CompTIA have recently dropped a bombshell (I say dropped I actually mean sneaking it through the backdoor) by changing their policies.

The policy change is to do with how long test takers certifications last (including their A+,N+ and Sec+ certifications). Historically their certifications have been for life but they have now changed it to just 3 years which after such time you will need to take the highest exam again to renew all of your certifications. This you would think would apply only to those who are certified after the date of the policy change but I’m afraid not dear reader, this currently also affects ALL test takers who have EVER passed a CompTIA exam. This is now the case that anyone who certified before december 31st 2010 will retain their lifetime cert status, those certifying after that date will need to re-certify their highest comptia cert every 3 years should they wish to keep their certifications. The below rant is kept for historical reasons only!

So all of a sudden my lifetime A+ certification is now expiring and I will be required to take the test again should I wish to renew it.

CompTIA’s official line is that they are bringing their policies in line with other certification vendors (sources I have read on the internet suggest they have cited the likes of Cisc0 and MS having a renewal policy, Cisco do but MS do not have such a policy). However this smacks a little of a money making scheme to me.

I can understand that thinking recertification is a good thing because technology does move on at a fair rate so my A+ taken back in 2003 talked about 400Mhz cpus etc is vastly outdated, however there is one big glaring problem with the renewal policy. The A+ and similar exams are meant for entry level candidates looking to break into IT, who in their right mind 3 years down the line in their IT career are going to go back are renew that A+ or whatever, when they are more than likely will have higher level certifications or knowledge that renders the A+ obsolete anyway.

So why am I worried about the change then well TBH it does not really bother me were it not for a couple of facts, a couple of years after the millenium I decided I wanted to get into IT, I bought the relevant Mike Meyers book studied lots and lots and took the 2 exams required to become A+ certified. This back then was a lifetime certification no matter what happened I would always be A+ certified and which is also why each exam was extremely expensive to take (from memory it was about £130 back then, considering today MS exams are £88 a pop). Now they have suddenly changed their mind and want to take that certification away from me I dont think its fair. The DVLA wouldn’t say to me that even though I passed my driving test under the understanding that I would not need to take it again until 65 that actually I need to take it again after only 15 years why should CompTIA be allowed to do this!

At the end of the day I have left that certification way behind and can quite happily mark it as expired or strike it off my CV however its the point that I studied and paid for a lifetime cert and now its not!

Their are rumblings on certification forums of class actions etc against CompTIA so we shall have to see how this eventually pans out! I shall be checking out CompTIA’s news pages over the next few weeks with great interest.

http://www.comptia.org/certifications/listed/renewal.aspx

EDIT: Well it looks like they are rightly reversed their decision and are now only imposing their 3 year renewal for people who take their tests after 2011. So thats a good result for us who already have the certification and it may well jolt some into taking the test before the lifetime certification ends.