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Is a College Degree Required to Certify?
No, but you would get additional credits with a degree, which would reduce your work experience requirement. In fact the ICCP examinations count towards your degree credentials since all of the examinations carry credits towards university degrees (as approved by the American Council on Education: ACE). One of our business partners, Excelsior College (www.excelsior.edu), uses the ICCP examinations as criteria towards awarding credits for their computing, Cyber Security and Information Systems degrees. Other organizations such as Western Governors University accept credit by examination from ICCP Examinations. Do I need Certification if I have an advanced Degree (PhD, MSc)?
An increasing number of business, computer and data professionals have advanced degrees (Master's level and beyond) and use the ICCP credential in their professional life as a second business and industry qualification to make themselves more attractive to industry and consulting opportunities. Holding a M.Sc., or Ph.D., doesn't mean that you will pass the ICCP examinations at the professional level, since the tests require substantial practical experience. Also, the half-life of academic degrees is shrinking rapidly, and current certifications assure you remain current with your knowledge and skills. Many (out of subject, e.g., Math, Chemistry or Physics, etc.,) professors teaching computing are required by their college to attain the ICCP professional credential as part of their full requirement to continue teaching. Colleges and Universities requiring re-accreditation of their program by ACBSP (www.acbsp.org) must ensure that their faculty are fully qualified to teach the degree's subject matter and endorse the ICCP credentials as the required qualifying criteria for all of the faculty in these programs. |
Do I have a time limit to Certify?
Most people complete the certification program within 1-2 years. You are allowed up to 3 years to take all of the examinations (except for the CBIP designation which requires exams to be completed in 1 year). This allows an individual the time to take training and educational programs, which will assist in her/him in passing the examinations. Best practice: take the examinations initially to see if you can pass them, with some preparation; and if you don't pass the first time, you will get a precise analysis on the ICCP performance profile, of your strengths and weaknesses and thus where to invest your future training dollars. Reinstatement of my credential?
From time to time many holders get promoted and their new job role is different from the time that they certified, and they lose touch with the requirements, or just too busy to stay current and lose certification. Do not worry, it is possible to be reinstated. There are many ways in which to become reinstated. One is to continue your professional development via a variety of ways: courses, reading, vendor training, creating new examination questions, developing new courses for teaching, etc. Finally, if you haven't kept everything up to date and haven't submitted the continuing education / professional development credits, you can always retake the examinations, since the testing subject matter is continually updated by the certification council, and you would be taking a new current knowledge examination. We offer these at substantially reduced rates to previously certified or currently certified professionals. If you have fees to pay to be reinstated, that should be discussed with the ICCP office - there is usually a penalty payment, plus fulfillment of education or by examination reinstatement. |