Hottest PHP Certification Courses in 2022

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There is no doubt that PHP is best learned through experience and projects, but certifications can certainly bring you an advantage when applying for a raise or finding a new job.

Having a PHP certification assures your employer that you have mastered a certain level of the language and can handle more demanding work. Moreover, obtaining a certification requires a considerable amount of studying and learning, making it a motivating factor for self-improvement.

You can find many professional certifications and courses online, here are some of the top trending at the moment:

  • Zend Certification

Zend certification is recognized throughout the world as a reliable indicator of PHP competence. Candidates should be intermediate (experienced) PHP programmers. For candidates to be able to prepare for the exam, Zend offers classes at all levels.

The course consists of three levels and is prepared and monitored by the PHP advisory board. If you have previous experience with the language you can take a self-study course too. 

Zend also offers an official guide (e-book) available for purchase online for $19.95, which you can find on their official website. This guide can help you check if you have sufficient knowledge to take the exam. 

  • W3Schools

This certificate is intended for beginners and can provide valuable entry-level knowledge. It may not act as proof of your knowledge outside of your company, but it will definitely give you an edge over other employees when moving to a new team or being promoted within the same company.

Rather than giving it to an exam center, you will need to appoint a supervisor, who will supervise you during the exam, and whose name will also appear on the certificate.

If you want more credibility, you should choose your manager or mentor to be your supervisor. To help you prepare for the exam, W3Schools offers a number of resources, such as tutorials and quizzes.

  • Coursera

 Many prestigious universities and corporations provide Coursera certification courses. Several colleges and universities recommend Coursera courses to their students. This course is part of a four-course web development series offered by the University of Michigan. 

With Coursera, you don’t pay for each course individually, instead for a monthly fee of $59 you gain access to +7000 courses on various topics.

  • LinkedIn PHP certification and course

With loads of videos and learning material, this certification course from LinkedIn teaches PHP from zero. When you complete a course, your LinkedIn profile will display a badge of completion. Like Coursera, LinkedIn charges a monthly fee rather than a per-course fee, which includes access to many different courses and features.

  • Udemy

Udemy is also among the most useful tools for finding the right course for your needs. As for PHP, the best part about Udemy is you can choose at what level to start your learning may it be Beginner, Intermediate, or even Advanced.

Final words


Web developers consistently rank PHP among the top languages along with Java, C++, and Python. PHP is a powerful, free, and popular scripting language. Combining PHP with SQL can increase your chances of landing your dream job. Undoubtedly, certification may be just the edge you need to stand out when a promotion or a new exciting project arrives.