Drake Prometric administers most of the information technology (IT) certification programs in the world today. Therefore, it has produced this survey of certification in the IT industry for IT professionals and others who might wish to use its services.

Although the book purports to be the complete guide to certification for computing professionals, it is restricted mainly to the certification programs that Drake Prometric administers. For instance, it does not review the certification programs of the Computer Science Accreditation Commission. It does not provide an objective view of that certification process, nor of the role it plays for the information technology professional. The book does present arguments that certification can benefit individuals and organizations and shows how to put the certification programs that Drake administers to use in minimal time. It does not explore other ways of certifying.

After a short introduction, chapter 1, “What Is Certification,” presents definitions of certification and the goals of certification and testing. Reasons for certification are discussed, and drivers of the growth of certification--changes in technology, business pressures, and government influence--are presented. A case study of the drive for certification is presented. Case studies on other topics appear in the other chapters.

Chapter 2, “Forces Promoting Certification,” further details the forces promoting certification. The explosive growth of information technology shown in chapter 1 is mirrored by the exponential growth in the number of programs administered by Drake Prometric from 1989 through 1994.

Chapter 3, “Vendors and Resellers,” examines the interlocking interests of IT vendors and resellers, to argue that certification programs serve the interests of all participants in the IT industry. Certification helps vendors manage their distribution channels to gain business advantage. Resellers and vendors benefit from an enhanced image, improved customer confidence, and reduced costs through investment in certifying employees and having certified staffs.

Chapter 4, “Professionals and End-user Organizations,” discusses the benefits of certification to individuals and to the organizations that employ them. Individuals use certification to build skills and gain potential for advancement, and technical managers use it for strategic advancement in a competitive marketplace.

Chapter 5, “Testing in the 1990s,” shows the current challenges of producing certification tests. The requirements include statistical validity, reliability, and legal defensibility.

Chapter 6, “The Drake Worldwide Testing Network,” is an advertisement for Drake Prometric. Chapter 7, “Individual Programs,” presents programs of the companies and organizations for which Drake has administered certification. Company backgrounds, individual programs, benefits and deliverables of the programs, and contact information are given.

The book fulfills its purpose of being a resource on IT certification generally, and on Drake Prometric in particular. It is a centralized resource on professional certification for the IT professional, but it is quite parochial. It does not require any background other than immersion in the IT industry. The book is appropriate for library use. I am not aware of any related book with this perspective. It provides a good foundation and introduction for anyone interested in IT certification for individuals.