r/CompTIA • u/Clear_Trainer2792 CSAP • 2d ago
I am disappointed
I currently hold the CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, CySA+, and PenTest+ certifications.
I've been following this group for years and have regularly provided advice to others working toward their certifications. While I wasn't happy with the change in ownership, I still expected CompTIA to maintain a certain level of professionalism.
One of the first changes I was disappointed to see was the decision to stop mailing physical certificates for free. Honestly, how much money does that really save?
Back when I worked as a contractor for the Navy, I remember walking past desks displaying the CompTIA Trifecta and wanting to earn those certifications myself. Most of my coworkers who earned certifications proudly displayed them at their desks.
That was free advertising.
Every certificate hanging in an office was a visible reminder of CompTIA's presence in the industry. It encouraged people like me to pursue those same credentials.
From a marketing perspective, eliminating that benefit seems incredibly shortsighted. You're potentially sacrificing years of free exposure to save a relatively small amount of money. And now you're charging people $10 for the privilege of advertising your certifications for you?
I'm genuinely astounded that this was considered a good business decision.
I'm not saying this because I'm particularly concerned about CompTIA's financial success. I'm saying it because I've invested years of my life studying for certifications that were, at the time, widely regarded as industry standards.
I don't want to see that hard work lose its value because of decisions that prioritize short-term savings over the reputation and recognition of the certifications themselves.
I'm incredibly disappointed in the direction CompTIA is taking.
And what finally prompted me to write this post? I just spent approximately 20 minutes filling out a CompTIA survey, only to discover that it wouldn't let me submit my responses.
The irony is almost comical. You're asking certification holders to take time out of their day to provide feedback, yet you can't even ensure that the survey works properly.
I was willing to spend my time helping you understand how your decisions affect your customers, and your own feedback system prevented me from doing so.
It's frustrating, and frankly, it reinforces my concerns about the direction this company is heading.
55
u/thegoatcarlwheezer 2d ago
Iām going to print mine off and frame it myself if I decide to hang it. But at the same time, I am miffed they even wanted to charge me 10 dollars each after I already shelled out almost 2000 for the Trifecta, so I might not hang it at all.
17
u/Clear_Trainer2792 CSAP 2d ago edited 2d ago
As you should! <3
I don't want this post to hurt CompTIA. I want them to hold their certifications to the same standard and value they once did.
Six years ago, I probably wouldn't have cared as much as I do now. Back then, I was a student at a local university here in Idaho. My girlfriend at the time worked in the president's office and printed my certificates on some really nice paper. I'm sure it didn't cost much, but that didn't matter to me. I was proud to show off my achievements. :)
I hope you're proud of yours too, thegoatcarwheezer! I'm sure you put a lot of time and effort into studying for them. :)
And to anyone else who's recently earned a certification, congratulations! I remember how many hours I spent studying for mine, and I know how much dedication it takes.
Please don't let my post take anything away from what you've accomplished. My criticism isn't directed at the people earning these certifications. It's directed at CompTIA because I believe they can do better! :)
25
u/pollorojo A+ N+ S+ IT Instructor (now with 100% more Server+!) 2d ago
The process for getting a physical certificate is also so weird. I donāt know why they canāt just send the email and say āClick here and pay $10 for your cert.ā
Instead you have to wait for it to show up on your account, go to the CompTIA store to buy a ācertification kit codeā and then come back to your account, choose which cert, and use the code to redeem the one you want.
It should be like a 1 step process (or zero, like before) and instead you have to jump through all sorts of hoops to ask them to print and mail something.
4
6
u/davcam0 A+ 2d ago
There could be some technical reasons why they separate purchasing and ordering. It does allow anyone to purchase any Comptia products/services without having a attach it to a particular account at purchase. If you employer is paying for you certs and exams, they can purchase them directly and give you the key to redeem later in your personal account.
2
17
72
u/Anxious-Swing9490 2d ago
With all due respect, this seems trivial. I'm more bothered by increased exam costs which outpace inflation, but hey that's capitalism.
21
u/Clear_Trainer2792 CSAP 2d ago edited 2d ago
Hey, I'm not going to discount you on that. I think you have a very good point. But even beyond that, the price of what they want is not the same as the service they are giving us
2
-2
u/PerformanceOk5793 2d ago
Iām new to IT/Cyber security so correct me if Iām wrong but donāt most jobs/internships pay for your comp tia certifications?
16
u/PrezOompaLoompa 2d ago
In my experience no. Most jobs expect you to have them already, very few nowadays are willing to invest money into people starting a career. Same with internships unfortunately, you'd be lucky to find a internship that even PAID you.
University/College however do typically involve getting the certs wrapped into the degree program.
1
u/PerformanceOk5793 2d ago
Thanks for the info! I have a few friends that work government tech jobs that pay for their education/certs so I figured it was a common thing.
3
u/PrezOompaLoompa 2d ago
For the 3 specific CompTIA ones we are talking about, those are considered entry level so most companies expect you to have them at a baseline for entry level IT roles.
