ce_faq.sflb

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CompTIA Continuing Education Program and

Certication Renewal Policy

CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+

and CompTIA Security+ certications

are valid for three years from the date

the candidate becomes certied.

An expiration date will appear on

all certicates and certicate holder

CompTIA ID cards.

I. CompTIA Certication Renewal PolicyWhat if I have a question that is not addressed here?

Please submit a ticket to http://support.comptia.org with your question and we will respond to you as soon as

possible.

What are the terms of the new CompTIA Certication Renewal Policy?

Individuals who become certifed in CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+ on or beore

December 31, 2010 will be considered certifed or lie.

Eective January 1, 2011, all new CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+ certifcations will be

valid or three years rom the date the candidate is certifed. Ater three years, the certifcation must be renewe

This can be done by passing the most current exam or a respective certifcation or by participating in CompTIA

new continuing education program, which will allow individuals to keep their skills current and their certifcation

up to date without retesting.

Who is aected by the certication renewal policy?

The new certifcation renewal policy is applicable to all individuals who earn CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+

and/or CompTIA Security+ certifcations on or ater January 1, 2011.

Does this change aect individuals who were certied prior to 2011?

No, those individuals certifed on or beore December 31, 2010 in CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and

CompTIA Security+ will retain their certifed or lie status. No valid through date will appear on certifcates an

certifcate holder CompTIA ID cards.

Does this policy only apply to individuals who reside in the United States?

No. CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+ are global certifcation programs. Thereore this

policy is applicable to all certifed individuals worldwide.

Are CompTIA certications other than CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+

aected by this policy?

No, not at this time. The renewal policy is only applicable to the certifcation programs that are currently ANSI

accredited; those are CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+. I other programs become AN

accredited, individuals pursuing those certifcations will be advised o any renewal policy implications associate

to those certifcation programs.

Can I keep my certication current without taking a new exam?

Yes. Our certifcation renewal policy includes a continuing education component that allows eligible individuals

to renew their certifcations by earning continuing education units.

My certicate has a ce notation. Why is that?

To comply with the new certifcation renewal policy beginning January 1, 2011, CompTIA will launch new

American National Standards Institute (ANSI) accredited versions o our CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, and

CompTIA Security+ certifcation programs. The new programs will have a notation on the certifcates: CompTIA

A+ ce, CompTIA Network+ ce and CompTIA Security+ce. The content o the respective certifcation exam(s) wi

not change, nor will the associated objectives, but the name change will denote the new continuing education

requirement associated with these programs. This new CE designation signifes these certifcations will expire

three years rom the date certifed.

CompTIA has always said its certications are good for life. Why have you changed your policy?

The certifcations aected by this change CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+ - are

accredited under ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024. The International Organization or Standardization (ISO), an internationa

body which standardizes the procedures used by personnel certifcation bodies, requires that individuals have

a way to renew the currency o their certifcation on a regular basis. In CompTIAs case, that renewal will occur

every three years.


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This change in policy is in line with the practice o other major providers o certifcations or IT proessionals.

In todays IT environment its important or IT proessionals to demonstrate that their knowledge and skills

are current. CompTIAs new renewal program is a way to assist those individuals who would like to take

advantage o it. Our certifcation renewal program includes a continuing education component that gives eligib

certifcation holders a range o ways to keep their CompTIA certifcations current without necessarily having to

take a new exam.

Isnt this just another way for CompTIA to make more money?

As a not-or-proft association or the IT industry, CompTIA reinvests the money it earns into new programs

that serve the industry and the people who work in IT. This is certainly true or our certifcation programs. The

process o developing and delivering high-stakes certifcation exams carries with it signifcant costs in time and

resources. Likewise, the development and ongoing management o our new continuing education program has

costs associated with it. The dollars paid or our certifcation exams are rolled back into the industry in the orm

o new and updated certifcation oerings and continuing education options or the IT workorce.

If the CompTIA certications are considered foundational level certications, why do I need to renew

them?

As technology continues to evolve, it is important that a candidates skills are both current and relevant even at

the oundational level. Our certifcation programs are updated with new content that is developed in conjunctio

with subject matter experts rom across the industry. Keeping your certifcation(s) up to date demonstrates toemployers your knowledge is current and relevant.

