CompTIA Certification Renewal Policy

Darril

CompTIA just released a new certification renewal policy that puts a 3 year shelf life on their certifications. This is a significant change for CompTIA.

You can read about it here:

CompTIA Certification Renewal Policy

Cert Shelf Life

You don't necessarily have to retake a certification exam to stay current but can earn continuing education credits to do so. This sounds similar to the CISSP certification.

Darril Gibson
Author: CompTIA Security+: Get Certified Get Ahead
ISBN-10: 1439236364

veritas_libertas

I wonder if this will bring more credibility to CompTIA's exams.

This is what CompTIA had to say about continuing education credits:

Among activities that will qualify for continuing education credits are passing a “bridge” exam or the most current exam for their CompTIA certification; teaching, lecturing or presenting on relevant industry topics; participating in non-degree courses or computer-based training; attending relevant industry conferences and events; participating in a CompTIA exam development workshop; publishing articles, whitepapers, blogs or books on relevant topics; obtaining other industry certifications; or completing industry-related college courses from degree-granting institutions.

Enrollment in the certification renewal program is expected to be available in mid-2010.

PDF on keeping current: http://www.comptia.org/Libraries/Certification_Documents/ceus.sflb.ashx

Non-Profit Techie

or just make more money....

veritas_libertas

Non-Profit Techie wrote: »

or just make more money....

If that were true they wouldn't have offered the continuing education credits option.

Bokeh

Good information to know. Thanks for the post Darril.

aordal

I found this odd:

Active certifications
Name Started Active Expires Downloads
CompTIA A+ (Depot Technician) 2007-Oct-30 2008-Jan-08 Never Logo
CompTIA Network+ (2004) 2008-Jan-31 2008-Jan-31 Never Logo



*edit* formatting is lost in the post but it says Expires Never, I realize this post is in Security+ but I would think that if they put a 3 year date on them the Expiration date would not be set to blank for A+ and N+.

apena7

Bokeh wrote: »

Good information to know. Thanks for the post Darril.

+1
Thanks for the info!

For now, I don't think employers will care much if someone was certified in 2006. When they start to take notice though, instead of listing old certs as 'expired' on the resume, I would just list the year certified. I probably won't ever get recertified (unless it's a job requirement), but will instead move away from CompTIA and go on to higher certs from Cisco and Microsoft. Hopefully, an employer would understand

Hyper-Me

Well, as much as I would think that CompTIA is only trying to secure more income with the least possible effort...i think this is actually a good idea.

Cisco requires you to re-up your certs every once in awhile to keep it current.

While you dont "recertify' on the same cert for MS, you have to constantly upgrade to newer technology certs to stay current in the field, so its similar in theory.

If i were hiring a desktop technician today, I would want someone with A+ late 2000s rather than early 2000s (other things not considered)

dynamik

As mentioned earlier, the CEC will likely account for most people keeping their certs current, so this really doesn't seem like a money-grab.

stephens316

Personally I think this is a crock of ****. I just got my certification Sec+ in Oct 2009. I should have taken the test in 2006 before all of these changes. Most of you are right they have found a way to make money at this and its a Tax Payer paying for it. Every IT person in DoD is required to have this and Net+ now they will have to re-certify every three years means an income for them to keep their doors open. This would not be a bad thing if test were about $75 a pop most of these test are entry level. I will not be renewing my cert unless required to because I feel its a waste of money, but then again I hope to be at higher level in 3 yrs too.

Just my 2 cents

veritas_libertas

stephens316 wrote: »

Personally I think this is a crock of ****. I just got my certification Sec+ in Oct 2009. I should have taken the test in 2006 before all of these changes. Most of you are right they have found a way to make money at this and its a Tax Payer paying for it. Every IT person in DoD is required to have this and Net+ now they will have to re-certify every three years means an income for them to keep their doors open. This would not be a bad thing if test were about $75 a pop most of these test are entry level. I will not be renewing my cert unless required to because I feel its a waste of money, but then again I hope to be at higher level in 3 yrs too.

Just my 2 cents

Dude, all you have to do is show you taken initiative by sending in a report about going to a seminar on security, etc. You don't have to pay for another test...

