A Good Argument in Favor of "Certifications"

[Howard Lee]

Here's an Op-Ed piece from the Wall Street Journal that makes a good argument in favor of certification by testing. While he uses the CPA as his "model", I feel argument is very applicable to ASQ certification. I thought that I would throw it out at the Cove for opinions and comments.

https://wsj.com/article/SB121858688764535107.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries

What do you think?

Howard

 

[GStough]

Here's an Op-Ed piece from the Wall Street Journal that makes a good argument in favor of certification by testing. While he uses the CPA as his "model" but I feel argument is very applicable to ASQ certification. I thought that I would throw it out at the Cove for opinions and comments.

https://wsj.com/article/SB121858688764535107.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries

What do you think?

Howard

Interesting article, Howard. Thanks for sharing. I agree that it is applicable to ASQ certifications, as well.

 

[Stijloor]

Here's an Op-Ed piece from the Wall Street Journal that makes a good argument in favor of certification by testing. While he uses the CPA as his "model" but I feel argument is very applicable to ASQ certification. I thought that I would throw it out at the Cove for opinions and comments.

https://wsj.com/article/SB121858688764535107.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries

What do you think?

Howard

Howard,

Great article!

This is the paragraph that summarizes it nicely:

Here's the reality: Everyone in every occupation starts as an apprentice. Those who are good enough become journeymen. The best become master craftsmen. This is as true of business executives and history professors as of chefs and welders. Getting rid of the BA and replacing it with evidence of competence -- treating post-secondary education as apprenticeships for everyone -- is one way to help us to recognize that common bond.

The concept of "Evidence of Competence" is that what we have discussed in The Cove on numerous occasions.

Thanks for the post!

Stijloor.

 

[Jim Wynne]

Here's an Op-Ed piece from the Wall Street Journal that makes a good argument in favor of certification by testing. While he uses the CPA as his "model", I feel argument is very applicable to ASQ certification. I thought that I would throw it out at the Cove for opinions and comments.

https://wsj.com/article/SB121858688764535107.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries

What do you think?

Howard

The author of the article says (of the CPA exam):

A passing score indicates authentic competence (the pass rate is below 50%). Actual scores are reported in addition to pass/fail, so that employers can assess where the applicant falls in the distribution of accounting competence.

Fact is, a passing score tells indicates very little about competence. A passing score indicates that a test-taker has accumulated some of the knowledge required of competent CPAs, but competence is all about execution.

 

[Jen Kirley]

The article makes good points, but the business community is its own worst enemy here in Maine, by crying for college educated workers - but not showing a willingness to help pay for the degree in either employee development or enough wages to make student loan payments.

In addition, the demand for specialists is on the rise and as I have said, most companies are not demonstrating a robust program for internally developing raw talent and moving the employees around the company disciplines as they advance. The accepted model for meeting competency is apparently still one of going fishing in the labor market.

 

[Jen Kirley]

The author of the article says (of the CPA exam):


Fact is, a passing score tells indicates very little about competence. A passing score indicates that a test-taker has accumulated some of the knowledge required of competent CPAs, but competence is all about execution.

We know this, but arguably a great many people in the business world do not. Also, I am not familiar with the CPA exam's rigor, and especially as compared with passing college classes.

I can also vouch for the dozens of mini exams my husband is taking to certify as a certified sprinkler system design engineer. Since he only passed about 1/3 of them the first time through, arguably there's some rigor there that could build some industry confidence in passing people's ability to do the work, hopefully at least at the point of being able to meet fire code.

In contrast we have the MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer), which has been cranked out by the thousands through diploma mills. Pass the exam and their job is done - but when he was a Systems Administrator, my husband and his group slogged through many applicant "engineers" who, when pressed to show their abilities in a pre-employment test, could not fix a computer whose mouse was disabled in the BIOS. So much for the cert...

 

[Craig H.]

