Altium Designer Certification vs. IPC CID: Which Does a PCB Designer Need?
Nov 05, 2026
PCB designers increasingly ask whether they should get an Altium certification or IPC CID. They answer different questions, and many designers will eventually want both.
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IPC CID is the standards-based certification for PCB designers. ElectroSpec’s CID tracks include the official exam and a free retake.
What the Altium Designer Certifications Are
In January 2026, IPC (which now also operates as the Global Electronics Association) and Altium announced two joint certifications: Altium Designer Associate and Altium Designer Expert.
- Associate is aimed at early-career designers. It covers schematic capture, PCB layout, Draftsman, libraries and project documentation in Altium Designer.
- Expert is aimed at experienced designers working on complex boards. It covers routing, design rules, ActiveRoute, ECO transfer, data management and documentation workflows.
Both are 75-question exams, and both are issued on a two-year cycle.
What IPC CID Is
IPC CID (Certified Interconnect Designer) is a tool-neutral certification. It tests whether you understand the design principles behind a reliable, manufacturable board, whatever CAD software you use.
The CID exam is closed book, about 100 multiple-choice questions, and needs 73% to pass. It covers areas such as design considerations, thermal and reliability factors, component technologies, fabrication requirements, documentation and assembly processes.
The Key Difference: Tool vs. Standards
An Altium certification shows you can use Altium Designer efficiently and follow good workflows in it.
CID shows you understand why the design should be built a certain way: how stackup, materials, spacing, components and documentation affect fabrication, assembly and reliability.
A designer can be fast in a tool and still release a board that is hard to build. A designer can understand the standards and still be slow in an unfamiliar tool. Employers want both skills, but they're different skills.
Which One Should You Get First?
Get an Altium certification first if your employer has standardized on Altium, you're early in your career, and your immediate goal is to be productive in that tool.
Get CID first if you work across tools, you design for Class 2 or Class 3 products, you deal with fabricators and assemblers, or your employer and customers ask for IPC certification.
Get both if you want to show employers that you can do the work in Altium and that you understand the standards behind it.
What Comes After CID?
CID+ (Advanced Certified Interconnect Designer) builds on CID with printed board characteristics, electrical parameters, component and assembly issues and manufacturing documentation. You must hold a current CID before taking CID+.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does CID require Altium or any other software?
No. CID is tool-neutral.
Do employers recognize CID?
Yes. IPC CID is recognized across the electronics industry, including OEMs, EMS providers and high-reliability sectors such as aerospace, defense and medical technology.
Can I take CID online?
Yes. ElectroSpec schedules the CID exam online through the IPC Remote Proctor System on your preferred date and time.
