Field Certification: Proving You Can Manchester NH

Posted by : Molly Joss Training Advisorhed: dek: by Molly Joss

We interrupt the normal routine of this column to bring you a special word to the wise about a growing trend in IT certification: field certification (also known as performance-based certification). It's a trend that is likely to grow quickly into a standard, at least for some IT certifications. Field certification is worth knowing about if you are interested in acquiring any IT certification.

Most of the IT certifications involve a few hours of multiple-choice tests, usually administered by computer at a testing center. The computer usually grades the tests when you're done, too. If you answered enough questions correctly, you get the certification.

Companies like to administer certification tests this way because any testing center with a copy of the test and a human being acting as proctor can administer it. It's relatively inexpensive and the tests can be given anywhere there's a computer equipped with testing software. No computer? No problem. Give the subject a sheet of paper with ovals on it and ask them to use a No. 2 pencil to mark their answer. Afterwards, a human being or a computer can calculate the score.

The need to test skills

Multiple-choice certification testing has brought the computer industry a long way by giving many people a standard of knowledge to live up to. As the IT world matures, though, we're realizing that knowledge does not necessarily equal capability. Many of...

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