Over the last few weeks, we’ve had a lot of conversations with SAP professionals about the new SAP certification changes. The reactions have been mixed, curious, cautious, sceptical, and in some cases frustrated.
From our perspective as a small SAP recruitment agency, one thing stands out very clearly.
We’re not seeing clients ask for active SAP certifications.
SAP, however, is rolling out some major changes. Certifications now expire after 12 months. Annual renewals are required through Learning Hub quizzes. Exams are becoming more task-based, using simulated SAP systems, with AI-assisted tools like SAP Joule introduced along the way.
On paper, all of this sounds like a move towards higher quality.
In reality, hiring behaviour hasn’t changed.
Across S/4HANA, ECC, FI/CO, SD, MM, PP, QM, EWM, HCM, SuccessFactors and BTP, clients continue to hire based on delivery experience not certificates. We’re rarely asked whether a consultant’s certification is still “active”.
What clients actually care about is whether someone has done the work before. Whether they’ve navigated complex SAP programmes, dealt with imperfect data, tight timelines, business politics, and the trade-offs that come with real transformations.
Senior SAP consultants are shaped by experience. Knowing when not to over-engineer. Knowing what works in one organisation but would be overkill in another. That kind of judgement doesn’t expire every 12 months.
Many consultants understand the intention. There’s broad support for task-based exams and simulated environments. These feel like a genuine step forward and may help address long-standing issues, like memorised exams or purchased certification answers.
The cost and responsibility of these changes fall largely on individual contractors and freelancers. Mandatory Learning Hub subscriptions create recurring expenses, with little evidence that this leads to higher rates or better opportunities. This is especially tough in markets like India and Eastern Europe, where the financial burden is significant and employer support isn’t guaranteed.
At the same time, there’s concern that annual renewals are more about restoring the “prestige” of certification through tighter control, rather than reflecting how SAP talent is actually evaluated in the market.
So the question we keep coming back to is simple.
Do active SAP certifications really matter in hiring?
Or is this another layer of administration that the market will quietly work around?
From what we see day to day talking to both clients and consultants, delivery experience still wins. And until those changes, certifications will remain secondary to real SAP project experience.
