Certification Watch Volume 11 #11

Published September 2, 2008
By Anne Martinez

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CompTIA Security+ Hits 50,000 Mark, Updated Exam Coming Soon
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) recently announced that it has reached a program milestone, certifying over 50,000 IT professionals to date in 130 countries. This vendor neutral certification validates knowledge of communication security, infrastructure security, cryptography, operational security, and general security concepts at a foundational level. It requires passing one exam. An updated version of the Security+ exam is slated for release in the October. The objectives for the new exam are already posted on CompTIA's website (PDF).

Microsoft Second Shot Extended Again
Microsoft has once again extended its free retake offer, this time until June 30, 2009. This allows you to have a free do-over on Microsoft exams you take but fail to pass. Any Microsoft IT Professional, Developer, or Microsoft Dynamics exam qualifies for this offer. The offer is good for as many exams as you wish to attempt. To take advantage of this program, you must first register on the Microsoft website before taking your test.

Brocade to Release New Data Center Fabric Exam
The new Brocade Certified Fabric Designer (BCFD) exam (143-260) will go live on September 25, 2008. The BCFD certification replaces the former BCSD designation. It covers designing and implementing a data center fabric. The exam contains 55 questions, of which 35 must be answered correctly in order to pass. BCFD exam objectives can be found on Brocade's website.

New Batch of IBM Exams Released
IIBM just released a number of new IBM Certified Specialist exams, including systems storage implementation and design certifications for entry/midrange DS, as well as Power Systems Technical Support for AIX and Linux. The new exam for IBM Certified SOA Associate [2008] recently just hit testing centers as well.

Five BEA Exams Set to Retire
The BEA certification program, which is now operated by Oracle, will retire 5 certification exams as of September 30, 2008. These are developer, administrator, and architect exams covering BEA WebLogic 8.1, which has since been replaced by WebLogic 9. Candidates who wish to certify on the 8.1 designations must complete the exams by September 30.

GoCertify Sponsors Zend/PHP Conference - Get Certified for Free!
GoCertify is proud to once again be an official sponsor of the Zend/PHP Conference & Expo taking place September 15-18, 2008, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, California. Attendees have the opportunity to become a Zend Certified Engineer (ZCE) for free, with a certification crash course offered on September 15th and free testing throughout the rest of the event. Advance registration is required, so be sure to head over the Zendcon website to learn more about the many things this conference has to offer.

That's all for this edition of Certification Watch. Please keep your certification news and tips coming to news@gocertify.com.

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