In a recent post Quinton Parker looks at some of his experiences in preparing for and taking the Zend Certified Engineer test. He compares the experiences of taking the PHP4 version (in 2005) and more recently taking the PHP5 (in 2009).

Back in early 2005 the Zend certification first became available for PHP4. At that time I had roughly 2 years php experience. No South Africans were certified at that time. Barely 100 certified engineers worldwide. What a great achievement if I could join the elite few. [...] From purchasing the certification goods all the way to writing the exam it was a smooth experience and most worthwhile.

His experience with the PHP5 didn't quite go as well as the PHP4 version. He felt that the study guide lacked some of the depth the new version of the language needed and that, while it is a nice system, the Vulcan testing from php|architect needs a little bit of work. He still passed the test, though, and became the only South African to hold both PHP4 and PHP5 certifications