Trouble Accessing the CompTIA Certs

skrpune · September 2009

CompuTron99 wrote: »

I figured that was the cause. Wouldn't you think that when you switched over your database to a new vendor, that the new vendor would be up and running before you took down the original vendor?

They might want to have that Project Manager read the Project+ book.

lol, yes I totally agree with you. They should have run the systems parallel for a while before switching over, but who knows what happened. It's hard to tell if this was a (poorly) planned or unplanned outage, but it's looking more like unplanned every day. And it is giving CompTIA a bad name. Can you imagine the turmoil that would ensue if the MCP site was down for this long? RIOTS!

bgrablin · September 2009

Still down and out. You would think a company with such accredited technical certified individuals working for them wouldn't allow this to happen. I've waited 3 weeks to login and receive my comptia ID with nothing. SERIOUSLY DISAPPOINTED! Cisco was squared away after 6 hours of me completing their exam.

apena7 · September 2009

bgrablin wrote: »

Still down and out. You would think a company with such accredited technical certified individuals working for them wouldn't allow this to happen.

I guess that's what happens when you hire a CIO that majored in Political Science.... What does he think this is, a government job!? To quote a line from Ghostbusters, "I've worked in the private sector. They expect results"

BubbaJSmith · September 2009

While we all still can't get in to CompTIA's site, I finally received my Security+ certificate in the mail today!!! Woo hooo!!!

bgrablin · September 2009

BubbaJSmith wrote: »

While we all still can't get in to CompTIA's site, I finally received my Security+ certificate in the mail today!!! Woo hooo!!!

And did you take the Security+ in 08'? <-- I would believe it, being that CompTIA is THAT on top of the ball.

motogpman · September 2009

I just called them and got an operator, who didn't have much to say other than a default response of " email" them on both of my questions. I did hear the beeping in the background, so I know they must be recording their calls.

This whole things sounds to me like a major metldown and they are trying to do damage control. I have moved and need to update my info, seeing how the website has been down for so long and I am not going to send them an email about it. I was able to make changes over the phone in the past, guess that doesn't happen anymore.

As someone else has stated, for them to be down for so long, doesn't reflect well on them. Didn't they get hacked not too long, at the beginning of this year or something? I can see being down a couple of days, but this is WAY beyond professional and I don't see me taking any of their certs in the future. Very disappointed in Comptia.

Hyper-Me · September 2009

And people tell me im being ridiculous when i say that Comptia is a joke.

Oh well.

bgrablin · September 2009

I have studied and obtained both Net+ and Sec+ before they can migrate DB's. This is hilarious. Is it too early to call them hypocrites? Project+ must not be in their list of things to due well.

I e-mailed them a couple days ago and got a copy of the websites unavailable explanation e-mailed back to me. It was real personable. No more CompTIA for me! I'll stick to MS and Cisco for the next couple months.

Norbie · September 2009

I fear I may have made a big mistake. I just passed my Network+ today (yay). Last month I passed the second part of my A+. The month before that I passed the first part.

The printouts from the testing center where I passed the exams said that I have to wait 5 days and then sign into the userid section on CompTIA's website, fill the stuff out and then in 4-6 weeks they will send me the certificate. Well I never bothered doing this when I passed the first part of my A+ because I assumed (perhaps stupidly) that they didn't need my information yet because I hadn't passed the second part yet...I just assumed you fill that stuff out after you pass the second part and at that time give them both registration numbers for both parts and then they ship the certificate to me. When I passed the second part I was in a panic when I couldn't access the userid portion of the site. E-mailing them doesn't work. Calling them doesn't work. I can't get a straight answer.

I'm scared to death that I'm not going to get my A+ certificate. Week 5 after passing the second part of the A+ certification has just come and went and I still have no certificate.

I mean this is a really unpleasant experience. I've never had any certifications so I don't have a baseline of what to expect. I have busted my ass to earn the A+ and the Network+ and wonder if I will ever see them. I mean this database of theirs is down and one guy in this thread said they sent him a congratulations for passing an exam he never took. If their records are screwing up does that I'm screwed and have to retake the exams? Did I waste the money? When a future employer wants me to prove I have my certs do I just show him this printout? I feel betrayed.

Norbie (in deep panic mode)

skrpune · September 2009

According to CompTIA, and reports from other test takers, you no longer have to fill out the online request to get your cert. It should be automatically sent out to you.