II. CompTIA Continuing Education ProgramWhen will the continuing education part of the program launch?

The CompTIA Continuing Education Program is launching on Jan. 1, 2011.

Who is eligible to participate in the continuing education (CE) program?

The program is available to those individuals who are certifed in any version o CompTIA A+, CompTIA

Network+, or CompTIA Security+.

How do I know if Im considered certied for life?I you have earned one or more o the ollowing certifcations: CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA

Security+ on or beore 12/31/10, those certifcations will never expire and you will always be considered certife

or lie or those certifcations, regardless o i you participate in the CE program. On or ater 1/1/11, any o the

CE certifcations earned will have an expiration date o three years rom the date certifed and will not carry a

certifed or lie status.

If Im considered certied for life and want to participate in continuing education (CE) what do I

need to know?

Individuals certifed on or beore December 31, 2010 must enroll in the continuing education (CE) program on

or beore December 31, 2012.

You must enroll in the CE program to participate.

You have three years rom the date o enrollment in the CE program to complete the appropriate level o

continuing education units to receive a new CE designation.

By enrolling and completing your CE program you will obtain this new CE certifcation. You will be held to thepolicies related to certifcation renewal and the CE program. Thereore, this new CE certifcation will expire

three years rom the date o achieving it through the CE program. This expiration date will also become your

new CE program cycle expiration date.

Example: I you enroll on 2/1/11, your CE program expiration date will be 2/1/14. I you complete the CE

program on 8/25/13, prior to your existing program expiration date, your new CE program expiration date

would be 8/25/16. Your new CE activity submission/CE cycle is 8/25/13-8/25/16.

I you do not enroll in continuing education on or beore December 31, 2012, or do not meet your CE program

requirements on or beore your CE program expiration date, you will be required to retake and pass the curren

exam(s) in order to be certifed and be allowed to participate in the CE program again. You will retain any

previous certifed or lie status.

Qualifed CE activities can be submitted or units i they occurred or were completed within 90 days prior to

enrollment into CE.


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If Im not considered certied for life and want to participate in continuing education (CE) what do I

need to know?

I you are CE certifed on or ater 1/1/11 you are not certifed or lie and will have a certifcate expiration date

o three years rom the date certifed.

I you are CE certifed on or ater 1/1/11 you will automatically be enrolled into the CE program and you will hav

three years rom the date certifed to successully complete your CE units.

Candidates who choose to participate in the CE program and comply with its policies and complete the CE

program requirements beore their certifcation expiration date will renew their certifcation.

Upon completion o the CE program, the candidates certifcation expiration date will be increased by three

years. Qualifed CE activities must have been completed within CE programs 3-year window. Consequently, a

candidate may only submit CE units and be recertifed once in any three year period. I you have completed a

CE cycle you cannot begin to submit again until ater the new cycle begins.

Example: I you earn a CE certifcation on 2/1/11, your certifcation and CE program expiration date will be

2/1/14. I you complete the CE program on 8/25/13, prior to your existing program expiration date, your new C

program expiration date would be 2/1/17. Your new CE activity submission/CE cycle is 2/1/14-2/1/17 you canno

begin to submit or units again until 2/1/14.

A candidates certifcation will expire i they do not complete or comply with the CE program

requirements and policies.

Candidates who allow their certifcation to expire must retake and pass the current exam(s) in order to opt

back into the CE program.

Do I have to participate in the continuing education program if Im considered certied for life?

No you do not have to participate in CE. You hold a valid certifcation that will not expire. However, please check

with your employer, as some employers will require recertifcation.

If Im certied for life, why would I want to participate in continuing education?

In todays IT environment its important IT proessionals demonstrate to employers their knowledge and skills a

current. The continuing education program provides individuals a variety o relevant methods o exhibiting that

knowledge and skill without requiring retesting.

Ive recently, or am in the process of, completing an activity that could qualify for continuing educatio

units. Can I earn continuing education units for that?

This only applies i you are a certifed or lie proessional. You can submit qualiying activities or continuing

education units as long as they were completed within 90 days prior to enrollment into CE. So i you enroll in C

on day one, 1/1/11, you could submit qualiying activities that were completed on or ater 10/1/10.

