Western Governors UNiversity Refusesd to honor my A+ Certification , Internet

Okay, study for about 4 hours, take the A+ exam and you should pass…end of problem.  You cannot expect that WGU accepts a certification that is so old – the material is outdated.  In 2004 they were still testing on punchcards right?

This is a press release found on the CompTia website:

Jan 26, 2010            CompTIA Certification Renewal Policy Clarified   

Current certificate holders remain certified for life; renewal requirement applies only to certifications earned on or after January 1, 2011

Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., January 26, 2010 CompTIA, the leading provider of vendor neutral skills certifications for the worlds information technology (IT) workforce, today clarified details of its upcoming certification renewal and continuing education policy. All individuals currently certified in CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and/or CompTIA Security+ will retain their certified for life status with no requirement to recertify or retest. Individuals who become certified in CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+ by December 31, 2010 also will be considered certified for life. We do not wish to disenfranchise any of the individuals who have supported our certification program, said Todd Thibodeaux, president and chief executive officer, CompTIA.  The right thing to do is to honor our past commitment to those certified under our original certified for life policy.

Effective January 1, 2011, all new CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+ certifications will be valid for three years from the date the candidate becomes certified.   We believe this solution balances the interests of our current and future certification customers with the stringent requirements set for us by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Thibodeaux continued. Our ISO accreditation is extremely important to us because of the global credibility it carries. The policy that takes effect on January 1, 2011 will allow CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+ certifications to maintain their accreditation with internationally accepted standards for assessing personnel certification programs (ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024).  CompTIA also said that the new date for the launch of its continuing education program will be January 1, 2011. The program will offer CompTIA certified professionals a range of ways to keep their certifications earned on or after January 1, 2011 current without necessarily having to take a new exam. Certification holders and candidates are encouraged to visit www.comptia.org/renewal for the latest updates. Soon, information will be available on this web site on how to participate and help shape the program.

 As for WGU only accepting certifications within the last 5 years for credit, that's their choice.

It is true that WGU does not accept certifications that are more than 5 years old when a student enrolls. In fact, CompTIA recognizes the fact that technology changes and has begun requiring their certification

recipients to participate in a continuing education program to maintain their certification status. CompTIA chose to grant those who were certified prior to this decision (pre-2011) a 'certified for life' status. This does not negate the fact that technology changes rapidly, and WGU is committed to ensuring that its students have up-to-date information technology knowledge when they

graduate.

Students with certified for life status can take the A+ certs required as part of their WGU degree plan with no negative impact to an A+ certification for life. When the student completes the new certification, CompTIA will list the student as having two certifications.

Note that the costs for all certifications required as part of WGU degree plans are part of regular tuition; there is no additional cost to the student.

I am surprised no one has filed a rebuttal on WGU's behalf. However, I have to defend WGU as I too have an old A+ certification.

I had started enrollment with WGU at around May of 2010. I was enrolled at WGU on August, 2010. My CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Network+ certification was obtained November and December 2005. According to WGU's policy regarding the transfer of certifications, only "Transferable IT certifications earned within the last five years" are accepted for valid credit.

http://www.wgu.edu/admissions/it_requirements 

This was always the case with WGU and I remember this, specifically, because I was only a few months within the five year cutoff. Had I waited until the beginning of 2011, my CompTIA certs would not have been valid! In the complaintant's case, he earned his A+ in 2004 and applied to WGU in 2011. He would have had to take A+ again OR perhaps enroll in the CompTIA's Continuing Education program and take either a higher cert, like Security+ or CASP, which would have "renewed" his A+ and then WGU would have accepted it. Otherwise, yes he would have had to take A+ again.

This is not a valid complaint as it is and was policy for WGU to have somewhat current certs in order to transfer them in for college credit. Yes, his A+ is considered a lifetime certification, but WGU's policy is not governed by CompTIA's. WGU is an excellent school and I just finished all of my requirements for a BS in Information Technology-Networks Management and Design. I am now enrolled at a state school where I will obtain my Masters.

ComptTIA is no longer guaranteeing their certs for life as they used to do. Any cert from them is only good for three years from the time you pass the exam. this policy, started in 2010, affects all PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE certificate holders.

Your A+ is not 'worth' the paper it is on at this point, since, in 2004, you would have taken it based on XP, and hardware that has been obsolete for some time now.

http://transcender.wordpress.com/2010/01/14/comptia-sets-3-year-expiration-policy-for-a-network-and-security-certifications/

WHAT are you doing here????

Better think it through dude!

WGU uses several CompTIA exams, including the A+ exam, as part of the curriculum in its Information Technology degree programs, to determine competency in a subject area. This allows students to earn both credit and a recognized certification. Students who already possess certifications such as CompTIA A+ obtained within the past 5 years can receive transfer credit for it.

Because the certification is tied to the curriculum and carries credit value, WGU requires that the certification have been obtained within the past 5 years in order to be certain it more closely aligns with the curriculum. Thus, a person may hold a CompTIA certification that is still technically valid in the eyes of CompTIA but not be eligible for credit. A WGU admissions or enrollment counselor can explain this in more detail.

Please note that students are not charged a separate fee for these certifications. They are part of the curriculum for our IT degrees, and the cost of the certifications and the tests are covered by tuition.

First of all, you should be thanking WGU, not going on a stupid message board like this and bashing them.

WGU clearly states that your IT certs must be current, within the last 5 years.  Your A+ cert is 8 YEARS OLD.  No employer would even accept an 8 year old A+ cert, that is why Comptia changed the policy to 3-year renewal.

WGU is offering you the ability to take the test again, FOR FREE.  It's included in the tuition.  You could schedule the test the day WGU opens the class for you, then two weeks later go and pass the test and get college-level credit for it, plus a fresh certification.

WGU's IT school already has an outstanding reputation.  Complaining here is just a waste.
Stop and think it through dude, before jumping on the net and writing some stupid complaint.

First of all, you should be thanking WGU, not going on a stupid message board like this and bashing them.

WGU clearly states that your IT certs must be current, within the last 5 years.  Your A+ cert is 8 YEARS OLD.  No employer would even accept an 8 year old A+ cert, that is why Comptia changed the policy to 3-year renewal.

WGU is offering you the ability to take the test again, FOR FREE.  It's included in the tuition.  You could schedule the test the day WGU opens the class for you, then two weeks later go and pass the test and get college-level credit for it, plus a fresh certification.

WGU's IT school already has an outstanding reputation.  Complaining here is just a waste.  Stop and think it through dude, before jumping on the net and writing some stupid complaint.