Certification

[ksturner]

Hello to all in the Cad World,

I have been doing Cad since the second release of AutoCAD and I have been a Cad Manager since 1985. Can any one tell me if there any CADD Manager Certification available.

I have and Architectural Degree but what I do is Cad and CAFM Management. I am also working with Rivet and have seen some information on BIM Managers.

I am a CFM Certified Facility Manager and I am trying to validate my responsibilities by being certified in all my areas of responsibility.

Dose Autodesk have certification for Cad Managers, CAFM or BIM Managers.


Thank you

See you at AU 2007

[Filipe Francisco]

I Don't have have certification, the Autocad certification only exists in USA, not in Portugal :cry:

Maybe some day


Cheers :beer:

[Misteracad]

I think you need to define "certification" lol :mrgreen: As has been mentioned in other related posts, there are different types of certification out there, and what one defines as being certified by a local school, is certainly NOT the same as being certified by Autodesk. I have taught AutoCAD at multiple educational facilities and one school provided a "Certificate of Completion" w/ their name on it. Woohoo, but those students now feel that they are certified. I'm not trying to discount anyone out there who has this type of certificate, but some schools give students a certificate just for showing up in class 80% of the time. There's no testing, and no proof that the student "got it" :? Granted this typically is for non-credited classes that meet some criteria defined by the school, but it doesn't necessarily mean the student truly knows the software.

I also taught for another school that went to the trouble and expense of becoming an ATC (Autodesk Training Center) which means the school AND instructors are "supposed" to meet certain criteria defined by Autodesk, but here again, if the student shows up for 80% of the classes, he/she can still walk away w/ a certificate, albeit w/ Autodesk's name on it, but what does that really mean?

Then there is the type of certificate that you get from a VAR (reseller). I've worked for three of these organizations over my career and they all provide their students a Certificate of Completion from Autodesk w/ your name and course title on it, but it doesn't mean anything in the real world! All that says is you attended the class...big whoop! Did you get it? Who knows! Are you proficient? Probably not yet!

Now, as an AE (Application Engineer) on the other side of the fence working for a VAR , I had to pass a PSE (Product Support Exam I think?) for each product that I supported. This meant that I literally had to sit down at the computer and take a 100-question multiple-choice test and pass w/ 85%(?) or better. This process was the most stressful thing in my life when I first started in that capacity. And, because Autodesk charged $100 for the testing, if I did not pass the money came out of my pocket! Otherwise the VAR picked up the tab. Anyway, once I passed I received a certificate from Autodesk that truly meant something (in my mind at least) and allowed me to provide technical support for the product. To that end, I now use these certificates as proof that I at least know "something" about the software when I talk to potential employers, at least by Autodesk standards, and as a result chose "YES" in your poll. I should also mention that Autodesk now requires AE's to pass these PSE's annually, for every version of the products they support! Can you imagine the stress? However, this forces the techs to stay current and up w/ the changes in the software, but once again, this is by no means proof that you can use the software efficiently for production in the real world.

For the average user though, I'm not sure what truly exists in regards to certification by Autodesk these days. I know they have reintroduced certification for ADT and Inventor users, but I haven't heard of anything for the rest of us. I heard there may be some sort of Civil 3D testing, but I'm not a civil guy and am not sure. In past years, there were AutoCAD Level 1 and 2 Certification Exams available from Autodesk that you could take at an authorized location. You had to pay for the testing and a proxy was required to make sure there was no cheating. I looked into this for my own satisfaction and bought an official Study Guide from Autodesk, but could never decide whether or not the cost and trouble was worth it to me. My question was always "What will this truly do for me and my career?" I asked myself the same question regarding obtaining (CD) Certified Drafter status from the American Design Drafting Association (ADDA) as well, but that's another topic.

So, in regards to your basic question about certification, the answer is yes and no...depends on what you are looking for. If you do in fact learn of additional means of Autodesk certification that carries some weight, I'd definitely be interested in hearing about it, but for now don't get your hopes up. For 20+ years now I have been fighting w/ employers and potential employers to prove my worth and unfortunately there is no industry standard way of comparing one to another :cry: That's why som many employers TEST their candidates, and for good reason!

For what it's all worth, I hope this helps to some degree. Good luck.

