GIAC exam following the SANS course

ChooseLife

Quick question... I keep reading "For exams purchased with SANS training, access to the exam will be available 7-10 days following the end of the conference."

Does this mean the earliest one can take the exam is 7-10 days after the course? No way to do it at the end of last day or next morning, while it's all still fresh? Also, are the GIAC exams proctored at regular Pearson Vue centers?

TIA

YuckTheFankees

You will have to wait 7-10 days before you can take the test. The courses are not designed to have the students take the exam after the course. The classes cover so much information and material, you'll need the time to study and bookmark.

docrice

GIAC recently switched to using Pearson VUE as their testing provider (it was previously Kryterion). Not sure why they switched, but I'm guessing the wider availability of Pearson VUE testing centers might have had something to do with it.

ChooseLife

Thanks guys,

Re testing centers - oh well.. I just wish Pearson Vue centers would be of better quality than what they are now...

JDMurray

I've wondered if the 7-10 days is to keep people from rushing off and trying to pass the exam while the course material is fresh in their mind (i.e., a brain "pump and ****"), or if it's for administrative purposes to allow time for the course attendance and completion information to be entered in to the SANS database and be made available to GIAC for exam billing purposes. Maybe a bit of both.

docrice

I get the sense that SANS wants to emphasize learning the material over "just getting the cert." But that said, I would guess the main reason they don't let you do the exam right after the class is to prevent pump-and-**** artists as you mentioned. It might dilute the value of GIAC certifications.

JDMurray

docrice wrote: »

It might dilute the value of GIAC certifications.

Yes, even the perception that this type of activity devaluates the certifications is a bad thing.

ChooseLife

It's interesting to see how of the two items that are potentially aiming at maintaining certification value - an essay requirement and exam delivery delay - one is seen as a positive and the other as a negative thing.

I personally think mandatory paper writing is a more effective measure of validating knowledge and maintaining prestige of a certification program, and would prefer to see that reinstated and the exam delay (if it is indeed artificially introduced) removed so a person can choose when they are ready for themselves.

My $.02

JDMurray

I'm assuming that GIAC also considered requiring a minimum amount of professional InfoSec experience (a la (ISC)2) to become GIAC certified, but rejected the idea. I'd sure like to know the chain of logic that was used to arrive at that decision.