Circular Economy Design Certification

The Circular Economy Design Certification is a free intermediate-level, 20-minute skill test from Science of Apps. It tests circular economy design — the Ellen MacArthur Foundation principles of eliminating waste and pollution, circulating products and materials and regenerating nature, the butterfly diagram's technical and biological cycles, design for durability, repair, disassembly and remanufacturing, material selection and recycled content, product-as-a-service and sharing business models, reverse logistics and take-back, circularity metrics, the EU Circular Economy Action Plan, ecodesign and Digital Product Passports, extended producer responsibility, and avoiding rebound effects — written for 2026 and 2027. Score 70% or more on its 20 questions to earn a verifiable Circular Economy Design certificate (SOA-CED). Every question is based on published standards and research — including Circular economy introduction (Ellen MacArthur Foundation), Circular Economy Action Plan (European Commission), Global Waste Management Outlook (UN Environment Programme) — and each answer is explained with its source.

Science of Apps offers a free Circular Economy Design Certification, written for 2026 and 2027. It tests circular economy principles, circular product design, circular business models and policy and measurement with 20 original scenario questions in all, each naming its published source; you get an instant score and a verifiable certificate with a credential ID you can add to LinkedIn.

Read the four skill areas on this page, then take the 20-minute test online — no fee, course or sign-up. You see every answer explained when you finish. Score 70% or more and you get a Circular Economy Design certificate straight away, on screen, as a PDF and by email, with a credential ID anyone can verify.

Yes. The questions are original scenarios written by Science of Apps, and each one is based on a public source you can read: Circular economy introduction (Ellen MacArthur Foundation); Circular Economy Action Plan (European Commission); Global Waste Management Outlook (UN Environment Programme); Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation and Digital Product Passport (European Commission); Green Guides (environmental marketing claims) (U.S. FTC); ISO 14040: Life cycle assessment — Principles and framework (ISO). The source is shown under each question and linked in the answer review. Science of Apps doesn't copy questions from other tests.

Four skill areas with five questions each, drawn from a bank of 10 per area so a retake brings new questions: Circular Economy Principles (Core principles, Butterfly diagram and Value retention); Circular Product Design (Durability and repair, Disassembly and remanufacture and Materials); Circular Business Models (Product as a service, Sharing and reuse and Reverse logistics); Policy and Measurement (EU policy, Extended producer responsibility and Metrics). Every question is an original scenario written to the 2026–2027 standard, with the published source named under it.

Product designer or engineer, Sustainability or circularity manager, Packaging or materials specialist, Operations or supply chain professional and Design or engineering student. It suits students at leading universities, career switchers and experienced professionals who want quick, verifiable proof of Circular Economy Design knowledge in 2026 and 2027.

Sustainability-minded students in Europe, ANZ, Canada and the Gulf are targeting climate finance, net-zero strategy and nature markets. Passing earns a founder-signed Science of Apps certificate with a credential ID and QR code that recruiters can verify.

According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation: eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials at their highest value, and regenerate nature.

Keeping products in use through maintenance, reuse and repair usually preserves more value and energy than recycling materials, so designers prioritise the tightest loops first.

Yes. The test is online, in English and free everywhere — people take it from India, the US, the UK, Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Your certificate is dated with your own local date and can be verified from anywhere at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/.

20 questions — 5 from each of 4 skill areas — with a 20-minute limit. You need 70% (14 of 20) to pass and 90% for distinction.

We rate it Intermediate: assumes hands-on experience in the role. It has 20 scenario questions — 5 from each of 4 skill areas — and a 20-minute limit. You need 70% (14 of 20) to pass and 90% for distinction.

Nothing. There is no fee to take a test, to receive the certificate, to have it emailed or to verify it, and no sign-up.

On our server, not in your browser. The answers never reach the page until you submit, so a certificate can only be earned by passing. Each certificate gets a unique credential ID stored by Science of Apps.

You see your score for each area and every question with the correct answer and why, with the published source behind it. You can retake after 30 minutes, and the retake draws questions you haven't seen yet.

No. Every certificate is dated, so it always shows when you passed. Retake a test any time for a newer date or a higher score.

Yes. After you pass, Add to LinkedIn opens the Licenses & certifications form with the certificate name, Science of Apps as the issuer, the issue date, your credential ID and the verification link filled in. You can also download it as a PDF or PNG, and it's emailed to you as a PDF.

Every certificate has a credential ID and a QR code. Scanning it, or entering the ID at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/, shows the holder's name, the certification, the score and the issue date from our records.

No. They are Science of Apps' own assessments of applied skill. They aren't issued by a university or standards body, and they work best alongside a portfolio that shows the skills in real work.