Certied for Life Not Certied for Life

Applicable Certifcations CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+,

CompTIA Security+

Applicable Certifcations CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+

CompTIA Security+

Certifed on or beore 12/31/10 Certifed on or ater 1/1/11

Certifcation does not expire Certifcation expires 3 years rom date certifed

Must enroll in the CE program on or beore 12/31/12 Auto enrolled in the CE program upon earning a CE

certifcation

Program expiration date is 3 years rom date CE program

enrollment

Program expiration date is 3 years rom certifcation date

Upon CE program completion, new CE cycle starts the frst

day ollowing successul completion o current CE cycle

Upon CE program completion, new CE cycle starts the day ater

the original certifcation/current CE program expiration date

New CE cycle expiration date will be 3 years rom the date

o completion o the current CE program cycle (i.e. meeting

program requirements and earning recertifcation )

Upon program completion the new CE cycle expiration date

will be 3 years rom original certifcation /current CE program

expiration date

Units can be submitted anytime within the 3 year CE

program cycle. Also, qualiying CE activities completed

within 90 days prior to enrollment in the CE program can

be submitted or units.

Units can be submitted anytime within the 3 year CE program

cycle


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What types of activities are eligible for continuing education units?

Among activities that will qualiy or continuing education units are passing the most current exam or your

CompTIA certifcation; teaching, lecturing or presenting on relevant industry topics; participating in non-degree

courses or computer-based training; attending relevant industry conerences and events; participating in a

CompTIA exam development workshop; publishing articles, white papers, blog posts or books on relevant topic

obtaining other industry certifcations; or completing industry-related college courses rom degree-grantinginstitutions. Please reer to the section entitled CompTIA Continuing Education Qualifed Activities or a

detailed list o qualifed activities and categories.

How many continuing education units are required to renew my certication?

For a candidate to renew CompTIA A+ requires 20 CEUs; to renew CompTIA Network+, 30 CEUs; and to renew

CompTIA Security+, 50 CEUs.

I hold multiple CompTIA certications. Am I required to renew each of them?

No. Individuals with multiple CompTIA certifcations are encouraged to participate in CE at the highest level o

certifcation held. For example, someone who holds CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+

certifcations would be required to meet only the continuing education requirements or CompTIA Security+.

Completion o CE or CompTIA Security+ would grant the participant with a CompTIA Security+ce, and

simultaneously grant a new CompTIA A+ce and CompTIA Network+ce. Please note you must have a certifcation or

it to be applicable as part o the CE program. No certifcation is granted through CE participation, only renewed.

If I hold multiple CompTIA certications, can I choose which one I want to get recertied in through CE?

Yes. The system will allow participants to select which o the certifcations they would like to enroll into or

earning a recertifcation through CE. I a participant has two certifcations and chooses to enroll in the highest

level o certifcation, their lower-level certifcation will be tied to the program and upon completion o the CE

program they would be granted both new CE certifcations. CompTIA Security+ is considered the highest-level

certifcation o the three, ollowed by CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA A+, respectively.

So or example, a person holding both CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Network+ certifcations could ulfll CE

requirements or both by completing only the CompTIA Network+ce program, but not by completing the

CompTIA A+ce program.

What if I choose not to participate in CE for the highest level certication I hold?

In an eort to ensure this program is cost ecient and demonstrates growth within your chosen proession,

CompTIA always recommend you select participation at the highest level to ensure all o your qualiyingcertifcations are kept current. I however, you choose to participate at a level lower than your highest level

held, your higher level certifcation will not be tied to your CE program. Upon completion o your designated CE

program, the only certifcations renewed would be based on those you previously selected. See chart below:

If you choose to participate in CEprogram level for:

And you hold the following validcertication(s):

Completion of CE or passing aqualifying higher-level certicationearns you:

CompTIA A+ CompTIA A+ CompTIA A+ce

CompTIA A+ CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ CompTIA A+ce

CompTIA Network+ would not be renewed

CompTIA A+ CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+,CompTIA Security+

CompTIA A+ ce

CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+

would not be renewed

CompTIA Network+ CompTIA Network+ CompTIA Network+ce

CompTIA Network+ CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ CompTIA A+ce, CompTIA Network+ce

CompTIA Network+ CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+ CompTIA Network+ce

