Apple takes AppleCare service technician training online, drops recertification exams
An update to Apple's Service Training and Certification webpage reveals the company will soon drop a policy requiring AppleCare technicians renew their credentials every year, while initial training and testing are to be handled completely online.
According to Apple, the changes, first spotted by MacRumors, are a result of feedback from the field which requested an easier method of creating and maintaing service technician status. As of June 23, eligible Apple Certified Macintosh Technicians (ACMTs) will have permanent credentials.
From Apple's Service Training and Certification FAQ page:
The company did note, however, that individual product qualification requirements are still in effect, as are GSX qualifications, both of which require testing.
The policy alteration comes ahead of a rumored AppleCare revamp that is purported to bring sweeping changes to how repairs and service are handled. For example, instead of swapping out faulty iPhones with refurbished units, Apple will now perform repairs in-store.
According to Apple, the changes, first spotted by MacRumors, are a result of feedback from the field which requested an easier method of creating and maintaing service technician status. As of June 23, eligible Apple Certified Macintosh Technicians (ACMTs) will have permanent credentials.
From Apple's Service Training and Certification FAQ page:
Testing centers and proctored ACMT exams will also be done away with as Apple moves those services online.Changes include the following:
No more ACMT recertifications: All service technicians with existing ACMT certifications as of June 23 will be granted a new ACMT certification that eliminates yearly recertification exams. This new certification will allow the same ordering of service parts as the preceding ACMT certification and will not expire.
New exam resources: The following Apple service exams will be available solely from a new online resource:
9L0-010 - Apple Macintosh Service Certification Exam
9L0-064 - OS X v10.8 Mountain Lion Troubleshooting Exam
9L0-E04 - iOS Qualification Exam
The company did note, however, that individual product qualification requirements are still in effect, as are GSX qualifications, both of which require testing.
The policy alteration comes ahead of a rumored AppleCare revamp that is purported to bring sweeping changes to how repairs and service are handled. For example, instead of swapping out faulty iPhones with refurbished units, Apple will now perform repairs in-store.
Comments
…will not expire. …moves those services online.
And now I have no excuse not to get this done. Never mind finding a place close enough to take a physical test. Thanks, Apple!
I wonder if the price will stay the same? I think its currently $150/exam and there's 2 exams (hardware and software). EDIT...I see from the AppleCare article that the prices will stay the same.
They call it "upgrading."
Originally Posted by digitalclips
I am not sure that this is entirely accurate, some sort of recertification has to me in place but perhaps it is more like Realtors 'continuing education' type thing. The changes in this stuff is so fast they have to be retrained / updated what ever it is called.
I'm sure there is. For an industry that changes this often, it shouldn't be a system like the Japanese fugu license. Still, having to go through the motions for a fairly large percentage of it every year is just silly.
For someone to get one test and that's it seems insane to me
I think they should at least know how to carefully remove a chip from the Apple ][ motherboard with the propper extractor. Every time I use my fingers and thumb the dam things rotate and drill my thumb with a series of holes!
Quote:
Originally Posted by macxpress
This is great news for myself. I also didn't like the fact that I would have to drive 2.5hrs away (one way) just to take some tests. Apple can better oversee its own exams anyways than Prometric which is what they're currently using.
I wonder if the price will stay the same? I think its currently $150/exam and there's 2 exams (hardware and software). EDIT...I see from the AppleCare article that the prices will stay the same.
online certification exams are a cheat's paradise and worthless as proof of competence
i've done lots prometric-run exams, they check two different ids, have an empty pockets rule and video monitor test stations to watch for people sneaking in phones, cheat sheets etc., if you think apple is going do do a better job online you are delusional
with an online exam there's no telling who actually clicked the buttons, or whether it was done on the basis of knowledge or simply looking up the answers as required
Quote:
Originally Posted by digitalclips
I am not sure that this is entirely accurate, some sort of recertification has to be in place but perhaps it is more like Realtors 'continuing education' type thing. The changes in this stuff are so fast they have to be retrained / updated what ever it is called.
They used to have this policy way back when. You don't need recertification, instead, you need new certification on new products... usually just classes of products.
This really makes sense. Most of what you learn during certification is how to use the tools and resources that Apple provides.