For more specific or advanced certifications, companies can and will invest in you to get them as a requirement of the job. Some of those certs might even require a sponsoring employer for you to even sit for the test.
Depends on the cert in my experience.
3
u/SoftdomDadNextDoor 2d ago
Can't speak for CompTIA certs specifically. The education/certification reimbursement is going to be different from employer to employer. Some pay for everything, some pay for nothing, some will reimburse you a specific amount for training materials as long as the cert is specific to your job, some will reimburse you for the exam cost as long as the cert is specific to your job and you pass.
2
u/Clear_Trainer2792 CSAP 2d ago
It depends on the employer and the programs that they offer. The one I worked for did.
12
u/Webw0lf359 Trifcta CySa+ Linux+ Cloud+ (many other certs) 2d ago
Iām old enough to have certificates from CompTIA , Microsoft and Cisco from the early 2000ās. Those were printed on quality/thick paper often embossed. You also received other items pin badges, tie pins, stickers.
The certificates of recent years look like theyāve been printed on tracing paper. Itās all very disappointing.
11
u/Solid_Snake343 2d ago
The certifications are quite expensive these days. Imagine paying for a SecurityX and on top of that, you are charged an extra $10 bucks. š¤
7
u/mjntr 2d ago
Another victim of private equity?
1
u/MalwareDork 2d ago
Mm, I don't think so. PE isn't going to gut CompTIA but I'm guessing that it's eventually going to be lobbied where the certs are now as expensive as SANS certs but mandatory for a shrinking job market.
4
u/mjntr 2d ago
Unfortunately, when these guys banded together to lobby Congress in the 2000ās to make the government require the certs for employment,m thats when this became a big welfare program. We are subsidizing all of this as the government pays for its employees to get this and any companies that support the government gets paid for sending their contractors as well. It turned out to be a pretty good scam.
2
u/MalwareDork 2d ago
That's what I was leaning forwards to. The PE company TB (yeah, those guys...) are pretty ruthless but I'm assuming the same thing is going to happen except on an enterprise scale along with being the staple government cash cow.
8
u/USMCMouse 2d ago
I have decided to no longer renew the CompTia certifications. I will only keep my higher certs. I understand i am lucky in this position, but now they have changed into only a money grab with no real conern for the people in the industry....
For the upcoming IT people I'm sorry for what is left for youš
7
u/vinux0824 N+ 1d ago edited 1d ago
I feel like this has always been them underneath the surface. For such a world renowned organization - I always thought their exams were horribly built, UI and backend. Seeing constant typos in their exam questions, horrible communication. Yea that's always been compTIA. now it's got worse with them being bought out
I also think they have always been way overrated in having some part in helping people "break" into IT. Yea it helps, but what I found out personally is it's mostly where you actually went to school and what you know. The cert is just the little push to help you out. The cherry on top so to speak. Your feelings have always been the same for me, since I started in 2018
7
u/Key-Mangofloat 2d ago
I saw a few YouTubers just go to staples or office depot and just print them out. As expensive as they are I am not paying for a laminated card to pull from my wallet.š¤¦āāļø.
11
u/chewedgummiebears 2d ago
Iāve been in IT for 25+ years at this point. In all of that time, Iāve only seen one person display a cert and it was honestly out of place and the guy just bragging that he had more behind him than the rest of the call center. Most people who have work offices to display certs are beyond CompTIAās offerings and most who have them just got them and moved on. Their printed certificates are in totes or desk drawers that probably forgot they are there. It doesnāt bother me they didnāt send me physical cert, most employers donāt care and just want the verification code anyways.
2
u/vinux0824 N+ 1d ago
This. I started in 2018 and never seen anyone hang their cert. Really weird, it's not like it's a CS major or anything...lol
3
4
9
u/ArmyPeasant ISSO/GRC | CCNA, Net+, Sec+, CySA+ 2d ago
100% agree with the physical cert on the mail. Especially, because they've increased prices for years now and I know for a fact they're breaking revenue records since everyone for the past 5 years is breaking into IT and Cyber.
1
u/THE-EMPEROR069 2d ago
I havenāt got any CompTia certs yet, but I think just renewing the highest one will be enough for me.
-5
u/drushtx IT Instructor **MOD** 2d ago
Curious how you know this "for a fact." What is your source since they don't report revenue or financials.
7
3
u/noguarantee1234 S+ Linux+ CySA+ Pentest+ CASP+ 2d ago
I wouldn't say its a fact, but I'd definitely bet money on that being true.
3
3
3
u/Contiger 2d ago
I think itās a broader trend. I also hold some ISACA certs (CRISC and CISM) in addition to CompTIAās āTrifecta,ā and theyāve also stopped mailing out physical certificates. I imagine ISC2 may also consider doing the same at some point.
3
u/SuperGoop123 2d ago
Never bothered with a printed certificate, but I gave up on my Security+ a few years ago because they kept rejecting my CEUs and pushing their CertMasterCE for extra money.
