Just last year CompTIA’s FAQ stated:
Question: Will I ever need to renew my certifications?
Answer: No, CompTIA certifications are lifetime certifications.
To me, this would seem to constitute a unilateral contract. Once consideration has been given to CompTIA, this contract should be binding.
Now, on a whim, CompTIA has decided to renege on their contracts with hundreds of thousands of certification holders.
From CompTIA’s website:
> “CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+ certifications are now valid for three years from the date the candidate is certified.”
> “The new certification renewal policy is applicable to all individuals who hold CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+ certifications, regardless of the date they were certified.”
Whether or not expiring certifications are good or bad, for cert holders is besides the point. Previous cert holders had an agreement with CompTIA, and it is not fair, and should not be legal, for CompTIA to arbitrarily to break that agreements.
If CompTIA wants to change the agreement with subsequent exam takers, is a different matter. Comptia has no right to renege on agreements that they have already made.
I agree with them to be perfectly honest. The computing industry moves at a heavy pace and in most industries where the techniques and methods change regularly, you have to keep your skills up-to-date. I reckon it’ll at least ensure those holding the qualification aren’t basing their skills on seriously outdated methods which these days could be potentially harmful. I would like to see more IT based qualifications go the same way (like CIW). It gives the qualification more credibility if you need to retain a working knowledge of current practices. Seems to me that the only people who would be opposed to it would be people looking for a throwaway qualification to boost their CV, lazy individuals who don’t like the idea of having a current working knowledge or people who don’t want the expense of having the qualification (in which case it’s understandable but they should simply get a different qualification if they really don’t want to pay to stay current). If it only applied to their newest students, it’s like saying the older exam sitters are exempt from keeping their knowledge up-to-date… that would invalidate the entire qualification and make a mockery of their whole system. If they are going to make their qualification an ongoing certificate, it has to be equal for everyone. Fairness has nothing into it, if you don’t want to go with their new system, get a different qualification. I’m sure there’s plenty of certification processes out there which last a lifetime (whether you retain skills or not).
I agree with them to be perfectly honest. The computing industry moves at a heavy pace and in most industries where the techniques and methods change regularly, you have to keep your skills up-to-date.
As I mentioned in the OP, I consider that to be beside the point. If cert holders feel they want a more up-to-date cert, they are free to retest. My point is: a deal is a deal. If you sell a lifetime cert, then you provide a lifetime cert - period.
The material on CompTIA certs is laughably out of date anyway. They still test on ms-dos, batch file, config.sys, 80286 stuff, and so on.
This is not some good-will effort to bring cert holders up-to-date, it’s an extortionist cash squeeze. CompTIA is dying, and for good reason. 1) Their exams are way over-priced. 2) Employers do not want vendor neutral - they want certs in their specific technologies. 3) Now that MS has the Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST) cert, there is no need for the overpriced A+/Net+. 4) CompTIA’s material is outdated. 5) The market is saturated. 5) Nobody is interested in CompTIA’s new offerings.
You’re right Walter. While an old certificate might not mean much, it should still be valid based on the original specifications of the tests. I would assume this could rightfully lead to a class-action type suit.
If the certificate holds no current value (on the basis that it’s teachings are entirely outdated) then the rip off (and con) was that you paid money for it in the first place, unless you took the course when the knowledge was still relevant (in which case you have no reason to complain that it’s expiring now that everything it teaches is redundant), which begs me to ask why you are so angry about potentially losing a certificate which seems to have little appeal to employers and has absolutely no value associated with it (on the basis that it’s using deprecated knowledge). I would argue that you could have paid W3Schools for an HTML certificate which requires no effort… but as it’s almost current material it at least has some value associated with it. My point being: A lifetime certificate is redundant, it’s not proof of knowledge or skills, it just shows that you knew something about something at some point in history. I agreed with their move to force renewal of skills on the basis that at least (it seems to me) they are pro-actively trying to promote keeping a skillset current… of course the side effect is they’ll bring in more money, but the fact remains that you are upset about a “laughed out of the industry” qualification which is no longer relevant or meaningful, it’s like getting upset that your “VHS repair course” has expired even though you or no-one else considers VHS worthy of consideration due to DVD and Blu-Ray. I would understand if you had lost a degree on the basis of it expiring (3-5 years of work) however those self-proclaimed schemes (which are in my opinion mainly a scam - exceptions include CCNA) are (IMO) resume “fluff”. I once looked over an exam for a CIW qualification and could have just paid the exam costs gotten the piece of paper within 2 weeks.
In Australia (not sure about elsewhere), a degree dated more than five years ago is considered to have expired if you have not been working in a field that makes use of what you learnt so as presumably to have kept up to date with any changes in the field that have happened since. All officially recognised Australian qualifications are considered to expire after five years if you don’t actually use it.
