CompTIA is the computer industry group that oversees common certifications such as CompTIA
A+ certification,
Network+, and Server+, and its certifications have always been good
indefinitely.
Not anymore. In a policy change announced this month, CompTIA dropped a
bombshell on the hundreds of thousands of people who hold its
certifications: those
credentials are now good for only three years—and the change in policy
is retroactive.
Damage control
CompTIA announced the change earlier this month. Over the last several
years, CompTIA has had its certs accredited by the US-focused ANSI and
then the
internationally oriented ISO (yes, both groups actually "certify the
certifiers"). Such accreditation means that CompTIA certs are more
valuable to holders,
but ANSI and ISO want to make sure that cert holders stay up to date.
That meant changing CompTIA's longstanding policy that certs were good
forever—and the
move has enraged many who spent several hundred dollars on what they
believed was a lifetime qualification.
The policy applies only to the A+,Network+ certification,
and Security+ exams; others are not affected "at this
time." Exam certifications now carry a "valid through" date that is good
for three years from the exam date.
Keeping current doesn't mean taking a complete test every three years,
though. CompTIA has launched a new continuing education program, much
like those in
many other industries, to ensure that its holders keep current with
their skills. Continuing ed credits can be gained by taking classes,
writing whitepapers,
earning other certs, writing books, giving conference presentations,
etc. Once someone earns enough credits, their certification is extended
for another
three years.
Dig a little deeper, however, and you will find that holders of older
certifications may in fact have to take a new exam after all. According
to CompTIA's
FAQ on the new program, it covers only those "who are certified in the
latest version of the CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+ exams, as
well as those
certified in the CompTIA A+ certification 700 and 600 series exams." If
you passed a previous version of the test, you'll need to take "the most
current
applicable exam to be eligible to enroll in the continuing education
program."
The policy change has not gone over well with many existing cert
holders. CompTIA comptia network
quickly recorded a
brief podcast addressing the wrath directed at the organization, and the
host noted that the issue had "elicited a lot of comments," most of
which were...
"concerned" about the move.