Announcing the 2021 Adobe Certified Associate World Championship

One of the hardest parts of 2020 was the cancellation of the 2020 Adobe Certified Associate World Championship. Which makes this announcement even more exciting: The 2021 has officially been launched. In its 9th year, the competition is expected to attract more than 130,000 contestants from 65 countries, ready to prove their superior digital communication skills using Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

The 2021 ACA World Championship will be held at the JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa in Orlando, Florida from August 1-4, 2021, pending the subsiding of the global pandemic. Should restrictions prohibit an in-person event, alternative arrangements will be considered. Regional competitions will be held worldwide to determine the finalists who will travel to Orlando for the World Championship, where they will create a unique design piece for a non-profit client. To be eligible for the competition, students ages 13 to 22 must pass a qualifying ACA certification exam.

“The ACA World Championship combines creativity with industry recognized skills in the most fantastic way,” said Ray Murray, Vice President and General Manager – IT, Pearson VUE. “Becoming ACA certified means these students are already winners. They have skills validated by Adobe. Competing in the ACA World Championship gives them that additional boost as they get ready to enter the workforce.”

A first ($7,000), second ($3,500) and third ($1,500) place ACA World Champion will be chosen based on a panel of judges reviewing the final design projects for a non-profit client.

“We were disappointed with the cancellation of the 2020 ACA World Championship, so we are more excited than ever for the competition in 2021,” said Tacy Trowbridge, Global Education Programs Lead at Adobe. “It is thrilling to see these creative, ambitious students apply their design skills and produce high-quality work for a real-world client. We look forward to meeting the 2021 competitors and watching their careers take off.”


Ready to learn more about the 2021 ACA World Championship? Get all the details .