Comments on: 10 best IT certifications http://blogs.uww.edu/ambrosep/2008/12/17/10-best-it-certifications/ University of Wiscosin Whitewater Wed, 04 Feb 2009 23:56:40 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Dr. Paul D. Giammalvo http://blogs.uww.edu/ambrosep/2008/12/17/10-best-it-certifications/comment-page-1/#comment-17 Dr. Paul D. Giammalvo Thu, 18 Dec 2008 12:37:13 +0000 http://blogs.uww.edu/ambrosep/?p=91#comment-17 Hi Dr. Paul, With all due respect, I question your choice of the adjective "best", at least as it applies to PMI's PMP certification. I could readily accept "most popular" or "best marketed" but "best" infers that it is "better than all others: of the highest quality or standard or the most excellent type" (MS Encarta Dictionary) Sorry, but I simply cannot accept that definition. To put my concern in perspective, exactly how much credibility should anyone put in any credential that requires: 1) only 4,500 hours of work on projects, with absolutely no requirement that the projects were successful? 2) only 35 hours of "advanced" or "specialized" training, and that training does not even have to be graduate level, but satisfied by reading a book or listening to a podcast? 3) taking a 4 hour exam, consisting of 200 multiple choice questions, of which only 175 actually count, and; 4) a passing grade of ~62%? Gimme a break!!! Is this the kind of credential that you would be willing to put in the hands of someone else? Sorry Paul, but I fear someone of your education level and professional gravitas touting the PMP as being "best" is misleading at best and indicates a lack of knowledge or awareness of alternate credentials to those offered by PMI which have much more technical respect, if not being as well marketed. In particular, I would urge you to research the COMPETENCY based credentials offered by AIPM, GAPPS, IPMA, asapm or AACE. BR, Dr. PDG, Boston, MA, USA Hi Dr. Paul,
With all due respect, I question your choice of the adjective “best”, at least as it applies to PMI’s PMP certification.

I could readily accept “most popular” or “best marketed” but “best” infers that it is “better than all others: of the highest quality or standard or the most excellent type” (MS Encarta Dictionary)

Sorry, but I simply cannot accept that definition. To put my concern in perspective, exactly how much credibility should anyone put in any credential that requires:
1) only 4,500 hours of work on projects, with absolutely no requirement that the projects were successful?
2) only 35 hours of “advanced” or “specialized” training, and that training does not even have to be graduate level, but satisfied by reading a book or listening to a podcast?
3) taking a 4 hour exam, consisting of 200 multiple choice questions, of which only 175 actually count, and;
4) a passing grade of ~62%?

Gimme a break!!! Is this the kind of credential that you would be willing to put in the hands of someone else?

Sorry Paul, but I fear someone of your education level and professional gravitas touting the PMP as being “best” is misleading at best and indicates a lack of knowledge or awareness of alternate credentials to those offered by PMI which have much more technical respect, if not being as well marketed.

In particular, I would urge you to research the COMPETENCY based credentials offered by AIPM, GAPPS, IPMA, asapm or AACE.

BR,
Dr. PDG, Boston, MA, USA

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