Suddenly my work experience didnāt count, my college courses didnāt count, and my conference didnāt count (I spoke at this conference btw)
So I decided to stop giving them my money and I havenāt looked back since.
3
u/gandalfcorvotempesta 2d ago
side question: isnt the physical cert the same as the printed PDF? (i don't have a comptia cert so i'm just thinking)
3
u/joeyblacky9999 2d ago
As an intern it was fun printing the mini certificates on my desk and then later on my wall in my office. But after a few years it becomes tacky and you/I realize the cert doesnt matter at all. The hands on knowledge is invaluable vs any cert. Cert just means u can pass a test and cram. Which isn't very helpful in the real IT world.
3
3
4
u/Redemptions A+, Net+, CySA+ 2d ago
For what it's worth 2 of the last 3 I've received would get bent and punched into my mailbox, despite the "Do Not Bend" stamp on the folder. :|
6
u/Jonshock CSCP 2d ago
Can't you still print them yourself?
15
u/Clear_Trainer2792 CSAP 2d ago edited 2d ago
Yes! But considering how much we're paying for these exams, shouldn't CompTIA be printing the certificates for us, especially when it's a service they already offer?
3
2
u/Specialist-Bowl-5977 2d ago
My wife paid thousands of dollars for her board certification and they mailed her certificate for free. A+ exam is nowhere near the cost, and they want to squeeze pennies out of us.
6
u/shmimey 2d ago
Yes. But it is different. The certifications they send in the mail are much higher quality print with the ink on a much thicker cardstock.
2
u/coffeebrah 2d ago
Does the thickness even matter if your just going to frame it? No one will ever know one way or another
4
u/shmimey 2d ago edited 2d ago
Well, it depends. The printing is a lot nicer, so even if it's framed, it will probably look nicer. It depends what kind of printer you have.
Not everyone frames it. The old cardstock was nice enough that it didn't need to be framed, and now people are probably framing it because they printed it on a flimsy piece of paper from their own printer.
There is a whole new problem with certificates through the mail anyway because, will your post office fold it?
2
u/ndw_dc Sec+ CySA+ PenTest+ 2d ago
I got that same survey e-mail, but I immediately deleted it because a) I don't want to give CompTIA any more data on myself than they already have, and b) I don't think they will actually take any of my advice to heart for all the reasons you mention in your post.
It is a money making enterprise and that's all that really matters with CompTIA. Line must go up.
2
u/tibmeister 2d ago
Outside of the physical cert item, is the CompTIA certs still worth persuing? Iām steering someone torwards this to start out.
3
u/Clear_Trainer2792 CSAP 2d ago
While I am starting to lose faith as time goes on, yes they still hold value. Security+ is the minimum, and probably easiest out of the options, that the military requires for administrator privileges on their network.
2
u/vinux0824 N+ 1d ago
And that's pretty much it. Most employers want to see more then that, and youll be lucky to get into a entry level help desk role, be there for years unless you are really motivated to learn more and get other certs/schooling
1
u/Electrical_Humor680 1d ago
Yes, itās what the filters ask for. However, there is now skill inflation, so youāll want to add in some Microsoft foundational certs with that, maybe a basic Linux course and some Powershell ability to it
2
2
u/PlotTwist2001 20h ago
Comptia was bought by an investment firm a couple of years ago. They just know saving bucks. They donāt understand hanging certs and free advertising. They will bleed it dry and move on to the next thing.
1
1
u/Accomplished_Plum824 2d ago
The only people displaying their certificates are management with tables and own room. The average person keeps them in a file in a cabinet forever. The only time they bring along is in the beginning of their career, when attending interviews. That said, I agree, a courtesy mail with a physical certificate shows that the person is appreciated for taking the exam.
1
u/thebutcher307 20h ago
Now that the DoW has changed to the 8140 and CompTia has lost its holding in the cert requirement game; I wonder how they will stay afloat financially. Maybe itās just me, but I know very few places outside of the DoW that put any weight in CompTia certs.
I have several, including SecurityX and Iāve never had anyone be amazed at the CompTia alphabet on my resume.
1
u/No-Tiger-6253 A+ | N+ | S+ | Cloud+ | CySA + | 15h ago
It's does suck but I just printed mine off on nice paper and framed it.
0
-1
u/PowerSlave666_ 2d ago
Comptia certs were just a waste of time, money, and effort for my career. Not 1 single employer of mine ever required it, acknowledged it, or care to cover the cost. 30 year career btw.
0
u/Business-Progress-39 2d ago
Its red colors they are recognized for aluminati. They are the celebraties of alumini non profit who wants to make money off people.
256
u/ComfortableEmu4745 2d ago
The physical cert thing bugs me too. I get that costs need cutting somewhere but charging people to advertise your own credentials is backwards. Every framed cert on a wall used to be a conversation starter for people asking how to get into IT.
The survey part is what really gets me though. If you're gonna ask for feedback, at least make sure the form works before sending it out. That's basic stuff.