CompTIA Security+ would not be renewed

CompTIA Network+ CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+,CompTIA Security+

CompTIA A+ce, CompTIA Network+ce

CompTIA Security+ would not be renewed

CompTIA Security+ CompTIA Security+ CompTIA Security+ ce

CompTIA Security+ CompTIA A+, CompTIA Security+ CompTIA A+ce, CompTIA Security+ce

CompTIA Security+ CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+ CompTIA Network+ ce CompTIA Security+ce

CompTIA Security+ CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+,CompTIA Security+

CompTIA A+ce, CompTIA Network+ce,CompTIA Security+ce


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Is there a cost associated with the certication renewal program?

Yes. Participants will pay annual maintenance ees that will be used to oset the costs associated or the

administration and hosting o the continuing education program and system. There will be an annual ee o $25

or CompTIA A+ certifed candidates, or $49 or CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA Security+ certifed candidates

On or beore the CE program expiration date, the ull CE program ees must be paid in ull, along withcompleting the required continuing education units (CEUs).

Individuals will be responsible or paying the minimum o $25 or $49 on an annual basis or will have the option

o paying their remaining balance i they choose to complete their program in a shorter timerame. Each year

participants will be prompted to pay their required annual ee prior to submitting units into the CE system. I yo

skip a year o submitting activities, you would be responsible or paying that previous years ee along with the

current years ee. All program ees must be paid in ull prior to your CE program expiration date as part o the

program requirements.

Important Note: I you are certifed or lie in more than one o these certifcations (CompTIA A+, CompTIA

Network+, and CompTIA Security+) and participate in the CE program at the CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA

Security+ level, youll be updating all o your currently held certifcations, upon successul program completion,

or $147 total.

What forms of payment are accepted for the CE program?

The CE system will allow payment using the ollowing methods: Visa, Master Card, American Express and PayPa

Upon payment being received the participant will receive an email receipt. Payment will also be posted to the

participants CE account or tracking current payments and overall program balance or the active CE cycle.

What currencies are accepted by PayPal?

Canadian Dollars

Euros

British Pounds

U.S. Dollars

Yen

Australian Dollars

New Zealand Dollars

Swiss Francs

Hong Kong Dollars

Singapore Dollars

Swedish Kroner

Danish Kroner

Polish Zloty

Norwegian Kroner

Hungarian Forints

Czech Koruny

Israeli Shekels

Mexican Pesos

Brazilian Real (only or Brazilian users)

Malaysian Ringgits (only or Malaysian users)

Philippine Pesos

Taiwan New Dollars

Thai Baht

CE Program Annual CE program fee Total 3 year fee required for

program completion

Continuing Education

Units required for programcompletion

CompTIA A+ $25 $75 20

CompTIA Network+ $49 $147 30

CompTIA Security+ $49 $147 50


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What are the program requirements that must be met to successfully complete a continuing educatio

program cycle?

Successul completion o a CE program cycle (3 years) requires that the ollowing terms are met on or beore

your continuing education program expiration date:

1. The CompTIA Continuing Education Program Ethics Policy has been agreed to in the CE system

2. All continuing education units associated to the selected program level are completed and submitted

3. All ees associated to the selected program level are paid in ull

Will CompTIA allow any special considerations or exemptions from the certication renewal program?

No. An underlying premise o the program is or candidates to demonstrate current and relevant skills. The

integrity o the program would be compromised i exceptions were made. Thereore, no exceptions will be

made. I any o the stated program requirements are not met on or beore the CE program expiration date the

certifcation(s) will expire, except or those certifcations granted prior to Jan 1, 2011.

What happens if the program requirements arent met on or before the CE program expiration date?

There are no refunds of any previously collected fees.

No units will carry over rom one CE program cycle to another.

I the certifcation held is a CE version (has an expiration date o 3 years rom the date certifed) it will expire.

The only way to participate in CE going orward would be to take and pass the current version o the exam(s)needed to earn the certifcation again.

I the certifcation held is considered certifed or lie (was earned on or beore 12/31/10) it will remain as is.

The only way to participate in CE going orward would be to take and pass the current version o the exam(s)

needed to earn the certifcation again.

How can I submit my units and keep track of them?

