We talked about a community driven PHP certification at Foss.In/2005. I thought more about this and did some research. Surprisingly, Zend Certification has created only 977 ZCE’s till date. I took a Brainbench PHP4 test years ago and looks like they still have the same test up. The other PHP certification I found, was on ExpertRating. That too, on PHP4.
Zend costs $200, Brainbench $49 and ExpertRating $9.
Are you aware of any other PHP certification?
Would you like to contribute to a community driven PHP Certification program?
Can you detail a bit more about the role of community?
Tangent Note: BrainBench & ExpertRating are online tests – such ‘open book’ tests don’t get much credibility in the job markets because there is a greater probability of these certifications being awarded to unskilled people. Has there been any discussion on how the community-driven PHP certification tests be conducted?
The Community will be involved in contributing questions, and even reviewing some answers. As a matter of fact, we as a community have to evolve what we want in a certification. Insights on what you would like, would be great. Employer insights will be super too.
Now, as for online certifications, I don’t think there is anything wrong with it. As a matter of fact, I would rather have an online certification that encourages people to Google for answers or allows them to try a question out on their own and then submit the answer. Or even refer to the manual!
A PHP developer does all that in the normal course of her work, isn’t it?
Now how can we find out really good guys then?
We can time the test. The score is based not only on the right answers, but on the time as well.
Improve the quality of questions
Have a puzzle type question at the end, the code submitted as a solution will be verified by a human
Have a collection of exams. From basic aptitude to advance PHP. Make composite scores available.
Have more question types – not just multiple choice questions
Feedback welcome!
would the commmunity be able to view questions without having to go for the certification?
We can have a practice test! Or a preparatory guide book. But I don’t think we should allow people to view questions without going for the certification.
There are other ideas too! Like any community member can post a question for the rest of the group. Or they being able to see “public” questions etc.
Saw the Hottest Certifications for 2005! Good list!
Can we get 1000 people taking a community driven PHP certification in one month?
Hi Nirav
I am very much interested on any initiation towards community driven PHP test, and for matter of fact, anything towards PHP community in India.
Do you have any planning on this? What you have thought on this?
I have observed that few more people have thought on this and they are also willing to work on that, however, one problem I have observed is due to our busy schedule we always try to avoid any leadership for such issue, if someone takes leadership then everyone is ready to help. It is just a matter of starting and executing.
I also observed that someone else is also saying in-group that he is working on something ‘big’, I think we should work towards this as a community and that can really create a big difference here.
If you have thought anything on this please let me know, I am open to have any contribution/discussion on this and I would not also mind to take leadership over here, someone has to!
regards
A. chirag
I like the idea of certification. I have opnion that there should be Guid book which give information about what will be there in test like in most of certification question on ‘header’ but some time developer don’t know about that same happen with ‘gd2’. so Guide book is good idea.
Hi Chirag, Sameer,
Thanks for your feedback and the willingness to help! Every contribution counts! No matter how small or big. And this is a community project, we can shape it the way we like.
I am writing up a plan for this. Will post it up shortly so that everybody can comment and we can fine tune it. If you want to join hands on this, most welcome. I want to find out how other exams are done, and especially other communitry driven exams.
:Nirav
Hi Niran
i am eagrly waiting for your plan, here are few points which i thougt of
1. Community driven (we should not confined this only to Indian community, we can seek international PHP community help on this)
2. Non profit
3. Free Exam Material and other resources
4. There could be nominal charge for exam
5. Level of certification (Beginner, advance, expert)
6. Efforts to create this authenticated, valued and brand certification
i hope you must be having some better plan and i am looking for it, you can drop me email directly, i can always spend time on this if you need any help
regards
Hi Chirag,
The plan is coming! I will post it by 5th. Your points are valuable. My comments:
1. Certainly. We will definitely have international community contribution. The thing to work on though, is why and how will the community contribute? And how can we sustain the flow of contribution?
