Behind the Scenes of Cisco Examination Safety

This weblog was co-authored by Brent Hill, Examination Protections & Safety Operations Supervisor, and Brent Morris, Safety Investigations & Enforcements Program Supervisor.

The idea of certification is constructed on belief and integrity. When somebody is licensed by a company, that group is guaranteeing that the certification holder met the necessities to earn that certification and that the method of incomes it was truthful, and importantly, safe. Right here at Cisco, the Examination Safety Program protects our certifications’ integrity and maintains the respect and belief with which they’re regarded. Our position is to be lively all through the whole thing of the certification course of, constructing safety into all the pieces we do to repeatedly preserve the integrity and popularity of Cisco exams. In brief, we’re the crew that operates behind the scenes, policing the behaviors and actions that may jeopardize the worth of the certifications individuals work so arduous to earn.

Meet the Cisco Examination Safety crew 

For a little bit of context, the Examination Safety Program was formalized in 2001, and is managed and based mostly in america. Our crew consists of Brent Hill, Examination Protections & Safety Operations Supervisor, and Brent Morris, the Safety Investigations & Enforcements Program Supervisor. Proper now, now we have safety and enforcement oversight of 100+ exams, eight CCIE labs, 2700 Pearson Vue testing facilities, and all on-line examination supply.

Earlier than we get too far into this, we need to level you within the path of a latest interview we did for the Cisco Studying Community Podcast. We talked at size in regards to the matter of examination safety. If you would like extra details about my background, our perspective on all of this, and a bit extra context in regards to the crew (together with a deeper dive into how we created the Examination Safety Program), test it out on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Let’s step into this dialogue with an eye fixed towards the massive image. On the podcast, we undergo a number of the challenges we face and the beliefs that drive us. One of many factors that function each an excellent to attempt for and a problem we face is how we preserve worth. Clearly, worth may be calculated in numerous methods; there’s financial worth, in fact, however there’s additionally worth in figuring out the fabric you’re studying is important and updated, there’s worth in figuring out the examination you’re taking is an correct benchmark of abilities, and there’s worth within the certification itself. Defending these values doesn’t simply occur on the finish of Cisco’s examination course of or within the testing heart—it guides all the pieces we do. And that features what we’re doing internally and externally.

Behind the scenes of certification examination safety

It is best to by no means really feel like a Cisco examination or certification lacks worth. Our inside work additionally permits us to collaborate with groups in Cisco to verify the safety measures we’ve devised are integral components of their design course of, baked into the way in which that they’re considering and working. It additionally permits them to be proactive after they see an issue with their content material and assist us in figuring out options. Our means to collaborate permits us to work way more successfully throughout a big group.

Externally, we’re at all times searching for methods to guard the integrity of our exams and our certifications. One of many huge issues we search for within the wild is what we name ‘Examination Mind Dumps.’ Primarily, a mind dump is when somebody who has taken the examination remembers the specifics of an issue or part after which disseminates it on-line, both on the market or free. (We speak about it a bit extra at size on the podcast.) What’s extra, is that that is lined particularly by the Cisco Candidate NDA, so these individuals know what they’re doing.

We defend you all through the examination course of

Clearly, having an examination drawback or part out on this planet threatens the integrity of the examination. Candidates can use that info to cheat. When somebody earns their certification by means of dishonest, that devalues everybody’s certification and calls into query the belief that Cisco has constructed, so we’re at all times looking out for this form of dissemination.

In order that form of works as instance of the considering that goes into what we do. We’re at all times looking out for mind dumps, collusion, fraud, proxy testing, false rating studies, and many others., as a result of every of these issues cuts into the validity of a Cisco examination. Once we discover them, now we have to take motion. As a result of as soon as one thing is on the web, it’s out of our fingers. There are different concerns right here as effectively. We’re not simply altering the examination, we’re additionally invalidating certifications for individuals who accessed the fabric and giving them lifetime bans. It’s extreme.

Our intent can also be to guard candidates who don’t know higher. Cisco certification exams are arduous, and there are legit research sources on the market. However the final factor we need to see is a candidate to provide their cash to somebody who can jeopardize their certification or mislead them.

The choices are there. However keep in mind:  There isn’t a simple, quick path to passing a Cisco certification examination. So, once you come throughout the promise of a simple, too-good-to-be-true path to getting licensed, it’s best to really feel alarmed.

report a Cisco examination violation

It’s not arduous to determine if the fabric you’re seeing is professional or not, we need to aid you and we’re right here for that. Sending an e-mail to security-tipline@cisco.com is the easiest way to determine if what you’re taking a look at or contemplating shopping for goes legit. And we’re blissful to direct you to different choices, we’re in your aspect throughout this course of, which is the purpose of examination safety. We’ve got a zero-tolerance coverage for dishonest, and now we have developed completely different strategies for catching cheaters, it’s simply not price doing at any degree.

There are loads of duties that we ask candidates to tackle, that are detailed on each the Candidate Rights and Duties doc we’ve created and the Examination Coverage web page. When candidates come to earn a certification, they develop into a part of our group and conform to a code of conduct that we use to take care of the safety of our exams and defend their worth for everybody.

Total, we’re right here to work with our group to guard their certifications and arduous work. We encourage questions and ideas as a result of we need to assist. Be at liberty to achieve out to us and have that dialogue, tell us in case you have issues, or see one thing you assume we should always have a look at.

Thanks for taking the time to learn and study a bit extra about Examination Safety. Attain out within the remark part with questions and let’s begin a dialogue. We’d love to listen to about your Cisco examination experiences and the way we will finest assist your certification journey.

Questions? Have to report an examination coverage violation? Ship us an e-mail.

Finest,

The Brents (Brent Hill and Brent Morris)

Hear on the Cisco Studying Community Podcast

“ Shield the Integrity of Your Cisco Certification“

Out there now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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