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1. |
What is recertification? |
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ExpertRating has introduced an optional certification renewal policy. As per the new policy, ExpertRating certifications will have a validity period of one year from the date of passing the test.
Recertification is entirely optional. This means that if you don't feel the need to renew your certification, you don't have to renew it, and ExpertRating will not remove your result or online transcript; neither will we display any message on your result/transcript to suggest that it is no longer valid. You will still be able to forward your result to your prospective employers.
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2. |
What is ExpertRating's recertification policy? |
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ExpertRating's recertification policy is outlined below:
1. Recertification is optional, test takers who do not feel the need to maintain the currency of their certifications needn't apply for recertification
2. Certifications expire exactly one year after taking the test
3. Test taker's can apply for recertification by paying the fee and filling out a questionnaire
8. Upon renewal, a recertification letter will be issued to the test taker; a fresh certificate will NOT be sent
4. The fact that a certification has expired will not be mentioned on a test taker's online transcript or score report
5. If a certificate is renewed, its validity is extended by exactly one year, from the date of expiry or the date of being granted renewal, whichever is later
6. Three reminder emails are sent to the test taker before the certification expires. The first reminder is sent 15 days prior to expiry, the second is sent 7 days prior and the third is sent 24 hours prior. Test taker's who do not wish to receive these reminders can opt out of the mailing list.
7. Test takers are allowed to renew their certifications even after the expiry date has gone by. They will have to pay a late fee
8. If renewal is done after expiry of the certification, thereby leaving a gap period, there will be no mention of the gap period on the recertification letter or on the online transcript
9. Test takers who apply for renewal will be asked to fill out a questionnaire relating to their employment history and relevant work experience; this will serve as the criteria for granting/denying certification renewal
10. If a test taker's application for renewal is rejected, he/she will be asked to sit for a recertification test. The pattern of the recertification test will be identical to the test that was taken while getting certified originally
11. A test taker who fails his/her recertification test can take it again by paying a re-take fee |
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3. |
Why is recertification optional and not mandatory? |
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Most ExpertRating certifications are taken by individuals who are either seeking jobs or who have been asked by their employers to get themselves certified. Many ExpertRating Certified Professionals have been demanding the introduction of a Certification Renewal policy, as a means of proving to their employers that their certification is still valid, even though it might have been obtained a long time ago.
Additionally, over a span of time, a person's level of proficiency in the tested skill area might go up or down and therefore, a certificate loses its value over a period time. For instance, if you took a typing test three years ago, it is not a good indicator of your current typing speed, because in the ensuing period, your typing speed might have changed significantly. This fact is well understood by all employers. So if you get yourself re-certified every year, you can prove to your employer that you have several years of proficiency, and that you have maintained, or improved your level of proficiency over the years.
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4. |
Can I see a sample of an online transcripts that has been renewed and a sample of one that has not? |
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Here are some samples:
Here is a sample online transcript of a certification that has been renewed twice and is currently valid (opens in a popup window)
Here is a sample online transcript of a certification that has been renewed once but expired thereafter and was not renewed again (opens in a popup window)
Here is a sample online transcript of a certification that has not come up for renewal yet, because it is less that one year old (opens in a popup window)
Here is a sample online transcript of a certification that was renewed late (two months after it had expired) (opens in a popup window)
Here is a sample online transcript of a certification that was taken more than one year ago and has never been renewed (opens in a popup window) |
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5. |
Will I be sent a reminder when my certification comes up for renewal? |
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Yes. We will send you 3 reminder emails before we expire your certification. The first reminder will be sent 15 days prior to expiry, the second reminder 7 days prior and the final reminder 24 hours prior. The emails contain an "unsubscribe" link that you can click if you do not want to receive further reminders. In addition to the email reminders, we will display an alert within your ExpertRating login area to inform you about the certifications that are due for renewal.
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6. |
When does my certification expire? |
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Certifications are valid for a period of exactly one year from the time of passing the test. |
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7. |
What will be the new expiry date of my certification after I get it renewed? |
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This depends on whether you apply for recertification before, or after the expiry date.
If you apply for recertification before the expiry date, the validity of your certification will be extended by a period of one year from the date of expiry. For example, if your certification is due to expire on Feb 1, 2007, and you got it renewed on Jan 15, 2007, its new expiry date will become Feb 1, 2008.
If you apply for recertification after the expiry date, the validity of your certification will be extended by a period of one year from the date that you are granted renewal. For example, let’s say you were certified on Jan 1, 2007. Your certification will become due for renewal on Jan 1, 2008. But you accidentally overshoot this recertification date, and on March 1, 2008 (two months late) you applying for recertification. Suppose your application is approved the same day, your certification will now be valid till March 1, 2009.
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8. |
Is it possible for me to have my certification renewed for a period of more than one year? |
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No. Each time you apply for renewal, the validity of your certification is extended by exactly one year. In other words, if you are keen on keeping your certification up-to-date all the time, you will have to renew it every year.
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9. |
What benefits do I get if I re-certify? |
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- You will receive a 50% discount if you buy any other ExpertRating certification at the time of applying for recertification. Please note that this discount will be available only when you apply for recertification. If you want to buy a new certification some time before or after recertification, you will have to wait until you are due for the next recertification cycle.
- You will receive a fresh ExpertRating certificate mentioning the date of renewal
- You will receive a letter stating that you have been re-certified. This letter will mention the date up to which your certification is now valid
- Your ExpertRating score report and your online transcript will both reflect the fact that your certification has been renewed. Both will bear the date up to which your certification is now valid.
- You can prove to your employer/prospective employers that your certification is still current
- When you go for a job interview, an old certificate doesn't have much value, but a certificate that is current will surely impress employers
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10. |
What happens if I choose not to re-certify? |
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Since recertification is completely optional, we do not penalize those test takers who don't opt for it. Your score report and online transcript will not state that your certification is no longer valid. The expiry date of your certification will not be mentioned either.
