The New JAMF 300

[Yebubbleman]

(Apologies in advance for the long post)

Upon seeing the news of Jamf Pro 11 and the new versions of JAMF 200, 300, 370, and 400 classes and certifications, I have a bunch of thoughts and questions.

For further context, I currently have Jamf Pro 10 versions of my Jamf 100, 200, and 300, also a flavor of 170 that still has the resulting certification named as "Jamf Certified Endpoint Security Associate" and (with my certification stored in SkillJar and not Credly).

First off, while I appreciate that validity periods make sense for a product that (even throughout version 10, alone) was and is constantly evolving, spending $2500 every three years on keeping certifications current seems like a hard sell in this economy.  I can't even fathom $4500 for the training pass every three years (whereas it was a no-brainer the last time I did it).  Does anyone know if there will be (more affordable) renewal courses or exams that one can take shortly prior to the end of the validity period?

I can stomach $2500 every three years to keep my would-be *new* Jamf 300 current.  Barely.  But expending extra money to also keep, for example, my Jamf 200 current or to do a training pass to have multiple badges to keep current seems out of the question when I have to repeat the same expenditure just three years later.

Speaking of which, I've seen conflicting documentation:  Some areas of the Jamf Training site says that a prior Jamf Certified Admin certification will suffice as a pre-requisite for enrolling into the *new* Jamf 300 courses, while others only list a current or previous Jamf Certified Tech as acceptible prerequisites.  My plan is to, under this new system, just spend time and money keeping my Jamf Certified Admin certification current and not spending the additional time and money on keeping my Jamf 200/Certified Tech certification also current.  For now, I meet the pre-requisites no matter how you slice it.  Going forward, will I also need a current (or recent) Jamf Certified Tech certification to keep my Jamf Certified Admin current?

Lastly, I took and passed my Jamf 300 with a 95% in January of 2018.  I did my Jamf 200 two weeks prior to that and had my CCT for Casper Suite 9, six months before that.  I took a job in 2021 that later entailed single-handedly managing a lame duck Jamf Pro instance and migrating users off of it (the company that bought us really liked FileWave).  Prior to said job, those three courses were the entirety of my Jamf Pro/Casper experience.  I'm an extremely fast learner and Apple themed MDM is my jam.  My scripts aren't the prettiest, but they work (and I can doctor other people's scripts with no real issue).  I know my way around Jamf Pro 10 fairly well.  I'm definitely not at a 400 level and never really was.

Given all that, how screwed would I be trying to take the *new* Jamf 300 today?  What resources would any of you recommend I study, peruse, and/or familiarize myself with in advance of dropping the $2500, requesting the time off, and taking the class?

Thank you in advance for any and all help here!  Much love to this wonderful community!

[Nicholaus]

I don't think there is a plan for cheaper/faster recertification routes, but I could be wrong.

You don't need to update your 200/100 if you have the 300. You only update the highest level of cert that you have. The lower ones no longer matter because you have to pass each level to take the next. The only exception is the 370 which has an expiration date regardless of the Jamf Pro versioning.

Jamf Pro 10 was released in 2017, so the certs were *new/current* for up to 6 years. The only cert that you have to take every 2 years to maintain is the 370.

I don't see any reason to update the 300 cert that you currently hold unless a job you have, or are applying to, requires that you have the newest version. Jamf Pro 11 so far has mostly been a redesign of the UI so I don't think the curriculum would change much for the certs.

[Yebubbleman]

In order:

- Awesome; I didn't think there was much of a point to keeping my 200 up to date if my 300 is kept up to date and if a recent 300 stays viable as a prerequisite to getting a newer version 300 up to date.

- 200, 300, and 400 all now have validity periods.  Certainly, my Jamf Pro 10 200 and 300 are good for life (or good for however long folks deem proficiency with Jamf Pro 10 as being sufficient).  While I agree that proficiency and certifications in Jamf Pro 10 are likely going to suffice for any currently hiring employers, it'll eventually be the case that (a) the newer Jamf 300 will look better on one's resume/LinkedIn profile and (b) Jamf will no longer accept a Jamf Pro 10 version of the 300 as a valid prerequisite for a newer one.

- Aside from all of that, my other chief motivation to get a current 300 is to satisfy requirements for things like the ACN or the Jamf Consultant program or the Jamf Professional Services program (which generally has requirements for Jamf certifications that are more strict than what would ordinarily impress an employer enough to hire).

[Yebubbleman]

Also, total sidenote, love the user icon.  Go Team Venture!

[mdp]

I have no plans of updating any of my certs (including the 400 and 370) unless required to by an employer. The price/time rationale isn't there for me to take them again, and I'm positive the same is true for my public school employer. I doubt any potential future employers of mine will mind much, if at all, that my Jamf 400 cert is from v. 10 instead of v. 11.

[Yebubbleman]

I think this rationale makes sense when it comes to not getting a newer Jamf 200.  But, I definitely have things (other than looking good for an employer wanting me to have Jamf skills and experience on my resume) that will probably mandate a newer Jamf 300/Jamf Certified Admin certification on my resume/LinkedIn profile.  Programs that I, as an independent consultant, will likely need the newer Jamf 300 to maintain/meet requirements for.

[mdp]

What I'd consider doing in your specific situation is sitting for the v.11 400 exam, assuming you have some Bash/API skills (or are willing to learn them). While it's less explicit than the verbiage used to be on the old page, I believe the fact that they're listing both "Jamf Certified Admin" and "Jamf Certified Admin -- Jamf Pro" as acceptable prerequisites on the new Jamf 400 page implies than the v.10 300 will work as prerequisite. Same cost, but at least you get a higher-level cert in the process, rather than only renewing the lower-level one. May not be right for you, but just a thought.