Please read what I posted above about continuing education credits.

brianeaglesfan

stephens316 wrote: »

Personally I think this is a crock of ****. I just got my certification Sec+ in Oct 2009. I should have taken the test in 2006 before all of these changes. Most of you are right they have found a way to make money at this and its a Tax Payer paying for it. Every IT person in DoD is required to have this and Net+ now they will have to re-certify every three years means an income for them to keep their doors open. This would not be a bad thing if test were about $75 a pop most of these test are entry level. I will not be renewing my cert unless required to because I feel its a waste of money, but then again I hope to be at higher level in 3 yrs too.

Just my 2 cents

The CE options are the only thing that make me think this isn't a money grab. Let's face it, given the cost of CompTIA exams and the fact that they are considered entry level the only benefit they've offered, besides the knowledge that you would initially accumulate in preparing for them of course, was the fact that they didn't expire. It sort of pisses me off that for the million+ people who have probably taken these exams through the years with the understanding that they didn't expire, CompTIA is now coming back and saying "Ya know what? SIKE!" But let's face it, they don't care because they already have our money. And while many people will opt for the CE options there also be a small number of others who will take at least one more recent exam, in turn lining CompTIA's pockets. I hope it encourages new techs instead to pursue vendor specific certification earlier which also require varying levels of recertification but which provide a better ROI.

Forsaken_GA

Yeah, I personally won't be worrying about recert with CompTIA. I could see caring about it for maybe Sec+, but A+ and Net+? Pfft, expire 'em, I'm overqualified for A+ level work anyway, and I have a few network certs that supersede the Net+.

NinjaBoy

veritas_libertas wrote: »

If that were true they wouldn't have offered the continuing education credits option.

However it does sound as if there's an annual cost if you do go down the continuing education credits option:

Is there a cost associated with the certification renewal program?
Participants will pay an annual maintenance fee of $25 if they are CompTIA A+ certified, or $49 if they are CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+ certified. Payment of this annual fee will be required the first time each year you access the continuing education system. Only electronic payments will be accepted.

See here.

Unless I'm misreading this?

-ken

carboncopy

That sucks! I have to retake all of mine. I will wait till 2011 to retake sec+.

NinjaBoy

Forsaken_GA wrote: »

Yeah, I personally won't be worrying about recert with CompTIA. I could see caring about it for maybe Sec+, but A+ and Net+? Pfft, expire 'em, I'm overqualified for A+ level work anyway, and I have a few network certs that supersede the Net+.

If you do renew the Security+, it automatically renews all the certs below it.

I hold multiple CompTIA certifications. Am I required to renew each of them?
No. Individuals with multiple CompTIA certifications will be required to renew only at their highest level certification. For example, someone who holds CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+ certifications would be required to meet only the continuing education requirements for CompTIA Security+.

See here.

-Ken

carboncopy

NinjaBoy wrote: »

If you do renew the Security+, it automatically renews all the certs below it.



See here.

-Ken

Yeah that makes sense. Since Security + requires people to get 50 points to maintain it and the other 2 are 30 and less. There would be some overlap.

matradley

I think this expiration date only applies to those certified in 2010. People before that will enjoy a life-time certification. If CompTIA does this expiry thing, they will need to reduce the cost of exams by at least 50% to make people interested in taking them.\

Edit:
Does this change affect individuals who were certified prior to 2010?
Yes. All individuals who are CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and/or CompTIA Security+ certified are subject to the renewal policy regardless of when they earned their certification.

That sucks. It should not apply to those who have taken it in the past. There's no way I am considering taking A+ and Network+ again unless I am asked.

Edit 2:
Geez.. I would have to retake that crazy Security+ exam.

Slowhand

Personally, I think it's a shameful maneuver on CompTIA's part to force current A+, Network+, and Security+ holders to renew their certs. It'd be one thing if they had said that everyone taking the new versions of the exams had to renew, or as of January 1st, 2010 there would be an expiration date on exams taken. However, I paid my money and took my A+ and Security+ exams under the impression that they were lifetime certs, a point I have argued many times on this forum. Now, CompTIA tells me that is no the case, they've changed their mind, and the agreements I signed before taking my exam are null and void. . . oh, except the parts that I agreed to uphold.

It's not a big deal, having to re-up these exams every three years, but it's the principle of CompTIA telling me one thing when I signed up for and passed those exams and now being told, "oops, that's not how it is anymore." I'll probably renew my certs, but had I known that CompTIA would do this kind of bait-and-switch on us down the road, I never would have made the effort to take them and gone on to do Cisco and Microsoft certs from the start. Say what you will about the big, corporate certs, they haven't pulled the rug out from under us and changed the game when the wind changed. Even Microsoft isn't taking the MCSA/MCSE off candidate's transcripts, despite Windows 2000 having been retired and lost mainstream support, and Windows 2003 on the same path, as promised.

