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CIW Certification and Curriculum Frequently Asked Questions 

  1. What skills are learned in the CIW certification program?
  2. What sets CIW apart from vendor-specific certifications?
  3. Does the vendor-neutral CIW certification work well with vendor-specific certifications?
  4. Can anyone pursue CIW certification? Or do I need prior knowledge, certifications, qualifications or experience?
  5. Why should I certify with CIW?
  6. How do I get started on becoming CIW certified?
  7. How often is the courseware revised?
  8. How long does it take to get CIW certified?
  9. Does my certification ever expire?
  10. Are CIW certifications valuable to someone who is not in an IT job role?
  11. Do any job roles require CIW certification?
  12. What companies require CIW certification?
  13. How do I use the CIW Foundations Movie CD in class?
  14. What is the relationship between CIW/Prosoft and Habitat for Humanity®?
  15. Whom should I contact if I have additional questions?

Questions about CIW v5 Series of Courseware:

  1. What is the CIW v5 series of courseware?
  2. What skills do the CIW v5 updates to the Foundations, Site Designer and E-Commerce Designer courseware cover?
  3. Why was the CIW v4 series of courseware updated to CIW v5?
  4. Will the CIW v5 series of courseware be offered through WebCT and Blackboard online learning?
  5. What are the hardware requirements for the CIW v5 series of courseware?
  6. What are the software requirements for the CIW v5 series of courseware?
  7. I am already a certified CIW v4 Associate. Why should I upgrade to CIW v5?
  8. Will other CIW courseware and exams be updated to CIW v5? If so, when?

1. What skills are learned in the CIW certification program?

CIW consists of multiple certification tracks that map to industry job roles. No matter what pathway(s) you pursue, you learn the latest Internet technologies and job skills. Earning a CIW certification shows you are ready to put these skills to work for your employer. Following are some of the skills you learn while pursuing these CIW certifications:

CIW Associate - basic knowledge of Internet technologies, Web authoring with XHTML, project management, and network infrastructure and troubleshooting.

CIW Associate Design Specialist - knowledge of Web authoring with XHTML, project management, and skills related to Web site design.

CIW Professional - skills related to a particular discipline such as Web site design, security, server administration, application development or database management.

Master CIW Designer - cutting-edge design concepts and tools, industry standard design tools such as Dreamweaver and Flash, site maintenance, authoring and scripting languages, content and digital media creation, and B2B and B2C e-commerce Web site standards.

Master CIW Administrator - identification of network architecture, infrastructure and server administration, network administration skills and network security implementation.

Master CIW Web Site Manager - basic networking, Web site design techniques, Web authoring and scripting languages, and server administration.

Master CIW Enterprise Developer - Web-enabled enterprise application development, e-business solution implementation, database management, distributed object computing, scripting and programming languages, and language theory.

CIW Database Design Specialist - foundational knowledge of common database platforms, plus universal database design principles and SQL.

CIW Security Analyst - strategies and tools for protecting an organization's assets and operations.

Get more detail about these pathways and access links to the individual certifications.

2. What sets CIW apart from vendor-specific certifications?

A vendor-specific certification validates an individual's skills and knowledge in using one particular product. Such a certification limits skills validation to that product and/or vendor. The CIW program is vendor-neutral, meaning that the program focuses on the skills needed to perform job roles rather than simply use specific products. CIW focuses on a broad range of technologies and tools. You learn about multiple vendor tools, their underlying technologies and how they're used in business situations - essential because many companies' technology infrastructure is a hybrid of multiple vendors.

3. Does the vendor-neutral CIW certification work well with vendor-specific certifications?

With CIW, you learn the underlying technologies common to many vendors' products. This provides a solid foundation for individuals pursuing specialized study in vendor-specific certification programs.

4. Can anyone pursue CIW certification? Or do I need prior knowledge, certifications, qualifications or experience?

Anyone interested in pursuing a career that involves Internet technologies or other IT-related field would benefit from earning CIW certification. No prerequisites are necessary to earn the foundational CIW Associate certification. However, that certification is required in order to advance to other CIW certifications. Only CIW Security Analyst certification requires a prior networking-administration credential from a recognized vendor.

5. Why should I certify with CIW?

Take a look at our Top Reasons to Certify with CIW.

6. How do I get started on becoming CIW certified?

The first step is to begin your training in CIW topics and skills. Visit the CIW Training Locator, to determine if there is an Authorized Training Partner (ATP) or Authorized Academic Partner (AAP) near you. You can also visit our CIW online store to purchase CIW courseware materials, assessment tools, and more.

7. How often is the courseware revised?

We respond directly to technology advances and market demand for updated skills. Although we do not follow a set schedule for revisions, our courseware revision cycle is typically one to two years. The CIW Advisory Council, a team of influential educators, corporations, policy makers and nonprofits, meets regularly and identifies the skills and knowledge that students and employees need to know in the current workplace. The Advisory Council then helps to define new skills and exam objectives.

