«

"Neil" <guess!!!@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:Xns99704918E367Cneilmcsegmailcom@207.46.248.1 6...
> did you hear "Michael D. Alligood [CertGuard, Inc.]"
> <> say in news:uFXMa4CyHHA.1212
> @TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl:
>
>> Having worked for a CLC/Exam Provider (Prometric to be exact) I am aware
>> of the lack of money these exams generate for a center.
>
> actually, it's more like negative revenue.

Clearly coming from a well-staffed Sales Prevention department.

I just wanted to start a topic on it

"The Rev [MCT]" <> wrote in message
news:...
> *cough* NO *cough*
>
> --
> .rev
>
> "It is the mark of an educated man to be able to entertain a thought
> without
> accepting it"
> ~Aristotle
>
> Save 20% off any Microsoft MCP Exam when testing with Pearson VUE. Use
> Discount code: MSUU7C1E9359
>
> Register on-line @ vue.com
> ...
> .
> "Michael Gossett" <> wrote in message
> news:%...
>> Anyone know the REAL reason behind this? *cough* allowing braindumps
>> */cough* ??
>>
>> --
>> Michael Gossett
>> A+, MCP, MCDST, Backup Exec 10.0 Administrator
>>
>

"John R" <jsr^^^813@zoom^^^internet.net> prattled ceaselessly in
news::

> However, I would bet that Microsoft feels
> that if someone wants certification bad enough, they will find a
> testing center.
>

And that's just the attitude I take issue with. They've forgotten that
we're doing them a favor by certifying, not the other way around. The
benefit to me is so small that the inconvenience will keep me from
upgrading my certs.

--
Catwalker
MCNGP #43
www.mcngp.com
"Definitely not wearing any underwear."

* Michael D. Alligood [CertGuard, Inc.] <>:
> "The Rev [MCT]" <> wrote in message
> news::
> >You don't actually believe Test centers make any money delivering exams do
> >you?
> Having worked for a CLC/Exam Provider (Prometric to be exact) I am aware of the
> lack of money these exams generate for a center. My remarks were

Could you share some details on this?

Most of the testing centers i've attended took 178.8 US$ (215
CHF) from me, sat me behind a 5 year old CRT (with a machine in
the same age bracket) in a room without A/C, and i usually
sat in that room for 1-1.5 hours.

How exactly can they NOT make boatloads of money with this?

--
Read my blog at http://projectdream.org

Maybe this:
http://www.vue.com/about/release/07_07_11_cisco.html
--
Ed Crowley
MVP - Exchange
"Protecting the world from PSTs and brick backups!"

"Michael Gossett" <> wrote in message
news:%...
> Anyone know the REAL reason behind this? *cough* allowing braindumps
> */cough* ??
>
> --
> Michael Gossett
> A+, MCP, MCDST, Backup Exec 10.0 Administrator
>

did you hear "Frisbee®" <> say in
news::

> Clearly coming from a well-staffed Sales Prevention department.

A prometric center would need to have 4-6 testers come through every hour
just to break even on the test admin. The equipment would be in addition to
this. To be profitable, you would need about a dozen test takers every hour
for months on end. At least from what I remember of the program.

--
The InterNeil "V2 w/tabbed browsing & decreased verbosity" MCNGP Triple X

- AAAAA - American Association Against Acronym Abuse

"catwalker63" <_catwalker63_@hotmamamail.com> wrote in message
news:Xns997074863D055catwalker63athotmail@216.196. 97.136...
> "John R" <jsr^^^813@zoom^^^internet.net> prattled ceaselessly in
> news::
>
>> However, I would bet that Microsoft feels
>> that if someone wants certification bad enough, they will find a
>> testing center.
>>
>
> And that's just the attitude I take issue with. They've forgotten that
> we're doing them a favor by certifying, not the other way around. The
> benefit to me is so small that the inconvenience will keep me from
> upgrading my certs.

I have yet to see any benefit other than being "allowed" to keep my current
job. My employer made it mandatory for me by putting it on my goals list
and each year I didn't achieve it I would take a performance review hit. I
have yet to try to play my certs (MCSE 2k3/MCSA 2k/MCDST) out in the job
market, but at this point in my life (46), it's not like I'm going to make
$20K/year more than I make now. So I do agree with you that "my" benefit is
low. Fortunately, in the Pittsburgh area, there is a Prometric center just
down the street from the PearsonVue that I used.

