Cloud+ and CASP CEU Renewals - A CompTIA Rant

scjohnson1988

Hello! I've browsed these forums for awhile, but this is my first time posting.

Background:
I obtained my CASP on September 30, 2014. I then passed Cloud+ on December 15, 2014. Between October 1 and sometime in mid-late March, I had finished all 75 of my CEUs for CASP renewal.

Story:
Upon completing my 75th CEU, I was pretty confident based on this URL, (https://web.archive.org/web/20150123110013/http://certification.comptia.org/stayCertified.aspx), which has since changed to have different verbiage, that renewing my CASPs CEUs would trigger renewal of my Cloud+. I then sent in a request to simply verify that CASP was indeed the higher level certification, which seemed obvious to me, as it required 75 CEUs to the 50 required by Cloud+. I received a reply from a helpdesk technician that my CASP renewal would also renew my Cloud+

Fast forward to this week, I happened to check something on CompTIA and noticed that some of the CEU-related pages had been overhauled, and there was new wording pertaining to renewing the Cloud+. I was confused, so I once again turned to the helpdesk. This time, they tell me that the CASP will not renew my Cloud+ certification. I then asked to speak to an elevated technician in my response, before being sent to another member of the CS team for CompTIA. The elevated technician verified that the Cloud+ would NOT renew my certification. At the same time, the elevated technician stated this was the case, as it was required for ISO 17024, however, Cloud+ is listed as not being an ISO 17024 on CompTIAs website as of today.

I'll cut myself off there, but suffice to say, I am pretty irritated by this whole situation. I'm also sure that I'm not the only CASP/Cloud+ holder who intended to renew all their certifications via renewing the CASP. Hopefully my less-than-exciting experience will save at least one person from the same annoyances which have afflicted me.

EDIT: CompTIA actually called me while at home and apologized about the whole situation. Essentially, they admitted that there was no information indicating otherwise online, but that Cloud+ is not renewed by CASP. I'm still frustrated by the situation, but it's far less frustrating to get straightforward and honest answers, which is what they provided.

BeyVillage

I'm in the exact same situation. How did you renew your Cloud+?

OctalDump

AFAIK, CASP has never renewed Cloud+. I've actually checked a few times over the last couple of years about what renews what and what non-CompTIA certs can use for CEUs. I have CASP, and Cloud+ has been on my list of "to get" for... a while. So I'm fairly familiar with the situation.

If you look at the same web archive, for the specific CEUs earned for certs then you get this page. Which I admit, isn't as clear as it could be, but basically shows that Mobility+ and Sec+ give some CEUs to Cloud+ and Cloud+ gives some CEUs to CASP.

If you look at the current page it's a bit clearer. There's a pyramid of higher level certs that renew lower level certs, and Cloud+ isn't in that pyramid. There's another pyramid of partial credit, which shows that Cloud+ can give 13 CEUs to CASP, and CASP can give 4 CUEs to Cloud+.

This PDF sets out the same deal.

So, yeah, CompTIA gave you bad advice, and I am glad that they have at least apologised. Possibly, they've confused intent level (which relates to the fee you pay) with what actually renews what.

Now depending how you renewed your CASP, you might be able to credit some of that to the Cloud+. You need 37 (50-13 from CASP). The CISSP (or Associate of ISC2) gives you 5, Sec+ gives you 16, Net+ gives you 8. So that leaves 8 CEUs you need (probably, since I am not CompTIA). CCNA R+S or Wireless would give 8. Or you could do a different activity...

It's a crappy situation, and hopefully you can get it sorted before the expiry date.

swamprat

If you want to take a trip to Chicago area in a few weeks, looks like theyr'e still advertising for SMEs for the Cloud+ performance item workshop. Doing one of the workshops earns something like 20-40CEUs and would get it all handled for you in more than enough time.

ThePawofRizzo

I'd prefer to see the Cloud+ in the renewal tier with A+, Network+, and Security+ and CASP where CASP renews it Cloud+ as well. I was fortunate enough to have gotten Mobility+ and renewed Security+ to get me part way there, then got some extensive training hours on virtualization to meet the rest of my CEUs for this last renewal.

I had contacted CompTIA last Fall about simply retaking the Cloud+ exam to renew the certification as at the time I was concerned I wouldn't make the CEU deadline. They told me that I couldn't retake the CV0-001 version to renew, rather I'd have to wait for the next version.....kinda a pain since one never knows when the second version will come out. So if CompTIA hasn't come out with a newer version, I don't see why simply retaking the current version again can't validate those same skills.

swamprat

Looking at the CEU portal, it appears some can be renewed by retaking the test, some may not be able to (I believe Security+CE said you could). It could be argued that passing the test again doesn't prove you know the education domains, just that you know the test.

OctalDump

ThePawofRizzo wrote: »

I'd prefer to see the Cloud+ in the renewal tier with A+, Network+, and Security+ and CASP where CASP renews it Cloud+ as well.

The problem I see with that is that there's a lot less overlap between Cloud+ and CASP, than CASP and Sec+ or Net+. Although, the gap between A+ and CASP is fairly large.

I'm not sure about renewing Cloud+ by passing the exam again. They do say:

If a Candidate has passed an exam (or multiple exams) and achieved a certification, he/she cannot take the exam again, using the same exam code, without prior consent from CompTIA.

Which would be fine if they update their exams regularly enough (with no more than 3 years between updates). But the Cloud+ doesn't seem to have ever been renewed, nor does it have a date listed for when they expect to renew it.

It's also annoying that you can't renew using AWS or Azure certifications, which seem like the most obvious next step in a cloud​ career.

swamprat

Since Comptia has an SME workshop for Cloud+ coming up, as mentioned, I'd say it's safe to say they're in the process of working on renewing it.

ThePawofRizzo

swamprat wrote: »

Looking at the CEU portal, it appears some can be renewed by retaking the test, some may not be able to (I believe Security+CE said you could). It could be argued that passing the test again doesn't prove you know the education domains, just that you know the test.

Yes, in some cases taking ANY test - for the first time, second time, or more - may only prove the test taker only knows the education domains. With that logic in mind, if someone fails an exam, they should never be able to retake the test because they may merely finally "just know the test" from having attempted it before. If the CompTIA pool of questions changes for each exam, as I understand it does, and that pool of questions is large enough, and after not having sat for the test for three years, one is more likely going to have to have some knowledge of the topics at hand to pass, plus three more years of IT experience in the field that may also help them pass the exam. Passing the exam to recertify may actually prove that person also still knows their stuff, or knows it even better that the first time.

Also, FYI folks I did contact CompTIA to get that approval they say you need to retake it....which is when they told me that I'd have to wait for the next version. In the long run it didn't matter because I fortunately did get some training I could apply to my remaining CEUs.