You can see it againUnder pressure people bring back shapes and positions long after the wording has gone.
Picture superiority · Shepard 1967, Standing 1973
APPLEApple Certified IT Professional
The Apple Certified IT Professional certification validates your ability to deploy, secure, and manage Apple devices at scale in large organizations. It is designed for IT professionals who oversee device fleets and need to implement efficient, secure workflows. Earning this credential demonstrates your expertise in Apple's deployment and management tools, helping you stand out in the field.
Exam formatMultiple choice and performance-based
DeliveryPearson VUE
Content last reviewed 30 July 2026 · Up to date
The certification
What Apple Certified IT Professional proves, and what it asks of you
What this certification covers, who it is written for, and what the exam itself looks like on the day.
13domains
49objectives
306concepts
US $149exam fee
What it is
What this certification is
What it validates, who it is written for, and the experience it assumes.
About this certification
The Apple Certified IT Professional certification is awarded to individuals who pass the Apple Deployment and Management Exam. This exam tests your understanding of the knowledge, skills, tools, and services used to deploy, secure, and manage Apple devices at scale in large organizations. It is based on the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, ensuring your skills are current and relevant.
Earning this certification demonstrates your proficiency in planning and executing MDM rollouts, preparing environments for device management, and handling day-to-day device administration. It is a valuable credential for IT professionals responsible for maintaining Apple device fleets, as it validates your ability to implement best practices and streamline operations.
Who it’s for
This certification is for IT professionals who deploy, manage, and secure Apple devices in large organizations. It is ideal for those in roles such as system administrators, device managers, or IT support specialists who need to manage devices at scale. Candidates should have experience with Apple device management, including familiarity with MDM solutions, network configuration, and security practices. The certification is also suitable for those looking to advance their careers in Apple device management.
Recommended experience
While there are no formal prerequisites, Apple recommends that candidates have experience supporting and managing Apple devices in a professional environment. Familiarity with Apple device management concepts and tools; Experience with MDM solutions and device enrollment workflows; Understanding of network configuration and security practices for Apple devices
The syllabus
What you’ll learn
Every domain and objective Apple measures, with the weight they carry on the exam.
The official Apple exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
Plan a Deployment
- Recognize the key purpose and function of Apple s built-in MDM framework.
- Recognize key terms and concepts associated with deploying and managing Apple devices.
- Distinguish between available MDM features, commands, actions, and data access on user- and organization-owned Apple devices.
- Distinguish between backup and restore methods for using an MDM solution to migrate users and their data to new managed Apple devices.
Prepare Your Environment
- Identify key considerations for evaluating an MDM solution for Apple device deployment.
- Identify key considerations and tasks related to migrating from one MDM solution to another.
- Describe how to configure your organization s network infrastructure, including Wi-Fi, coverage and capacity, proxies, firewalls, VPN, and Bonjour, for use of Apple devices.
- Explain how content caching across subnets works.
- Explain what tethered caching is and how it works.
Device Enrollment
- Identify the key concepts and properties of the three main enrollment types for Apple devices.
- Explain ownership and enrollment options for each enrollment type.
- Distinguish the device management methods and options for each enrollment type and ownership model.
- Distinguish the requirements, capabilities, constraints, and process between the three main enrollment types for Apple devices.
- Distinguish between account-driven enrollment methods for both User Enrollment and Device Enrollment, and their results.
Apple Business Manager and Apple School Manager
- Manage connections to Apple Authorized Resellers or carriers in Apple Business Manager and Apple School Manager.
- Distinguish the purpose of roles, locations, and user groups in Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager.
- Describe how to link Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager to a third-party MDM solution using tokens to enable Automated Device Enrollment or Buy Apps and Books or both.
- Manage device assignments to an MDM server in Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager.
- Buy content in Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager.
- Transfer licenses to another location in Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager.
Apple Configurator
- Explain what Apple Configurator is and how you can use it for enrollment, supervision, and deployment.
- Add devices to Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager using Apple Configurator.
Device Setup
- Identify common strategies and use cases for managing Setup Assistant on Apple devices with an MDM solution.