The program will be a Web-based system linked to the existing database that CompTIA certifcation holders

use. Program participants will submit their continuing education units and track their status online as they work

toward their target.

Does the CompTIA Continuing Education Program only apply to individuals who reside in the

United States?

The program is worldwide in scope.

III. CompTIA Continuing Education Program Qualifying ActivitiesWhat will count for Continuing Education Units?

The CompTIA certifcation programs that are part o the CE program cross the vast IT industry. Thereore,

CompTIA is providing a chart o qualiying activities. These activities all into general categories but do not,

in most cases, speciy by name exactly what will qualiy or continuing education units. Instead, it provides

guidelines or the types o activities that could qualiy and what is required as part o the submission to meet

that activities guidelines. The submissions must all into one o these categories and meet the submission

guidelines to qualiy or the designated amount o continuing education units.

Are there any other requirements for the activities?

Yes. As part o the audit process, subject matter experts will be reviewing the activity submissions to ensure

what is being completed is relevant to your CE program level. The documentation submitted as evidence

or completion or these activities must demonstrate knowledge equal to or above your current CE program(CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, or CompTIA Security+) level.

Do the submissions need to be in a specic format?

The system will only accept a zip fle, which cannot be more than 1 megabyte. The fles contained within the zip

can be in any o the ollowing ormats: doc, xls, pd, ppt, ti, bmp, jpg, gi, png, jpeg. The system will only allow

or one 1 megabyte upload to one selected activity.

Can someone other than the CE program participant submit CE units into the system?

No. The CE tracking system is directly tied to the certifed individuals CompTIA Career ID. Thereore, the

individual participating in the program is the only person who submits inormation into the participants record


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If I earn my CEUs by taking a qualifying CompTIA exam, what do I need to know?

You must already be enrolled into the CE program

Your CE program will update automatically i you earn CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA

Security+. You will not be required to submit anything to the CE system.

For the other CompTIA certifcations that are approved as qualiying or the CE program, you must submit

documentation per the stated activity guidelines

Fees previously collected or your current CE program cycle are non-reundable, remaining outstanding ees

that CE program cycle are waived.

Example: I you are participating in the CE program or CompTIA Network+ and have paid $49 at the time o

earning CompTIA Security+ce, you would not be responsible or the remaining $98 program balance to obtai

CompTIA Network+ce. However, once you start the next CE cycle, you would then be starting with a $147

balance or the next 3 year cycle.

If I earn my CEUs by taking a qualifying vendor certication exam what do I need to know?


You must submit documentation per the stated activity guidelines

Fees previously collected or the current CE program cycle are non-reundable; remaining outstanding ees o

the current CE program cycle must be paid in ull prior to obtaining a recertifcation.

Example: I you are participating in the CE program or CompTIA Security+ and have paid $49 at the time

when you earn CISSP, you would be responsible or the remaining $98 program balance beore earning theCompTIA Security+ce recertifcation. Upon earning the recertifcation you would then start the next 3 year

cycle that would require the $147 total to be paid beore the program expiration date.

If too many units are submitted within a CE cycle will those extra units carry over into the next CE

program cycle?

No. Nothing, including overpayments and excessive units, will carry over rom one CE renewal period to anothe

Each time a new CE cycle is started the participant starts over.

Can units be earned for activities completed to meet other recertication program requirements?

Yes, assuming the activities completed to maintain other IT certifcations are qualifed activities on the CompTIA

Continuing Education Qualiying activities chart and the submission requirements are met.

Activity Units Earned Submission Requirement Max CEUs Earned Activity Guidelines

Presenting content relevant

to the highest-level CompTIA

certifcation held

2 CEUs or each hour o material

creation;

1 CEU or each hour presenting

Presentation description,

including time and date,

content, location, and number

o attendees. Must also submit a

copy o the presentation.

CompTIA A+ - 6 CEUs

CompTIA Network+ - 9 CEUs

CompTIA Security+ - 15 CEUs

This activity pertains to

developing and delivering a

presentation that demonstrates

knowledge relevant to your

IT proession. This does not

include product presentations/

demonstrations.

Example: You are a CompTIA

Network+ certied professional

and youre presenting to your

executive team a possible

solution for improving the

security on the network.