John R

I wont share a revenue stream, but let me put it simply. What money you pay
doesn't go to the test center it goes to the EDP. Kinda like movie ticket
sales don't go to the theatre they go to the effing Studio.

--
..rev

"It is the mark of an educated man to be able to entertain a thought without
accepting it"
~Aristotle

Save 20% off any Microsoft MCP Exam when testing with Pearson VUE. Use
Discount code: MSUU7C1E9359

Register on-line @ vue.com
....
..
"Lukas Beeler" <lb-> wrote in message
news: g...
>* Michael D. Alligood [CertGuard, Inc.] <>:
>> "The Rev [MCT]" <> wrote in message
>> news::
>> >You don't actually believe Test centers make any money delivering exams
>> >do
>> >you?
>> Having worked for a CLC/Exam Provider (Prometric to be exact) I am aware
>> of the
>> lack of money these exams generate for a center. My remarks were
>
> Could you share some details on this?
>
> Most of the testing centers i've attended took 178.8 US$ (215
> CHF) from me, sat me behind a 5 year old CRT (with a machine in
> the same age bracket) in a room without A/C, and i usually
> sat in that room for 1-1.5 hours.
>
> How exactly can they NOT make boatloads of money with this?
>
> --
> Read my blog at http://projectdream.org

"The Rev [MCT]" <> wrote in
news::

> You don't actually believe Test centers make any money delivering
> exams do you? Trust me they are not in it for the money. It's simply a
> loss leader.
>

Not to belittle your experience, but I don't buy this theory at all.

If the testing centers were all losing money there simply would be no
testing centers. What possible benefit would they have in (in essence)
giving away tests? Saying that they do this at a loss is a load of crap
because there are thousands of test centers out there and this idea of
them all throwing money into a gargantuan fire pit is ridiculous. I
would be more prone to believe that the profit margin is slim, but not
so slim that they will stop delivering exams.

My thoughts are that MS feels it will cost them less to have one testing
solution provider due to ease of administration, thus they will keep
more of their revenue from the certification program. If they made more
cash having 2, 3, or 400 different testing solution providers that is
likely the route they would go.

Because test centers that are not owned an operated by the EDP have other
services. Most of them are one form of Technical Education Center or
another. some are University based others are Microsoft CPLS Partners while
others are traininig centers of some other sort. Trust me when I say you
cannot make enough money to rin a "Test Center" and nothing else.

I would be like running a UPS store and not selling anything. If the UPS
stroe shipped items only but didn't sell services to pack or sell tape,
boxes etc as well as rent out mail boxes and accept packages for clients
they would fail. Well the same would be true for a test center. VUE is less
than Prometric but neither are a dollar driven service, they are loss leader
value add services. That is just the way it is. I can't help it if you don't
agree or see it differently, but the truth remains.

--
..rev

"It is the mark of an educated man to be able to entertain a thought without
accepting it"
~Aristotle

Save 20% off any Microsoft MCP Exam when testing with Pearson VUE. Use
Discount code: MSUU7C1E9359

Register on-line @ vue.com
....
..
"Red Swingline Stapler" <> wrote in message
news:Xns9970ADCB318Fnowaycom@207.46.248.16...
> "The Rev [MCT]" <> wrote in
> news::
>
>> You don't actually believe Test centers make any money delivering
>> exams do you? Trust me they are not in it for the money. It's simply a
>> loss leader.
>>
>
> Not to belittle your experience, but I don't buy this theory at all.
>
> If the testing centers were all losing money there simply would be no
> testing centers. What possible benefit would they have in (in essence)
> giving away tests? Saying that they do this at a loss is a load of crap
> because there are thousands of test centers out there and this idea of
> them all throwing money into a gargantuan fire pit is ridiculous. I
> would be more prone to believe that the profit margin is slim, but not
> so slim that they will stop delivering exams.
>
> My thoughts are that MS feels it will cost them less to have one testing
> solution provider due to ease of administration, thus they will keep
> more of their revenue from the certification program. If they made more
> cash having 2, 3, or 400 different testing solution providers that is
> likely the route they would go.