Industry Certification VS life skills

[BurnMeUp]

I have a question to pose to you all. Which do you find more valuable:

The ability to pass a test created by the makers of a piece of software or created by a professional advisory board to become certified in a product or technology?

or

The ability to do the job or skills required without taking and passing a test?

Many jobs in the technology fields are all asking for certification, be it MSCE, MCSD, CNE/CNA, A+ and all the others. Many of these places won't even consider a candidate unless they take and pass these exams.

The funny part is, now an industry has sprung up to meet peoples needs in this arena. There are hundreds of schools that promise certifications in a short time. Many of these work, but they only teach you to pass the test and not do the job.

But, if someone cannot pass the test, or refuse to take it, are they truly as skilled as they would like to believe?

What do the SDers think?


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To deal with men by force is as impractical as to deal with nature by persuasion.