CompTIA reverses course…old certifications are still good for life
If you don’t remember at the beginning of the year, CompTIA did some slimy stuff to anybody CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, or CompTIA Security+ certified.
Not would you the new A+, Network+, and Security+ certifications have to certified every 3 years, but anyone with the old certifications would lose their lifetime certification.
But don’t get pissed off, because CompTIA did right by anyone holding the old certifications.
Here’s a quote from their updated renewal policy:
CompTIA will not require recertification for any current holders of CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+ certification. You are not required to retest to maintain your valid CompTIA certification. Regardless of when you became certified in CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+, you are certified for life.
For candidates currently preparing to sit for a CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+ exam, if you pass an exam and become certified by December 31, 2010, you too will have a lifetime certification with no requirements for recertification or retesting.
Effective January 1, 2011, all new CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+ certifications will be valid for three years from the date the candidate is certified. After three years, the certification must be renewed. This can be done by passing the most current exam for a respective certification or by participating in CompTIA’s upcoming new continuing education program, which will allow individuals to keep their skills current and their certification up to date without retesting.
In a nutshell, anyone A+, Network+, or Security+ certified by December 31, 2010 will have a lifetime certification. If you get certified January 1, 2011 or later, be prepared to be re-certified every 3 years.
All I can say is hurray for CompTIA and all the IT professionals who wrote nasty letters to CompTIA.
To your IT career success,
Ivan Hurt
Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Ex-IT Hiring Manager
