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Glossary

CDCP, CDCS, CDCE and ATD: which certifications to ask for when hiring

By the Workfully data centre hiring team · Last reviewed

Summary

CDCP, CDCS and CDCE are the three design and build certifications in EPI's data centre training framework, rising from foundation to expert level. ATD (Accredited Tier Designer) is Uptime Institute's accreditation for engineers who design facilities to its Tier Standard. Ask for CDCP or CDCS for site and facilities roles, CDCE for project leads, ATD for design engineers.

Key facts

  • EPI's CDCP is a two-day course with no specific prerequisite, ending in a closed-book exam of 40 multiple-choice questions, and the certificate lasts three years. (EPI, October 2026)
  • EPI's CDCS is a three-day course, and candidates must hold a valid CDCP when they pass the CDCS exam. (EPI, October 2026)
  • EPI's CDCE is a five-day course whose syllabus runs from design preparation through test and commissioning to hand-over, and candidates must hold a valid CDCS. (EPI, October 2026)
  • Uptime Institute's ATD is a 16-hour programme and exam intended for licensed Professional Engineers with a design management role. (Uptime Institute, October 2026)
  • Uptime Institute states that it is the sole licensed firm able to rate and certify a design or facility against its Tier levels. (Uptime Institute, October 2026)

CDCP (Certified Data Centre Professional) is the foundation certification in EPI's design and build track, followed by CDCS (Specialist) and CDCE (Expert). ATD (Accredited Tier Designer) is a separate accreditation from Uptime Institute for engineers who design data centres (data center in US usage) to its Tier Standard.

The four come from two different bodies and test different things. EPI's three certifications are accredited by EXIN, an independent exam institute (EPI, 2026).

What do CDCP, CDCS and CDCE cover?

CDCP is a two-day course with no specific prerequisite, aimed at data centre specialists, facilities managers and IT professionals (EPI, 2026). Its syllabus covers the building blocks of a site: site selection, standards, power, cooling, cabling, fire protection, physical security and monitoring. The exam has 40 multiple-choice questions, closed book, with a pass mark of 27 (EPI, 2026).

CDCS is a three-day course, and candidates must hold a valid CDCP when they pass its exam (EPI, 2026). It goes deeper into power, batteries and generators, advanced and liquid cooling, fire protection, contamination control and efficiency metrics such as PUE.

CDCE is a five-day course and sits at the top of the design and build track (EPI, 2026). Its modules follow a project from design preparation through acquisition, construction, fit-out, test and commissioning, hand-over and retirement. The exam has two parts, one multiple-choice and one with 25 open questions (EPI, 2026).

What is the ATD credential?

ATD is a 16-hour live remote programme and exam on designing Tier-level facilities, covering mechanical, electrical and ancillary systems (Uptime Institute, 2026). Uptime says it is intended for licensed Professional Engineers with a design management role, such as engineers-of-record and owners' senior engineering representatives.

Passing leads to an Uptime Institute endorsement of the individual. That is different from a Tier rating for a building. Uptime states that it is the sole licensed firm able to rate and certify a design or facility against Tier I–IV (Uptime Institute, 2026).

Which certification suits which hire?

The "ask for it" column is editorial guidance built from each body's stated audience and syllabus, not a requirement set by either body.

Certification Issuing body Entry requirement What it covers Ask for it when hiring
CDCP EPI, accredited by EXIN None specified Foundation: the main building blocks of a site, from power and cooling to security and monitoring Facilities technicians, junior engineers, IT staff moving into facilities roles
CDCS EPI, accredited by EXIN Valid CDCP Deeper power, cooling, fire protection and efficiency topics Facilities engineers, shift leads, site engineers on build projects
CDCE EPI, accredited by EXIN Valid CDCS Full project life cycle, including test, commissioning and hand-over Design and build project managers, owner's representatives
ATD Uptime Institute Aimed at licensed Professional Engineers; some data centre experience needed Designing facilities to Uptime Tier criteria Engineers-of-record and lead mechanical or electrical designers on Tier projects

For operations managers, look beyond this track. EPI lists separate maintenance and operations courses, including CDFOS and CDFOM (EPI, 2026).

Why it matters when hiring

A certification proves that a candidate completed a defined syllabus and passed an exam on it. It does not prove that they have run a live site, switched plant under load or delivered a project on time. Treat it as evidence of shared vocabulary, then test experience in the interview.

Check currency. EPI states that CDCP, CDCS and CDCE certificates are each valid for three years before recertification (EPI, 2026; EPI, 2026; EPI, 2026).

Avoid making a credential a hard filter unless the role needs it. More than half of respondents to Uptime's 2026 survey report difficulty finding qualified candidates (Uptime Institute, Jul 2026).

Hiring for a certified role? Workfully is an AI-native recruiting company. AI agents match each role to recruiters with proven data centre placements in that market, from one critical hire to a full site team. See how Workfully works for data centres.

Frequently asked questions

Is CDCP enough for a data centre manager role?
It shows foundation knowledge, not management experience. CDCP sits at the start of EPI's design and build track, and EPI lists separate operations courses, including CDFOS and CDFOM, in a maintenance and operations track (EPI, 2026). For a manager, weigh years running a live site above any single course.
Do CDCP, CDCS and CDCE certificates expire?
Yes. EPI states that each of the three certificates is valid for three years, after which the holder must recertify (EPI, 2026). Ask for the issue date and check that the certificate is still current, especially when a role description lists it as a requirement rather than a preference.
Can an ATD holder certify a building as Tier III?
No. ATD is an endorsement of an individual engineer (Uptime Institute, 2026). Uptime Institute describes itself as the sole licensed firm able to rate and certify a design or facility against its Tier levels (Uptime Institute, 2026). The rating itself comes from Uptime.
Should a certification be a hard requirement in a job advert?
Usually only for design roles where the client or owner asks for ATD on the team. For most operations and construction roles, listing CDCP or CDCS as preferred keeps the pool wider. More than half of respondents to Uptime's 2026 survey report difficulty finding qualified candidates (Uptime Institute, Jul 2026).

Related articles

Sources

  1. EPI. Certified Data Centre Professional (CDCP). Published . Accessed . Tier A, primary.
  2. EPI. Certified Data Centre Specialist (CDCS). Published . Accessed . Tier A, primary.
  3. EPI. Certified Data Centre Expert (CDCE). Published . Accessed . Tier A, primary.
  4. EPI. EPI Data Centre Training Framework. Published . Accessed . Tier A, primary.
  5. Uptime Institute. Accredited Tier Designer (ATD). Published . Accessed . Tier A, primary.
  6. Uptime Institute. Tier Classification System. Published . Accessed . Tier A, primary.
  7. Uptime Institute. Uptime Institute 16th Annual 2026 Global Data Center Survey: Deployment of High Density Racks Rising Fast, Operators Face Continued Recruiting and Retention Pressures. Published . Accessed . Tier A, primary.