Cisco Exams exclusive at Pearson VUE

Noe84

Got this email today.

We're pleased to announce that Pearson VUE will be the single vendor of Cisco® certification exams worldwide, effective August 1, 2007. We’re very excited about this change, and we’re confident that as a valued Cisco customer, you’ll benefit from the new level of security, global access, and innovative technology that will now be available through this collaboration. Cisco and Pearson VUE are partnering to create a new standard for individual information technology certifications and specialization exams, elevating them to the level of prestigious professional certification and licensure programs. As a result of this change, all individual Cisco technical certification exams for Cisco customers and partners will need to be scheduled through Pearson VUE. July 31, 2007, is the last date to take a Cisco exam through Prometric.

As global demand increases for individual Cisco certifications, it is critical that we improve and make our global certification systems more agile. Hence, we need to scale and optimize our test delivery—that is, the administration of Cisco certifications such as Cisco CCNA® and CCIE®. Traditionally, Cisco has used two core test delivery partners worldwide to deliver our individual certification exams: Pearson VUE and Prometric. However, after significant research, Pearson VUE was chosen as Cisco’s single testing partner. Pearson VUE was selected for the following reasons:

• Unparalleled global reach
• Forward-thinking policies and vision of technical resource recruitment
• Ability to scale to new countries with new requirements
• Ability to meet forecasted demands
• Ability to deliver on additional investments to secure Cisco’s test delivery technology

Our expectation is that shifting to a primary vendor strategy worldwide will allow us to advance test security through the deployment of advanced biometric technologies. Having a primary vendor will also facilitate the rapid localization of exams around the world, and allow for increased certification scalability and coverage.

Pearson VUE has more than 4000 test centers in 162 countries worldwide. If you previously utilized a Prometric testing center to take Cisco certifications, we encourage you to familiarize yourself with your local Pearson VUE testing center: Test Center Locator.

We’ve also tried to anticipate as many of your questions as possible and have included detailed information on our Certifications Online Support tool. These FAQs will be updated regularly as new information and developments are announced. If you have questions that are not addressed, please contact the Cisco Certification Online Support Team. If you would like additional information about taking a Cisco test at Pearson VUE, you will find a complete listing of customer service phone numbers at the Pearson VUE Website.


Thank you for your time and attention.

Cisco Career Certifications

Looks like Vue will be the only provider.

Pash

This is getting silly now. So we have to be part of two testing centres to take these certs? This is like nvidia and ATI but in the certification world.......

Noe84

I guess if you are loyal to Prometric and you want to take Cisco certs..you have to go to Pearson Vue now after August 1. But I always schedule my exams with Vue so it's not a big deal for me, however this shouldn't happen because sometime the closest Vue center isn't always open so I can always switch over to the nearest Prometric testing center.

But not for Cisco anymore. Unless I want to drive 30+ miles for the next nearest Vue test center.....

Webmaster

Pash wrote:

This is getting silly now.

Exactly what I was thinking... 'silly'.

However, I do like: "Cisco and Pearson VUE are partnering to create a new standard for individual information technology certifications and specialization exams, elevating them to the level of prestigious professional certification and licensure programs." It will be interesting how on earth they will do that with all the **** sites on the web. It would be great if they make even some of it true.

I also want to add, for those who may have a hard time believing it, I just had it confirmed from a reliable source.

Cucumber

This is fishy, I wonder if they caught Prometric centers as the source of all the cheating material that is out there.

Anyway, this sucks a bit for me, I was used to the same Prometric center for a few years now. Time for a change.

Ahriakin

SACD vs. DVD-Audio, HD-DVD vs. Blu Ray... now this.

snadam

Ahriakin wrote:

SACD vs. DVD-Audio, HD-DVD vs. Blu Ray... now this.

EA Sports vs 2k sports, to add the video game analogy!

dtlokee

Last week Microsoft announced they will only use Prometric sites, this week Cisco announced they will only use Pearson sites, that is fishy. I'm glad we're both a Pearson and Prometric center

Webmaster

Cucumber wrote:

This is fishy, I wonder if they caught Prometric centers as the source of all the cheating material that is out there.

