Looking deeper, one finds that testing centers are owned and operated as if a franchisee of either company. This means that practically anyone can open a testing center anywhere that fits the minimum requirements for a testing center. If you look at the Prometric testing facility application, a center must meet several requirements on physical and technical merits. The Pearson Vue testing center application, lists similar guidelines. Allowing considerable tolerances supplies vastly different experiences at each location. Because of the wide variances of each facility, it is best to visit each testing center before choosing the one that you feel will, well, facilitate your best efforts to showcase your hard-earned knowledge instead of being hampered by a sub-par testing center.

The typical major concern when purchasing a discount is whether or not the discount, voucher, or code is not only legitimate, but whether it is still valid. Without being able to verify if the discount is good until attempting to claim it, the purchaser does not have any recourse with the third-party broker. While the questionable validity of a third-party discount is enough of a reason to avoid the temptation to save money by purchasing a discount voucher or promo code from an unknown party, some companies go so far as to outright ban discounts purchased from a third-party. Cisco states in their certification policy that even “legitimate vouchers for attempted re-use,” in other words, valid vouchers that will allow you to take the exam but have been “obtained from an unauthorized source” have the potential, if caught, to “risk up to and including a lifetime ban on all future exams, the nullification of all previous certifications or other program sanctions at the discretion of Cisco.” If Cisco finds out that you used a discount voucher or promo code that was not originally purchased and intended for you or your organization, they can nullify your exam results, but also more importantly every Cisco certification you have ever earned.

The danger no longer only lies in invalid vouchers and discounts. It is no longer an issue of losing money on a phony voucher, but quite possibly losing all of your certifications for a specific provider. Do not risk nullifying your current IT certification by trying to save money by buying a discount voucher or promotional code from a third-party. Forget that the offer could be a scam; it could cost your current IT certifications.

Do I really need an IT Certification?

An IT Certification can not take the place of work experience. Work experience is the main thing that a majority of employers will be looking for when hiring an IT worker. However, we all start out with zero experience, so how do we land that first job? Certifications are certainly a big booster in obtaining that first job. Certifications can sometimes be held on equal par or greater than a tech-related college degree. Certifications show, at least, a basic understanding of a precise IT field, whereas college degrees show a much broader, and often less intensive, scope of IT knowledge. Certainly if both you and another person are competing for a job with comparable college degrees and experience, having an IT certification can get you the edge.

There are also some certifications that show not only you are knowledgeable in a particular area, but also up to date on the latest trends in that arena. In particular, networking/technology security is a big field where having an up-to-date certification can really give you an edge over the competition and provide crucial knowledge to an organization.

What are the best certifications to get?

Dice.com recently compiled survey data from over 27,000 IT professionals to find the 10 best IT Certifications. Although the survey was more focused on certifications that can boost your current pay, it is easy to presume that if they can significantly improve your chances of getting a pay raise, they can also give you an advantage when seeking a job.

10. Security +

9. IT IL

8. MCSA

7. CISSP

6. Network +

5. MCP

4. CCNA

3. A +

2. MCSE

1. PMP

To break down these certifications further:

• only one certification focuses on hardware/software maintenance and troubleshooting, e.g. tech support
• only one certification revolves around development/programming of software
• one specific certification around Microsoft products and technologies
• three network certifications (one for Microsoft only)
• two security certifications; and
• two general IT management/best practices certifications

The most interesting thing from this list is that two of the certifications (including the top certification) revolves around proper implementation/management of IT systems, and not anything in a specific technology field. This likely a result of companies now realizing that simply flooding in hardware and software in the workplace is not the most effective way of utilizing technology, and thus are seeking ways to properly utilize technology to improve efficiency.

In the end, you need to decide what certification(s) best suite your career path. With this list compiled by Dice.com, it will give you direction on which certification might best serve you and your future/current employer depending on what area of IT you are working in.

VMware Certified Professional (VCP) The VCP is the base certification for VMware. The core competencies for this class are to install, manage, and deploy a VMware system. Unless you are already a VCP or have other certified VMware trainings, you will need to take one of 3 five-day courses before you can take the VCP exam.

VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX) The VCDX is the highest level certification. Once you have a VCP certification, you can then request a review of your VMware knowledge and experience. If you qualify, you will then be permitted to take both an Administration and a Design exam. Passing those exams then allows you to prepare and submit an implementation plan, at which you will defend during a later interview. If you can jump through all these hoops (without falling), VMware will bestow upon you this certification.

VMware Certified Advanced Professional (VCAP) The newest of VMware’s certifications, VCAP is designed to be an intermediate level certification. The certification process of the VCDX is thorough, and the VCAP was created to fill the void of the VMware professionals that were not quite ready to attempt a VCDX certification, but certainly have the experience and training far above that of which is required for the VCP. A VCAP offers either an Administration or Design test, and your certification will reflect your specialty based on which of these tests you choose to take and pass.

For more information, head on over to: http://mylearn.vmware.com/portals/certification/

Linux There are various Linux certifications available, which makes choosing the right certification difficult. You could get a distribution/commercial level certification, i.e. from Ubuntu, Redhat, Novell, etc. However, these certifications could limit your career options if a job opportunity comes up utilizing a different distribution from what you are certified in. Therefore, a more general Linux certification would be ideal, and the Linux Professional Institute supplies this. In fact, this institute provides some of the same certifications listed above on behalf of those organizations, but also supplies their own tiered certification system. Depending on your career goals, you can choose one of three certification levels to aim for, but for the purposes of a LAMP developer, Level 2 is recommended. Cost: ($160 per exam ~ approximately $640)

Apache There is no official or widely accepted Apache certification. Therefore, obtaining a Level 2 LPI Certification will give you the proper background for Apache. Most of the objectives of the second exam in Level 2 of the LPIC revolve around Apache operation and configuration, and thus will properly certify that you know Apache. Cost: ($0 – Included in LPIC)

MySQL There are multiple options for MySQL certification. You can get one of four Sun Certified MySQL accreditations from Oracle. This is as simple as an Associate Certification, meaning you are familiar with basic operations of MySQL, to a Cluster DBA Certification, meaning you can build, administer, and maintain large cluster databases. In between these two levels are the Developer and regular DBA options, which is one of the certifications you should aim for if you are seeking a career strictly as a LAMP Developer. Cost: ($195 per exam ~ approximately $390)

PHP Lastly, there is PHP. Zend is the industry leader in PHP, and thus you should seek your PHP certification from them. Cost: (approximately $160)

Keep in mind there are other great LAMP related certifications out there, but that this mix is a good recommendation if you are building your career in LAMP Development. Let me know in the comments if you think I’ve missed a crucial certification.

The certifications we’ll cover today often contain the terms “ethical hacker” or “penetration tester.” This simply means that the holder of such a certification should be able to test systems for vulnerabilities and then fix or mitigate the impact of any security holes that are discovered.

The Certified Ethical Hacker C|EH certification is probably the most well known of the exams we’ll cover today. This certification even has its own government approved version, the Certified Network Defense Architect C|NDA. No doubt, the word “hacker” was a bit too scary for some government folks and so they had to have an alternatively named version. Comments by some computer security professionals didn’t help either. Marcus Ranum said, “There’s no such thing as an ‘ethical hacker’ – that’s like saying ‘ethical rapist’ – it’s a contradiction in terms.” The other term commonly used, “Penetration Tester” obviously did not appeal to the government either. The C|NDA is only available to members of certain government agencies. The C|EH certification, however, is available to anyone who meets certain criteria, either having completed 67 modules of coursework or by submitting proof of 2 years of relevant information security work experience. The exam lasts 4 hours for 150 multiple choice questions for a fee of $250. When considering this certification beware its reputation among some in the security crowd as the aforementioned professional noted. However, know that companies do not seem to mind the term “hacker” even though it is often wrongly used by the news media to mean “computer criminal.”

