On Mar 25, 2:04pm, Ed Current wrote: Subject: RE: Design Certification - A Designers viewpoint The certification program does have the ability to certify that someone fully understands IPC-D-275. Unfortunately most designers do not have access to this "important" publication ( I have yet to see it myself). In order to get it (other than paying for it out of our own meager earnings) we must first prove to our superiors that it is worth spending the money for it. Then in our "spare" time we will read and assimulate the information. Then we get to put into effect the previously unused aspects of the publication (not always well recieved by others). After all that, in order to get certified, we must again convince our superiors that certification is valuable to the company. That boils down to an awful lot of work by designers with most of the benefit in profits for the Company and the IPC. Perhaps if they offered the Designer focused publications free of charge over the internet, we could better use and prove the need for certification. Win-win. My desire to improve requires that I do whatever I can to achieve that end including paying my own way in time and money. However, I have my doubts that IPC would be where it is today if they demanded as much of their lower paid employees. -Rosebud ________________________________________________________________________________ Ed, I agree with your comments, However I have access to the IPC documents and I found the test to be so poorly written that if Drake Prometric allowed the test to be open book the results would be the same. It's extremely difficult to answer questions with the most correct answer if the questions are not clearly defined. I think the numbers printed in EE times states this because only 30% of the most dedicated designers can pass a level A exam. Can you image how low the percentage would be if all designers were to complete this exam. ( which should be a beta exam ) I truely hope the exam does get revamped, but I can guarantee they will not see another $160 from me to beta test this program. -- Dave Schmitz Motorola 600 N. Hwy 45 Libertyville, IL 60048 phone: (847)523-5294 pager: 3189 Fax : (847)523-2244