Teaching content relevant to

the highest level CompTIA

certifcation held

2 CEUs or each hour o material

creation;

1 CEU or each hour presenting

Lesson plan or description o

content covered, delivery time

and date(s), session location,

and number o attendees

CompTIA A+ - 10 CEUs




developing and delivering

educational content applicable

to an IT proession. The

content must be IT- specifc

and demonstrate knowledgerelevant to your IT proession.


Security+ certied professional

and you teach a course on

Securing the Cloud.

Participation in non-degree

courses and/or training sessions

designed to train to higher level

CompTIA certications relevant

to certifcation held or to updated

version o the exam held

Includes authorized classroom

or computer-based training

using CAQC approved content

See the list of unauthorized

training providers at:

http://www.comptia.org/

certifcations/policies/

unauthorized.aspx

1 CEU or each hour o validated

training

Training event description,

including content covered,

date(s) o participation,

number o hours and proo

o completion rom training

provider




This activity pertains to the

participation and completion

o a course(s) and/or training

session that is structured

to prepare or CompTIA

certifcations.

Participation in non-degree

courses or training sessions

relevant to the highest level

CompTIA certifcation held or

to updated version o the exam

held

Includes authorized classroom

or computer-based training.

Proessional simulations and

practice exercises are also

applicable.

See the list of unauthorized

training providers at:

http://www.comptia.org/

certifcations/policies/

unauthorized.aspx

1 CEU or each hour o validated

training

Training event description,

including content covered,

date(s) o participation,

number o hours and proo

o completion rom training

provider





participation and completion o

a course(s) that are structured

to educate on an IT topic(s)

relevant to your IT proession.



and you have taken a course

at a local training center on

Wireless LAN Foundations

or have completed an online

course(s) on networking and

operating systems.


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Participation in a relevant

industry event, seminar,

workshop, podcast/webinar or

conerence

1 CEU or each hour spent in

relevant session

Description o activity

attended, including content

covered, time(s) and date(s)

o participation, location

(where applicable) and proo ocompletion provided by activity

host

CompTIA A+ - 4 CEUs




participation in educational

industry events that are

intended to impart knowledge

relevant to your IT proession.Example: You are CompTIA

A+ certied professional and

you have attended a one-

hour Webinar on Exchange

Outlook 2010 Problems and

Solutions.

Participation in relevant

CompTIA exam development

workshop

10 CEUs per successul

workshop completion

Signed orm rom workshop

coordinator confrming

successul workshop completion





participation in a 3-5 day onsite

CompTIA exam development

workshop.

Go to: http://www.comptia.org/

certifcations/examdevelopment.

aspx to nd out more about

upcoming workshops and

requirements. for workshop

participation.

Publishing a relevant industry

article, white paper, blog post

or book

4 CEUs per article or white

paper;

1 CEU per blog post;

20 CEUs per published book

Description o the content

covered, link to or copy o the

published work; the author

credit must be the candidate

seeking CE units

Articles and White Papers, min.

4 pages (Note: multiple articles

can be combined to meet the 4

page requirement)

Blog post, min. 1000 words

Book, min. 150 pages

CompTIA A+ - 8 CEUs or

articles, white papers, blog

posts;

20 CEUs or books


or articles, white papers, blog

posts;

20 CEUs or books


You can complete one or more

o these activities individually

or in combination to earn the

max amount o CEUs or this

category o activities.


authoring and publishing

content applicable to the IT

proession. The content must

be IT specifc and demonstrate

knowledge associated to your IT

proession.


A+ certied professional

and your blog post on

Troubleshooting Hardware

Problems is published to a site

for IT professionals.

Obtaining an industry

certifcation relevant to

the highest level CompTIA

certifcation held

For an individual who is

considered certifed or lie the

higher level certifcation must be

earned within 90 days prior to CE

program enrollment or within the

current three year CE cycle. For

an individual certifed ater Jan 1,

2011 the higher level certifcation

must be earned within the current

three year CE cycle.

Full Units earned

20 CEUs or CompTIA A+

30 CEUs or CompTIA Network+

50 CEUs or CompTIA Security+

I higher level certifcation

is granted by CompTIA or

CompTIA A+, CompTIA

Network+ or CompTIA Security+,

no submission required.

