The FreeCodeCamp community just published our new Python certification. You can now take the exam to get a free verified certification, which you can add to your resume, CV, or LinkedIn profile.
Each certification is packed with hundreds of hours of interactive lessons, workshops, labs, and quizzes.
How does the new Python certification work?
The new Python certification will teach you fundamental concepts including functions, loops, dictionaries, sets, classes, data structures, algorithms, and more.
The certification is broken into several modules that include lessons, workshops, labs, review pages, and quizzes to ensure you really understand the material before moving on to the next module.
Lessons are your first exposure to new concepts. They provide critical perspective and context for how things work in the software development industry.
At the end of each lesson, there will be three comprehension check questions to test your understanding of the material from the lesson.
After the lesson blocks, you will do workshops. These workshops lead to step-by-step projects that give you the opportunity to practice what you’ve learned in the lessons.
You don’t need to install a separate application to run your Python code. We have a custom Python editor that runs Python code in the browser.
After the workshops, you will complete a lab that will help you review what you have learned so far. This will give you the opportunity to start building projects on your own, which is an important skill for a developer. You will be presented with a list of user stories and will need to pass tests to complete the lab
At the end of each module, there is an overview page that lists all the concepts covered. You can use these review pages to help you study for the quizzes.
The last part of the module is the quiz. This is a 20 question multiple choice quiz designed to test your understanding of the material covered in the module. You will need to get 18 out of 20 correct to pass.
Throughout the certification, there will be five certification projects that you will need to complete in order to qualify for the exam.
Once you’ve completed all 5 certification projects, you’ll be able to take the 50-question exam using our new open-source exam environment. The FreeCodeCamp community designed this test environment tool with two goals: make it harder for people to cheat while respecting their privacy.
Once you download the app on your laptop or desktop, you can take the exam.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it all really free?
yes FreeCodeCamp has always been free, and we’ve offered free verified certifications for over a decade now. These exams are just the latest addition to our community of free learning resources.
What prevents people from cheating in exams?
Our goal is to strike a balance between preventing fraud and respecting people’s right to privacy.
We have implemented a number of reliable, yet non-invasive, measures to help prevent people from cheating on FreecodeCamp exams.
For each exam, we have a massive bank of questions and possible answers to those questions. Each time a person tries to take the test, they will only see a small, random sample of these questions.
We only allow people to take the test once at a time. This reduces their ability to “brute force” the exam.
We have security in place to validate test submissions and prevent man-in-the-middle attacks or manipulation of the test environment.
We manually review each passing exam for evidence of cheating. Our test environment generates tons of metrics for us to draw on.
We take cheating, and any form of academic dishonesty, seriously. We will act decisively.
That said, no test results will be thrown out without human review, and no one’s account will be banned without warning based on any questionable test results.
Are these exams “open book” or “closed book”?
All Freecode Camp exams are “closed book”, meaning you should only rely on your own brain and not outside resources.
Of course, in the real world you will be able to see things. And in the real world, we encourage you to do just that.
But that is not what these tests are assessing. These tests are instead designed to test your memory of details and your understanding of concepts.
So while taking these exams, do not use external aids in the form of books, notes, AI tools, or other people. Using any of these would be considered academic dishonesty.
Do you record my webcam, microphone, or do I need to upload a photo of my personal ID?
No. We consider adding these as additional testing precautions. But we lack privacy-friendly methods of detecting most forms of academic dishonesty.
If the environment is open source, doesn’t that make it less secure?
“Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow.” – The Law of Lens, developed by Eric S. Raymond in his book Cathedral and market
Open source software projects are often more secure than their closed source equivalents. This is because there are too many people testing the code. And many people can potentially help identify bugs and other deficiencies, then fix them.
We believe open source is the way to go for this testing ecosystem.
How can I contribute to the test environment codebase?
It is completely open source, and we welcome your code contributions. Please read our general Collaborator on boarding documents.
Then check GitHub repo.
You can help by raising issues to report bugs or request features.
You can also open browse help wanted Efforts to uncover issues and requests to address them.