Conversely if you are working in an appropriate field where you are keeping up to date then that qualification is considered to still be valid for an unlimited period.
The easiest way to find out that a qualification is considered to have expired is to try to sign up for another course where the prior qualification is a prerequisite where your qualification is dated over five years ago and you haven’t been working in the field since. Then you’d be required to take additional tests to show that you have the prerequisite knowledge before being allowed to start the new course.
I agree all that is beside the point with regard to qualifications that are specified by the issuer as being valid for a lifetime. Perhaps the way CompTIA should have worked it is to rename the qualifications to include an identifier as to the year that the test applies to. It could then be left to employers to decide which qualifications are recent enough to count and which not (taking work experience into account as well).
Interesting felgall, though it just backs up my statement that the value of education is based on the recency of the knowledge. Having a qualification which lasts a lifetime isn’t a solid foundation for anything, If you took a web design qualification 5 years ago and attempted to get a job without keeping your knowledge up-to-date, it would reflect poorly on the qualification you’re using as experience and on your abilities as a so-called professional. Which is why I had sympathy for CompuTIA because obviously if they want to make their qualification more credible, trying to ensure the knowledge is current is certainly a good step in the right direction… even if those resting on it’s image think otherwise (because they were under an assumption that relevance lasts a lifetime).
It’s not about the value it might still poses but the promise made. What if your software that you purchased suddenly told you your license would now expire even though you bought one that wouldn’t? The argument isn’t about the value of the old certificates but rather in the agreement reached with the customers who were certified.
It’s different to software though, a qualification is a mark of professionalism. You’re comparing apples and oranges. An out of date piece of software doesn’t stop performing (and you wouldn’t get mad at a business if it stopped working on future operating systems), it would be wrong of them to undermine ALL of their customers out of the determination to be loyal to the minority of customers under the false assumption that credibility once gained is immortalised.
If the certificate holds no current value (on the basis that it’s teachings are entirely outdated) then the rip off (and con) was that you paid money for it in the first place, unless you took the course when the knowledge was still relevant (in which case you have no reason to complain that it’s expiring now that everything it teaches is redundant), which begs me to ask why you are so angry about potentially losing a certificate which seems to have little appeal to employers and has absolutely no value associated with it (on the basis that it’s using deprecated knowledge).
The certification is not for me, it’s for potential employers. If I just wanted to increase my own knowledge, I could just read a book. CompTIA certs, as silly as they may be, are often required by employers. In fact, in facilities that are regulated by DoD directive 8570, CompTIA certs actulualy fulfill government mandated requirements. You can be certain that DoD directive 8570 requires that the certs not be voided.
Furthermore, some CompTIA certs can be used to fulfill requirements for other certs. For example, the A+ and Net+ can be used to fill requirements for the MCSA or MCSE. The Security+ can be used to substitute for one year’s experience towards getting a CISSP.
Well I guess that just shows the state of the US government then, if they would prefer to mandate their employees on the basis of what is effectively a fairytale qualification (IE: Something dreamt up to state someone’s experience level but with very little credibility or industry regulated backing behind it to state either it’s usefulness or accuracy), perhaps they should return to conventional education where the information is at least properly structured - even if it is out of date
Snap, I got a buncha CompTIA certs back in the day. Can I get any reasonable money out of this as well? If it’s not going to take up more than an hour or two of my time and the payoff is over a few hundred bucks it might be worth it.That’ll basically be like ComTIA paying for a night out at the bar.
Can I get any reasonable money out of this as well?
Do you mean a refund? If so, thanks for the laugh. Comptia has given out 1.2 million certifications so far. Do you think they are going to refund tens, or hundreds, of millions of dollars?
Well I guess that just shows the state of the US government then, if they would prefer to mandate their employees on the basis of what is effectively a fairytale qualification (IE: Something dreamt up to state someone’s experience level but with very little credibility or industry regulated backing behind it to state either it’s usefulness or accuracy), perhaps they should return to conventional education where the information is at least properly structured - even if it is out of date
I agree 100%. Furthermore, education does not favor one institution over another. As it stands now, the government is essentially giving ISC2, and CompTIA, a license to print money.
lol no I meant to get involved for breach of contract. I wouldn’t even bother with a refund unless it was a few hundred dollars and less than 2 hours of time investment.
I agree with walter, this is a truly awful decision that shows no integrity from CompTIA, I really hope they see the error of their ways and reverse it.
There has been much disscussion here on pros and cons :-
proprofs com
certforums com
techexams net
As mentioned any employer can verify CPD in minutes with a CV scan and a follow up interview. Those in industy don’t need a CompTIA CEU moneyscam scheme.
It is also classic bait and switch and breaking the terms of the original contract.
By rights CompTIA should refund all 1.2 million certified individuals if this goes ahead, but then they’d need chapter 11 and wouldn’t be able to continue their shameless corporate drive which is what this is.
