ARM Accredited Engineer

ARM Accredited Engineer (AAE) was a program of professional accreditations awarded by ARM Holdings. The AAE program was designed for computer software and hardware engineers wishing to validate their knowledge of ARM technology.^[1] The program was launched in 2012^[2][3] at a series of events including ARM TechCon 2012.^[4][5][6]

Logo for the ARM Accredited Engineer program

The AAE program consisted of a number of certifications, each with its own syllabus, and each assessed by means of a separate one-hour multiple-choice exam.

The AAE program was ended in 2016.^[7]

Certifications

ARM Accredited Engineer (AAE)

AAE, an entry-level accreditation, was the first to be launched. The AAE syllabus covered software-related aspects of the ARMv7 Architecture, with a specific focus on Cortex-A and Cortex-R profiles, including applications processors and real-time processors. It did not cover Cortex-M systems. The AAE certification was aimed at general embedded software and systems developers who have a broad knowledge of ARM technology.

The syllabus covered the following subject areas:

• ARM architecture (30%)
• Software development (30%)
• Software optimization (15%)
• System (10%)
• Software debug (8%)
• Implementation (7%)^[8]

ARM Accredited MCU Engineer (AAME)

The AAME accreditation was launched on 16 September 2013. It was an entry-level accreditation, similar to the basic AAE accreditation, but focused on the ARMv7 Cortex-M profile. This accreditation was aimed at general embedded software engineers with a broad knowledge of ARM technology, with a bias toward microcontrollers.

The syllabus covered the following subject areas:

• ARM architecture (35%)
• Software development (30%)
• Debug (13%)
• Software optimization (10%)
• Implementation (7%)
• System Startup (5%)

Other accreditations

The following accreditations were being considered for launch between 2013 and 2016:^[9]

• ARM Accredited Cortex-A Engineer (AACAE)
• ARM Accredited Cortex-R Engineer (AACRE)
• AA Windows on ARM Developer (AAWoAD)
• AA Linux on ARM Developer (AALoAD)
• AA Android on ARM Developer (AAAoAD)
• AA Graphics Specialist (AAGS)
• AA Security Specialist (AASS)
• ARM Accredited Cortex-M Engineer (AACME)
• ARM Accredited SoC Developer (AASoCD)
• ARM Accredited SoC Specialist (AASoCS)

Exams

All AAE Program exams were delivered by Prometric Inc. as supervised computer-based tests on dedicated test platforms throughout their network of 10,000 Authorized Prometric Test Centers (APTCs) around the world.^[10] There were 70 multiple choice questions. Candidates were given one hour to complete the test. Results were issued instantly on-screen. Grades are either pass or fail - no letter or percentage grades are issued. On passing the exam, candidates were able to request a paper certificate to be mailed to them.