Overview of Novell Certifications
By Emmett Dulaney
Types of Tests
In order to obtain a Novell certification, you must pass a series of computer-administered exams. The tests contain multiple-choice questions, drag-and-drop questions, simulations and hot areas. Novell differs from many vendors in that they also use fill-in-the-blank questions. (Novell refers to them as “free response” questions.) The latter can be quite tricky, and the Novell policy is very straightforward: Case is never graded, but misspelled entries are always marked incorrect.
Many of the exams employ what is known as adaptive testing—a testing environment that quickly determines your proficiency and allows you to pass or fail based on a small number of questions. All new exams begin as form-based exams (a lot of questions, no adaptive format), and when enough data about each question’s difficulty has been collected, the exam is converted to the adaptive format.
Novell Certification: The Present
Novell offers six major levels of certification, each available within different tracks:
- CNA (Certified Novell Administrator)
- CNE (Certified Novell Engineer)
- CNI (Certified Novell Instructor)
- MCNE (Master CNE)
- MCNI (Master CNI)
- CDE (Certified Directory Engineer)
As the first level of Novell certification, the CNA program requires passing a single exam (making it equivalent to Cisco’s CCNA program or Microsoft’s MCP program). As of this writing, that single exam on administration of a specific product can be in one of five topic areas: NetWare 5, IntraNetWare, GroupWise 5, GroupWise 4 or NetWare 3. Both the NetWare 3 and GroupWise 4 tracks have been slated for retirement effective Dec. 31, 2001. With the exception of retiring exams, the tests taken for the CNA count as requirements within the CNE certification for each of the product tracks.
The CNE certification is currently available for the same five tracks as CNA, with GroupWise 4 and NetWare 3 retiring Dec. 31. Depending on the track taken, the number of required exams ranges from six to eight. This program is in the process of being streamlined, but for NetWare 5, for example, you must take the following six exams:
- Administration (the CNA exam)
- Advanced Administration
- Networking Technologies
- NDS Design and Implementation
- Service and Support
- An elective of your choosing
Note that you can waive the Networking Technologies exam if you’ve already passed CompTIA’s Network+ exam or if you are an MCSE.
CNEs are required to keep their certifications current with the latest products through continuing certification requirements (CCRs). If you miss the deadline for a CCR, you will lose all benefits and must apply to be reinstated after passing the required exams.
In order to become a CNI, you must first be a CNE. You also must attend a course and pass an exam (at the instructor level). Attendance at an approved “Train-the-Trainer” course or proof of instructor-level certification–such as CompTIA’s Certified Technical Trainer+ (CTT+)–is also required.
If you have been a CNI for two years and are also an MCNE, you can apply to become an MCNI—Novell’s highest networking certification. This certification requires that you have a high degree of teaching and technical experience, of course, and also requires that you fulfill an annual update requirement to keep your skills up-to-date. MCNIs do not have to attend any classes before being authorized to teach them and only need to attend courses mandated by Novell. Additionally, only MCNIs can apply for speaker sessions at Novell’s annual BrainShare conference.
An MCNE differs from a CNE in that the required knowledge expands to involve integration with other platforms. The streamlined track became effective April 15, 2001, and under it, you must take the TCP/IP for Networking Professionals exam plus three electives. The elective possibilities include the following, as well as three other similar choices:
- Integrating NetWare and Windows NT
- Managing NetScape Enterprise Server
for NetWare
- Internet Security Management
with BorderManager
- Desktop Manager with ZENworks for Desktops 3
Prior to the streamlining, MCNE certification tracks were available for AS400 Integration, Connectivity, Management, Messaging, NT Integration, ’Net Solutions and UNIX Integration. The current prerequisite for any MCNE candidate is NetWare 5 CNE certification.
