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Tech Certs...anybody know this?

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  • Tech Certs...anybody know this?

    Since my son has expressed some interest in programming (as well as mathematics), my wife and I were discussing possibly having him try to get certified at one point.

    We were thinking about a Java certification. Most likely the OCA, Java SE 8 Programmer, and maybe the OCP, Java SE 8 Programmer II.

    So I guess the big questions I have are:

    1. Are minors (under 18) allowed to take these certification tests?
    2. Would it really help with college admissions? Or maybe as a CLEP?

    He wants to be a mathematician, so we think he'll probably major in math. But programming is a big part of math curricula these days, as far as I can tell.

    My wife thinks it'd be a good idea just to go through the certification books, and just use the practice tests to see how much knowledge he retained.

    I've also been thinking about this with the python language since it's hot right now.

    Of course, he's still a few years away from college, as he starts High School next school year (August), and we want to start preparing now.

    Any thoughts?
    Skilled programmers aren't cheap. Cheap programmers aren't skilled.

  • #2
    Certs are usually professional-level stuff, for people who are in their careers. At least, stuff like CCNA. Learning Java and/or Python would probably be helpful; I imagine that the Python in particular would be pretty handy. Not sure any certs would help during admissions or such, but they probably won't hurt. They aren't cheap last I checked, though!!
    “There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old’s life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged.
    One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world.
    The other, of course, involves orcs." -- John Rogers

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    • #3
      Quoth Nunavut Pants View Post
      They aren't cheap last I checked, though!!
      I think the Java certs are either $150 or $200 USD each. And that's part of my concern.

      I don't mind him learning different programming languages, in fact, I'm encouraging it. But if getting the cert won't help with admissions, it may not be worth the money. It may be more worthwhile for him to put together a small portfolio to use as part of admissions to colleges.
      Skilled programmers aren't cheap. Cheap programmers aren't skilled.

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