify cost optimization opportunities and manage the principles across key areas of cloud operations.
- Phase 3: Operate: At this stage, a deeper understanding of FinOps processes is expected, and these processes are adopted on a larger scale within the organization.
A quick note here: While you advance through these phases, the process is iterative, so you may need to return to earlier phases to improve processes.
Understand the maturity model:
- Crawl (minimal control over actions)
- Walk (medium-level control with defined indicators)
- Run (high-level control and measurement)
Identify core people and allies for implementing FinOps methodology.
Spot key optimization actions that may arise in teams.
Understand cloud capabilities and scope.
Focus on the pillars of FinOps: education, control, and optimization.
The exam lasts 30 minutes and consists of 50 questions, so make sure to read carefully. With these quick tips, you can start your preparation and earn your badge as soon as possible. Stay tuned for upcoming articles on other certifications.
is finops certification worth it?
If you are looking to build expertise in cloud financial management, improve your organization’s cloud cost efficiency, or enhance your career prospects, the FinOps Practitioner Certificate is a worthwhile investment. It provides both practical skills and a professional edge in an increasingly important domain.