IT certification applications roar away

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More than 100 IT professionals seek fast track approval

By Stephen Bell | Wellington | Thursday, 25 June, 2009

Applications for the IT Certified Professional qualification (ITCP), created by the NZ Computer Society (NZCS), have been flowing in at a high rate, said its CEO Paul Matthews last week; “and we haven’t even launched it yet”.

Formal launch of the ITCP is planned for August 1, but from June 15, applications were accepted from existing NZCS members and members of some parallel overseas organisations, who get access to a “fast-track” approval procedure.

Only a few hours after the launch, fast-track applications passed the 100 mark, Matthews says. Many of the first batch of candidates passed quickly through the first, self-assessment phase of the qualification process.

On August 1 at the same time as launching ITCP for the general population, NZCS expects to confer the first ITCPs.

The process comprises three phases:

First is a self-assessment of eligibility through completion of an application form online. This is a detailed process, expected to take several hours.

The NZCS assessment team then analyses and independently validates the application against the defined standard.

The ITCP process may also include a teleconference interview. This may not be required in some cases in the fast-track route, depending on the information provided in the self-assessment, but it is a feature of all the standard routes. This is to further validate that the applicants meet the defined standard.

There are several ordinary routes to the qualification: by taking into account various kinds of academic and industry qualifications and demonstrated prior experience, cross-crediting of an overseas professional qualification or sitting an examination.

The flow of candidates slowed after the initial burst, but by Tuesday last week more than 150 were passing through the fast track process.

The advent of the ITCP qualification has seen an encouraging rise in NZCS membership, says Matthews. Those who secure ITCP status will have to become full members of the society, as the non-technical standards required are linked to the NZCS Code of Ethics.