- Distinguish the strategies and methods for resetting Setup Assistant on a managed Apple device.
- Recognize the behavior of Setup Assistant when using an MDM solution to create local macOS accounts.
Device Configuration
- Describe the properties that distinguish between declarative configurations for Apple devices as they relate to enrollment types.
Identity Services
- Distinguish the identity services that managed Apple devices support to help you manage passwords and user names securely.
- Identify the requirements to use federated authentication with identity providers in Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager.
Managing Content and Data Flow
- Explain how distribution of managed apps, custom apps, unlisted apps, and proprietary in-house apps to devices or users works.
- Distinguish the common methods and strategies for managing the separation of personal data and organization data on a managed Apple device.
- Distinguish the types of content that MDM can manage on managed Apple devices.
Device Security
- Describe what s encrypted on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, including where you can store keys for FileVault.
- State the importance of recovery keys, personal recovery keys, and MDM escrow.
- Describe how to use an MDM solution to quickly reset devices for a return to service.
- Identify the key methods and strategies for protecting Apple devices in the event of theft or loss.
- Distinguish the options available for managing Activation Lock, including user- and organization-linked Activation Lock and bypass codes using MDM.
- Distinguish the options available for managing the locking and locating of devices.
- Distinguish the options and requirements for using Managed Lost Mode.
- Configure MDM settings that store an organization s data securely on a managed Apple device.
Network Integration
- Describe how to assess network responsiveness and quality.
- Recognize key considerations that relate to joining managed Apple devices to Wi-Fi networks.
- Describe the MDM payloads needed to configure managed Apple devices to connect to 802.1X wireless networks.
- Describe how to manage the priority of wireless application traffic using the Apple MDM framework.
Software Updates
- Distinguish the common methods and strategies for managing device software updates on Apple devices using an MDM solution.
- Recognize device notification behavior when a managed software update deadline is missed.
- Describe how to use MDM to manage access to beta releases of Apple operating systems.
- Recognize device notification behavior 24 hours before a managed software update deadline.
Device Support
- Resolve system startup, restore, and recovery issues on a Mac with Apple silicon using macOS Recovery.
- Configure content caching on Mac.
On the day
The exam itself
Everything Apple publishes about sitting it, and nothing we inferred.
Prerequisites
No mandatory prerequisites — this certification has no required predecessor exam or credential.
CertificationApple Certified IT Professional
Exam formatMultiple choice and performance-based
DeliveryPearson VUE
LanguagesEnglish
PricingUS $149
Certification levelProfessional
After you pass
Where this credential goes next
The path Apple lays out, how the credential is kept, and where to book.
Step-by-step path to Apple Certified IT Professional
Credential earnedApple Certified IT Professional Professional level certification Renewal and maintenance
Apple certifications do not expire. Stay current with the latest technologies and maintain your certification.
Learn more about renewal requirements Lifecycle status
This certification is currently active and available. Apple maintains this certification to validate current skills and industry relevance.
Exam status: ActiveMaintained by Apple
Exam registration
Register for the exam through Pearson VUE, Apple’s authorized testing partner.
Schedule your examVisit the official Apple certification page for exam policies and requirements.
View the official pageYour coach
And when you are serious, your coach Pip takes over
Your coach in the app reads what you have answered with the book closed and tells you one thing to do tonight. It will not count an answer you gave with the page open, and it will tell you when you are not ready.
See how the coach worksBefore you book
Questions people ask
How does the Apple Deployment and Management Exam relate to the Apple Device Support Exam?
The Apple Deployment and Management Exam is a separate, higher-level exam that focuses on deploying and managing Apple devices at scale. Passing it earns the Apple Certified IT Professional credential, while the Device Support Exam leads to the Apple Certified Support Professional credential.
Do I need to earn the Apple Certified Support Professional credential before taking the Deployment and Management Exam?
No, there is no prerequisite. You can take the Deployment and Management Exam directly, even without the Support Professional credential.
Can I take the exam online or do I need to visit a test center?
You can take the exam online via Pearson OnVUE or at a Pearson VUE test center, depending on availability in your region.
