School of Technology - Certifications Guide
If a student completes a degree program, but does not take recomended certification exam, will they still earn that Diploma?
Yes. It is only recommended the student attempt the exam.
If a student transfers in a class that has a recommended Cert, do they still have to take the exam to graduate?
No. It is only recommended the student attempt the exam..
What is the time frame for receiving exam reimbursement?
Students will have 6 months from the end of the last course taken to receive reimbursement. There is no time limit for accepting the exam for degree completion.
If a student enrolls directly into the Bachelor's degree (not a 2+2) is there one or two recommended certifications?
Two. The recommended Certification exams should be attempted both at the Associate's and Bachelor's level.
If a student transfers credit for a course that has an optional cert, will they be eligible for reimbursement on that exam?
No. Optional and Recommended certs will require passing the related course.
Which practice tests should be ordered?
Several certifications come in two parts, like the CompTIA A+ and Linux+ certs. Some students prefer to concentrate on the first part before moving on to the second. Other students prefer to take on both parts immediately. It is recommended that students order both practice tests only if the intent is to take both exams within 6 months. (This is mostly due to the 180 day time limit on practice tests.) This is entirely up to the student on which direction to go.
Does tuition cover recertification for certifications that expire?
Certifications have a shelf life. Whether it is moving on from technology (a Windows XP certification has very limited value these days, and has been retired by Microsoft) or a built in expiration (for example, CompTIA has a 3 year expiration) there are times when recertification will be desirable. Check with the certification body on these requirements. The following are resources from CompTIA (the links may change without notification):
How to renew CompTIA certification
CompTIA renewal policy
CompTIA Continuing Education (CE) Program
Are all resources okay to use for study? What about these "braindumps" I have heard about?
Certification value is dependent on the integrity of the exams. As such, there is language in the user agreements with certification bodies like Cisco and CompTIA. However, there are sites out there that violate these agreements with the content they host. These are sometimes called "braindumps". Using these resources can invalidate the certification. To help, there is a website tool to check the validity of the resource:
CertGuard
Yes. It is only recommended the student attempt the exam.
If a student transfers in a class that has a recommended Cert, do they still have to take the exam to graduate?
No. It is only recommended the student attempt the exam..
What is the time frame for receiving exam reimbursement?
Students will have 6 months from the end of the last course taken to receive reimbursement. There is no time limit for accepting the exam for degree completion.
If a student enrolls directly into the Bachelor's degree (not a 2+2) is there one or two recommended certifications?
Two. The recommended Certification exams should be attempted both at the Associate's and Bachelor's level.
If a student transfers credit for a course that has an optional cert, will they be eligible for reimbursement on that exam?
No. Optional and Recommended certs will require passing the related course.
Which practice tests should be ordered?
Several certifications come in two parts, like the CompTIA A+ and Linux+ certs. Some students prefer to concentrate on the first part before moving on to the second. Other students prefer to take on both parts immediately. It is recommended that students order both practice tests only if the intent is to take both exams within 6 months. (This is mostly due to the 180 day time limit on practice tests.) This is entirely up to the student on which direction to go.
Does tuition cover recertification for certifications that expire?
Certifications have a shelf life. Whether it is moving on from technology (a Windows XP certification has very limited value these days, and has been retired by Microsoft) or a built in expiration (for example, CompTIA has a 3 year expiration) there are times when recertification will be desirable. Check with the certification body on these requirements. The following are resources from CompTIA (the links may change without notification):
How to renew CompTIA certification
CompTIA renewal policy
CompTIA Continuing Education (CE) Program
Are all resources okay to use for study? What about these "braindumps" I have heard about?
Certification value is dependent on the integrity of the exams. As such, there is language in the user agreements with certification bodies like Cisco and CompTIA. However, there are sites out there that violate these agreements with the content they host. These are sometimes called "braindumps". Using these resources can invalidate the certification. To help, there is a website tool to check the validity of the resource:
CertGuard