[rrancourt]

I answered "no" on your poll. I have been running a CAD station since R14 (this includes time in high school and college). I received an Associate's Degree from Eastern Maine Tech. College in the Computer Adied Drafting & Design program (graduated at the head of my class), but I definitely do not consider myself "certified" by any means. I like to think that I have a great understanding and respect for the program, as well as general drafting criteria and standards. However, the frustrating part of the certification process is that even if one were to study, take the test, and pass it, the odds of making more money than someone or having a better chance at a job position compared to someone who isn't certified, would be slim to none IMHO... Unfortunately not enough emphasis is placed on this like is placed on other diciplines like engineering (earning your Professional Engineer's license) or a master's in any other field. As was said in the previous post, there were people that I graduated that program with that showed up half the time and put in half the effort, yet still have the certification that I do...

[robert.1.hall72202]

I have certification from a technical school for running AutoCad since release 13.

I do not think the certification matters much. Anyone entering a Cad position
should be hired on a probationary basis. Once you take the job you have a
period of time to prove what you are actually worth. Make it or break it.

[tedg]

I have an Associates' Degree in "Technical Graphics and Design Technology" from our local community college. Not necessarily an Autodesk Certification.

I have heard of taking an AutoCAD test to be certified, but I don't know of any one who's ever done it. One of my instructors offered classes on taking that test and what to expect when taking it.

Not having AutoCAD certification is not a "deal breaker" for jobs around where I live (to my knowlege). As long as you can do your job, you'll have no problems.

[Filipe Francisco]

...
I do not think the certification matters much. Anyone entering a Cad position
should be hired on a probationary basis. Once you take the job you have a
period of time to prove what you are actually worth. Make it or break it.

That is the most important, but in some cases the certification helps.

When I talk about AutoCAD certifications I think that sould be like "Microsoft /Cisco / Adobe certifications" (exams in centers, valid in all world, not a certificate of completion). The Autodesk needs to think about it

that my point of view

Cheers to all :beer:

[Misteracad]

Hello to all in the Cad World,

I have been doing Cad since the second release of AutoCAD and I have been a Cad Manager since 1985. Can any one tell me if there any CADD Manager Certification available.

I have and Architectural Degree but what I do is Cad and CAFM Management. I am also working with Rivet and have seen some information on BIM Managers.

I am a CFM Certified Facility Manager and I am trying to validate my responsibilities by being certified in all my areas of responsibility.

Dose Autodesk have certification for Cad Managers, CAFM or BIM Managers.


Thank you

See you at AU 2007

I'm not sure if you got the answer you were looking for, but I stumbled on this link today http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?id=6157911&siteID=123112. As you can see, Autodesk has apparently revived the certification process to something similar to what I remember back in the R12 and R13 days. As I had mentioned in a previous post, there is definitely an Inventor and Architectural Desktop certification available, but I was also able to confirm that they have a Civil 3D certification, as well as plain AutoCAD in both USER and EXPERT forms. This is all news to me, but there is definitely plenty of information on the site about getting certified for those who are interested. This link http://autodesk.starttest.com/ lists the products and prices.

[Richard.Kent]

I am Certifiable but I don't have a Certification.

[AcadDurango]

if you like to check this website, provides certification for instructors as well for users: www.certification.net:roll:
(http://www.certification.net/)

[xgaspa]

In Europe the European Computer Driving Licence for Computer Aided Design (ECDL CAD ) has been created by ECDL Foundation (www.ecdl.com) and offers Candidates the opportunity to certify their core 2D CAD skills to an international standard.

[Filipe Francisco]

In Europe the European Computer Driving Licence for Computer Aided Design (ECDL CAD ) has been created by ECDL Foundation (www.ecdl.com (http://www.ecdl.com)) and offers Candidates the opportunity to certify their core 2D CAD skills to an international standard.

Thanks for the information

Cheers :beer:

[Richard McDonald]

Thanks for the information

Cheers :beer:

Unless its changed over the past couple of years the ECDL is absolutly worthless. I saw some sample exam papers a while back and to say they are basic is an understatement.

Autodesk do run a certification programme in the US with more resellers ofering this service in the UK. I think this year there will be a push as at an Event in London in March time has been set aside to big it up.

