New Year Resolutions—How About a Certification? | Dynamics GP Insights

Christina Phillips asks New Year Resolutions—How About a Certification? Don’t forget about the GPUG Professional Certification in Accounts Payable either.

GPUG Academy Professional Certification in Accounts Payable - Inside Microsoft Dynamics GP

Inside Microsoft Dynamics GP is highlighting the GPUG Academy Professional Certification in Accounts Payable.

Frankly, I think that this is a great idea. The Microsoft certifications are geared toward implementing products. As a controller I manager to hire a few people who could be productive with GP on day 1 but it was hit or miss. Hopefully this can provide some reassurance that candidates actually know what they are doing in GP Payables.

Speed Certification Exams for Dynamics GP

Like many of us, Steve Endow is racing to finish certification exams. Four new GP 2010 exams were released mid August and we’re all racing to have them done before 10/1 when new certification requirements for partners goes into effect. Steve followed Christina’s advice and tried taking the actual exam quickly. My exams tend to work the same way. If I’m really prepared, they take about a 1/2 hour or so. I’ve four scheduled over the next two weeks to squeeze in around work, travel and presentations so I feel Steve’s pain.
Check out his experience in his post Dynamics GP Land: Speed Certification Exams!

Exam Dumps - Emerging Trend in Dynamics Community

Vaidy has a look at Exam Dumps - Emerging Trend in Dynamics Community. The central thought is that more and more consultants are speed prepping and passing exams without really knowing the material. Make sure to read Vaidy article but I thought I would my own comments.

Exams have a become minimum standard. We expect consultants to have passed the exams. If they haven’t we ask why not?

Great consultants don’t have to have passed exams. For example, in the SQL world, SQL guru Paul Randal holds no certifications. Of course he wrote the DBCC CHECK DB routine in SQL server and he’s one of the teachers of the SQL Server Master Certification. World class expert, no certifications.For the rest of us without Paul Randal’s street cred, a certification shows at least a minimum knowledge.

After my experience with the CPA exam, I’m open to any learning option that helps move people forward. Part of the problem is that often there are only a few extreme options to study for the Dynamics Exams. Immersive classes are expensive and time consuming. Manuals are often overly broad with little relation to what’s on the exam. Practice exams are narrow and specific but they don’t help people really understand the material. For many of the exams, there are very few learning options.

I’m not sure that the process is broken but it feels like it’s incomplete.