AD0-L800 · ● Active · Professional · Adobe
Exam facts
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Cost | $150 USD; Certiport partner pricing varies by region; retakes $99 USD |
| Duration | ~60–90 minutes (estimated; Adobe publishes no official duration) |
| Questions | 50 (all scored) |
| Passing | 38 out of 50 (76% threshold) |
| Format | Multiple choice / Multiple response |
| Delivery | Certiport (Pearson VUE) — online or test centre |
| Languages | English |
| Valid | 2 years |
| Renewal | Retake exam to recertify |
| Prerequisites | None; 1+ year hands-on Captivate authoring experience recommended |
| Released | 2023 (transitioned to Adobe Captivate 12.x; Classic version retired April 2024) |
| Retiring | N/A |
Vendor source — Adobe Captivate Certification FAQ
Official exam guide — Adobe Certified Professional: Adobe Captivate
Exam objectives — AD0-L800 Exam Blueprint
About
The Adobe Certified Professional: Adobe Captivate certification validates proficiency in designing and developing interactive eLearning courses using Adobe Captivate (current version 12.3+). Aimed at instructional designers, eLearning developers, and course authors, this professional-level certification demonstrates hands-on competency in branching scenarios, software simulations, assessments, multimedia integration, and SCORM/xAPI compliance. Adobe transitioned from Captivate Classic to the new Captivate in mid-2023; the Classic exam was discontinued April 12, 2024. Current as of 2026; vendor actively releases quarterly feature updates to the platform.
Domain context — Course Design & Instructional Technology
Interactive digital learning authorship and course delivery platform specialization. Captivate is a dedicated tool for building responsive, mobile-friendly eLearning content with advanced interaction, branching logic, and learning management system (LMS) integration, serving corporate training, higher education, and professional certification programs.
Read full deep dive — eLearning & Learning Management →
Topics covered
Exam blueprint weighted as follows:
- Simulations (13%) — Creating software simulations, recording workflows, editing slides, adding interactions to capture real-world tasks
- Non-Interactive Content (21%) — Building informative, visually engaging static slides; typography, imagery, animations, themes
- Assessment (21%) — Designing quizzes, question pools, result slides, reporting to LMS, pass/fail logic, branching on score
- Interactions (24%) — Advanced actions, variables, conditional logic, widgets, buttons, drag-and-drop, animations, timeline-based interactions
- Media and Accessibility (21%) — Audio/video integration, image optimization, responsive design, WCAG 2.1 compliance, closed captions, keyboard navigation
Source: Official Adobe exam blueprint
Common skills at Course Design & Instructional Technology · Professional
Shared competencies for eLearning authorship at professional level — not specific to Captivate.
- Instructional design principles (ADDIE, SAM, backwards design)
- Learning objective mapping and assessment alignment
- Interactive media production and editing (audio, video, screen capture)
- Branching and conditional logic workflows
- LMS integration (Blackboard, Canvas, Moodle, Cornerstone, Workday)
- Mobile-responsive course design and testing
- SCORM 1.2 / 2004 and xAPI (Tin Can) reporting standards
- Accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.1 AA, captions, keyboard navigation)
- Performance analytics and learner tracking
Recommended courses at Course Design & Instructional Technology · Professional
| Provider | Title | Cost | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Official Training | Adobe Captivate 12 Training & Certification Bundle | $449–$699 | ↗ |
| Udemy (Project Paced Courses) | Adobe Captivate: The Essentials | $12–$80 | ↗ |
| Udemy (John Hinchcliffe) | Mastering Adobe Captivate: Create Engaging eLearning | $12–$80 | ↗ |
| Udemy (Sander van de Graaf) | Mastering Advanced Adobe Captivate | $12–$80 | ↗ |
| IconLogic | Adobe Captivate 12 Training (Self-Paced Workbooks + Live Classes) | $195–$795 | ↗ |
| LinkedIn Learning | Adobe Captivate: Interactive eLearning Courses | $40/mo | ↗ |
Course-selection rule: All linked courses target Captivate 12.x (post-2023 release). Courses for "Captivate Classic" or versions 2019/2020 are outdated; the Classic exam was retired April 2024.
Practice exams
| Provider | Title | Cost | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certiport (Official) | AD0-L800 Official Practice Exam | $30–$50 | ↗ |
| Whizlabs | Adobe Captivate Certified Professional (AD0-L800) Practice Tests | $40–$60 | ↗ |
| EDUSUM | AD0-L800 Adobe Captivate Practice Exams (100+ questions) | $15–$30 | ↗ |
| MeasureUp | Adobe Certified Professional — Captivate (AD0-L800) | $99 | ↗ |
Books
| Title | Author | Publisher | Year | ISBN | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Captivate 12: The Essentials (Fifth Edition) | Matthew Gould, Linda Szewc | IconLogic Press | 2025 | 978-1-6417-1284-5 | ↗ |
| Adobe Captivate 12: Beyond the Essentials | Matthew Gould, Linda Szewc | IconLogic Press | 2025 | 978-1-6417-1285-2 | ↗ |
| Adobe Captivate: Skills & Drills Workbook | IconLogic | IconLogic Press | 2025 | N/A | ↗ |
Note: IconLogic is the canonical publisher of Adobe Captivate training workbooks; they were founded in 1992 and are the primary independent source for Captivate study materials. Adobe does not publish standalone books; official training is delivered via Adobe Experience League (free) and certified instructor partnerships.
