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First LPI Certification Exam
Linegod writes "
The Linux Professional Institute (LPI) today announced the immediate availability of the first exam in its Linux Certification Program. The exam, which covers Linux basics as part of the program's first level, is now available worldwide at testing centers affiliated with Virtual University Enterprises
" There's a lot of people currently competing to be "the standard", ranging from the different distros to people like this - what do you folks think?
Mirror here: http://www.angelfire.com/sd/sdmirror/exam.html
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur.
I only post comments when someone on the internet is wrong.
Note that I did not assert any anti-Microsoft sentiment in my message. I just don't believe in these stupid certification courses like MCSE, and CNE before that. They're all stuff and nonsense, and a Linux version wouldn't be any better.
If you learned a lot by playing around with NT while getting your MCSE, let me suggest to you that you would have learned just as much by playing around with NT without the MCSE. Similarly you would likely get more out of installing Linux and intelligently playing around with it, than you would by studying some ridiculously fat book and writing some dumb certification exam.
The MCSE/CNE/etc. is a bunch of drivel. An intelligent person might learn something quite by accident--most likely because intelligent people learn something from most anything they do.
It's my job to interview and hire programmers, at least part of the time. I will continue to view MCSE (or its Linux equivalent) as evidence that someone felt they were incompetent and didn't know how to educate themselves, so they turned to scam artists who promptly took their money. My experience interviewing people is that the MCSE (or other style certification) candidates went through that cert process because they were alien to the field and didn't know where to start. The MCSE, in general, doesn't solve that problem.
The reason these MCSE/etc. things exists is mythical: there are supposedly companies out there who receive so many resumes that they need to look for the "certified" candidates just to reduce the stack somewhat. This isn't true. Any competent technical person can quickly work through a stack of resumes and pick out the ones that look promising.
The real problem is HR departments--when someone who is not qualified reviews the resumes and pretends to select the ones that are "interesting". These incompetent HR drones are likely the best justification that the certification programs have. But rather than create a certificaion process, the right thing to do is fire the HR drone and give the stack of resumes to someone qualified to read them.
If you want to find good people you have to do hard work to find them. And anyway, contrary to the myth above, there simply aren't that many qualified people out there. I do NOT get a huge stack of resumes when I go looking for good people--it's a sellers market right now.
Whatever certifications there are, there must be different levels.
Something like
o Fundamentals
o System Administrator
o Kernel Hacker^H^H^H^H^H^HDeveloper
o Guru
o Kung-Fu Master
Having an MCSE does not guarantee that someone is stupid, but there's plenty of really stupid people I've seen with their MCSEs.
The problem with all certification processes is that the goal becomes the certificate and not continuing knowledge. The people I've been associated with who knew their sh*t, kept learning and exploring the technology. The ones that gave certificates a bad name were the people who stopped attempting to learn after they received the certificate.
Well I guess you haven't been exposed to very many of these kinds of people then. I know plenty without a clue, too, but I also know some pretty damn amazingly smart people who went for thsoe kinds of exams because their bosses wanted them to, it meant a raise, etc.
/.'ers would fall into a similar category when it comes to various Linux tests.
These tests are a real double-edged sword. On the one hand, they provide a basis of what people should know, and employers (PHBs in particular) enjoy that. On the other hand, once they become popular and people realize that just by having this little piece of certification they can make X dollars a year or Y dollars more, it all starts falling to shit.
Back when I was more of a Microsoft Whore, I passed like 5 exams I think. They were:
- Access 2.0
- VB 3.0
- Win95
- WOSA I
- WOSA II
Some of those are outdated now, and I've not bothered to keep up with them because the last couple jobs I've had it doesn't really matter. I wouldn't have gotten those, but when I was at a consulting company, my boss liked to show off that he had MCSD(s) working for him. Looked good no the sell sheets, company info, etc.
When I took those exams, I never failed a single one. All of the preparation I did involved buying one single book that talked about the kind of stuff that was on the WOSA tests. I expect that many
Why am I, or others, able to do such a thing? Because I did MS stuff every day, my experience was in playing with stuff all the time.
My theory on what happens with all of these tests in general follows: When tests or new certifications are announced, people that actually know the stuff take them right away and have no problems. Eventually curricula are produced, and people start having classes for the exams. Then people see it as a career advancement, pay their $1000s for a course in some certification, be it CNE, MCSE, MCSD, etc. etc., learn EXACTLY the questions that are on the test (the randomness isn't all THAT random, I'd imagine), pass, get their certification, and their extra bucks.