Are the questions from the exam itself open source?
For obvious exam security reasons, the exam question banks themselves are not publicly accessible. 🙂
These are created and maintained by instructional designers on the FreeCodeCamp staff.
What happens if I have internet connectivity issues mid-exam?
If you have internet connectivity issues mid-exam, the next time you try to submit an answer, you will be told that there are connectivity issues. The system will keep prompting you to retry the submission until the connection is successful.
What if my computer crashes mid-exam?
If your computer crashes mid-exam, you will be able to reopen the exam environment. Then, if you still have time left for your test attempt, you’ll be able to pick up where you left off.
Can I take exams in languages ​​other than English?
Not yet We are working to add multilingual support in the future.
I have completed my exam. Why can’t I see my results yet?
All test attempts are reviewed by FreeCodeCamp staff before the results are released. We do this to ensure the integrity of the exam process and prevent fraud. Once your effort is evaluated, you will be notified of your results the next time you log in to freecodecamp.org.
I am deaf or hard of hearing. Can I still take the exams?
Yes! Although some exams may include audio components, we make available written transcripts for reading.
I am blind or have limited vision, and use a screen reader. Can I still take the exams?
We are working on it. Our curriculum is fully screen reader accessible. We are still improving our screen reader usability for the exam environment app. This is a high priority for us.
I use a keyboard instead of a mouse. Can I navigate exams using only a keyboard?
This is a high priority for us. We hope to add keyboard navigation to the exam environment app soon.
Is it time for exams?
Yes, it’s exam time. We err on the side of allowing enough time to take the test, to account for those who are non-native English speakers, or who have ADHD and other learning differences that can make timed tests more difficult.
If you have a condition that would normally qualify you for additional time on standardized tests, please email support@freecodecamp.org. We will review your request and see if we can find a reasonable solution.
What happens if I fail the exam? Can I take it again?
yes You get one test attempt each week. After you attempt the exam, there is a one week (168 hours to be exact) “cooling down” period where you cannot take any free CodeCamp exams. This is to encourage you to learn and push yourself.
There is no limit to the number of times you can take the exam. So if you fail, study more, practice your skills as much as you can, then try again next week.
Do I need to redo the plans if I fail the exam?
No. Once you have submitted a certification project, you never need to submit again.
You can redo the projects for practice, but we recommend that you instead create one of our many practice projects in FreeCodeCamp’s Developer Interview Job Search section.
What if I already have the old legacy Responsive Web Design certification? Should I file a new claim?
The new certification has more theory and practice as well as an exam. So if you want to brush up your skills then you can go through the new version of this certification.
What about my current coursework progress towards full stack certification? Does this transfer to a responsive web design course?
If you’ve already started the Certified Full Stack Developer course, all your previously completed tasks should already be saved there.
To be clear, we’ve copied over all the coursework from the full stack certification to this new certification.
Can I still continue with the current Full Stack Developer certification and not just do the new certification?
We’ve moved the coursework for the full stack developer certification and broken it down into smaller certifications. There are currently seven courses available for you to take. Here is the full list:
The Certified Full Stack Developer certification button will remain on the learning page for a short time to give people a chance to convert to the new certification. In the next few months, though, that option will disappear.
Will my legacy certification be invalid?
No. Once you claim a certification, it’s yours to keep.
Also note that we previously announced that the FreeCodeCamp certification will have an expiration date and will require renewal. We do not plan to implement this anytime soon. And if we decide, we’ll give everyone at least one year’s notice.
Will the exam be available to take on my phone?
At the moment, no. You will need to use a laptop or desktop to download the exam environment and take the exam. We hope to eventually offer these certification exams on iPhone and Android.
I have a disability or health condition that is not covered here. How do I apply for accommodation?
If you need specific accommodations for the exam (for example, extra time, breaks, or alternative formats), please email support@freecodecamp.org. We will review your request and see if we can find a reasonable solution.
anything else?
Good luck working through FreeCodeCamp’s coursework, construction projects, and preparing for these exams.
Happy coding!