Updated June 10, 2025
Overview
- Chef Certification offers two tracks: Associate and Executive.
- Learn Chef Premium provides flexible, self-paced training with virtual labs and expert-guided modules.
- Recognized by top enterprises, it boosts career growth by providing real-world automation and infrastructure expertise.
First off, thank you for being a Progress Chef customer, enthusiast and/or user. Your collaboration and enthusiasm for Chef are much appreciated!
Organizations worldwide adopt DevOps as part of their product delivery processes. However, despite the abundance of DevOps roles, there seems to be a severe skill shortage in the DevOps area. A survey done in 2023 shows that more than a third (37.5%) of respondents said they expect to continue to have trouble finding skilled developers, the majority of whom are DevOps engineers, data analytics developers and IT security engineers.
The pioneering Chef automation solution allows you to configure, deploy and manage your entire application infrastructure more securely for cloud, on-premises or even edge devices. Chef certifications help DevOps practitioners like you consolidate your skills and validate your mettle in the vast field of DevOps and DevSecOps.
Chef certification validates you as a credible DevOps practitioner and an SME in the field of DevOps. Not only does it pave the way for career growth, but Chef certifications also build trust and visibility within organizations.
This blog will be about our Chef certification programs, their entailments and the value practitioners like you can derive from them.
What is Chef Certification?
Some of you might be aware that Progress has crafted the new LearnChef platform, a free, on-demand library of tutorials on various technical topics. These tutorials end with an exam that tests your knowledge on the basic concepts of Chef.
On the other end of the spectrum is Progress’ comprehensive set of public and private training—Chef Foundations, Automate Compliance, Intermediate, Habitat and the Chef/Jenkins and Chef/Azure pipeline and many more. These trainings are instructor-led and provide an in-depth knowledge of the products.
Learn Chef: Premium
While the Learn Chef platform suits beginners, the instructor-led programs are niche and customized per organization. This lack of an intermediate option led us to develop a third offering. Whether it be applying the Chef solution to a particular use case, implementing the Chef solution or taking Chef to the next level in your environment, we believed that we needed a more detailed and affordable course that could fully prepare a Chef learner to do their job properly.
To address this gap, the Chef Education and Professional Services teams built something great, of which we are very proud of— Learn Chef: Premium.
Learn Chef Premium is an on-demand, self-paced Education-as-a-Service (EaaS) platform that provides digitized formats of all the currently offered live Chef training—complete with instructor notes and a friendly voice guiding you through the modules so that you can learn at your own pace. In this self-paced system, you can come and go as you please and pick up right where you left off.
In addition to the classes, Learn Chef Premium offers year-round access to a virtual lab environment provisioned with the required Chef software.
Learn Chef: Certify
These certifications are based on our learningsfrom our previous and very successful Chef certification programs. The aim of all our Chef certifications has been to help customers gain validated talent in-house, maximizing Chef usage within the organization. Additionally, Chef certifications help elevate job profiles and boost careers.
Our team took those early blueprints and upped the ante. We believe that there are two major types of Chef user personas.
The first is the operational user and the second is the architect.
The operational user knows how the Chef solution works and can write creative and valuable cookbooks. If you are this individual, we have created the Associate Chef Certification just for you. After taking an exam and using the Learn Chef Lab to publish your cookbook in a fully functional Chef environment successfully, you will attain the “Associate Chef Engineer” certification.
The second type of user is the architect who pushes Chef to its limits. This individual drives any and all aspects of hands-on architecture, cookbook development and Chef operations. If you fit the bill, then you are an appropriate candidate for the “Certified Chef Architect” certification. Upon enrollment, you will architect, implement, operationalize and troubleshoot Chef in the Learn Chef Lab.
What we love about this program is that you will also be supported with the expert knowledge of a Principal Chef Consultant who will mentor you along the way!
Chef Certification Exam Process
To obtain the certification:
The Associate Chef path includes a multiple-choice exam and lab tasks, requiring 75% to pass.
The Executive Chef path is mentor-led, involving hands-on tasks under expert supervision.
Both certifications must be completed within 6 months and allow up to 3 attempts.
Choose between the two tracks based on your requirements.
You can pay online, email us at learnchef@progress.com, or contact your Progress account manager.
The Chef certification costs vary based on the exam and your chosen certification. But you can start with our free tutorials and then build up the certifications with varying degrees of difficulty.
Why Does the Chef Certification Matter for DevOps Careers?
Working towards a Chef Certification is a strategic career move. Chef is a pioneer in DevOps, and getting skilled in Chef is considered a top skill in the DevOps and Infrastructure automation space. Here are the benefits:
Progress Chef expertise is a top career skill:
Chef skills align with modern DevOps requirements. These certifications validate real-world capabilities, such as infrastructure as code, compliance automation and configuration management. These training courses are not only designed to be pragmatic but are also tailored to be role-specific. For example, the Associate Chef Certification focuses on foundational skills like cookbook development and node bootstrapping, while the Executive Chef Certification targets advanced architecture and troubleshooting tasks.
Career growth and remuneration improvement:
Chef-certified professionals often see tangible career benefits. Industry surveys cited in a report state that DevOps practitioners can earn salaries exceeding $130,000 annually. A Chef certification can strengthen one’s ability to earn higher salaries.
Trusted by enterprises:
This is reinforced by the fact that trusted enterprises like IBM, CVS Health and Rakuten seek out Chef-certified talent.
"This was the best training class I've taken. It was online using Zoom, it was super easy to share code and collaborate. the instructor kept everything going perfectly and his knowledge and expertise on the topic was evident." - CVS Health |
Demonstrate real skills:
Chef Certification validates your ability to solve real-world infrastructure challenges by testing hands-on proficiency in automation, compliance and configuration management. It proves you're familiar with tools and canapply them effectively in complex, production-grade environments.
We here at Progress want our user community to see success using Chef and in their careers. We want to share our best practices and knowledge with you and provide it in a convenient, relaxed and effortless way that helps you do your job well.
We're providing a shortlist of the most frequently asked questions regarding the Learn Chef program.
Chef Certification - FAQs
- What is Progress Chef Certification?
Chef Certification is a structured training and certification program offered by Progress that validates your expertise in using the Chef platform for infrastructure automation. It offers two tracks: Associate Chef, which focuses on operational skills and Executive Chef, which emphasizes architectural and large-scale implementation capabilities
- Why should I get Chef Certified?
Chef Certification helps you:
Validate real-world DevOps and DevSecOps automation skills
Boost your credibility with employers and clients
Increase your earning potential
Join a trusted network of experts and a community recognized by large enterprises.
- How much does the Chef certification cost?
Certification costs typically vary by exam type. Pricing details are available during registration or via the Progress Education Community platform.
- Where can I find the latest Chef Certification updates?
Visit the official Chef Certify page or the Chef Blog for the latest updates and program announcements.
- How long is Chef Certification valid?
Each certification is valid for 6 months from the date of enrollment. You are allowed up to 3 attempts to complete the certification within that period.
Learn More about Your Chef Training Options