So basically, the tests are useful at the start, because the people that already know everything pass easily and quickly. Then eventually you fall into the CNE syndrome where everyone can become one, and the tests essentially become meaningless for everyone involved, except as CYA material (that's Cover-Your-Ass for those unfamiliar).
A far far better metric would be to see things like "GPAs" for the classes, test pass/fail rate, etc., but I don't think anyone involved would let that happen.
I recall a few decades back when an organization was putting together the CDP (Certified Data-processing Professional) exam. This was supposed to test programmers and let the suits know which were good enough to handle their jobs.
It was also a rather Co$tly little test. And the organization developing it planned to run itself on the money it charged for the tests and to joion their association.
Most programmers (myself included) considered it to be a crock, and thought the organization promoting it was trying to set up a protection racket, where their association members would be the only ones who would be employable. (And that even if it were in good faith, the field was so broad that any test would be ghettoized and would mainly measure which part of the field you were in, not how good you were.) So we boycotted it in droves, and it never took off.
Nowdays CDP is a dead issue.
Which is probably just as well, given that that these days Data Professionals don't do much with COBOL or RPG. B-)
Bantam Dominique roosters crow a four-note song. Once you've heard it as "Happy BIRTHday" you can't NOT hear it that way
Viscerally, I don't like the idea of certification exams -- I wouldn't want to have to take one, and I certainly wouldn't want to lose a job to someone vastly less capable, just because they happened to have the approval of some dubious skill certification authority.
But I wonder what the alternative is. I'm no expert on hiring, but I've been asked to do some certification on similarly limited information -- that is, someone handed me a few resumes and asked me to express some opinions. You can't always tell much from a resume. At some point I'll have to interview people. Interviews are notoriously unreliable. If I hadn't been around, the interview and resume reading would have to have been done by someone with no relevant technical knowledge whatsoever. It's hard to imagine them getting any useful information about competence. Hiring someone to do your hiring might be a good idea, or it might be a painful experience in the difficulty of bootstrapping. So is the certification exam an example of the worst form of certification, except for all the others?
I'd have to guess that a certification exam score is, if only slightly, better than nothing (or, rather, better than just a resume). The question then is more one of weighting. How bad does your other information have to be before the certification exam scores should carry significant weight? And how often does the typical interview rise above that threshold of informativeness? I have the unjustified feeling that, with some forethought, I could outperform an exam. But I don't think everyone is in my position.
I like your style :)
/rc.d/ in between /etc and all the SysV stuff should be shot. Twice. At point blank range. With an elephant gun. In the head. (sorry, BOFH!)
Do you subscribe to BUGTRAQ? Do you know how many more security advisories RH has to put out as a result of their silly GUI tools? Boy, do I ever...and guess what? Our server is about to get a hard disk upgrade, and the new disk has Debian Potato. In fact, all of our machines are moving to Debian; once I used it, I never wanted to go back.
I'm firmly convinced that apt-get is the best thing since SMP. On machines at colleges where the staff changes every 4 years, the package manager MUST NOT SUCK. Also, on my own machines, I can install the base system of 28M, and then compile all other packages myself, so I'm in complete control (if I want more security, for example) Magnificent.
You CANNOT install RedHat without installing X-windows and at least the VGA-16 server; this is, IMO, VERY BROKEN!! And how can I smoothly upgrade from 5.2 to 6.x, so that I can use the latest RPMs of Sendmail and not be an open relay any more. No, that was purely hypothetical...
apt-get update
apt-get dist upgrade
Amazing. The Way It Was Meant To Be.
And whoever stuck that extra
WMBC freeform/independent online radio.
As an MCSE, I'd like to take this opportunity to express my hope that the new linux certification process is as good as Microsoft's.
These are IMHO the most important MCSE tests.
70-215 Summoning He Who Shall Not Be Named 4.0
70-38 Demonic possesion essentials.
70-75 Implementing non-euclidean madness caused by manifestations of the dread Cthulhu 2000 in the enterprise.
70-134 Advanced programming with Yog Sothoth
Does the linux community have anything similar?
--Shoeboy the MCSE
You start off by saying "I think the certifications are bunk" and then proceed to explain that they indicate to other people that you have some skills and that your career has been bettered.
I don't think that anyone is claiming that a certification is anything but a piece of paper that indicates that you might have a clue. In my opinion, certifications certainly serve that purpose.
You also generalize; contrary to your claim, there are certainly certifications that prove that you have a top-notch skillset. For example, Cisco's CCIE certification is 100% deserving of the credit given to those who pass it (120k+ starting salaries and a lot of peer respect). Even the MCSD shows that you can at least do mildly adequate Windows programming (if there is such a thing).