I implied the same thing as a possible reason when Microsoft dropped Pearson VUE. It's more likely about "We'll charge you 70% of the cost if we can be the exclusive provider."

And although Prometric becoming the exclusive provider for Microsoft exams was announced (or leaked) before this announcement, Pearson VUE mentioned something then about increasing the collaboration with Cisco, so the first announcement (/deal) may be a reaction to this one.

Either way, Microsoft got a lot of bad response on their move to use Prometric exclusively, so Cisco knew what's coming when they announced it, and hence won't change their mind (/contracts...).

Obviously this is sad for all those people who now have extra travel expenses and may need to take more time off at work to get to the nearest test center (where the 'near' in 'nearest' isn't even appropriate anymore for some people).

Slowhand

Looks like Microsoft and Cisco are dragging the testing providers into the battle with them. Obviously, the official sources state different reasons, but I see some distinct battle-lines being drawn. Could just be an odd coincidence, or it could be related to the changes that various vendors are making. Cisco making more of a MCP-like or MCTS-like cert out of the ICND-1 exam, Microsoft making more Cisco-like certifications that expire after a certain number of years, and can be renewed with updated technology tests. And let's not forget the MCA rolling out to become a CCIE-like cert for system administrators. . . err. . . "architects". The list goes on and on, like Cisco beginning their registration program for newer releases of the IOS, a-la Microsoft's Genuine Advantage. Maybe it's friendly competition, maybe it's an agreement between Cisco and Microsoft to lessen any squabbling on the part of partners and vendors. After all, I thought they were getting along pretty well, seeing as how certain aspects of Windows networking has the "Copyright Microsoft Corporation and Cisco Systems" branding on the 'about' page.

For now, though, it's a pain for people who don't readily have both a Prometric and a Vue center nearby. Some people only have one or the other, some people don't even have that. Whatever the reason for the respective vendors and testing centers have for making this split, it'll be the test-takes that will have to go through the hassle of figuring out what location offers what tests. Let's hope this trend stops here. . . (we're looking at you, CompTIA).

bearfan

Just now and the person I spoke with told me they had not heard about this and assured me I could register for and take any Cisco exam after July 31, 2007.

However, Cisco does have the announcement on its web site and even goes so far to say if you are currently scheduled to take a Cisco exam at Prometric after July 31st you need to cancel it and reschedule at a Pearson VUE location.

This is really short notice for people which made me wonder because there are no doubt people who have already scheduled the test at a Prometric site for after August 1st.

http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/learning_certification_program_updates.html

This all has to do with exam security to make sure you are the one taking the exam -

Noe84

This link pretty much confirmed it. http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/learning_certification_program_updates.html

LOL I saw your post before you changed it so I posted the same link. Anyways...

supercooldude

Is this happening only in the US? I couldn't find any information on this in other countries.

Ahriakin

supercooldude wrote:

Is this happening only in the US? I couldn't find any information on this in other countries.

*cough*
We're pleased to announce that Pearson VUE will be the single vendor of Cisco® certification exams ,worldwide
....
Line 1

RoboNerd

This is one reason why vendor-neutral exams are so much better IMHO. Let's face it, I don't give the MCSE much quality points in my brain because when AOL had its call center here in Oklahoma City, about half the drones answering the phones had MCSE certs because AOL paid for them. Yet at the same, I was a computer sales drone at an electronics retailer, with only an A+ cert yet I still know far more about the management of Microsoft domains than people who supposedly knew enough to pass the exams...???

At least if you're going to lock in your exam to your own software, PLEASE make it a hands-on exam or something more practical, and don't screw your candidates with this single-proctor nonsense.

WanBoy67

I too think this is getting silly. What next CompTIA?

Paul Boz

This is ludicrous. Lets go ahead and make taking the exams harder for quite a lot of people! That'll really do a lot to make the exams more prestigious!

blargoe

Good grief.