A Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming a Certified Bitcoin Professional (CBP)
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This is the final post in a 5-part series geared toward business professionals exploring a career in bitcoin. I tell my own story, from knowing nothing about bitcoin to becoming a Certified Bitcoin Professional, as an anecdote from which others in similar situations can draw lessons and insight to make their own decisions about getting involved in this exciting space.
In part 1, I describe the circumstances that led me to explore a career in bitcoin. In part 2, I discuss various ways to make money in the bitcoin ecosystem and why I decided to pursue a professional certification. In part 3, I compare some top bitcoin certifications. In part 4, we take a deep dive into C4’s CBP certification. Here, you’ll find a soup-to-nuts guide from deciding on to becoming a Certified Bitcoin Professional.
This series is powered by Urkel Labs.
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This final post is a bit more prescriptive than the four preceding it. It’s meant to serve as a 1-stop-shop for those seriously considering taking C4’s Certified Bitcoin Professional (CBP) exam. Though Parts 1–4 are helpful in providing context and more nuanced information, it’s not necessary that you read them to find value in this post.
I want to highlight that this is just “a”, not “the”, step-by-step guide. Take what resonates and ditch what doesn’t. With that, let’s dive in.
Step 1: Decide if CBP is right for you
Investing in yourself is the best investment you can make. That can take many shapes, but perhaps the most valuable, is investing in your education. If, like me, you’re motivated by extrinsic factors, a certification can act as a carrot for acquiring a certain body of information. Within the context of bitcoin, completing the CBP exam provides an external and achievable goal through which to acquire and internalize information about the bitcoin space and, importantly, an opportunity to prove what you know.
So, how do you know if the CBP is right for you?
The first and most obvious consideration is the capacity in which you plan to work with bitcoin. Are you a developer? An executive? Are you already in the space or looking to move to it? The clearer you are on how you’ll be working with bitcoin, the clearer it will become whether a certification is right for you.
Second, consider your options relative to the value add and return on investment. That encompasses not only the money invested but also your time. Not all certifications are created equally so it’s important to do your research and consider what a particular certification communicates to the market.
For me the CBP made the most sense as it struck a balance between affordability, time commitment for prep, and weight in the market. At ~$105 USD / 140 CAD (exam + application fees), the monetary investment was worth it.
Step 2: Develop your study plan
First, figure out what you need to work on. Assess your baseline knowledge of bitcoin.
A great starting point for this is the study guide that C4 provides on their website. Read each topic and write out what you know about it. That exercise will give you a good sense of what you know vs what you don’t.
Second, gather your resources. The internet has an overwhelming amount of information on bitcoin. I learned that the hard way and spent way too much time studying resources that were sub-par. My recommendation: check out the resource list in part 4 of this series and build from there.
Finally, set an exam date. Picking when you want to take the exam before you start studying serves two purposes. One, it introduces a healthy sense of urgency. Two, it informs your study schedule. Whether you have ten minutes or five hours each day to study, having a test date picked out will help you to get the most out of your study time.
Step 3: Study
This is where the work really begins. Know yourself and your learning style. Stay disciplined and stick to your schedule. As you progress, you’ll get a better sense of where you’re at. The great thing about the CBP exam is that you can take it whenever you want so, if your progression is either quicker or slower than anticipated, you can always adjust the exam date accordingly.
Step 4: Take exam and complete application
Check out part 4 of this series for what to expect before taking the CBP exam. You’ll do great!
Step 5: Bask in the glory that is being a Certified Bitcoin Professional
In reality, passing the exam is underwhelming. A simple “Pass” notification upon submitting your final response. Nevertheless, that doesn’t take away from the accomplishment.
Being a CBP won’t guarantee you a job. But it does mean you know a lot more about bitcoin than the average person. It does mean that you have a wealth of knowledge to which you can apply your own expertise. And that means something. If anything else, it means a start to much bigger things ahead.
