RE: GIAC Dilution

["Charlie Winckless" <charliew () netarch com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paris E. Stone [mailto:pstone () alhurra com]
> Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2005 4:35 PM
> To: security-basics () securityfocus com
> Subject: RE: GIAC Dilution
>
> CCIE's wailed in holy horror when the 2 day lab was cut to 1.
> Screamed that it would dilute the value, anyone could get one.

As a CCIE, I was one of those who was concerned as to if they
could maintain the integrity of the certification with a shorter
lab and with the elimination of troubleshooting.

Talking with colleagues who took (and failed, and passed) the
one day lab it's apparent that the difficulty remained; they
packed more into less time and the pass rate didn't go up.

> And the failure rate went up, and stayed up for quite a while.
>
>
> Or so the story goes.  Just putting my $.02 in, to maybe provide some
> balance.  Please, go easy on me.

I think there's a difference between eliminating a pract cal
element (the paper) and in reducing it. It's relatively easy
to cram for exams -- the British school system prepared me for
it and I was able to get many of the exam based Cisco tests
down fast on my way to the CCIE (9 months, in fact). I've seen
all too many people who have passed the test and retained 
little to nothing of the material the next day, additionally.

I think it's a significant loss and SHOULD be a significant
devaluation to the certification. I know I'm going to take
more now; I just never had time to write the paper for my
GCNA and now I can just take a test? YAY!

-- Charlie
 
> ~~~~~
> Paris E. Stone, "Linux Zealot"
> CISSP, CCNP, CNE, MCSE
> ~~~~~
<Mail snipped for brevity and to spare digest readers>