CPUX-F Foundation level

CPUX-F is an introduction to the fundamentals of UX.

CPUX-F introduces you to the basic methods of UX, for example the human-centered design activities and usability testing. It also introduces you to about 120 basic terms in UX, for example user experience, interview, persona, scenario, user requirement, user journey map, prototype and usability inspection.

If you are asked “Do you speak usability?” and you have a CPUX-F certificate, you can confidently answer, “Yes!”

As of December 2022, almost 7,700 people have obtained a CPUX-F certificate. About 35 independent training providers offer CPUX-F training.


CPUX-F certification exam

You obtain the CPUX-F certificate by passing a supervised certification exam.

The CPUX-F certification exam consists of 40 multiple-choice questions with 6 answers each of which 1, 2 or 3 are correct. You have 75 minutes to complete the exam. If English or German is not your native language, you have 90 minutes rather than 75 minutes to answer the questions. You obtain the CPUX-F certificate if you score at least 70% in the exam. The pass rate is about 80%.

CPUX-F certifications are serious business; they are conducted by an organisation that is totally independent of the training provider, for example Certible and iSQI. You can prepare for the certification exam by participating in a training course or by self-study. For training and self-study, a number of documents are available at no cost.

A full set of sample CPUX-F exam questions is freely available. The following figure shows an example of a CPUX-F exam question.

An example of a CPUX-F exam question. The correct answer is E.


Official description of CPUX-F

The official description of CPUX-F says,

The certificate: “UXQB® Certified Professional for Usability and User Experience – Foundation Level (CPUX-F)” attests that the certificate holder is familiar with basic terms and concepts of usability and user experience, such as user experience, interview, persona, scenario, user requirement, prototype, usability test, usability inspection and more than 100 further terms.

The certificate further attests that the certificate holder is able to apply basic concepts in the following areas of competence:

  • The human-centred design process
  • Understanding and specifying the context of use
  • Specifying the user requirements
  • Producing design solutions
  • Usability tests
  • Usability inspections and user surveys