The CDE program, Novell’s newest certification, is considered to be the premier directory certification. Live labs are part of the exam process, and an ongoing recertification requirement has been built in. CDE certification is aimed at the most elite audience and requires knowledge of multi-vendor, directory-enabled products. The multi-vendor aspect becomes apparent when you look at the first requirement: You must first be a CNE, an ASE (Compaq), an MCSE (Microsoft), a CCIE or CCNP (Cisco) or an IBM Certified Specialist (in select technologies). Next, you must fill in the knowledge you do not have already. If you are an MCSE, for example, you must prove knowledge of NDS. After meeting these requirements and within one year of meeting the earlier requirements, all CDEs must pass two exams: Directory Technologies and Advanced NDS Tools and Diagnostics (which includes a written component and a practicum).
The progression through the certifications should follow the path of CNA to CNE to MCNE to CDE.
Novell Certification: The Future
The streamlining and simplification of the MCNE track into a single path has proven to be a model Novell wants to continue. Novell also has been impressed with the success of the CDE program and wants to expand the multi-vendor and practicum models wherever possible. Given that, the following changes to the existing programs have been announced, or soon will be.
CNA
The NetWare 6 track will be released and will consist of a single exam, eDirectory Administration (associated with course #560).
CNE
CompTIA’s Network+ exam, which is in the process of being revamped, will become a core requirement of this certification with the release of the NetWare 6 track and will replace Networking Technologies (which will be retired altogether). In addition to requiring completion of the CNA exam, the CNE will focus on the following:
- Network administration (course #570)
- IP connectivity (course #606)
- Desktop management (course #781)
- OSI model (Network+)
- NDS management (course #575)
Service and Support (#580) will still be a requirement, and a yet-to-be-announced CCR will also be a part of the track.
MCNE
CompTIA’s Server+ exam will become an elective in this track around the first quarter of 2002. Around summer 2002, the IT Project+ program (also from CompTIA) will enter the track as a CCR. After the CCR time period has expired, IT Project+ will officially become another component of the MCNE track. Putting it all together, the future requirements for MCNE certification will be:
- NetWare 6 CNE
- IT Project+
- Three electives chosen from BorderManager, GroupWise, Integrating NDS and NT, Integrating NDS and Active Directory, ManageWise or Server+.
CDE
A push will be underway to increase the popularity of this program with MCNEs. The push will include two options: boot camps offered through authorized training centers and online courses. The technologies covered will be expanded to include DirXML and integration between NDS and Active Directory.
Specialist Certificates
Certificates (for becoming a CNE, CNA, etc.) are given when you pass a certification exam at a proctored testing center. You can prepare for the exams in any way you choose; the only goal is to pass. Novell will introduce Specialist Certificates as well as Certification Certificates early next year. The issuing of these certificates will be based on passing an exam after completing a course. The model will be one course/one test. The possible topics (and their associated courses) are:
- BorderManager (#770)
- DirXML Integration (#992)
- GroupWise (#370)
- Integrating NDS eDirectory with ADS (#556)
- Integrating NDS eDirectory with NT/2000 (#555)
- NetWare Server (#570)
- TCP/IP (#606)
- ZENworks (#781)
The courses are fairly evenly divided across knowledge levels, with many at the CNE level, others at the MCNE level and the remainder at the CDE level.
Putting it All Together
The future focus of certification at Novell is to streamline the tracks—that is, to reduce the number of paths to certification to the lowest number possible. Novell has plans to introduce vendor-neutral topics through the acceptance of CompTIA exams and to support cross-vendor integration. The future will also see an increased push to promote the elite CDE certification and the introduction of specialist certificates.
Novell has always been an innovative company. If it’s true that the past provides a mirror of the future, it won’t be long before Novell’s ideas are accepted and adopted by the competition.
Emmett Dulaney is StudyGuide editor for Certification Magazine, author of more than 30 books and one of the founders of D S Technical Solutions. Emmett can be reached at edulaney@certmag.com.
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Currently,
there are
approximately
16,000 MCNEs,
3,000 CNIs
and 400 CDEs.
In the new
CNE track,
CompTIA’s
Network+ exam
will replace the Networking Technologies
exam altogether.
This is set to
go into effect
in the first quarter
of 2002.
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