Re: LPI

[Kara Pritchard <kara@luci.org>]

What do you mean, Why LPI? 

There are currently four Linux certifications.

	*Linux + (Comptia)
	*LPIC 1 & LPIC 2 (LPI)
	*RHCE (Red Hat)
	*LCA (SAIR)

The first is targeted for users of 6 month experience. Very very basic 
material. It is designed as a lead-in certification for LPI (a level 0 if 
you will). The exam is a single exam which you have to complete with the 
A-net hardware exam to get your Linux+ cert.

LPI has two levels, Jr Admin and Sr Admin. The third level (which I hope 
will begin this year) will include specialty exams (security experts, DBA, 
Web Admin, etc). LPI is a non-profit organization that isn't affiliated 
with any training providers. We are both distribution and vendor neutral. 
LPI uses psychometric development, which means our content is based on 
surveys of thousands of working Linux people who currently hold jobs that 
our specific level is certifying for. This means the content is based on 
skills actually used, and not skills that some random person thinks is 
important. I could go on all day about these technical differences, but 
the other one that makes it so special is community involvement. What, 
who, how, etc LPI works is modeled with an Open Source Project. We use 
both consultants and volunteers to develop our exams, and the organization 
itself is built primarily from volunteers. Add to the mix that our latest 
board member addition is maddog, and our most active vendor partner at the 
moment is IBM, and you have an interesting organizaiton. There are two 
exams for each level ($100 each, unless you hap upon an offer).

RHCE is another certification I hold. RHCE is a good product 
certification. It isn't psychometrically developed (see above, but realize 
that the purpose of this statistical development model is to create exam 
results that will stand up in court. The cert statistically proves you 
know something, and if someone threatens to sue you or your company for 
hiring you due to your certification, the results will stand up in court. 
(Therefore not creating an unfounded bias in the workplace). Since it is a 
product certification (certifies you to use a product, not to hold a 
specific job) this development model is fine. It's expensive, and this 
exam is 2 parts hands on with 1 part written. It's tough if you aren't 
good at stressful situations. Luckily I passed the first time around. 
Phew.

I could get myself into trouble saying anything about SAIR. But, I will 
say this. SAIR's material was developed according to a "knowledge base" 
developed by a University Professor who's never done the work. It's 
supposed to be distribution neutral as well. There are four exams instead 
of two, and they never completed their 2nd level. They were purchased by 
Wave who was purchased by Thompson Learning, and now they all (including 
the knowledge base guy, Tobin Maginnis, have been let go. All content for 
the program is being handled by one guy in Ireland now, as all the Linux 
people have been let go. The purpose of the SAIR program was to develop 
courseware and training (unlike LPI who doesn't care) which can cause 
problems. Skills which are hard to document or hard to train for are 
usually left out, regardless of how important it is to the job. In any 
case, the uprooting of all maintenance of the program and Thomson's 
interest in providing training an courseware for an existing project 
doesn't give me too many warm fuzzies about the future of that program.

Does that answer your question? I can go on all day, but just tried to 
give you an overview.

-Kara

On Fri, 5 Apr 2002, default wrote:

> Why LPI?
> 
> David Leathers wrote:
> 
> >   Kara Would you recommend a good book to study for the LPI
> > certification for a beginner? Thanks
> 
> 
> 

-- 
Kara Pritchard                          Phone: 618-398-7360
Director of Exam Development            http://www.lpi.org/
--



-
To unsubscribe, send email to majordomo@silug.org with
"unsubscribe silug-discuss" in the body.