GIAC terminated the practical assignment as a requirement for GIAC certification in March 2005. Registered certification candidates had the opportunity to submit practical assignments for feedback or for grading by April 15th 2005. After that time, all exams were activated for registered certification candidates.
The forces that drove GIAC to this change are numerous, but the single most important is the need to move to more modular, adaptable, courseware and certifications to stay abreast of the current threat. Additionally the marketplace has voted with its feet in favor of exam based certifications. New exams are in development which will include scenario-based testing, additional psychometrics, and skills assessment.
The "next generation" of certification will be GIAC Gold, which will be an option after a candidate completes his or her exams. For those candidates who wish to distinguish themselves, the GIAC Gold option will include a written technical report. The process is different from the practical assignment and will include working with an advisor throughout the paper writing process. Additional details can be seen at http://www.giac.org/gold/.
A new FAQ specifically regarding these changes can be found below.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When are my exams due now?
Exam deadlines are not changing.
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- Have my exams changed?
No. The existing exams are still current at this time. As the multiple choice exams are replaced with the scenario based exams, more information will become available.
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- When will the new style exams be implemented?
We are working on the new exams already, starting on the module level (such as the Stay Sharp classes) and will share more information on this as it is available.
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- Has the Challenge Certification changed at all?
Other than dropping the practical requirement, the Challenge Certifications have not changed.
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- I took the SANS Training before but never completed the certification attempt. Can I do that now?
Yes. The Challenge Certifications are available for registration through the SANS Online Store at any time. The cost is $800, but an alumni of that course can pay the discounted price of $500. Please email info@giac.org to obtain an alumni discount code for registration. You must include the information on when, where, and through what venue you participated in the previous training. Please be sure to obtain the discount code before you register. Discounts cannot be applied to registrations that have already been submitted.
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- Will the practicals remain online?
All practical assignments currently posted, as well as those completed by April 15th, will remain online as a resource and benefit to the community.
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- Going forward, how can I tell if a GIAC certified student completed the "original" certification including the practical or the exam only GIAC?
The web listing of certified professionals distinguishes GIAC Silver certifications from GIAC Gold certifications. Candidates that completed papers with have the paper available for download.
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- How much will certification or retakes cost?
No fees are changing at this time.
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- How many attempts do I have now?
GIAC will remain three attempts to complete the certification.
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- Do I still have 6 months to complete the exams?
At this time, yes. The 6 month time frame will be shortened at some point in time, but a date has not been set, nor what the new time frame will be. More information will be made available as it is finalized.
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- I am registered for a training session that hasn't begun yet. How do I add/drop certification for this?
Send an email to registration@sans.org with your full name, invoice information, and a contact phone number requesting the change in your registration.
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