Your certification is no less valid just because you don't have the cert to show for it. In theory, CompTIA is processing requests to "prove" certification status, albeit slowly since it's being done by hand and they're likely being flooded with requests.

Divine-Assault · September 2009

Yea I have to admit this is pathetic. I passed my Linux+ early August and my Server+ early September. I still haven't received my certificates while I have heard that others have gotten their certificates. Ridiculous. I'm going to start my MS path.

Norbie · September 2009

skrpune wrote: »

According to CompTIA, and reports from other test takers, you no longer have to fill out the online request to get your cert. It should be automatically sent out to you.

Your certification is no less valid just because you don't have the cert to show for it. In theory, CompTIA is processing requests to "prove" certification status, albeit slowly since it's being done by hand and they're likely being flooded with requests.

Dumb questions: Where do they get my address from? Do they get it from my billing information from when I put the test on my credit card via Pearson Vue? Otherwise they don't have it since I've never been able to log into their site and give them my information. If I move how do I get them to send it to my new address? Any time I e-mail them they just regurgitate the same message from their userid site that says wait 4-6 weeks and a kit will be mailed to me.

matradley · September 2009

Anyone hear when the Career ID login will be available?

skrpune · September 2009

Norbie wrote: »

Dumb questions: Where do they get my address from? Do they get it from my billing information from when I put the test on my credit card via Pearson Vue? Otherwise they don't have it since I've never been able to log into their site and give them my information. If I move how do I get them to send it to my new address? Any time I e-mail them they just regurgitate the same message from their userid site that says wait 4-6 weeks and a kit will be mailed to me.

Honestly, I don't know. I'm just going by what CompTIA has announced (that they no longer require you to register for/request your cert) and that some folks are receiving their certs a few weeks after their exam without having done the online request for it. I'd assume they would take your information from your test center registration, but I can say for sure.

Armor149 · September 2009

Well it's September almost October and still no access.

flatworld · September 2009

This really is unprofessional, and annoying.

The reason they aren't discussing it, is because its a public relations disaster if they bring it up at all.

I need my certification #, and they said the only way to receive it "early" before the "comptia site goes back up", is to fax them a copy of my drivers license? Identity Theft much??

I honestly don't know what to say, but when problems like this exist, it can be traced up to decision making at the highest level in the chain of command, and since this is an IT issue(database management, website management etc), whose over IT Functions? IT managers? .........

--> CIO

Armor149 wrote: »

Well it's September almost October and still no access.

Norbie · October 2009

What Comptia says on their site: During this transition period CompTIA continues to provide candidates who pass our exams with their certification fulfillment kits. You do not need to contact CompTIA to request your fulfillment kit. It will be mailed to you within four and six weeks of your passing a CompTIA exam.

Proof that they are dirty liars: I called CompTIA today. It has been six weeks since I passed the second part of my A+ certification (August 22). They said they started sending out these fulfillment kits where I am supposed to give them my personal information, send that back to them and THEN I will get my certificate mailed to me. I explained that it has been six weeks. I am told that they started sending out the fulfillment kits September 2...and that the starting point for the six weeks is September 2 not the day I passed my exam.

So I had to wait 5 days to log into the site. The site was down. E-mailing them didn't work. Calling them didn't work. I was told to wait 6 weeks just to get the kit to send off to get the certificate sent off. Now I have to wait 2 more weeks and hope that this time they are telling the truth about the kit. Once I send the kit back am I going to have to wait 6-8 more weeks?

flatworld · October 2009

I'll be signing an anonymous Better Business Bureau complaint , and part of this complaint process is a request of why the site is actually down.

Was any of our personal information compromised?

Or is this truely an extended transition, of databases to supplement a "better career id experience"?

We as Customers, who pay $258, and then PASS their certification seem to have zero rights as a comptia member.

This is truely pathetic, and maybe someone can start one of those online petitions, and turn this into a public relations issue.....

Someone needs to submit this story to slashdot.org

qwertyiop · October 2009

Ive been CompTIA certified for about 2 years and I had to print out a transcript for a interview and wasn't able to. All I have is a really cheap ID card and certificate that I could have printed from home.

Megadeth4168 · October 2009

qwertyiop wrote: »

Ive been CompTIA certified for about 2 years and I had to print out a transcript for a interview and wasn't able to. All I have is a really cheap ID card and certificate that I could have printed from home.

I'm lucky I accessed the site for transcripts before they took it offline. I used my certifications to transfer in credits for college. They required the transcripts for Cisco, Microsoft and CompTIA.