What is the retake policy if I fail the exam?
If you don't pass on the first attempt, you can retake the exam after 7 days. You are allowed up to four attempts to pass.
Are there any hands-on or lab components in the exam?
The exam may include performance-based questions that simulate real-world scenarios, but there is no separate lab component.
How soon will I receive my exam results?
Results are typically available immediately after completing the exam, and your digital badge is issued shortly after passing.
What job roles does the Apple Certified IT Professional credential map to?
This credential is relevant for IT professionals in roles such as system administrators, device managers, and IT support specialists who manage Apple devices at scale.
Can I recertify by passing a different Apple exam?
Apple certifications do not expire, so recertification is not required. However, you can pursue additional certifications to expand your skills.
Information freshness · Content last reviewed on 2026-07-30 Up to date
The curriculum
The whole exam, mapped and written
Every domain, every objective, and every concept Apple measures — each one written out.
13domains
49objectives
306concepts
The domains, and what sits inside them
The objectives below with practice pages open right away, without an account.
The official Apple exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
1Plan a Deployment
Recognize the key purpose and function of Apple s built-in MDM framework.4 concepts
Recognize key terms and concepts associated with deploying and managing Apple devices.7 concepts
Distinguish between available MDM features, commands, actions, and data access on user- and organization-owned Apple devices.6 concepts
Distinguish between backup and restore methods for using an MDM solution to migrate users and their data to new managed Apple devices.5 concepts
2Prepare Your Environment
Identify key considerations for evaluating an MDM solution for Apple device deployment.8 concepts
Identify key considerations and tasks related to migrating from one MDM solution to another.8 concepts
Describe how to configure your organization s network infrastructure, including Wi-Fi, coverage and capacity, proxies, firewalls, VPN, and Bonjour, for use of Apple devices.6 concepts
Explain how content caching across subnets works.5 concepts
Explain what tethered caching is and how it works.8 concepts
3Device Enrollment
Identify the key concepts and properties of the three main enrollment types for Apple devices.4 concepts
Explain ownership and enrollment options for each enrollment type.6 concepts
Distinguish the device management methods and options for each enrollment type and ownership model.7 concepts
Distinguish the requirements, capabilities, constraints, and process between the three main enrollment types for Apple devices.6 concepts
Distinguish between account-driven enrollment methods for both User Enrollment and Device Enrollment, and their results.5 concepts
4Apple Business Manager and Apple School Manager
Manage connections to Apple Authorized Resellers or carriers in Apple Business Manager and Apple School Manager.6 concepts
Distinguish the purpose of roles, locations, and user groups in Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager.4 concepts
Describe how to link Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager to a third-party MDM solution using tokens to enable Automated Device Enrollment or Buy Apps and Books or both.7 concepts
Manage device assignments to an MDM server in Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager.5 concepts
Buy content in Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager.6 concepts
Transfer licenses to another location in Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager.6 concepts
5Apple Configurator
Explain what Apple Configurator is and how you can use it for enrollment, supervision, and deployment.4 concepts
Add devices to Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager using Apple Configurator.5 concepts
6Device Setup
Identify common strategies and use cases for managing Setup Assistant on Apple devices with an MDM solution.9 concepts
Distinguish the strategies and methods for resetting Setup Assistant on a managed Apple device.6 concepts
Recognize the behavior of Setup Assistant when using an MDM solution to create local macOS accounts.6 concepts
7Device Configuration
Describe the properties that distinguish between declarative configurations for Apple devices as they relate to enrollment types.4 concepts
8Identity Services
Distinguish the identity services that managed Apple devices support to help you manage passwords and user names securely.6 concepts
Identify the requirements to use federated authentication with identity providers in Apple Business Manager or Apple School Manager.8 concepts
9Managing Content and Data Flow
Explain how distribution of managed apps, custom apps, unlisted apps, and proprietary in-house apps to devices or users works.4 concepts
Distinguish the common methods and strategies for managing the separation of personal data and organization data on a managed Apple device.11 concepts
