OS X Server Certification

[hurleyint1386]

Has anyone needed to renew their certification? I received my 10.8 Server cert in September and once 10.9 Server cert becomes available I want to update. Will I need to do the $200 to take it just like the 10.8 or will there be a lesser cost for updating?

 

[stuckwithme247]

Renewals are renewals. It doesn't matter if you are going from ACTC 10.8 to 10.9 or ACTC 10.5 to 10.9, you are still going to pay the standard renewal fee.

 

[minik]

I decided to take the ACTC 10.8 recert exam 9L0-520 and found out it's no longer available online. I sent an email to Apple and realized that I have to goto the testing center this time.

I went and looked up the Apple Authorized Training Center in my area and there's only one for the entire State of Washington. I emailed that place but didn't receive any reply.

 

[hurleyint1386]

That's what I'm curious about... Is it an actual renewal or am I certifying in something new since it's a different version? With the new certification process, there is no more renewal. Once you're certified, you're done for that product (10.8 server) but now I might have to do a new certification for 10.9 server.

Also, for ACTC, I don't understand why I have to take the 10.8 Support exam again when I took it for my ACMT certification. It's the same test, different name. So many things that don't make sense to me any more.

My nearest training center is 6/7 hours away in NYC, so I have to take a long trip just to take the exam, so I don't want to drive that far if I don't need to.

 

[Yebubbleman]

Has anyone needed to renew their certification? I received my 10.8 Server cert in September and once 10.9 Server cert becomes available I want to update. Will I need to do the $200 to take it just like the 10.8 or will there be a lesser cost for updating?

Someone please correct me if I am wrong in this, but you will still have to pay $200 to take the recert test, but it includes the Support Essentials (ACSP) stuff in it too and recertifies you for both ACSP and ACTC. This said, every year that I've gotten my ACSP cert, they have offered up online-only and sometimes heavily discounted versions of that cert. While this is the first version of OS X where I will have the ACTC of the recently discontinued OS and thusly the first time where I'll be able to do such a renewal, I can't speak directly from experience here, but I'd imagine that you'll be given similar opportunities for discounts and/or open-note-open-book/online exams.

Renewals are renewals. It doesn't matter if you are going from ACTC 10.8 to 10.9 or ACTC 10.5 to 10.9, you are still going to pay the standard renewal fee.

I'm pretty sure that you're wrong on this one and that it only applies if you have the ACTC for the OS before the newest one that there are currently tests for. Otherwise, it'd make very little sense to be able to THAT quickly recertify from Leopard and Leopard Server all the way to Mavericks and OS X Server for Mavericks (which are, under the hood for some aspects, a night and day difference)

I decided to take the ACTC 10.8 recert exam 9L0-520 and found out it's no longer available online. I sent an email to Apple and realized that I have to goto the testing center this time.

I went and looked up the Apple Authorized Training Center in my area and there's only one for the entire State of Washington. I emailed that place but didn't receive any reply.

I think the ACTC Recert exams for the lame duck OS disappear shortly before the ACSP and ACTC exams and certs become available for the new OS. For right now, we're still a few weeks away from general availability for the books for the 10.9 certs, leading me to believe that if you want your ACTC 10.8 cert, you'll have to get it the old fashioned way.

 

[Yebubbleman]

That's what I'm curious about... Is it an actual renewal or am I certifying in something new since it's a different version?

Technically both; it's not like your 10.8 certifications become invalid once 10.10 or 11 comes out; for those who use Mountain Lion and do not upgrade, your knowledge will be no less valid. That said, importance of that knowledge will fade over time. Anyway, back to your question, the recertification exam is a shortcut and more focuses on what has changed between systems rather than the stuff that has been the same for the last three or four versions of the curriculum. They call it a "renewal" because ACTC requires passing two tests ordinarily. With the "renewal" exam, rather that doing the Support Essentials and Server Essentials exams, you just do a combined exam that glosses over what changed since the last time you got ACTC certified in a version of OS X.

