The Push for "Certified for Life"
CompTIA A+ and Network+ certifications were both ranked in the top five best IT certifications to have in 2010 by Erik Eckel in a blog for TechRepublic and if you do not have yours by December 31, 2010 you will miss the deadline to be grandfathered into CompTIA's "certify for life". If you get certified after this date in A+, Network+, and Security+ you will now have to complete continuing education units every three years or take the new exams to keep your certification current.CompTIA has always had "certify for life" certifications, so why the change? The CompTIA certifications affected by this new policy are accredited by the International Organization for Standardization and they require that professionals have a way to renew and stay current with their certifications. Another factor that influenced this change is a lot of major providers of certifications industry wide offer renewal certifications so professionals will stay up to date. The IT industry changes and grows at a rapid pace and this new policy will help maintain that those who hold A+, Network+, and Security+ certifications are up to date with the latest information and skills.
There are two different options when considering your renewal, you can take the new tests or you can earn Continuing Education Units (CEU's). From the date of enrollment into the new renewal program you will have three years to complete requirements to renew your certifications, if you fail to complete requirements by the expiration date you will be required to pass the new exams.
The number of units required for the CEU's program varies depending on the certification held. CompTIA A+ requires 20 CEU's, Network+ requires 30 CEU's, and Security+ requires 50 CEU's. There are a variety of options available to earn CEU's like participating in computer based training using CAQC approved materials to attending a relevant industry event, seminar, or conference. To earn the CEU's you will have to submit them to be approved.
If you have all three of these CompTIA certifications you only need to renew at the highest level of certification you hold to automatically renew all three. For instance if you hold an A+ certification and a Security+ certification you only need to earn the 50 CEU's to renew your Security+ and that would automatically renew you're A+ certification as well. The program change will affect CompTIA certification holders worldwide and there will be a CE notation on certificates for those people participating in the new program to signify to employers or potential employers that you are up to date with training and you hold the certificate that is accredited by the International Organization for Standardization. If you have already achieved certification and are grandfathered into the Certifiy for Life Program you do always have the option to get into the new program, you will be required to fulfill all of the new requirements within the three year time period as well.
If you would like more information about the training and tools LearnKey has available to help you get certified before the December 31, 2010 deadline visit our products page. From now until December 31, we offer special fast track bundles for these CompTIA certifications, which you can find here. To find out more information about CompTIA's Certification Renewal Policy click here.
