11-30-2022 10:24 AM
Good Morning,
I am responsible for the certification process for the engineering team at Data Science Automation, and we have had six online exams in a row that have been interfered with in some manner by PSI.
The first CLD exam was terminated for "Suspicious Behavior" at the one hour mark with no warnings. Previous exams had warnings about 'do not cover your mouth' or 'don't talk to yourself', but this time PSI went straight to kicking the engineer out. It took several calls over several weeks to PSI customer service to get somebody to review the video, only to confirm there was no suspicious activity, and we got a refund, but not the certification. The incomplete test was scored at 60% after being terminated abruptly, with plenty of time remaining to get a passing grade.
Several test attempts in a row by different engineers were stopped for 'poor network performance/speed'. Nonetheless, all internet tests show a 300MBS both directions, and subsequent review by PSI customer service proved there was no actual network issue.
Finally yesterday, we had a simple 1 hour CLAD exam scheduled that ended up taking 3 hours, with a mix of the above issues.
If NI wants people to get and value certifications, the customer’s preparation efforts and commitment to NI platforms should be equally respected and valued. NI shouldn’t tolerate PSI wasting our time, hurling unsubstantiated accusations, stopping tests for imaginary reasons, or employing technicians that do not adequately represent the quality of NI. Six times in a row is not infrequent or user error.
I have been involved in the certification process since 2006, and this is a consistent and significant degradation in quality from past methods of certification. Other equivalent industry certifications, such as PMP or Solidworks, are of the same length and complexity and do not have these same issues. Since NI moved to restrict in person exams for our location, we are in a very untenable position while trying to support thousands of their customer deployments with credentialed resources.
I hope somebody can help me with a better way forward.
Tim
11-30-2022 11:19 AM
Hi Tim and NI community
This is definitely not acceptable, please know that the NI Certification team is aware and is working towards solutions for the general situation and for your team's immediate situation. I've initiated an internal discussion, please give me a day or two to get input as the team is dispersed and it's high season for vacations. I want to make sure I don't mis-speak.
12-01-2022 08:29 AM
Good Morning Fisel,
That is greatly appreciated, thank you for your quick response.
We greatly value the certification program and are looking forward to continuing and expanding our involvement.
Tim