Hi there! Wanted to see if folks had any anecdotal insight on % of certification testing success on the first attempt? Also wondering if anyone has seen any changes in cert success rates during the pandemic and any moves to an online/virtual class?
Thanks!
I'm pretty certain CompTIA and/or PearsonVUE would have a pass rate for each certification offered, which they would keep pretty much confidential (and naturally so to protect testing integrity).
I'm not sure such a metric would be overly meaningful in the long run, given the very disparate ways in which students prepare, the level of aptitude for this-or-that learner, and the environment. If I had to guess, I would probably say that cert success rate probably hasn't changed that much pre and post pandemic. I think the only real meaningful expression of this would be comparing it to your own pass rates, over time.
I would probably be willing to suggest that pass rates for online/virtual from a hands-on environment have gone down. Kinesthetic learners are not really, in my opinion, well-served in an online modality. I know a lot of training houses and colleges are trying to ditch their facilities and bring things online, but there are just some things that are very hard to replicate in an online environment. Organizations like TestOut (LabSim) have been trying for years, but in the ten years I've taught directly, I've noticed that students perform better when they are physically present, rather than simulations mixed with talking head videos. CompTIA is working on laboratory simulations to go along with their CertMaster offerings and trying to improve those with each cycle. But I still believe there's no real substitute for hands on.
I know our school has seen a marked decrease in the number of overall attempts, which leads me to think that student confidence is down when attempting to challenge an exam, by going more and more online.
/r