I understand the feelings being expressed in this thread. It does seem to be a ridiculous amount of time for a service to be down, though I'm not sure that publicly denouncing CompTIA is a good thing for any of us. Many of us rely on CompTIA and other vendors, to provide us with a way to show the skills that we have to potential employers. If we, the technicians start ripping apart these companies, then who is going to pay any merit to the certifications received by the company.

It's just a thought. Perhaps I'm off base, maybe the length of time has reached a critical breaking point.

apena7 · October 2009

Megadeth4168 wrote: »

I understand the feelings being expressed in this thread. It does seem to be a ridiculous amount of time for a service to be down, though I'm not sure that publicly denouncing CompTIA is a good thing for any of us. Many of us rely on CompTIA and other vendors, to provide us with a way to show the skills that we have to potential employers. If we, the technicians start ripping apart these companies, then who is going to pay any merit to the certifications received by the company.

It's just a thought. Perhaps I'm off base, maybe the length of time has reached a critical breaking point.

Well, it's almost been about two months since the site went down...
I'm surprised that technicians haven't ripped into this company enough.

By studying, passing their exams, and listing their certifications on our resumes, we represent CompTIA and our conduct on the job reflects upon them. In addition, CompTIA's conduct also reflects upon us. We can only speculate what is going on, but we can all agree that this is an embarrassment.

Norbie · October 2009

Megadeth4168 wrote: »

I'm lucky I accessed the site for transcripts before they took it offline. I used my certifications to transfer in credits for college. They required the transcripts for Cisco, Microsoft and CompTIA.

I understand the feelings being expressed in this thread. It does seem to be a ridiculous amount of time for a service to be down, though I'm not sure that publicly denouncing CompTIA is a good thing for any of us. Many of us rely on CompTIA and other vendors, to provide us with a way to show the skills that we have to potential employers. If we, the technicians start ripping apart these companies, then who is going to pay any merit to the certifications received by the company.

It's just a thought. Perhaps I'm off base, maybe the length of time has reached a critical breaking point.

I am certainly open to ANY suggestion other than the obvious one of simply being patient.

I don't want to denounce them either....the ONLY two certs I have earned as of yet are CompTIA. But this sort of tells me that hey the company isn't that great. It is pure and utter incompetence all across the board and is demonstrative of hypocrisy.

Most of us have customers that's a safe assumption right? How would our customers feel if they had one of the databases that they need for their jobs or that houses their important records to be down for 2 MONTHS? How would our customers feel if they tried e-mailing us and all they got was an automated e-mail that simply regurgitates the same message on our website? How many of our customers would be worried that their information has been compromised when we offer little to no warning about the database going down? How many of our customers like paying for something and getting nothing in return.

I'm pretty fed up with the check is in the mail routine and I want someone to get off their butt and mail me my certificate.

sidsanders · October 2009

it would be interesting to get the whole story to this. ive had folks mad when recovering from a server failure before--> a main dev server failed, swapped a bunch of parts and had to restore from tape... this was down for 12 hours and folks were coming to me every 20 mins: is it done yet? and it made sense why they asked... i at least could say, "restore is running and it claims X hrs/min left". how can they have no info on recovery.

this story they put out, if they ever admit anything, could be one of the best ones ive heard based on the outage time involved. the comdey of errors/decisions/actions/etc has to be amazing.

skrpune · October 2009

Norbie wrote: »

How would our customers feel if they had one of the databases that they need for their jobs or that houses their important records to be down for 2 MONTHS?

I'm not trying to defend CompTIA, but I think many people are missing a certain point - CompTIA is a customer that's been let down too. The "story" that's been handed out is that they are switching database providers. Which means they don't handle their own data storage. Which means they got royally borked by whomever does provide their data storage services, and are continuing to get royally borked on a daily (or even hourly) basis while this outage goes on.

Perhaps the data storage service/company folded. Perhaps they had a catastrophic failure and neglected to follow best practices for backups. These past few weeks, they've probably been working with another provider to built a new custom system...I don't know if this was a planned switch and the contract ran out with provider A before provider B got their shite together, or if provider B is trying to pick up the mess from provider A. Who knows.

It is still CompTIA's responsibility to select responsible and dependable services, so I wouldn't completely throw the blame off of them, but they are somewhat of a victim of some obviously poor decisions regarding their data services. It would behoove them to come clean about what it is that happened so we can all stop guessing about who messed up what and where our personal data is.

