The Adobe Certified Associate (ACA) certifications are industry-recognized credentials that can help you succeed in your design career—providing benefits to both you and your employer. Getting certified is a reliable validation of skills and knowledge, and it can expand your career opportunities, improve your productivity, and help you stand apart from your peers.
This Adobe Approved Courseware for the ACA can be an effective component of your exam preparation. To prepare for certification, review the most current exam preparation roadmap available at www.adobe.com/support/certification, where you will find information on where you can take a test and how to promote your status once you’ve passed.
To help you focus your studies on the skills you’ll need for these exams, Table A-1 shows each objective and the chapter in which you can find information on that topic—and when you go to that chapter, you’ll find certification icons like the one in the margin here.
These Adobe exam objectives were accurate at press time; please refer to www.adobe.com/support/certification for the most current exam roadmap and objectives.
Good luck preparing for your certification!
Table A-1: Adobe Visual Communication Using Photoshop CS6 Objectives
| Topic | Exam Objectives | Adobe Photoshop CS6 Essentials |
| Objective 1.0 Setting Project Requirements | 1.1 Identify the purpose, audience, and audience needs for preparing image(s). | Chapter 1 |
| 1.2 Demonstrate knowledge of standard copyright rules for images and image use. | Chapter 1 | |
| 1.3 Demonstrate knowledge of project management tasks and responsibilities. | Chapter 1 | |
| 1.4 Communicate with others (such as peers and clients) about design plans. | Chapters 1, 9 | |
| Objective 2.0 Identifying Design Elements When Preparing Images | 2.1 Demonstrate knowledge of image resolution, image size, and image file format for Web, video, and print. | Chapters 1, 3, 16 |
| 2.2 Demonstrate knowledge of design principles, elements, and image composition. | Chapters 1, 3, 6 | |
| 2.3 Demonstrate knowledge of typography. | Chapter 6 | |
| 2.4 Demonstrate knowledge of color correction using Photoshop CS6. | Chapters 7, 15 | |
| 2.5 Demonstrate knowledge of image-generating devices, their resulting image types, and how to access resulting images in Photoshop. | Chapters 1, 3 | |
| 2.6 Understand key terminology of digital images. | Chapters 3, 4, 5 | |
| Objective 3.0 Understanding Adobe Photoshop CS6 | 3.1 Identify elements of the Photoshop CS6 user interface and demonstrate knowledge of their functions. | Chapters 2, 4 |
| 3.2 Demonstrate knowledge of layers and masks. | Chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 | |
| 3.3 Demonstrate knowledge of importing, exporting, organizing, and saving. | Chapters 3, 9 | |
| 3.4 Demonstrate knowledge of producing and reusing images. | Chapters 5, 9, 10, 11 | |
| 3.5 Demonstrate an understanding of and select the appropriate features and options required to implement a color management workflow. | Chapter 4 | |
| Objective 4.0 Manipulating Images Using Adobe Photoshop CS6 | 4.1 Demonstrate knowledge of working with selections. | Chapters 3, 7, 13, 14 |
| 4.2 Use Photoshop guides and rulers. | Chapters 6, 10 | |
| 4.3 Transform images. | Chapters 3, 4, 8, 9, 10 | |
| 4.4 Adjust or correct the tonal range, color, or distortions of an image. | Chapters 4, 7, 10, 11, 12 | |
| 4.5 Demonstrate knowledge of retouching and blending images. | Chapters 4, 8, 11, 13 | |
| 4.6 Demonstrate knowledge of drawing and painting. | Chapters 5, 4 | |
| 4.7 Demonstrate knowledge of type. | Chapter 6 | |
| 4.8 Demonstrate knowledge of filters. | Chapters 9, 11, 13 | |
| Objective 5.0 Publishing Digital Images by Using Adobe Photoshop CS6 | 5.1 Demonstrate knowledge of preparing images for Web, print, and video | Chapters 3, 14, 15, 16 |