Check here (http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=10095419) for the details but it is an exam with different levels.

It might be worth talking to your local reseller to get more information.

[jaberwok]

Unless its changed over the past couple of years the ECDL is absolutly worthless. I saw some sample exam papers a while back and to say they are basic is an understatement.

Autodesk do run a certification programme in the US with more resellers ofering this service in the UK. I think this year there will be a push as at an Event in London in March time has been set aside to big it up.

Check here (http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=10095419) for the details but it is an exam with different levels.

It might be worth talking to your local reseller to get more information.

and the ECDL papers that I saw about 2 years ago contained basic (AutoCAD) flaws.

[dbanker]

I went through Autodesk to get certified (http://autodesk.starttest.com or www.autodesk.com/certification). Not sure how recognized it is but it's got to be worth something.

[Brian Myers]

The question to ask about certification IS NOT "What value will this have for me?" as this is a common mistake. A better question is "What value will this have to my employer?" as they will be the ones paying for your knowledge and value. That's not to say certification can't have personal worth, it certainly can, but we often forget that a certificate often means more to US than it does to others that don't realize the effort you put into it. College degrees get more credibility because we DO have some concept toward the level of effort put into them. Being Autodesk certified (and many of the more "minor" certifications) just means you know how to use software but doesn't guarantee the ability to follow standards, be creative, be accurate at your profession, or even make a good employee. I've seen CAD Gurus that couldn't detail a thing and "I can't check my email, give me a pencil" individuals that could detail anything but not draw a line in AutoCAD. So, it's simply a "+" (Plus) on the resume and often times an indicator to yourself where you need to improve more than a sign of anything to your employer. I (personally) would EXPECT CAD knowledge and expertise from you, a certification would mean very little except for exposure to the concepts. The same would go for other certifications in other fields... I would need more proof of experience, best case it would get you in the door for an interview. :beer:

[Filipe Francisco]

I went through Autodesk to get certified (http://autodesk.starttest.com or www.autodesk.com/certification (http://www.autodesk.com/certification)). Not sure how recognized it is but it's got to be worth something.

Thanks for the information, but I have a problem, this is only valid for USA and Canada, I'm from Portugal.


The question to ask about certification IS NOT "What value will this have for me?" as this is a common mistake. A better question is "What value will this have to my employer?" as they will be the ones paying for your knowledge and value. That's not to say certification can't have personal worth, it certainly can, but we often forget that a certificate often means more to US than it does to others that don't realize the effort you put into it. College degrees get more credibility because we DO have some concept toward the level of effort put into them. Being Autodesk certified (and many of the more "minor" certifications) just means you know how to use software but doesn't guarantee the ability to follow standards, be creative, be accurate at your profession, or even make a good employee. ...

I Agreed with you, but in some cases (some companys in Portugal) need certified professional to became "certifies companys".

Cheers :beer:

[Misteracad]

I Agreed with you, but in some cases (some companys in Portugal) need certified professional to became "certifies companys".

I believe it is more common for companies outside of the U.S. to use certification to establish a benchmark of skills because there is not as much of a workforce or long-term history of CAD workers to compare too. I could be wrong, since I've never worked overseas, but in my experience in the States, employers here merely want to know that you can do the job and will most likely test you to confirm! I've never worked for a firm or met a prospective employer that knew what certification was or asked me if I was certified. The same goes for the Drafter certification available thru www.adda.org (http://www.adda.org). In 20+ years of drafting, I never got enough confirmation on my end to convince me that either option was worth the cost or trouble since no one knew what it was! That's not to say that there isn't ANY value, but as was mentioned previously, it's up to the user and what he or she hopes to accomplish by getting certified. Personally I'm considering taking the test while at AU this year, and am signed up for a class to help prepare me. If I do in fact go forward, it will be for my own personal achievement, but getting the logo for my business card would be a nice touch though :lol:

[Filipe Francisco]

... Personally I'm considering taking the test while at AU this year, and am signed up for a class to help prepare me. If I do in fact go forward, it will be for my own personal achievement, but getting the logo for my business card would be a nice touch though :lol:

I'm going to do the same in AU, hope we meet there


cheers :beer: