Certification is a contentious issue. Some see it as a tool to improve professional practice. Others point out that very few traditional engineers bother with any form of certification.

The most successful certification programs are oriented toward specific technologies, and are managed by the vendors of these technologies. These certification programs are tailored to the institutions that would employ people who use these technologies.

General certification of software practitioners has struggled. The Association for Computing Machinery had a professional certification program in the early 1980s, which was discontinued due to lack of interest. Today, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is certifying software professionals, but only about 500 people have passed the exam As of 2005.