With the new certification process, there is no more renewal. Once you're certified, you're done for that product (10.8 server) but now I might have to do a new certification for 10.9 server.

You are confusing the ACMT process from the IT certifications; they are not the same. Yes, you get similar looking pieces of paper, but it is entirely different. Contrasting to how it was done before and much like the IT certifications, an ACMT certification is permanent, though the value of that certification is dependent on how many qualification exams you have taken for newer hardware. Whereas, the IT certifications are also permanent, but only applicable to the version of the OS that you're testing for. For example, I still have my ACTC 10.6. That certification is still valid; but it only certifies knowledge pertinent to 10.6. I just got my ACTC 10.8 too, and while there will be an ACTC 10.9 cert to prepare for, the ACTC 10.8 cert is still permanently valid and will never expire. Make sense? Right now, none of us are ACTC 10.9 certified because the material and exams aren't out yet. When it comes out, those of us with ACTC 10.8 certifications will be able to take the renewal exam rather than the Support Essentials and Server Essentials exams.

Also, for ACTC, I don't understand why I have to take the 10.8 Support exam again when I took it for my ACMT certification. It's the same test, different name. So many things that don't make sense to me any more.

It's a different test; I have my ACMT and I did the renewals each time there was one dating back to 10.5; I'm also a seasoned ACSP (the cert you get when you pass the "Support Essentials" exam that you are referring to) veteran having done them since 10.6 (though I did almost do 10.4). If you prepare for the Support Essentials exam, you'll pass the ACMT OS exam handily, but if you go into the Support Essentials exam with just enough to pass the ACMT OS exam, you'll probably fail as Support Essentials goes a bit beyond OS support basics.

My nearest training center is 6/7 hours away in NYC, so I have to take a long trip just to take the exam, so I don't want to drive that far if I don't need to.

I honestly don't know about ACTC as this will be my first time with a current ACTC (Support and Server Essentials exams) certification on the eve of a new ACTC certification, but I do know that with ACSP (Support Essentials exam only) certifications, if you get one, all subsequent ones thereafter can be taken online, and open-note/open-book as they'll e-mail you a code to be able to do it.

 

[hurleyint1386]

Someone please correct me if I am wrong in this, but you will still have to pay $200 to take the recert test, but it includes the Support Essentials (ACSP) stuff in it too and recertifies you for both ACSP and ACTC. This said, every year that I've gotten my ACSP cert, they have offered up online-only and sometimes heavily discounted versions of that cert. While this is the first version of OS X where I will have the ACTC of the recently discontinued OS and thusly the first time where I'll be able to do such a renewal, I can't speak directly from experience here, but I'd imagine that you'll be given similar opportunities for discounts and/or open-note-open-book/online exams.

I believe it will still be the $200, however it does not include the Support Essentials. It may re-certify for both ACSP and ACTC if you have Server up-to-date, however it will not re-certify for both ACTC and ACMT.

I'm not sure if it will be discounted or open-book and that's what I'm curious about

 

[Yebubbleman]

I believe it will still be the $200, however it does not include the Support Essentials.

Yes, the "Recert" exam still costs money. And no, it does not include Support Essentials, nor Server Essentials. It is its own thing that combines what has changed in both Server Essentials and Support Essentials. See here: http://training.apple.com/pdf/actc_bootcamp.pdf

It may re-certify for both ACSP and ACTC if you have Server up-to-date, however it will not re-certify for both ACTC and ACMT.

Divorce ACMT from this in your mind. ACMT is its own thing that is separate from the IT Certifications in literally every way other than parent authority and the company that mails you your certification. That said, I'm pretty sure it will recertify ACSP too, but again, I don't know from experience as I've never been eligible to do a renewal exam.

I'm not sure if it will be discounted or open-book and that's what I'm curious about

If it provides both an up-to-date ACSP and an ACTC, then the recert is a built-in discount in and of itself ($200 for a single exam that gets two certifications, versus $200 per exam per certification). As for whether it is open-book, again, that I cannot say from experience. But I'll let you know in a month when I take the ACTC 10.9 recert exam.