Distinguish the types of content that MDM can manage on managed Apple devices.6 concepts
10Device Security
Describe what s encrypted on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, including where you can store keys for FileVault.3 concepts
State the importance of recovery keys, personal recovery keys, and MDM escrow.5 concepts
Describe how to use an MDM solution to quickly reset devices for a return to service.5 concepts
Identify the key methods and strategies for protecting Apple devices in the event of theft or loss.7 concepts
Distinguish the options available for managing Activation Lock, including user- and organization-linked Activation Lock and bypass codes using MDM.6 concepts
Distinguish the options available for managing the locking and locating of devices.4 concepts
Distinguish the options and requirements for using Managed Lost Mode.6 concepts
Configure MDM settings that store an organization s data securely on a managed Apple device.15 concepts
11Network Integration
Describe how to assess network responsiveness and quality.5 concepts
Recognize key considerations that relate to joining managed Apple devices to Wi-Fi networks.6 concepts
Describe the MDM payloads needed to configure managed Apple devices to connect to 802.1X wireless networks.8 concepts
Describe how to manage the priority of wireless application traffic using the Apple MDM framework.7 concepts
12Software Updates
Distinguish the common methods and strategies for managing device software updates on Apple devices using an MDM solution.6 concepts
Recognize device notification behavior when a managed software update deadline is missed.5 concepts
Describe how to use MDM to manage access to beta releases of Apple operating systems.5 concepts
Recognize device notification behavior 24 hours before a managed software update deadline.4 concepts
13Device Support
Resolve system startup, restore, and recovery issues on a Mac with Apple silicon using macOS Recovery.15 concepts
Configure content caching on Mac.6 concepts
Reading the map is not the same as knowing the ground
The curriculum tells you what is on the exam. Proving you know it is a different job — and it is the one the closed-book run does.
Practice questions are being prepared for Apple Certified IT Professional.
The visual book
See it once. Carry it into the exam.
The pages shown here come from our AI-900 book — an example of how each concept is written in plain language and, where the idea needs one, drawn as a full page you can take in at a glance.
306concepts
Why a picture, and not another paragraph
Three reasons, and each one is a real finding rather than a slogan.
You can see it againThe whole idea at onceWhere it starts, what happens in the middle, what comes out, and the mistake to avoid.
Multimedia principle · MayerThe look-alikes sit togetherThe pairs the exam tests are drawn side by side, so the difference is seen, not told.
Dual coding · PaivioWhat one page is made of
You are never asked to read a poster here — only to see how one is built. After that, every other page is legible at a glance.
1A numbered strip on top
The idea as a sequence, followed with a finger before a word is read.
2Panels for the parts
What it is, how the machine learns it, when it is the right tool.
3The trap, framed
The distinction the exam tests, given its own box instead of buried in prose.
4One line at the bottom
The sentence to carry into the exam room.
Open book, on purpose
Answer it with the picture beside you
This is the part that teaches. The illustration and the written explanation stay where they are while you work, so a scenario stops being a memory test and becomes something you can simply look at.
It teaches · it does not count
A smartphone uses AI to unlock when the owner looks at the camera. Which AI capability is being used?
AImage classification
BFacial recognition
COptical character recognition
DObject detection
Look at the five steps. Detect finds a face, align straightens it, encode turns it into numbers, search compares it with a stored face, and decide answers one question: is this the same person? Classification would only say “a face”. Detection would only draw a box. Neither decides whose.
Then the page shuts, and it starts counting
The same questions come back with the book closed — that run is the one that counts. After it, your coach picks one thing for tonight, sized to the time you have, and brings pages back before you lose them.
Testing effect · Roediger & Karpicke 2006 · spacing effect · Cepeda et al. 2006
Official resources
Straight from Apple
Where the exam is defined, scheduled and scored.
2official links
306concepts mapped
The source
Apple’s own pages
We link to them rather than repeat them, so nothing here goes stale behind them.
An official page tells you what will be asked. It cannot tell you what you will get right.
That is the only question worth answering the night before, and no link answers it. You answer it by taking the questions with the book closed, and seeing what comes back.