The author of the article says (of the CPA exam):


Fact is, a passing score tells indicates very little about competence. A passing score indicates that a test-taker has accumulated some of the knowledge required of competent CPAs, but competence is all about execution.

Ah, but Jim, I can assure you that if someone DOES NOT know the BOK tested by the CPA exam, the chances of them being competant are between slim and none, and Slim has left town.

While I never sat for the CPA, I was quite familiar with the requirements. Most of my classmates who did take the exam studied for around 6 months after graduation before testing. Some of them were so stressed out by the time the exam came around I was worried about their health.

But to the question at hand, I agree that a certification scheme makes a lot of sense. I cannot help but thinking about how many (most) of our lawyers in early US history passed the bar, and were full-blown practicing lawyers, with little or no formal post-secondary education. If the rules we have now were in place then, our country would be a lot different. No Abe Lincoln, for instance. How many great people are being held down by our present system? Does anyone else know of a few great engineers that have only a high school education? I sure have known some.

The main problem I see with an emphasis on certification is the fact that it may result in a lack of emphasis on acquiring the communication skills needed for someone who is certified to share their expertise. In order to graduate from the accounting program we had to write an essay. This was back when the PC was juist getting started and I didn't know about any word processing programs, so I paid someone to type mine. It got kicked back to me because of spelling errors (not mine, the typist's) along with the requirement that I would type it myself, using Bank Street Writer, and not only print it out, but provide a copy on the disk. It made me mad, but, now, if I ever see that professor again I am going to give her a big hug. My point is that this type of requirement may be lost if standardized tests are used for certification.

Great article!

 

[Jim Wynne]

Ah, but Jim, I can assure you that if someone DOES NOT know the BOK tested by the CPA exam, the chances of them being competant are between slim and none, and Slim has left town.

This doesn't alter the fact that the author of the article said that passing the exam indicates "authentic competence," and he's wrong.

 

[BradM]

Fact is, a passing score tells indicates very little about competence. A passing score indicates that a test-taker has accumulated some of the knowledge required of competent CPAs, but competence is all about execution.

I'd agree with you in general. But within the context of the article, you are, IMO, making his case. He is not advocating test scores as an absolute, but certification tests as opposed to a degree alone:

You may have learned accounting at an anonymous online university, but your CPA score gives you a way to show employers you're a stronger applicant than someone from an Ivy League school.

I would agree with him on this. While I think the Ivy League school has demonstrated better overall reasoning and logic ability, if you want the better applicant to step into an accounting job, give me the CPA.

This doesn't alter the fact that the author of the article said that passing the exam indicates "authentic competence," and he's wrong.

I don't like his statement, either. But it is my impression he is using the "authentic" point to compare to the college education.

For that matter, certification tests can be used for purely academic disciplines. Why not present graduate schools with certifications in microbiology or economics -- and who cares if the applicants passed the exam after studying in the local public library?

Again... I think the argument of producing graduates who have demonstrated a basic level of competency is a good one.

We had an intern from Texas A&M in engineering. I was impressed. In his junior year, he was required to take a capstone course of sorts. It involved using a multimeter, using a crescent wrench, rebuilding a pump, building a basic circuit, etc. He was required to demonstrate basic knowledge outside a textbook. While not competency, at least A&M is producing graduates who have enough sense to get out of the rain.

 

[JAltmann]

Interesting article, i don't fully agree with the author as he seems to be saying that secondary education should done away with. But how are people suppose to gain the knowledge to pass these exams?

I think certification exams are a good thing, i hold some, and feel they set me apart from others and are recognized by peers as to my acomplishments.

I have also completed secondary education, and yes some of the classes information is long forgotten, much of it i refernece quite often. I don't work in accounting or finance functions, but it helps a great deal to understand these principles and make educated and responsible business decisions.

But i do agree their are alot of new college grad's that aren't ready to "hit the ground running" day one after graduation, but were you on day one of your first professional job? How about day one of your current job?

I think in the world we live in secondary education is a nessecary requirement for advanced careers and pay, along with certifications from independently recognized institusions.