Monday, March 28, 2011

New IS Core Exam available as free beta until 6/30/11!

The revised IS Core exam is available for beta testing at no charge. The exam beta period is April 1, 2011 through June 30, 2011.

The DAMA International Data Exam group provided input into this exam outline and helped the ICCP Certification Council with this revision to make the IS Core exam more business focused.

This exam is the second beta exam being offered to DAMA members in 2011. The first beta exam, Data Governance and Stewardship, is still available to take for free until June 30, 2011.

DAMA Chapter guidelines for sponsoring the beta exams:

  1. One designated individual must be the volunteer exam coordinator and proctor for the beta exams at the DAMA Chapter meeting. Proctors must be qualified and acceptable to the ICCP and sign a proctor confidentiality agreement.
  2. Determine when and where to hold the exam session. Some chapters will host exams as part of the chapter’s meeting. Others hold sessions at night or on Saturdays.
  3. A classroom arrangement (tables and chairs) is best with sufficient electrical outlets as the participants will be using their laptops to run the exams.
  4. The exam coordinator must contact the ICCP office ahead of the exam session to order a number of beta exams to be given. ICCP contact information: office@iccp.org, 1-800-843-8227, or 847-299-4227.
  5. Let the ICCP office know if other CDMP exams will be given at the exam session. Cost $285 USD per regular (non-beta) exam. Payment information must be collected on the application by the exam coordinator / proctor.
  6. Note: there is no profit-sharing arrangement for beta exams. The profit-sharing arrangement between DAMA Chapters and ICCP applies to paid exams only.

Exam taker information regarding the new beta exams:

  1. Each exam taker must bring a laptop as an exam runs off a USB drive.
  2. Each exam contains 100 multiple choice questions plus 10 extra beta questions to be completed in 90 minutes.
  3. If you pass the exam and want to apply it towards the Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) designation, there will be a conversion charge of $195 USD (the regular exam price is $285 USD) payable to the ICCP.
  4. The beta test is FREE. The exam outline is listed at the end of this email. You will have to fill out an application, but no payment is expected unless you are taking other exams, applying this exam towards the CDMP, or applying this exam towards recertification credit.

Some technical requirements:

  1. The exam software runs on all Windows platforms. It is best to use a Windows laptop rather than another laptop platform, e.g. Apple Mac.
  2. The new version of the Exam Mechanic Presenter software requires .NET 3.5. If you get a message stating that your laptop does not run this version, then the proctor must bring up the older Exam Mechanic software that is on the USB in a separate folder.
  3. For those exam candidates who are using corporate laptops, make sure the laptops do not have encrypted USB drives. Do this simple test – have the exam taker save a file to a USB and have him or her open the file. If it does not open, then the USB drive is encrypted and another laptop must be used. The ICCP office cannot read encrypted files.
  4. Remote internet proctoring requires a webcam, headset with microphone and government issued identification to show.

If there is no DAMA Chapter near you, remote proctoring is available through the ICCP office (office@iccp.org). Since the beta exams are free exams, you must start your exam between 9:00 am – 2:30 pm Central Time (US) to take an exam without a proctoring fee. Remote proctoring via the internet for beta exams is available outside ICCP office hours for a fee of $50 USD per exam. The ICCP office requires two weeks’ notice for remote proctoring appointments. If you are taking a regular (non-beta) exam at $285 USD each, you have more flexibility in scheduling.

Keep in mind that this exam is a beta exam. The scores have to be reviewed and adjusted by the DAMA / ICCP team after all the results have been received. Scores may be adjusted upwards, but will NOT be adjusted downwards on review of the performance of questions. The DAMA-DMBOK was one of the many sources used in exam development.

Unadjusted scores are immediately available after the exam has been completed. Official scores will be available after the DAMA / ICCP team meets again. Official profiles will only go out for paid exams. The ICCP office anticipates that all Data Governance and IS Core beta exam testers will have their scores by August 31, 2011. Contact the ICCP if you have not received your scores by August 31, 2011.

Further information can be obtained from the DAMA website (www.dama.org), the ICCP website (www.iccp.org), or by contacting the DAMA ICCP Directors at ICCP_Liaison@DAMA.org. Additional exam outlines are available at http://www.dama.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3591(about middle of web page) or http://www.iccp.org/iccpnew/outlines.html#21

CDMP FAQs are available at http://www.dama.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3678.

DAMA Chapter CDMP Exam Session Preparation Guide is available at http://www.dama.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3677

CDMP Exam Proctor FAQs are available at http://www.dama.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3678