8. How long does it take to get CIW certified?

There is no set time period for earning CIW certifications. Certifications are awarded when exams have been passed and other requirements have been met. Preparing to take and pass exams is a personal matter that depends on your existing knowledge level and experience; some students have more to learn and need more time than others. We suggest you discuss your training requirements with your local academic institution or learning center to determine an appropriate program for your needs.

9. Does my certification ever expire?

CIW certifications do not expire. However, they are revised periodically, as new objectives and exams are released. CIW strongly encourages candidates to update their certification status by taking new versions of exams and earning the latest version of a certification, in order to demonstrate their current skills to the job marketplace.

10. Are CIW certifications valuable to someone who is not in an IT job role?

CIW certification can be helpful for many professionals - in marketing, design, public relations or office administration, for example - who need to demonstrate their skill in the Internet technologies related to their jobs. Any job role in which computers, technology and the Internet are primary tools by which to do business can benefit from earning CIW certification.

11. Do any job roles require CIW certification?

This is up to the individual employer if they specify CIW certification as a requirement. However, many employers require the skills that are taught in the various tracks of the CIW program.

12. What companies require CIW certification?

Intel gives preferred status to contractors and vendors who have CIW certified employees. Novell has blended its Internet certification programs with CIW. IBM and Hewlett Packard use CIW in their corporate training programs.

13. How do I use the CIW Foundations Movie CD in class?

The CIW Foundations Movie CD is an integral part of the CIW program and offers a multimedia experience that appeals to alternative learning styles. Instructors can present movies to the group in class as part of a structured teaching plan, and students can review movies on their own time to reinforce material when studying.

14. What is the relationship between CIW/Prosoft and Habitat for Humanity®?

There is no formal relationship between Prosoft Learning Corporation and Habitat for Humanity. Some of the labs within the Official CIW Curriculum are based on the Habitat Web site, which is a useful site for illustrating many of the Web site construction principles discussed in the official courseware. We have obtained permission from Habitat to use this material, and representation of its site in this context is with Habitat's knowledge and permission.

15. Whom should I contact if I have additional questions?

Simply fill out our brief Contact Form and someone will get back to you promptly.

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Questions about CIW v5 Series of Courseware:

16. What is the CIW v5 series of courseware?

CIW v5 is the most current version of our most popular courseware for the CIW Foundations, CIW Site Designer, CIW E-Commerce Designer and CIW Database Design Specialist exams. This version includes updates that reflect the incredible advances in Internet technologies in the last couple of years and also incorporate basic non-IT workplace skills that are not addressed in any other IT curriculum.

17. What skills do the CIW v5 updates to the Foundations, Site Designer, E-Commerce Designer and Database Design Specialist courseware cover?

Following is a condensed list of the skills updates for the CIW v5 series of courseware. For more specific updates to each course, visit the CIW v5 update page.

CIW v5 Foundations: real-life application of learned skills; the latest software applications and operating systems; advanced Web authoring; workplace skills including project management, and more.

CIW v5 Site Designer: advanced technologies including Really Simple Syndication (RSS) and Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG); navigation, usability and accessibility issues; evaluating current proprietary and open-source tools, and more.

CIW v5 E-Commerce Designer: e-commerce and e-learning practices; current server technologies; customer acquisition and retention practices; database and security issues, and more.

CIW v5 Database Design Specialist: foundational knowledge of databases, universal database design principles and SQL.

18. Why was the CIW v4 series of courseware updated to CIW v5?

Internet technology has evolved so much and industry has been demanding particular workplace skills of its employees. We followed the advice of the CIW Advisory Council as well as requests from our business partners.

19. Will the CIW v5 series of courseware be offered through WebCT and Blackboard online learning?

Check www.CIW-certified.com for updates regarding release dates.

20. What are the hardware requirements for the CIW v5 series of courseware?

Visit the following links for hardware requirements (in PDF format):

The CIW hardware requirements are similar to the lowest system requirements for Microsoft implementation (Level 1 requirements), except that CIW requires increased hard disk space (8 GB) and RAM (128 MB). We mention this similarity because many training providers that implement CIW are also CTECs and are familiar with the Microsoft hardware specifications.

21. What are the software requirements for the CIW v5 series of courseware?

Software requirements are downloadable in PDF format via the following links:

22. I am already a certified CIW v4 Associate. Why should I upgrade to CIW v5?

Although CIW v4 provides a strong foundation for IT professionals, many technological advances and Internet-related business practices have evolved since its release. These include wireless networking, convergence technologies and XHTML. The Internet has also become a more integral part of global business. CIW v5 updates to CIW Associate certification courseware reflect these advancements and changes, and also include more comprehensive workplace skills.

23. Will other CIW courseware and exams be updated to CIW v5? If so, when?

Other CIW courseware and exams will be updated - as directed by the CIW Advisory Council and customer feedback. Please check this Web site regularly for announcements about CIW v5 courseware updates. We do not create certifications unless there is an explicit, specific demand from the industry.

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For more exam-related questions, please visit our Exam FAQ page.