CompTIA ID cards and certificates.

I have my Network+ and A+ certs now. Is it just mine or has anyone else noticed that the quality of the ID cards and certificates is extremely poor? It looks like they just throw them together and don't care what they look like. I guess I am picky, but we spend a lot of money and time on these certs so I would expect the rewards for this hard work to at least be presentable.

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Comments

Drakonblayde

well the certificates arent that bad... hell, they're better than my MCP... but yeah, the id cards are cheap pieces o crap hehe

Ricka182

This has been discussed many times, and it will probably never lose interest with everyone. We all feel the same, that if you're going to spend that kind of $$, and pass, you should get a real ID card, something you'd be proud to show off, not be afraid to get wet so it doesn't fall apart. The MCP card I got is okay, but it still looks very generic.

/usr

Yeah, they are pretty cheap.

I just laminated all of mine...at least they'll be a little more durable.

Ricka182

I don't think mine are readable anymore. After I lost my wallet snowmobiling last year, everything was pretty much trashed after I got it back, and I'm not paying for them again.

TURTLEGIRL

I actually laminated mine and they look very professional looking. At least they stay safe that way.

TeKniques

The MCP ID card is about 100 times better than the CompTIA cards. But yeah, just laminate the CompTIA ones and they don't look too bad. I actually heard that you get a good CompTIA one if you join their yearly membership for a huge rip off that it is.

HackNack

Non profit my back side.

cliffjag1987

You know i got duplicates of A+ and Network+. This is how its done : i was waiting for almost 2 months for both certs but they were posted by CompTia but i did not received them. So i mailed them and they resend it again another certs ( A+ & Network+ ). SO on 10 januarie i received both A+ & Network+ certs >>> the first one they send and the second.

So now i got my duplicates and know that i can always tell them that i did not receive it and then resend them.

i think later on i will plasticcover my id and certificate so it can stay much longer and stronger. With plasticcover i mean that it will be waterproof and get a strong plastic.

/usr

If I knew my CompTIA cards were going to be made of something the equivalent of notebook paper, I would have planned ahead and bought something better to protect them.

janmike

I agree, the cards are flimsey, and the certificates may not look like they have a lot of class, but they are printed on a security paper that can't be photocopied and used for counterfeiting purposes. They're better than they look.

However, the bigger benefit comes from the ability to have CompTIA publish your certs by e-mail to employers or prospective employers--any time without charge(so far!). That's a very secure and even somewhat exclusive benefit.

Too, I don't think any of us will send them back with a rejection notice attached!

NPA24

Has anyone on this forum joined the CompTIA membership? If they have, is it worth the money?

Ten9t6

I have to say, I have one card that is worse....the CISSP (and it is a 500$ test)...although the certificate is one of the nicer ones that I have...I guess it is a trade off. The best card to date is the CEH....bootable Linux card...

TheShadow

NPA24 wrote:

Has anyone on this forum joined the CompTIA membership? If they have, is it worth the money?

Yea, it depends. If you are going to take at least one more cert then it is a wash and probably worth doing for the first year. I maintain mine but I maintain other industry associations also. That can be important depending on where you work.

Anyway, you get a 25% discount on your next cert which is about the cost of membership. I also got a coffee cup and a lapel pin of my choice and a plastic membership card of the same quality as Microsoft's MCP etc. card. You get to pick a different pin every year if you like but then Microsoft gives you one with each cert to start with. You get to enter their quarterly contests on things for trinkets, and coupons for small amounts. If you need insurance because you are self employed then there is a group plan that you can join. You can apply for a low interest credit card. I won a free exam voucher once; got an invite to be a SME if I wanted on the last A+ but declined, and I got offered a chance to take the Linux+ beta for free but had a surgery scheduled and had to decline the telecon required to take it. I think I was asked to do net+ also don't remember now and I already had it. I get emails every now and then about something new and the newsletter is by email. The web site is not that useful at least to me but you also get to post your resume which I assume the corporate membership can browse if they wish. You are segregated from the corporate membership for many things on their website. All in all not that much different from the low levels memberships of groups like IEEE, ACM, ETA, etc.

Oh I forgot you also get a certificate showing that you are a member in good standing and you get to use the CompTia generic member logo.

/usr

The best card to date is the CEH....bootable Linux card...

Wish I would get mine...

HackNack

/usr wrote:

The best card to date is the CEH....bootable Linux card...

Wish I would get mine...

You still haven't gotten it?

befurman

Thanks for all the responses. However, what I meant by bad quality is the printing on the certificates and ID cards. Such as names and dates very off center

/usr

You still haven't gotten it?

Well, it hasn't even been three weeks yet.

fondue

befurman wrote:

what I meant by bad quality is the printing on the certificates and ID cards. Such as names and dates very off center

Though the paper quality is low my text is centered and clear. If I were you I would let CompTIA know of your dissatifaction. They will probably send you another set.

Moosh

Yeah I just received my A+ cert and my name is spelled correctly and centered properly.

D-boy

I laminated my CompTIA A+ & Net+ ID cards...
http://www.officeworld.com/Worlds-Biggest-Selection/310231/05Q1/