CompTIA Exams Will Have an Expiration Date!

Hey everyone—big news on the CompTIA certification front: as of January 11, 2011, the CompTIA A+, Network+, and Security+ certifications will have a three (3) year lifetime!

According to the newly published CompTIA Certification Renewal Policy, anyone who certifies for the A+, Network+, or Security+ titles will have a “valid through” date printed on their certificates.

CompTIA CEO Todd Thibodeaux published a statement regarding this decision to put a lifetime on these credentials. It seems that the certification expiration schema is associated with the requirements of Internet Organization for Standardization (ISO) 17024 accreditation. While the ISO/IEC/ANSI linkage for the three primary CompTIA certs lends a much higher profile and increased credibility to these programs, the practical impact on folks considering CompTIA certification seems sudden and profound.

Please be sure to read through the frequently asked questions (FAQ) at CompTIA.org; they did a great job of summarizing the key facts of this situation.

The bottom line for this change, as I see it, is as follows:

• If you are currently certified in the A+, Network+, or Security+ skill sets, then rest easy. Your titles have been “grandfathered” into the ISO 10724 program, and you are not subject to recertification requirements
• If you are not yet certified, then get on the stick and take those exams! According to CompTIA, any individual who certifies prior to January 11, 2011 is grandfathered into the “certified for life” schema

Please send me an e-mail message with any questions that you have.

Relevant Pearson Resources:

• CompTIA A+ 220-701 and 220-702 Cert Kit
• CompTIA Network+ Video Mentor
• CompTIA Security+ SY0-201 Practice Questions Exam Cram, 2/e