This web site was co-authored by Brent Hill, Exam Protections & Safety Operations Supervisor, and Brent Morris, Protection Investigations & Enforcements System Supervisor.

The thought of certification is developed on have faith in and integrity. When an individual is qualified by an group, that firm is guaranteeing that the certification holder fulfilled the needs to make that certification and that the course of action of earning it was honest, and importantly, protected. Listed here at Cisco, the Test Security Method guards our certifications’ integrity and maintains the respect and have confidence in with which they’re regarded. Our part is to be lively all through the entirety of the certification method, creating security into almost everything we do to frequently preserve the integrity and track record of Cisco tests. In brief, we’re the crew that operates driving the scenes, policing the behaviors and pursuits that can jeopardize the price of the certifications men and women perform so tricky to earn.

Satisfy the Cisco Exam Safety team 

For a bit of context, the Examination Stability Plan was formalized in 2001, and is managed and based mostly in the United States. Our team is made up of Brent Hill, Examination Protections & Protection Functions Manager, and Brent Morris, the Protection Investigations & Enforcements Plan Supervisor. Proper now, we have protection and enforcement oversight of 100+ exams, eight CCIE labs, 2700 Pearson Vue screening centers, and all on the internet exam shipping and delivery.

Prior to we get too considerably into this, we want to level you in the direction of a latest interview we did for the Cisco Understanding Community Podcast. We talked at duration about the topic of exam protection. If you want a lot more information and facts about my track record, our perspective on all of this, and a little bit extra context about the group (which include a further dive into how we made the Examination Safety Method), examine it out on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Let’s phase into this dialogue with an eye toward the massive image. On the podcast, we go by way of some of the problems we confront and the beliefs that push us. One of the details that serve as both equally an best to attempt for and a problem we experience is how we sustain worth. Of course, worth can be calculated in distinctive techniques there’s monetary price, of system, but there’s also value in recognizing the substance you’re understanding is important and up to day, there is value in recognizing the examination you’re having is an correct benchmark of expertise, and there’s value in the certification alone. Defending those people values does not just take place at the conclude of Cisco’s exam method or in the testing center—it guides anything we do. And that consists of what we’re carrying out internally and externally.

Behind the scenes of certification examination safety

You should hardly ever come to feel like a Cisco examination or certification lacks value. Our interior do the job also enables us to collaborate with teams in Cisco to make confident the protection steps we have devised are integral components of their style and design procedure, baked into the way that they are pondering and operating. It also enables them to be proactive when they see a dilemma with their content material and aid us in determining options. Our skill to collaborate allows us to do the job significantly extra efficiently throughout a large corporation.

Externally, we’re usually on the lookout for techniques to safeguard the integrity of our exams and our certifications. One particular of the large difficulties we appear for in the wild is what we contact ‘Exam Mind Dumps.’ Fundamentally, a brain dump is when another person who has taken the exam remembers the particulars of a difficulty or segment and then disseminates it on line, either for sale or totally free. (We speak about it a little bit additional at length on the podcast.) What is more, is that this is protected exclusively by the Cisco Candidate NDA, so these people know what they’re undertaking.

We defend you all through the test system

Definitely, owning an test challenge or part out in the planet threatens the integrity of the exam. Candidates can use that details to cheat. When an individual earns their certification via cheating, that devalues everyone’s certification and calls into problem the believe in that Cisco has developed, so we’re generally on the lookout for this form of dissemination.

So that kind of will work as a fantastic instance of the considering that goes into what we do. We’re often on the lookout for brain dumps, collusion, fraud, proxy screening, false rating experiences, etc., mainly because just about every of individuals things cuts into the validity of a Cisco test. When we come across them, we have to just take action. Simply because when something is on the world-wide-web, it’s out of our fingers. There are other things to consider in this article as nicely. We’re not just switching the exam, we’re also invalidating certifications for individuals who accessed the substance and supplying them lifetime bans. It is severe.

Our intent is also to shield candidates who do not know much better. Cisco certification tests are really hard, and there are legit analyze sources out there. But the very last issue we want to see is a prospect to give their cash to someone who can jeopardize their certification or mislead them.

The options are there. But recall:  There is not an effortless, small route to passing a Cisco certification examination. So, when you occur throughout the promise of an quick, much too-fantastic-to-be-real route to having licensed, you ought to feel alarmed.

How to report a Cisco examination violation

It’s not difficult to figure out if the content you are seeing is genuine or not, we want to help you and we’re below for that. Sending an e-mail to [email protected] is the most effective way to determine out if what you’re looking at or thinking of acquiring is heading legit. And we’re delighted to direct you to other solutions, we’re on your aspect through this procedure, which is the issue of examination protection. We have a zero-tolerance coverage for dishonest, and we have formulated various strategies for catching cheaters, it’s just not well worth accomplishing at any amount.

There are a good deal of duties that we inquire candidates to consider on, which are specific on both the Applicant Legal rights and Responsibilities document we’ve designed and the Test Coverage website page. When candidates arrive to generate a certification, they become part of our group and concur to a code of carry out that we use to maintain the security of our tests and guard their worth for all people.

Over-all, we’re below to get the job done with our neighborhood to safeguard their certifications and tough get the job done. We stimulate thoughts and guidelines simply because we want to assistance. Really feel free to arrive at out to us and have that discussion, enable us know if you have issues, or see something you consider we should search at.

Many thanks for getting the time to go through and understand a little bit a lot more about Test Safety. Achieve out in the comment segment with issues and let’s start out a dialogue. We’d really like to listen to about your Cisco examination encounters and how we can finest assistance your certification journey.

Thoughts? Want to report an examination plan violation? Mail us an e-mail.

Most effective,

The Brents (Brent Hill and Brent Morris)

Pay attention on the Cisco Studying Community Podcast

“How to Shield the Integrity of Your Cisco Certification“

Accessible now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

 

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