I higher level certifcation is

not granted by CompTIA

or are or other CompTIA

approved certifcations, proo o

certifcation rom certifcation

body is required

No Max Full credits earned This activity pertains to obtaining

an approved higher level industry

certifcation.

See CompTIA CE Higher Level

Certifcations chart or qualifed

certifcations

Example: You are enrolled in

the CompTIA CE program for

CompTIA A+ and choose to earn

CEUs by certifying in CompTIA

Network+.


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Completing industry related

college courses rom a degree-

granting institution

10 CEUs per completion o 3-4

credit hour course

Copy o transcript rom a

degree-granting institution,

including student name, course

description, course completion

date, grade and number ocredits earned


CompTIA Network+ -20 CEUs



successul completion o an IT

related course rom a degree-

granting institution.


Security+ certied professional

and you are taking a course at

a local community college on

Cyber Security.

Active participation on an IT-

related Board

2 CEUs per year o participation,

must submit inormation each

year to earn annual units

Board name and charter, your

role and level o participation on

the board, timerame in which

you are an active board member

CompTIA A+ - 6 CEUs

CompTIA Network+ -6 CEUs


This activity pertains to active

participation on an IT relevant

industry board.



and you are a member of your

local networking associationchapter.

Work Experience 3 CEUs per year, must submit

inormation each year to earn

annual units

Submission must be on

employer letterhead and contain

the ollowing inormation:

- Current job title

- Brie description o

expectation o tasks to be

perormed in this job

- duration in this job (start and

end dates)

- confrmation by employer

the participant is meeting the

expectations o an individual

holding this and/or similar

job title

- Signature o the participants

supervisor

CompTIA A+ - 9 CEUs




demonstrating the application

o the knowledge validated by

your highest level CompTIA

certifcation held.

If I earn my CEUs by taking a qualifying CompTIA exam what do I need to know?


Your CE program will update automatically i you earn CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ or CompTIA

Security+. You will not be required to submit anything to the CE system.

For the other CompTIA certifcations that are approved as qualiying or the CE program, you must submit

documentation per the stated activity guidelines

Fees previously collected or your current CE program cycle are non-reundable, remaining outstanding ees

that CE program cycle are waived.

Example: I you are participating in the CE program or CompTIA Network+ and have paid $49 at the time o

earning CompTIA Security+ce, you would not be responsible or the remaining $98 program balance to obtai

CompTIA Network+ce. However, once you start the next CE cycle, you would then be starting with a $147

balance or the next 3 year cycle.

Chart updated 12/17/10 version 1.0

Note: All activities and CompTIA continuing education requirements are subject to change without prior notifcation. Qualiying activities and units earned based on the activity chart posted as o the submis-

sion date o the activity and not the activity completion date.


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If I earn my CEUs by taking a qualifying vendor certication exam what do I need to know?


You must submit documentation per the stated activity guidelines

Fees previously collected or the current CE program cycle are non-reundable; remaining outstanding eesor the current CE program cycle must be paid in ull prior to obtaining a recertifcation.

Example: I you are participating in the CE program or CompTIA Security+ and have paid $49 at the time

when you earn CISSP, you would be responsible or the remaining $98 program balance beore earning the

CompTIA Security+ce recertifcation. Upon earning the recertifcation you would then start the next 3 year

cycle that would require the $147 total to be paid beore the program expiration date.

If too many units are submitted within a CE cycle will those extra units carry over into the next CE

program cycle?

No. Nothing, including overpayments and excessive units, will carry over rom one CE renewal period to

another. Each time a new CE cycle is started the participant starts over.

Can units be earned for activities completed to meet other recertication program requirements?

Yes, assuming the activities completed to maintain other IT certifcations are qualifed activities on the

CompTIA Continuing Education Qualiying activities chart and the submission requirements are met.

Does the date of when an activity is completed matter to it qualifying?

Yes. For those who enroll into the CE program and have certifcations that are considered certifed or lie,

the completion date o the qualiying activity must be within a window o 90 days prior to enrollment into CE

program and the expiration date o the CE program.

For those individuals who certiy ater 1/1/11 and are not considered certifed or lie, the qualiying activity

must be completed within the 3 year CE program window. Activities completed prior to your certifcation date

will not qualiy.

