Product and solution certification programs are used to understand how well a sales rep has absorbed critical knowledge, and to be certain the investment in content development, training, and subject matter expert resources is paying off. Organizations should use tiers or phases in their certification programs to drive deeper levels of content mastery and build the knowledge foundation on a continual basis. In this report, we present seven key steps to creating best-in-class product or solution certification programs, and share recommendations and best practices within each to ensure success.