SL Cert Guide to Certification Testing

Certification Concepts for Dummies

No offence intended, but alot of people have been asking questions about how 3rd party certification companies operate; which are fair questions if you've never dealt with these guys before, as they're not as straight forward as people may at first think. So, here is an overview of the general concepts. Bear in mind that different suppliers vary in their approach, but the general principles here are fairly consistent.

How much do they know about Second Life?

Nothing. And that's exactly how it should be. They are not subject matter experts in any of the technologies they provide testing for; for any organisation. Their expertise is:

• Writing tests that comply to prometric standrads
• Managing the candidates applications
• Security with regard to making sure that the person sitting the test is really the person sitting the test
• Global availability. Making sure that the test system is available as widely as possible, taking into consideration geographic locations and accessibility issues for those with disabilities.
• Reporting and managing on-going certification requirements over time.

Why can't we write the final tests ourselves?

If anyone who is affiliated with Second Life - and that includes educators, solution providers, residents, or even Linden Lab itself -