I like to know what I'm getting into with a certification vendor, and that I can trust them to uphold the statements made before I handed over my money. Whether the change is "no big deal" and that there are multiple options to re-certify isn't really the issue.

worldmac1

Preach on Brotha Slowhand!!!! I totally agree with you!

veritas_libertas

NinjaBoy wrote: »

However it does sound as if there's an annual cost if you do go down the continuing education credits option:



See here.

Unless I'm misreading this?

-ken

Thanks, somehow I missed that.

Is there a cost associated with the certification renewal program?

Participants will pay an annual maintenance fee of $25 if they are CompTIA A+ certified, or $49 if they are CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+ certified. Payment of this annual fee will be required the first time each year you access the continuing education system. Only electronic payments will be accepted.

In that case I will only worry about the Security+, there is no way I will worry about the Network+. I think $50 is a little steep though.

Non-Profit Techie

I don't know. This whole thing is just bothering me a bit. The old bait and switch. I wish i had a copy of the agreements for those old exams, perhaps there would be a way to force them to keep their word.

Either way, there is no way I will be going for CECs or retaking those exams. It is just to hard to focus on family, work, Microsoft and Cisco exams, and those old comptia exams.....

veritas_libertas

matradley wrote: »

I think this expiration date only applies to those certified in 2010. People before that will enjoy a life-time certification. If CompTIA does this expiry thing, they will need to reduce the cost of exams by at least 50% to make people interested in taking them.

Mine shows the expiration date and I took the exam in 2010.

Porkalust

The article says "The new certification renewal policy is applicable to all individuals who hold CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+ certifications, regardless of the date they were certified. Other CompTIA certifications are not affected at this time.".

I don't mind this move too much but Comptia will have to reduce the prices of they bridge exam if they want to gain some addition income from me.

matradley

Porkalust wrote: »

The article says "The new certification renewal policy is applicable to all individuals who hold CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+ certifications, regardless of the date they were certified. Other CompTIA certifications are not affected at this time.".

I don't mind this move too much but Comptia will have to reduce the prices of they bridge exam if they want to gain some addition income of me.

CompTIA's exams cost too much to be updating. I believe the high cost associated with the certification was because of the life-time guarantee.

TheShadow

Slowhand wrote: »

I like to know what I'm getting into with a certification vendor, and that I can trust them to uphold the statements made before I handed over my money. Whether the change is "no big deal" and that there are multiple options to re-certify isn't really the issue.

Slowhand it is the new guy I tell you. That is why they brought him in with that bogus story about Venator (sp) wanting an early retirement after him saying he expected to be there for quite a while longer. First you get rid of the old Don and then you bring in the new guy.

"Roco I don't want anything to happen to my brother as long as my mother is alive".
"Yes Godfather"

veritas_libertas

carboncopy wrote: »

Yeah that makes sense. Since Security + requires people to get 50 points to maintain it and the other 2 are 30 and less. There would be some overlap.

Okay, that would be cool. I can just renew my Security+ and it covers everything else. Cool!

The only plus I see in this whole thing is that CompTIA certs might get a better reputation.

GiddyG

I think I'd sooner spend my hard earned cash and study time on doing new stuff, like CCENT, CCNA and so on. If CompTIA want to put people off taking their exams in future, then I think this is a great way to do it.

Cherper

For all the good my CompTIA certs have done, I won't bother renewing them. Moved well beyond them.

janmike

Very disappointing. I work constantly to keep up to date, and I use these methods on which I am certified on a daily basis. Now to get these affirmations that CompTIA wants, it will cost more money. It's not happening at my house. I am finished with it.

tpatt100

I can see them maybe doing this to address the Government requirements for IT certs and CompTIA's issue of never having to renew. I remember my last job telling us that the way it was written it would seem to suggest that you had to retake the Security+ because the Government was looking at the date taken and going three years from that. So to maintain compliance you would have to recertify to get another three years.

If this is the case I think its a decent idea. Otherwise the continuing education does not seem like that big of a deal to me to be honest. I think they are trying to establish a career certification route rather than being labeled a "newbie test and forget" certification.