2. Perfect. But at the same time, I am of the opinion that the contributors must get some value for their efforts. One of the ideas was that a human being will evaluate some part of the test. For somebody to do this, she must get some returns to continue doing this. I was thinking that a human evaluated exam can have a fee, which covers for this.
3. Yes, as a matter of fact, it will be great to have an online book that people can download. Study material types. We can also link up to other php material.
4. How much? One option is to keep the basic exams free. The Pro version would be human evaluated and would carry some charges. People can also donate money if they wish.
5. Yes. May be we can limit it to two levels for the start.
6. That’s precisely the goals. The certification must be trusted. To do that, the processes must be transparent and community participation must be present. Any ideas on this are most welcome.
Hey, this is not really about me. This project is for the community, by the community!
Let’s create this!
Hi All,
I read your suggestions.Really good.
Lets come together to create something BIG.
i am watiing for your plan
Hi Chirag,
Thanks for waiting! I posted the first draft here: OpenCerti vision document.
Hi,
This idea is very Good and is surely going to have a Big Impact among budding / current php developers all over India. Will also make learning PHP Programming among students and developers as well. I understand that Participation and contribution to this community project is very much an essential thing for the success of this endeavour. Analysing how can I contribute to this project. Let us together make it !
Regards
Subash
Dear Nirav,
You have undertaken admiring task indeed.I call on our friends(PHP lovers) to help and contribute in any manner like questions, suggestions, inviting other contributors, designing, documentation or testing and be a part of this august program.
I too have visited many sites in search of PHP certification but I never come across such things regarding PHP. The site called “www.w3shools.com” have designed few W3school’s online certification program but they also don’t have certification programe for PHP.I have tested myself there to few other technologies.
Anyways, this is really a nice attempt and will bring PHP community together through this medium.I,personally, really impressed with this.
I am assertive that this effort will certainly produce skilled PHP developers and programmers.
Let’s be a part of this imposing action.
Thxx,
Milindkumar Patil.
Thank you for your encouragement friends! I invite you to head over to the OpenCerti Todo and pick up tasks you would like to contribute on. I would have missed a lot, so if you find any others, feel free to put them on in the comments.
Hi Nirav,
A great Let me know if i can contribute in any way?
hi friends………..i am karthik working on php webdeveloper in chennai(india).
i don’t know how to get php certification.Friends can you answer my question
ok bye……
Hi Karthik,
Sorry but the efforts have not gone live yet. Zend is the PHP certification you can go for now.
:Nirav
Hi
Expertrating.com has a php4 as well as php5 certification. check it out.
I’d like to note that many “online” certifications do not get credibility due to the fact that they’re multiple choice exams. BUT, the OCTPHP certification has a 99% employment rate according to their website (octonline.org), and they guarantee that. I actually got a certification from them because I agree with their testing methods. They have someone grade a block of code (The test is a certain “problem” to accomplish, such as quickly acquiring data from a MySQL database and loading it into an html table, and emailing the results afterwards. After you submit an “exam” it takes about 4 hours to get your graded results back (the site says two hours, but the certifications I have averaged about 4 hours each to get results back).
I would advise adding this one to the certification bank, since it’s a hand graded exam and it only costs 59 dollars (US).
I would like to add that the support was probably the best I’ve ever received, but that’s probably because they have less than (when I asked) 2,000 people certified through them. So I’m sure they have the free time.
Thanks for the resources!
I’d just like to note that I did take and pass the ExperRating PHP5 certification, and I personally thought of it as a joke. It’s just a simple test that anyone with minor google knowledge can easily pass. Sorry, but that’s just how I felt.
I’ve heard of the oct, but I’ve never actually looked into a certification with them, pretty cool that they are apparently offering them online now.
Brainbench seems alright, although this blog says otherwise (maybe this guy is just angry, who knows): http://blog.wolff-hamburg.de/index.php?url=archives/6-Brainbench-PHP5-Certification.html
I would advise anyone who is considering getting a certification to figure out the “employability” of the cert BEFORE getting it. There are a lot of “hack” exams out there (Expert Rating)!