Typical job titles at Course Design & Instructional Technology · Professional
eLearning Developer · Instructional Designer (Captivate) · Course Developer · Digital Learning Specialist · Training Developer · Corporate Training Designer · Academic eLearning Coordinator · Learning Experience (LX) Designer
(Job titles drawn from current job-board postings that list this cert as required or preferred.)
Salary
| Region | Range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| USD | $76,500 – $125,000 | Glassdoor eLearning Designer · Salary.com · ZipRecruiter |
| ZAR | R315,000 – R550,000 | Pnet eLearning roles · PayScale South Africa · CareerJunction |
| GBP | £24,600 – £43,500 | Glassdoor UK · PayScale UK · IT Jobs Watch |
| EUR | €28,000 – €50,000 (DE/FR/NL) | Glassdoor EU · PayScale Europe |
| AUD | A$65,000 – A$105,000 | Seek Australia · PayScale AUS |
Salary context: eLearning Designer salaries vary significantly by employer type (corporate L&D departments command higher pay than education or nonprofit). Captivate certification is valued in corporate training roles where SCORM/LMS compliance and advanced interactions are required. Senior roles (Senior eLearning Developer, Instructional Architect) reach $140K+ USD.
Skills validated
This exam specifically tests the following technologies and concepts distinct from general course design:
- Captivate Interface & Workflow — Project management, slide editor, timeline, properties panel, object library, import/export
- Slide Creation & Editing — Master slides, theme application, responsive breakpoints, slide animation, segment interactions
- Screen Recordings & Simulations — Recording workflows, auto-play object editing, custom overlays, callout editing, slide insertions post-recording
- Interactive Elements — Buttons, click boxes, text entry boxes, drag-and-drop, images as interactive objects, advanced actions (conditional if/else logic)
- Assessment Objects — Question slides (multiple choice, true/false, matching, drag-and-drop), question pools, random question generation, result slides, scoring logic
- Variables & Advanced Actions — Creating variables, setting/getting values, branching based on conditions, state persistence across slides
- Media Integration — Audio editing (narration, background music, sound effects), video playback, captions/subtitles, image optimization, SVG support
- Accessibility — WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, closed captions, keyboard tab order, color contrast verification, screen reader testing, text alternatives
- LMS Integration — SCORM 1.2 and 2004 compliance, xAPI (Tin Can) statement creation, AICC support, learning record store (LRS) connectivity, success/completion definitions
- Responsive Design — Breakpoint creation, mobile optimization, tablet-specific design, viewport testing, landscape/portrait handling
- Publishing & Delivery — HTML5 output, MP4 video export, package creation for LMS upload, browser compatibility testing, offline playback
Related certifications
- Stacks with: Articulate Storyline 360 Certification (complementary eLearning authoring cert from major competitor)
- Prerequisite for: Adobe Advanced eLearning Architect (if Adobe releases higher-level cert; currently none)
- Alternatives at this level: Articulate 360 Specialist Certification (market-leading alternative; broader feature set), Articulate Storyline Developer
- Related (non-cert): Adobe Experience Manager Sites Developer (for content management at enterprise scale; different domain)
- Vendor overview: Adobe Vendor Overview
Sources
- Adobe Captivate Certification FAQ: https://www.adobe.com/products/captivate/certification-faq.html
- Adobe Captivate Certificate Portal: https://www.adobe.com/products/captivate/certificate.html
- Adobe Certified Professional Program: https://certification.adobe.com/courses/1015
- Certiport Pearson VUE Practice Exams: https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/Certifications/Adobe/ACP/Practice.aspx
- Adobe eLearning Blog (Captivate Training Announcement Feb 2024): https://elearning.adobe.com/2024/02/attention-elearning-enthusiasts-adobe-captivate-training-and-certification-is-coming-back/
- IconLogic Adobe Captivate Training: https://www.iconlogic.com/adobe-captivate-training.html
- IconLogic Workbooks: https://www.iconlogic.com/adobe-captivate-workbook.html
- Udemy Adobe Captivate Courses: https://www.udemy.com/topic/adobe-captivate/
- Glassdoor eLearning Designer Salary (US): https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/e-learning-designer-salary-SRCH_KO0,19.htm
- Salary.com eLearning Designer: https://www.salary.com/research/salary/position/elearning-designer-salary
- ZipRecruiter: https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/E-Learning-Designer-Salary
- PayScale South Africa: https://www.payscale.com/research/ZA/Job=E-Learning_Specialist/Salary
- Pnet South Africa: https://www.pnet.co.za/jobs/e-learning-designer
- CareerJunction: https://www.careerjunction.co.za
- Glassdoor UK: https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Salaries/e-learning-designer-salary-SRCH_KO0,19.htm
- PayScale UK: https://www.payscale.com/research/UK/Job=E-Learning_Specialist/Salary
- IT Jobs Watch: https://www.itjobswatch.co.uk
- Glassdoor EU: https://www.glassdoor.com
- PayScale EU: https://www.payscale.com
- Seek Australia: https://www.seek.com.au
- PayScale Australia: https://www.payscale.com/research/AU/Country=Australia/Salary
Last verified: 2026-05-01
Parent ecosystem: eLearning & Learning Management
Parent domain: Course Design & Instructional Technology
Vendor overview: Adobe Overview