Gift Peddie (7/19/2009)
I also can't see the government getting involved in vendor level certifications, providing the opportunity is there equally for all groups.
That is very nice point get random 1000 CS college graduates after one month of prep and let them take exams 70-536 C#, 70-455 and 70-446. I am saying even open book most minorities and women may not pass these exams. Microsoft stopped providing VC++ exams because the pass rate is too low, the old MCSD.NET most could not pass the MCPD upgrade exam so Microsoft had to create two exams instead of one. You also know there are very few upgrades from SQL Server 2000 to 2005.
I actually like 70-455 and respect 70-536 without the Microsoft provided prep books because I still think Microsoft needs to hire Richter or Herbert Schildt to write the C# base class exam book.
Open book test?? Those are even harder for some people. The open book does you no good if you you don't know the material well enough to know where to look. Want proof, look at many of the posts here on SSC. Many of them could be answered if they just looked in BOL.
Your not convincing me to your side on this argument. I'm seeing someone who uses MS technologies but has some bias against MS for some real or perceived wrong perpetrated by MS.
No one (or company) is perfect. No one is going to write the perfect test, there will be errors to some level. I've seen it elsewhere. My test to become a Referee Instructor for AYSO. There was one question on the test with two answers, and the instructions said NOT to add anything that was not provided in the question.
Guess what, the context for the question was missing. Depending on where the foul occurred and what impact it had on the play was missing so either answer could be correct. The one I choose was "wrong", but after a good discussion with the instructors and the class, I was given credit for my answer.
Another good analogy, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. I have learned over the years that you have to accept that things happen that you can't control. How you handle those situations speaks volumes about ones character. I'm not perfect and I know I have failed at times to live up to my own standards, but I still strive to meet them, and I try to set the example for others.