Plantwiz · October 2009

skrpune wrote: »

I'm not trying to defend CompTIA, but I think many people are missing a certain point - CompTIA is a customer that's been let down too. The "story" that's been handed out is that they are switching database providers. Which means they don't handle their own data storage. Which means they got royally borked by whomever does provide their data storage services, and are continuing to get royally borked on a daily (or even hourly) basis while this outage goes on.

Perhaps the data storage service/company folded. Perhaps they had a catastrophic failure and neglected to follow best practices for backups. These past few weeks, they've probably been working with another provider to built a new custom system...I don't know if this was a planned switch and the contract ran out with provider A before provider B got their shite together, or if provider B is trying to pick up the mess from provider A. Who knows.

It is still CompTIA's responsibility to select responsible and dependable services, so I wouldn't completely throw the blame off of them, but they are somewhat of a victim of some obviously poor decisions regarding their data services. It would behoove them to come clean about what it is that happened so we can all stop guessing about who messed up what and where our personal data is.

+1

Excellent point!

How many here work in an environement who strives for high customer satisfaction, but then contracts something out....and it nothing goes as planned with the task? And you are left to scramble and find a new company to finish the task.

Doesn't happen often, but I can think of 1 time in the last 25 years and that was a big mess.

exampasser · October 2009

I finally got my certificate for my Network+ yesterday October 5th. I took the test on August 31. The certificate looked like it was simply printed off a plain old printer on regular copy paper and the ID card was simply made out of paper. I was disappointed in the quality of the certificate and ID card as this exam alone cost me $239 (not including travel expenses to get to the test site and the exam cram book cost). With this being the first certification that I have gotten I don't know if this is the normal quality of the certificate.

Xenz · October 2009

exampasser wrote: »

I finally got my certificate for my Network+ yesterday October 5th. I took the test on August 31. The certificate looked like it was simply printed off a plain old printer on regular copy paper and the ID card was simply made out of paper. I was disappointed in the quality of the certificate and ID card as this exam alone cost me $239 (not including travel expenses to get to the test site and the exam cram book cost). With this being the first certification that I have gotten I don't know if this is the normal quality of the certificate.

This is how the usual CompTIA stuff looks like. Have to laminate the card yourself if you want it to last. The old card was actually posterboard circa 2004, but they went to the printer paper I think in 2006 or so (I had to reorder my A+ certificate since I lost it). Overall, expect the CompTIA stuff to maybe land you an entry level job, other than that I enjoy my $500 pieces of paper.

*edit* not sure if you're upset with the delivery time, but that falls into the 4 - 6 weeks time it takes to deliver so.

exampasser · October 2009

This is how the usual CompTIA stuff looks like. Have to laminate the card yourself if you want it to last. The old card was actually posterboard circa 2004, but they went to the printer paper I think in 2006 or so (I had to reorder my A+ certificate since I lost it). Overall, expect the CompTIA stuff to maybe land you an entry level job, other than that I enjoy my $500 pieces of paper.

Thanks for the answer. The main reason that I got my Network+ is because it's a requirement for my bachelor's degree program, majoring in industrial technology. I could have went for the CCNA in place of the Network+, but since CCNA’s expire I did not feel that it was worth getting.

flatworld · October 2009

Responsibility lies within the chain of command.

There are people who are responsible that mission critical systems like careerID do not go down. This demonstrates also that CompTIA doesnt practice the redundancy they teach to its students.

Another case in point:

Change Control Mechanisms:
a) Administrative Controls:
a1) Supervisor structure ensures the responsibility of the management towards employees and their actions.

Management or CIO of CompTIA share the responsibility for this
8week outage(and counting).

Notice how CompTIA doesn't discuss the outage on their main webpage, but they actively tout this new "relationship" with MSP, etc. This obviously shows where their priorities are, not with satisfying the customers(those who are the main source of revenue) for CompTIA,,,,

the test takers/certification seekers.

Norbie · October 2009

exampasser wrote: »

I finally got my certificate for my Network+ yesterday October 5th. I took the test on August 31. The certificate looked like it was simply printed off a plain old printer on regular copy paper and the ID card was simply made out of paper. I was disappointed in the quality of the certificate and ID card as this exam alone cost me $239 (not including travel expenses to get to the test site and the exam cram book cost). With this being the first certification that I have gotten I don't know if this is the normal quality of the certificate.

I passed the second part of my A+ on August 22nd and still don't have my certificate yet

Trouble Accessing the CompTIA Certs

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