Comments on: Should Certification Exams Change? http://www.securitycatalyst.com/should-certification-exams-change/ Michael Santarcangelo delivers Awareness that Works™ Wed, 01 Sep 2010 14:21:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Wim http://www.securitycatalyst.com/should-certification-exams-change/comment-page-1/#comment-460 Wim Fri, 30 Jan 2009 11:19:18 +0000 http://www.securitycatalyst.com/?p=1030#comment-460 The idea is hardly novel. Didn't MS do the oral part (mainly evaluation of teaching and presentation skills) back in the day for the certified trainer track ? It is a good idea but still it proves that the person in question knows what he is supposed to know at that specific moment in time. If he/she doesn't use that knowledge for a few months or years, cobwebs start to grow and the value of the cert diminishes. Microsoft, Cisco and the like already require partners to submit projects to keep their partner status current. Why not require certified people (on a certain level, say MCSE but not MCP, CCSP or CCIE but not CCNA) to be named in these reports. If you don't have enough relevant projects under your belt, your cert can get revoked. The idea is hardly novel. Didn’t MS do the oral part (mainly evaluation of teaching and presentation skills) back in the day for the certified trainer track ? It is a good idea but still it proves that the person in question knows what he is supposed to know at that specific moment in time. If he/she doesn’t use that knowledge for a few months or years, cobwebs start to grow and the value of the cert diminishes.

Microsoft, Cisco and the like already require partners to submit projects to keep their partner status current. Why not require certified people (on a certain level, say MCSE but not MCP, CCSP or CCIE but not CCNA) to be named in these reports. If you don’t have enough relevant projects under your belt, your cert can get revoked.

]]> By: Andy Steingruebl http://www.securitycatalyst.com/should-certification-exams-change/comment-page-1/#comment-456 Andy Steingruebl Thu, 29 Jan 2009 17:47:41 +0000 http://www.securitycatalyst.com/?p=1030#comment-456 If we're serious, why not move to a certification regime that looks a lot more like other professional disciplines. CPA Bar Exam Medical Practice Architect Certified Engineer Are any of those certification regimes multiple-choice test? If we’re serious, why not move to a certification regime that looks a lot more like other professional disciplines.

CPA
Bar Exam
Medical Practice
Architect
Certified Engineer

Are any of those certification regimes multiple-choice test?

]]> By: Andrew Hay » Blog Archive » links for 2009-01-28 http://www.securitycatalyst.com/should-certification-exams-change/comment-page-1/#comment-447 Andrew Hay » Blog Archive » links for 2009-01-28 Wed, 28 Jan 2009 21:03:15 +0000 http://www.securitycatalyst.com/?p=1030#comment-447 [...] Should Certification Exams Change? : The Security Catalyst I feel kind of dirty tagging myself (tags: certification exams) [...] [...] Should Certification Exams Change? : The Security Catalyst I feel kind of dirty tagging myself (tags: certification exams) [...]

]]> By: Dwayne Tanner http://www.securitycatalyst.com/should-certification-exams-change/comment-page-1/#comment-445 Dwayne Tanner Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:18:53 +0000 http://www.securitycatalyst.com/?p=1030#comment-445 I'm not sure the interview is a good idea. In today's world we have a lot of IT people scattered all over the place and language barriers are going to exist. I can't imagine conducting an interview in French even though I have taken certification exams there (written - in English). A timed interview doesn't really make much sense either. I can conduct a job interview in a matter of minutes and gather all sorts of technical skills knowledge from someone. Stretching one out to 30 minutes doesn't make a lot of sense, to me. Beside, we all know just how anti-social most IT types are anyway ;) Personally, I'm not convinced certifications are all they are cracked up to be. Perhaps for entry-level positions and consultants they can be of some use but, does average Joe the IT Guy really need the headache of plopping down thousands of dollars every few years to keep his credentials? Especially in these days of lighter budgets? http://www.dwaynetanner.com/blog/2009/01/26/does-certification-matter/ I’m not sure the interview is a good idea. In today’s world we have a lot of IT people scattered all over the place and language barriers are going to exist. I can’t imagine conducting an interview in French even though I have taken certification exams there (written – in English).

A timed interview doesn’t really make much sense either. I can conduct a job interview in a matter of minutes and gather all sorts of technical skills knowledge from someone. Stretching one out to 30 minutes doesn’t make a lot of sense, to me. Beside, we all know just how anti-social most IT types are anyway ;)

Personally, I’m not convinced certifications are all they are cracked up to be. Perhaps for entry-level positions and consultants they can be of some use but, does average Joe the IT Guy really need the headache of plopping down thousands of dollars every few years to keep his credentials? Especially in these days of lighter budgets?

http://www.dwaynetanner.com/blog/2009/01/26/does-certification-matter/

]]> By: Certification MCSE » Should Certification Exams Change? : The Security Catalyst http://www.securitycatalyst.com/should-certification-exams-change/comment-page-1/#comment-444 Certification MCSE » Should Certification Exams Change? : The Security Catalyst Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:01:31 +0000 http://www.securitycatalyst.com/?p=1030#comment-444 [...] Read the rest of this great post here [...] [...] Read the rest of this great post here [...]

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