If I Flunk the Aplus Certification Do I Have to Pay Again

Policy —

Thought that A+ cert was practiced for life? Think again

CompTIA's pop A+, Network+, and Security+ certifications used to be good …

Update: CompTIA has backed down.

Original story: CompTIA is the computer manufacture group that oversees common certifications such as A+, Network+, and Server+, and its certifications accept e'er been proficient indefinitely.

Not anymore. In a policy alter announced this month, CompTIA dropped a bombshell on the hundreds of thousands of people who hold its certifications: those credentials are at present skilful for but three years—and the alter in policy is retroactive.

Damage control

CompTIA announced the change earlier this month. Over the last several years, CompTIA has had its certs accredited by the United states-focused ANSI and then the internationally oriented ISO (yes, both groups actually "certify the certifiers"). Such accreditation means that CompTIA certs are more than valuable to holders, merely ANSI and ISO want to make certain that cert holders stay up to date. That meant changing CompTIA's longstanding policy that certs were good forever—and the move has enraged many who spent several hundred dollars on what they believed was a lifetime qualification.

The policy applies merely to the A+, Network+, and Security+ exams; others are not affected "at this time." Exam certifications at present acquit a "valid through" date that is good for 3 years from the examination date.

Keeping current doesn't mean taking a complete test every 3 years, though. CompTIA has launched a new continuing education plan, much like those in many other industries, to ensure that its holders keep electric current with their skills. Continuing ed credits can be gained by taking classes, writing whitepapers, earning other certs, writing books, giving conference presentations, etc. In one case someone earns enough credits, their certification is extended for another three years. CompTIA charges a $25 or $49 annual fee to remain certified.

Dig a little deeper, even so, and y'all volition find that holders of older certifications may in fact have to take a new examination after all. Co-ordinate to CompTIA's FAQ on the new program, it covers merely those "who are certified in the latest version of the CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+ exams, as well every bit those certified in the CompTIA A+ 700 and 600 serial exams." If you passed a previous version of the examination, you'll demand to accept "the most current applicative examination to exist eligible to enroll in the continuing pedagogy program."

The policy modify has not gone over well with many existing cert holders. CompTIA quickly recorded a brief podcast addressing the wrath directed at the organization, and the host noted that the issue had "elicited a lot of comments," almost of which were... "concerned" about the move.

You say "business," I say "rage"

An Ars reader who spoke with us about the issue explained why it bothered him so much. "Perhaps it will make the exams more than valuable," he said, " but the fact still remains that CompTIA clearly promised lifetime certs. In my opinion, a done bargain is a done bargain. If I was promised a lifetime cert, and then I want a lifetime cert—period. Information technology should be up the cert holder if the cert holder wants a more updated cert. It should upwards to the employers whether an updated cert is needed."

Another Ars reader, who holds fifteen certs at the moment, is even more than upset. "When I took my CompTIA certifications I knew they were of depression value, both to myself and to the industry in full general, but I idea even depression value certifications may assist win an interview one day and since they were 'for life,' the time and toll involved could exist seen as reasonable," he wrote in an electronic mail exchange.

"This is the agreement I entered into, which has now fundamentally changed, it is not an agreement I would now knowingly have entered into, yet I accept no recourse or right of refund."

CompTIA stresses that standing ed credits should be easy plenty for most active professionals to earn without extra work, but that's now how our correspondents see it. "There are actress costs at present involved," says one. "A adequately simple proposition of one-off payment, one-off test and certification for life has now changed dramatically. I at present must pay for the CEU arrangement, I must follow the organization, I must get involved in the bureaucracy, none of this straight adds to my bottom line as a freelance consultant/programmer."

In the blogosphere, such thoughtful comments quickly morph into... this: "What the hell! Are you f***ing kidding me? How tin you tell hundreds of thousands of people that when you certify with CompTIA that its good for life, and then pull this s***... If you do decide to modify the rules, and then the people who certified earlier you changed the rules should be grandfathered in. You know what you are doing is complete BULLS***! Oh sure you take other ways that we can renew our certifications, but nosotros notwithstanding have to pay a yearly maintenance fee for our certifications? ... I promise y'all realize your stupidity before your company goes bankrupt!"

On CompTIA'south own web log, the comments have been coming fast and (by and large) furious. (Comments have not been edited for spelling or grammer).

• "Propanganda, wat a cheap way of doing damage control."

• "talk is inexpensive.. now comptia's intergrity is in question.. all the podcast says are just craps because it does non solve our problems... I sense some despotic means of doing things to justify higher profits.
• "The reputation of comptia is going downwards the drain. Period. I never thought why would anyone wanna shoot on their ain pes."
• "Comptia is now calculation additional stress to the recession. All the schools offering comptia's certifications will run across desperate drib in enrollment. All the certifications book for comptia will be left on the shelves in book stores."
• "My God. I just discovered that my 'lifetime' A+ certification will expire. Time to get an attorney because that is not what was advertised past CompTia when I got certified. I still accept all the original web pages and advertising literature. Seems similar Republicans are behind this—yous know, the unilateral contract changers who are really corporate raiders masquerading as politicians."

• "I had to become put on my boots while list to the podcast cause the crap was getting also deep, they must take us all for fools."

• "And then I just took the most current 2008 Sercuity+ exam in September. Now my 'lifetime certification' is merely valid for three years? Await, no according to your renewal policy it is only valid until Dec 31, 2011. So for my coin I go ii years and three months? What a agglomeration of crooks!"
• "Congratulations Comptia, you've chopped off iii of your cash moo-cow's legs."

On the podcast, CompTIA'southward VP for certifications talked up the value of the ANSI/ISO accreditation and said that the policy change was "very much in response to their evolving requirements." It doesn't make CompTIA much money (and the group is a nonprofit in whatever event), particularly since information technology requires more than backend work past CompTIA to rails and verify standing ed credits. "If we don't keep this thing rigorous and certified at the ISO level," he said, "information technology loses some of its shine."

Equally for why the modify was retroactive, it was "easier" to apply the policy to everyone than to accept diverse classes of cert holders.

Those answers don't seem to be placating the masses, who accept turned to Facebook groups and forums to vent their outrage.

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Source: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2010/01/thought-that-a-cert-was-good-for-life-think-again/

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