Important reminder: All CEU activities must be submitted into the system on or beore CE program expiration

to qualiy.

I think what I did should qualify for Continuing Education Units but I dont see it on the chart, what

do I do to see if it could count?

Go to http://itpro.comptia.org and join the CompTIA Continuing Education orum to provide your eedback

and suggestions. This inormation will be collected and reviewed or upcoming program updates.

IV. CompTIA Continuing Education Program Auditing InformationCan anyone be audited?

Yes. Anyone participating in the CompTIA Continuing Education program can be audited at any time during

their participation. This includes a current continuing education cycle as well as previous cycles in which a

recertifcation could have been granted through continuing education program completion.

What is being reviewed during an audit?

Confrm participating in qualifed CE program level

Completion date o activity alls within the approved CE program time rame

Number o units earned is appropriate or submission*

Documentation submitted is representative o an approved activity* Documentation submitted meets stated guidelines*

Documentation submission demonstrates knowledge equal to or above your current CE program (CompTIA

A+, CompTIA Network+, or CompTIA Security+) level

* Based on the activity chart posted as o the submission date o the activity and not the activity completion date

Are participants notied about an audit?

No. Audits are random and the participant will not be notifed an audit is being conducted but will be


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contacted upon the completion o a successul audit or i there are issues ound during the audit.

If there is an issue found with a submission(s) during an audit what needs to be done?

The CE participant will be contacted via email by the CE auditor, who will indicate what the issue iswith the submission as well as the course o action required to address the issue. The CE participant

has 90 days to address the issue. I the issue is not resolved reasonably within 90 days rom initial

auditor contact, the submission will be pulled rom the CE record and the associated units deducted

rom the units earned. I the participant previously earned recertifcation through continuing education

activities and the deduction o previously submitted units results in not meeting the program

guidelines, the recertifcation or the CE program previously completed and associated certifcations

earned as part o that recertifcation cycle, will be de-certifed.

Is there a case where a participant could be de-certied?

Yes. I at any point during participation in the CE program a participant is proven to be acting contrary to

the previously agreed to CompTIA Continuing Education Ethics Policy, the participant can be immediately

removed rom the CE program and any recertifcation earned through continuing education activities

will also be immediately de-certifed. Also, i the participant previously earned recertifcation through

continuing education activities and the deduction o previously submitted units results in not meeting

the program guidelines the recertifcation or the CE program previously completed, and associatedcertifcations earned as part o that recertifcation cycle, will be de-certifed.

What if there is a disagreement on the audit ndings?

CompTIA oers an appeals process where a group o impartial industry peers will be engaged to review

and decide upon submission(s) being disputed. The fnal determination o this group is the fnal say and

will be acted on accordingly.


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Certication Qualied Higher Level Certications forearning full CEU credits

CompTIA Network+

CompTIA Security+

CompTIA PDI+

CompTIA CTP+

CompTIA Linux+ (powered

by LPI)

CompTIA Server+

SANS - GSEC

SANS - GSE

SANS - GISFSANS - GSLC

SANS - GCIH

SCP SCNP

SCP SCNA

ISACA CISA

ISACA - CISM

ISC2 CISSP

ISC2 CAP

ISC2 SSCP

Microsot MCDST

Microsot MCSE

Microsot MCSACisco CCNA

Cisco - CCNP

CompTIA Security+

CompTIA CTP+

CompTIA Server+

SANS - GSEC

SANS - GSE

SANS - GISF

SANS - GSLC

SANS - GCIH

SCP SCNP

SCP SCNA

ISACA CISA

ISACA - CISM

SC2 CISSP

ISC2 CAP

ISC2 SSCP

Microsot MCSE

Microsot MCSA

Cisco CCNA

Cisco CCNP

Cisco CCVP

Cisco CCIE

Cisco - CCSP

SANS - GSE

SANS - GISF

SANS - GSLC

SANS - GCIH

SCP SCNP

SCP SCNA

ISACA CISA

ISACA - CISM

ISC2 CISSP

ISC2 CAP

ISC2 SSCP

Microsot MCSE

Microsot MCSA

Cisco CCNA Security

Cisco CCIE Security

Cisco - CCSP

CompTIA CE Higher Level Certications

ce_faq.sflb

Documents