Another security certification available is the Council of Registered Ethical Security Testers Certified Consultant. This is a very well respected certification. CREST bills themselves as a professional body and trade association with a mission to represent the information security testing industry. However, the certification has varying prices only listed in British pounds on their website. The fees include training courses that must be taken before the exam. So if you live in Great Britain this might be an option, otherwise you might decide to pass on this one.

The Mile2 Organization offers the Certified Penetration Testing Engineer (CPTE) certification. This certification is much like the other two in that it covers similar material. It costs $2,695 to take the required coursework and the exam. The exam is only 100 questions. Two hours and 40 minutes are given to take the exam.

Lastly, there is the Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP). This certification is offered by the group that created one of the most famous Linux Live CD’s for security testing, the Backtrack Penetration Testing http://www.backtrack-linux.org distribution. Backtrack was one of the first security testing Linux Live CD’s that offered the Metasploit Framework, one of the most powerful security testing tools available. This certification is the only one that actually requires proof of real penetration testing skills by demonstration in a lab environment. While a very new certification, the OSCP is certainly the most interesting of them all.

Well that’s all of the certifications that are specifically targeted at security. There are a few others, like the Cisco CCNA for example, that are often viewed as viable networking and security certifications, but they cover much more than just security. With more and more software vulnerabilities found every day, now is as good a time as any to get certified in computer security.

The one I’m sure everyone’s heard of, the CompTIA Security+ is well known but often thought of as the easiest to obtain. As of today, the exam costs $258 to take. Passing the exam requires a score of 560 on a scale of 100-900. This exam recommends having two years of networking with a focus on security. Exams taken/passed after January 1, 2011 will expire after three years. Exams taken/passed before this date will remain “lifetime certifications.”

An organization even older than CompTIA, called the Information Systems Audit and Control Association offers the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) certification. This certification is US Department of Defense approved. While more targeted towards auditors, a well trained auditor can find security issues that users and management would never think of. The exam gives 4 hours to answer 200 questions. A score of 450 is required to pass on a scale of 200 to 800. The exam can cost anywhere from $345 to $575 depending on various factors. The certification requires a minimum of 5 years experience of professional Information Security auditing.

Likely to be the second most well known and certainly the most internationally known, is the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) created by the non-profit International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC)². This certification has 250 multiple choice questions, six hours to take the exam, requires a score of 700 or greater for passing, and costs $450 if you register early enough. Late registrations raise the price to $599. Five years of professional experience is also required for this certification. The CISSP is only valid for three years and much be renewed after that. While the CISSP covers a broad range of subject matter, it has been criticized as doing only that and not really covering any subject matter in depth. Even so, CISSP professionals salaries are known to be often in excess of $100,000 a year.

If you’ve ever heard of the SANS Institute then you might have heard of the certification entity they oversee called the Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC). The certifications are linked to the training that SANS provides while focusing on vendor-neural security techniques to keep ahead of the “black hats.” Nearly two dozen certifications focusing on security, auditing, management, operations, and secure coding are offered by GIAC. The secure coding exams range from 50 to 100 questions for $349. All other exams, except the GSE, are $899. GIAC certifications are Internationally renowned as it is believed by many that anyone who has a GIAC certification really knows the subject matter extensively.

In Part II of this article I’ll cover some of the more obscure exams like the Certified Ethical Hacker exam. Until then, stay tuned.

LPI has a wealth of informative information on their website.

• Procedure for taking exams
• Detailed Objectives and Sample questions for the LPIC-1 exam

And if thats not enough there are many free resources out there, here are just a few:

• Wikibook on the LPI Certification
• IBM LPI exam prep
• O’Riley’s LPI Certification in a Nutshell, Second Edition
• A Practice Test Part 1 Part 2
• Free LPI Training Manuals

There are also several companies who offer exam prep materials at a cost:

• TestKing
• Apex Web Media
• Actual Tests

The free resources are recommended as they cover just about everything. With these resources anyone can study for the LPI LPIC-1 exam and then take the exam for $160. In todays rough job market this could be the thing that gets a foot in the door where a resume without might not.

So, why wait, go get the LPIC-1 now!