90% restriction for exams in the standard RHLS
I have a standard learning subscription which entitles me to 5 exams and 2 retakes. An exam only becomes available if 90% of the relevant course has been completed. Does anyone know the rationale behind this? It is extremely annoying because there are not many exam slots available in the Netherlands so the first exam possibility is generally 6 weeks or more away. Outside of the learning subscription there is no 90% requirement for booking an exam, heck there is no requirement to have done the course at all! Why this burden within the learning subscription?
Regards,
Rob
Responses
Rob,
We feel that the best way to prepare for a Red Hat certification exam is to complete the affiliated training class that covers the exam objectives. The 90% completeness requirement to unlock access to book the exam is an effort to ensure that you have the time to prepare and have the best preparation before consuming one of those limited exam entitlements. How terrible would it be if you booked the exam 6 weeks out (when you started the class), then because weren't able to make much headway and, before you knew it, exam day had arrived? While this situation may never occur to you, I'm sure you know someone that could very well end up in a situation like this, which is why we have the business logic in place.
-Scott
Hello Scott,
I will like you to clarify this....when does one ability to sit for an exam expires? 1 year after you unlock the exam or immediately your subscription to RHLS expires.
Hi Scott,
Can you check that please? I can't find any "terms and conditions policies" which are saying that exams which are part of the Learning Subscription expires with the End of Subscription. Are you sure on that? The only policy I found is here: https://www.redhat.com/en/about/red-hat-training-policies and it says:
"RHLS SUBSCRIPTION STANDARD EXAMS
- A subscriber exam candidate must complete the learning requirement associated with a given exam in order to register for a first attempt of an exam in a subscription year. Exams, their associated requirements and recommended learning paths are displayed on the Red Hat Learning Subscription Portal.
- The two (2) exam retakes can only be applied to exams taken in a subscription year as part of the RHLS Standard subscription.
- The terms and conditions for all Red Hat certification exams apply to exams taken under RHLS Standard. Failure to comply with the terms and conditions concerning exam security and confidentiality may result in forfeiture of exam attempts and retakes including in the RHLS Standard subscription."
In my understanding this policy says only about the exam retakes which applies to exams taken in a subscription year.
It says also that
“exam candidate must complete the learning requirement associated with a given exam in order to register for a first attempt of an exam”
but nothing about the exam expiring with the end of subscription.
Other part of the Policy from https://www.redhat.com/en/about/red-hat-training-policies says:
“TIME FOR EXAM ATTEMPT
Named Participants have one (1) year from date of execution to schedule and take the exam. At the end of the year, no extensions will be provided.”
My Learning Subscription is expiring very soon and I want to be sure that I’m still eligible to take unlocked exams after Subscrition end.
I can assure you that access to exams does expire when the subscription expires. Further, exams scheduled to occur outside the subscription period will be cancelled if the subscription expires. I have requested some more explicit update to the terms and conditions to call this out. Right now, this is the segment of the terms and conditions that would apply to this:
DURATION The standard duration for an RHLS-Basic Subscription is 1-year from date of purchase. RHLS-Basic can be purchased for multiple 1-year terms.
I think the issue stems from people not recognize that exams are included in the Subscription, and are not a stand alone thing. When you buy a Subscription, you're not buying Classes and Exams. You're buying a Subscription. The Subscription provides access to Classes and Exams. But when the Subscription expires, access to those components also expires. You can buy classes and exams individually, and individually, they may have different terms. But with a Subscription, you have access to classes and exams for a term of 1 year from the purchase date of the subscription. When that year expires, access to the included subscription assets (classes and exams) also expires.
-STM
I agree with Rob as well. Why does a RHLS student have to wait for the booking of his exam while a normal classroom student can do his exam immediately after his course? Now as RHLS student you have to wait ~6 weeks and keep your skills up to date, This feels like discrimination. The Red Hat argument you may lock a limited exam entitlement while not being ready for the exam can be the same for a normal classroom student, I don't see the difference. Red Hat, please rethink your policy. In the meantime I will also touch through the chapters to get to the 90% so I can plan my study efficiently.
Rob: What location and which exam are you trying to book? Both Utrecht and Amsterdam are busy locations but it does seem (at a quick glance) like there are some slots sooner than 6 weeks out.
Walid: I am looking into the status of Saudi.
All, I am pleased to share that we have eliminated the 90 percent course completion requirement in Red Hat Learning Subscription, Standard Edition. Effective today, there is no completion requirement.
I would still recommend completing as much of an exam's related course or courses as possible, even if you think you know the material well. We share all our exam objectives online, so I would especially recommend reviewing those and focusing extra time and effort on those. Thanks for bringing your thoughts on this policy to our attention.
Rob, I am told that our Training and Certification colleagues in Europe are working on getting more capacity in the Benelux in general. Walid, from what I can see we are working on the Saudi location but finding it difficult at the moment to source the necessary hardware there. We will keep working on it.
Thank you, Randolph, for following up on this personally, it means a lot to us here were the closest exam centre is 14 hours drive and already busy. I have secured 15 more subscriptions to RHLS, and all of them in the Eastern province, EMEA telling us the RHLS exam hardware have some legal issues that should have been resolved by now. They will be deployed in the Central region 5 hours drive, why not have flexibility and let Red Hat partner have two locations or portable kiosk if possible? I have done a CNCF/LF exam using the same exam innovative but from my own home, the controls were almost the same if not tougher "was not allowed drinks during exam!!" the RHLS product is one of my favourite products in the whole industry so far, the quality of training and support is amazing, I hope our prayers for a local exam center will be answered.
I totally agree with Walid on this one. I'm located in Central Region of Saudi Arabia. I've been trying to pursue RHCA, but it has been 3 years since I took my RHCE while waiting for any exam center to provide RHCA-Level Exams, and Kiosks are our hope for now. Not everyone is able to afford traveling to another country to take exams (If they got lucky in finding suitable seats in less than 60 days!). I personally know at least 7 guys who are interested in RHLS/Exams, but availability to take the exams is their only hold back. Looking forward to any news on local exam centers.
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