Received this little tidbit from CompTIA today:
As a CompTIA-certified individual, you already know the benefits of holding an industry-recognized IT certification. CompTIA is now offering you an opportunity to sit for the 2005 CompTIA Network+ exam in beta form and add another certification to your resume.
CompTIA Network+, along with CompTIA A+, has become a world-wide standard of education for men and women entering the field of information technology. The certification validates skills equivalent to nine months practical networking experience. If you are ready for that next step in your career, then the CompTIA Network+ exam is right for you.
CompTIA, in partnership with Pearson Vue and Thomson Prometric, is offering the Network+ beta exam at a reduced price of $75 (US). Those who pass the exam will count among the first people certified in CompTIA Network+ 2005. To review the exam objectives, follow this link.
The table below contrasts objectives in the current and beta exams.*
2001 Exam Objectives (Current Exam)
2005 Exam Objectives (Beta Exam)
Media and Topologies 20%
Media and Topologies 20%
Protocols and Standards 25%
Protocols and Standards 20%
Network Implementation 23%
Network Implementation 25%
Network Support 32%
Network Support 35%
*Note: All percentages are approximate and are subject to change.
Free Network+ beta vouchers will be available to the first 1,000 eligible candidates who complete a brief survey at
http://www.comptia.org/surveys/NetworkBeta.aspx
Now, for my personal opinion..... I'm not even going to bother. Net+ has done so little for me, that I'm not going to waste another 75 bucks just so I can say I'm Net+ 2001 and Net+ 2005 certified. If employers want a cert that says I know my networking, I'm sure my CCNA (and in about a year, my CCNP) will do just fine.
However, for those of you studying for it, be aware that the exam is changing. Since it's a lifetime cert, I seriously doubt it matters what version you pass (I've never heard an employer ask what version of the A+ someone passed, at least). I don't know if this exam will be harder, but if you're prepping for the current objectives, I'd strongly recommend taking the exam before the objective changeover. In the case of A+, several of my friends have gotten screwed on the new OS objectives
