Certification exams move online

One of the reactions to the coronavirus lockdown is to use the time to brush up on skills – and most vendors have been actively promoting their online training tools.

Providing material online for resellers to use to gain certifications has been seen as one of the main ways that vendors can assist partners during the current crisis.

CompTIA is one of the main providers of training and it has also moved to make it easier for those looking to gain knowledge to get access to training programmes.

The firm has launched an “anytime, anywhere” online testing option for its certification exams that is supported by computer-based player Pearson VUE.

“Current and prospective IT professionals, students, career changers and others whose plans have been put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic can resume their studies and schedule their exams with the full confidence that we’re here when they’re ready to take their test,” said Todd Thibodeaux, president and CEO of CompTIA.

“They will do so on a platform that delivers a rich user experience and robust security protection, all from the privacy and security of their home.”

The plan is to continue offering the online training alongside the traditional option of using test centres once those facilities are given the green light to reopen when the lockdown ends.

Pearson VUE is also working with the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP),which has also decided to make it possible for candidates to sit remote tests.

“With so much uncertainty in the world and an abundance of people working remotely, the importance of privacy has never been so crucial,” said J Trevor Hughes, CEO and president of the IAPP.

“There are hundreds of exam candidates who have trained, studied and are waiting to take their exam. This allows them to test from their home and advance their learning and career goals while still practising safe social distancing.”

Certification exams that can now be done remotely include: Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP), which covers a mastery of jurisdictional laws, regulations and enforcement models, as well as legal requirements for handling and transferring data, the Certified Information Privacy Technologist (CIPT) and Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM).

The lockdown has spurred more interest in individuals to learn digital skills, with many viewing the weeks working at home as a chance to learn or brush up on coding and marketing.

According to research from TheKnowledgeAcademy.com, some of the most useful things people can learn at home include SEO, in around 10 days, and digital marketing, in three months.

For those learning coding on their own, getting to a decent level of proficiency takes slightly longer – four and a half months, if they spend an hour a day on it.