Are there certifications that are less than what most people make them out to be? Sure. Are most certifications less valuable than what most people make them out to be? Unfortunately, yes. Are they "bunk" or worthless? Nope.
is not whether someone has a certification, but whether the certification is worth anything. Hopefully this organization's program actually contains the material and instruction necessary to turn people into useful Linux sysadmins, or something resembling one. If so, then I think they will get the imprimatur of the Linux community, which will mean that this certification will mean something. And since no one body controls Linux, a Linux certification might mean something, compared to more centrally-controlled certification programs *cough*MCSE*cough*.
--- Dirtside | "Spirituality" is the irrational belief in the supernatural
"Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased
I worked pretty hard to achieve my MCSE. Bought some books, studied hard, played with NT (which is not nearly as horrible as some people here on /. are pretty quick to say), learned some great stuff, and most of all I had fun while doing it. I did not do it for any reason other than it was a good way to enter into the IT world above my current status as a help desk person. I had some of the skills i needed, but employers would nearly always choose the people who had certifications, because they "met" their qualifications and they would rather not hire someone who needs "on-the-job training" if they have someone who, certifiably, does not. By no means was obtaining my MCSE as difficult as undergrad Senior Seminar Philosophy class in college, but since there are not a whole lot of job opportunities for Philosophy BAs (who, incidentially were not smart enough to minor in comp sci or something useful like that) being able to gain entry into this wonderful profession via an access point like an MCSE is a pretty good way to go.
Please don't get me wrong. I am also an MCT, but you will never catch me teaching. I refuse to water down my own certification for some poor schmuck who will pay $10,000 for a "boot camp" that lasts an entire week so they can go forth and fsck everything up. I assure you I had a *long* discussion with my employer regarding that.
At any rate. I guess my point to all of this is that you shouldn't let the stand-out paper MCSEs who don't know anything dictate what you think of other MCSEs. Some of us are smart, nice, and even {gasp!} use Linux (if Bill only knew). while I am not going to argue that your average MCSE tends to be a little greener when it comes to IT (or networking or whatever you want to call it) there are some of us who might surprise you in the long run.
Just don't assume that someone obtains a certification that they don't know anything...it really is a close-minded way to look at things (even if your experiences tell you otherwise).
Just my thoughts. Flame away....
cdmz1
Do Not Taunt Happy Fun Ball
...they were right about you...
I am a sun certified system administrator, having taken the tests and passing and stuff. And let me say right off that I think the certifications are bunk. They have no relation to what you actually know.
But they give HR a nice little metric. Especially for people like me who do not have a college degree but lots of practical experience. And I think my career is the better for accomplishing the certification, no matter whether it means anything technically...
So do I think these certifications are a good thing? You betcha. But not because they're useful, but just because it gives us a credential that we may not otherwise be able to claim. Don't go expecting it to have any real world technical application. Just be glad there's some form of validation that HR can understand out there. And who cares who actually does the certification? Bets that HR won't... In fact, I know several MCSEs who wouldn't know a mouse when they see one... but they make more money than I do...
Just take it for what it is... something that will help you to increase your take-home pay.
If you can't figure out how to mail me, don't.
For linux tips: http://www.linuxtipsblog.com
I was one of the first persons (ID: LPI000001003) to take this test. I just wanted to share my experiences with you guys.
The testing center near my home is a local technical school. They were friendly and the exam area was comfortable. I arrived early and brushed through parts of the O'Reilly "Essential System Administration" I haven't read over in a while.
While I was waiting, a gentlemen approached me and asked if I was there to take a Linux exam. I smiled and indicated I was. He was attending the school there pursuing his MSCE and had some questions about Linux and the exam. He was curious how I was preparing especially and what subjects the exam covered. I explained I was a consultant and have been using Linux since 1994 and recommended a few good books on the subjects covered by the exam. I also explained what I know about the exam structure and requirements. I also indicated that I chaired the Melbourne Linux User Group (http://www.mlinux.org/) and that we have local meetings. He took my business card and said he would like to attend our install party this weekend.
I was motioned to the testing area by the librarian and she explained that mine was the second beta exam she ever gave and the first Linux exam. I told her to expect a few more in the coming weeks and she logged me into the exam system.
The test was challenging and I added comments for each of the questions, added why I selected the options I did or when I was guessing. The questions were appropriate for the target level you mentioned on the site. Good job LPI!
When the test was completed I was given a printout that featured the LPI logo and some explanation of the beta period scoring. I am disappointed that I won't know the results for a while, but am glad I was able to help by providing another example test for LPI to mull over. If you want to contact me and ask me anything about the test, please feel free.
Thanks to LPI for this effort at distribution neutral certification! I feel very strongly about supporting this and will be encouraging the members of our LUG to support it as well.
