Intuit recently announced changes to the QuickBooks Online Certification program, among these changes are a new examination which became available on October 29, 2013, discontinuation of the present certification examination as of November 30th, and a new requirement that a ProAdvisor's QBO certification must be updated every 365 days.
Only the new examination which focuses on not only the basics of QBO, but recent changes in the product, will be available after November 30th. Individuals who had previously started the certification process using the current (older) examination must complete the certification by November 30th in order to receive the 2013 certification. Until November 30, both the new examination and old examination will be available for certification.
All ProAdvisor QuickBooks Online certifications will be valid for 365 days from the date the examination is passed regardless of the date the certification is passed, and regardless of the examination passed. Intuit has taken this approach because of the significant number of changes that take place in the Online product as opposed to the desktop product line. In order for ProAdvisors to stay currrent on the evolving product, an annual examination requirement to maintain "certified" status will now be required.
QuickBooks Online certifications for ProAdvisors will not be like other certifications, only the most current QBO certification will impact a ProAdvisors' rankings on the Find a ProAdvisor website.
If you have questions concerning these changes, you should contact the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program.