Here is a sample online transcript of a certification that has been renewed twice and is currently valid (opens in a popup window)
Here is a sample online transcript of a certification that has been renewed once but expired thereafter and was not renewed again (opens in a popup window)
Here is a sample online transcript of a certification that has not come up for renewal yet, because it is less that one year old (opens in a popup window)
Here is a sample online transcript of a certification that was renewed late - two months after it had expired (opens in a popup window)
Here is a sample online transcript of a certification that was taken more than one year ago and has never been renewed (opens in a popup window)
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11. |
Is it mandatory for me to renew my certification? |
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No. Certification renewal is completely optional.
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12. |
What will it cost me to renew my certification? |
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For certifications that are priced below $30, the renewal fee is $10 and for certifications that are priced higher, the renewal fee is $25. |
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13. |
Do I have to take a test again if I want to renew my certification? |
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Not necessarily. When you apply for recertification, you are asked to fill out a recertification questionnaire which asks you about your work experience and employment record. If you have a reasonable amount of relevant work experience, you will be granted exemption from taking the test.
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14. |
Can I still apply for renewal after the expiry date has gone by? |
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Yes you can. You will be charged a late fee of $25 if you apply for renewal after the due date has gone by. |
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15. |
Is there a late fee if I don't renew my certification on time? |
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Yes, there is a late fee of $25 if you overshoot your recertification date. However, you can avail a 50% discount on the purchase of any other ExpertRating certification whenever you decide to apply for the recertification. Also, if you choose to buy a new certification, your late fee will be waived completely.
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16. |
I renewed my certification after the expiry date had gone by. What will the new expiry date be? |
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Your certification will be extended for a period of one year from the date that you are granted renewal. Here is an example. Let’s say you were certified on Jan 1, 2007. Your certification will become due for renewal on Jan 1, 2008. But you accidentally overshoot this recertification date, and on March 1, 2008 (two months late) you applying for recertification. Suppose your application is approved the same day, your certification will now be valid till March 1, 2009.
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17. |
I renewed my certification two months late (by paying the late fee), so there is a gap period of two months between the expiry of my certification and the subsequent renewal. Will my employer get to know that there was a break in my certification? |
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No. Your score report and online transcript will not mention that there was a break. Nor will the recertification letter say anything about it.
Here is a sample online transcript of a certification that was renewed late - two months after it had expired (opens in a popup window) |
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18. |
Do I have to renew my certifications every year? |
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If you want to keep your certifications current all the time, you will have to renew them every year. However, if you do not feel the need to renew them, you may choose not to do so; in case you change your mind later and decide to get your certifications renewed, you may apply for recertification by paying the late fee.
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19. |
Are there any certifications that never expire? |
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Yes, there are a few like the IQ tests, personality and career tests etc. |
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20. |
What are the steps involved in applying for recertification? |
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You will receive a recertification reminder email 15 days prior to expiry of your certification. Two reminders will follow, seven and one day prior to expiry respectively. These emails will contain instructions on how to get re-certified.
If your certification is expired or is due to expire within the next 15 days, you can renew it by following the steps that are given below:
1. Log in to your ExpertRating account using your username and password. The recertification reminder emails will contain your login information
2. An alert will be displayed within your login area advising you to renew your certifications
3. Choose the certifications that you wish to get renewed
4. Choose the additional certifications that you wish to purchase (optional)
5. Pay the renewal fee/renewal plus new certification fee using your credit card or PayPal
6. Fill out the recertification questionnaire
7. As soon as you submit the questionnaire, we will grant you provisional renewal
8. Within a day or two, our recertification administrators will study your questionnaire to assess whether you have sufficient relevant work experience to be granted recertification without taking a test. If your questionnaire meets our criteria, you will be granted recertification immediately, and you will receive your recertification letter through email. If your questionnaire fails to meet our criteria, you will be booked up for a recertification test and you will receive an email asking you to take the test at your convenience.
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21. |
What is the recertification questionnaire? |
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The recertification questionnaire consists of just a handful of questions relating to your past and present employment and your relevant work experience.
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22. |
What sort of questions are asked in the recertification questionnaire? |
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The questions pertain to your past and present employment and to your relevant work experience. |
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23. |
What are my chances of getting re-certified simply on the basis of the recertification questionnaire? |
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If you have a reasonable amount of relevant work experience, chances are, you will be granted recertification without having to take the recertification test. |
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24. |
I don't want to receive recertification reminders through email. How do I stop them? |
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The reminder emails contain an "unsubscribe" link that you can click if you do not want to receive further reminders. |
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25. |
Will I be getting a document stating that I have been re-certified? Or will I be issued a fresh certificate? |
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You will not be issued a fresh certificate, because you are only renewing an existing certification, not going in for a fresh one. You will receive a recertification letter (in the form of a .pdf file) that you can download and save to your hard disk. You can also take prints of the letter.
PDF files can be opened with Adobe Acrobat Reader software, which is available for free from Adobe's website: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.
Here is a sample Recertification Letter
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26. |
I wasn't granted recertification on the basis of my questionnaire, so now I have to take a recertification test. What is this test like? |
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The Recertification test will have the same pattern as the test that you took when you originally earned your certification. To know about the test coverage, duration and number of questions of the test, click this link and choose the appropriate test from the list. |
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27. |
I failed my recertification test. Can I still get my certification renewed? |
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Yes. You can take the test again by paying a re-take fee of $10. |
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28. |
I have some questions related to certification renewal. Who should I contact? |
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If you still have some queries after going through the FAQ, please direct your questions to recertification@expertrating.com
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