Tony Awtrey
My God! It's full of Voids!
You know, I've always hated certifications.. but I can see where employers like them.
.8x or so... I can't even remember. It was a mess. The concept of a 'distribution' wasn't even fully solidified. I've worked with Solaris, Irix, SCO Unix, Unixware (Both Novell and Sco) and the list goes on. And add NT/unix integration to the list. I feel *burnt* if someone expects me to fork out money to pay some company to tell me that I'm qualified to work on linux...
See, it's not that Mr. CIO thinks that an MCSE is *cool* or *really smart* or anything, it's just easy for him, if he has a MS based network, to say 'well, MS certifies professionals, so it makes sense that if MS certifies them, we'll get more bang for our buck.'
This, of course, isn't always the case....Quite the opposite sometimes, even.
The hacker kid who has *no* certifications may be a far better asset to the company... and the person with the MCSE may be so narrow-minded that you are stuck on the MS path forever. (I'm not picking on MS, the same thing applies to *any* other vendor.)
Now some certifications we may think of as more involved... certainly, if you are doing mostly network engineering, the guy with the CCIE is probably worth his weight in gold... but then again, the whole point of the CCIE was to provide a certification for an industry where there was none. Employers had *nothing* to judge a potential internetwork employee by. I must say, to this day, if someone has a CCIE, I can assume they know their stuff and are practiced... CCIE isn't one of those certifications you can study the book for for a week or two and then go pass... it was created for professionals who *already* had lots of experience. Now.. don't think I'm a cisco head... I don't mean to single them out, or to promote them, but it is a good example of what we need in the linux/unix world, and really, in the IT world in general.
To look at it a different way is that I feel that MCSE, dmCLA, LPI, CNE, A+ don't adequately certify what *I* am capable of as an IT employee.
There is no overriding certification, nothing in the industry that says 'professional, well-rounded, experienced IT person.... well, except your resume, that is!
Now.. what am I (personally), as someone who is part of the hiring process, as the architect of the companies entire network, when I see on a resume LPI certified. Hmm.. Linux qualifications are part of the process. Am I going to take this person seriously? Sure. LPI looks reasonably good. Am I going to reject someone else with experience because they don't have LPI? Heck no.. I wouldn't think of it. To put it differently, most certifications are a plus to the holder, but not a necessity.
And it does feel kind of threatening, doesnt' it? I've been using linux since
(is this like how my uncle feels burnt that now that there are SCUBA regulations, he can't go diving without going to classes and getting his ticket, even though he's been diving for 30 years?)
I'm rambling...
I guess to make a long story short, certifications never make you look bad, but they are no replacement for experience.
Or like the black-belt in most martial arts.. the unknowing see it as the goal to be obtained, but to those who obtain it, and to their teachers, it simply signifies the beginning.
Just like an engineering degree is your ENTRY POINT into professional engineering, and just like your PH.D is your entry point into a medical practice, so is a certification in some product simply an entry point into the IT world.
Or rather, do you tell the ninja master that he cannot teach you because he cannot provide credentials?
I'm not a network administrator, but I "manage" (in the business/personnel) sense, the network operations in our shop.
I sent our network admin through RHCE (and was there taking one of the lead-in courses) at Red Hat. While many of the comments in this batch seem to assume that all certification consists of is a written exam, that's not true of the RHCE. It has a high failure rate. Written responses are only a third of the score -- the rest is hands-on debugging and server configuration. I've taken all the classes up to the RHCE, but there's not a chance in hell I'd be able to pass the exam -- because I don't have the years of experience that it takes to succeed when you get off the paper and in front of the broken box.
Upshot: I'm one of the guys who hires geeks. Because I know what's involved, I'll give preference (and extra cash) for an RHCE -- as long as they keep the high standards up that RedHat's established so far.
Wouldn't it be great if the other certification vendors -- LinuxCare, whoever -- made Linux certification mean something more than the toilet paper MSCE?
"When I grow up, I'll be stable."
Here is a quick example: My friend just started working for a company that makes all their employees take the MSCE tests. How do they prepare for them, they all cram with study books to remember facts for a week before the tests, and they take a test a week every week until they pass them all (and supplying MS with much $) But what do they gain from this??? NO real or retainable knowledge! But the company gets more money if the employees are MSCE certified, and so the cycle continues.
In addition the test (as far as I can tell) is useless. I had my friend ask me some of the questions. One which struck me was a section where you had to match up the names of the network standards to the IEEE standard numbers. Now, while its great to know what IEEE 802.3 proper name is, but it won't help you at all when your netwoek goes down.