8/21/2002 -- We all know that IT certification vendors can screw up -- big time. Exams that have nothing to do with the published objectives. Programs that don't consult their certified base before making ill-timed (or just plain stupid) changes. Acronyms that nobody wants behind their name because either no one can figure out what they really stand for or everybody and their brother, niece and uncle has the cert already.

But sometimes a credential is truly elegant. Everything aligns: market demand, program structure, candidate desires. And that's why CertCities.com started these Readers' Choice Awards -- to give you a chance to pass your kudos on to these programs. Admittedly, many of the hundreds of titles out there don't have a chance to make it on a list like this, if only because not enough people know about them to garner the votes needed. But there are those certifications whose reputations have surpassed their size. And as you'll see below, there are common factors among the winners you’ve chosen, including reputation, difficulty and desirability within a particular IT career area.

So without further delay, here's your picks for the best in the industry. Our hats go off to the winners, finalists and all other programs out there that strive to make sure their titles have meaning for candidates and hiring managers alike.

Most Respected High-Level Certification
Winner: Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE)
Finalists: Microsoft MCSE , Sun Certified Java Architect

If you want to spark a little awe in the eyes of your co-workers, go for Cisco's CCIE lab exam -- and pray for mercy.

"You have to know your stuff and be able to do it on the fly… to pass the labs," said Joe Evans, a senior network engineer in Kansas City, Missouri. "I don't know of any other test that matches what the CCIE has to go through."

Or as one reader put it, "This exam is pure evil!"

Or course, all the difficulty in the world wouldn't matter if the material covered isn't worth anything. "The CCIE arms you with excellent internetworking skills that are the best in the industry," said Thomas Bbosa, a network engineer in Kampala, Uganda.

Still, it seems that the title's difficulty -- and resulting exclusivity -- is what resonates most in readers' minds. "There will never be a 'paper' CCIE," said Paul DeGeiso, a network engineer from West Chester, Penn. "The bar is set so high that only experts have a prayer of passing."

"There's a reason it's called the doctorate of networking," commented Brandon Bowers, a systems administrator from Plano, Texas.

In second place came Microsoft's MCSE, thanks to its wide-spread appeal to employers and the breadth of knowledge it covers. "Microsoft is by far the most common network operating system, and it gives employers a guide as to the quality of the engineer,” wrote one reader. "I think the MCSE for Windows 2000 is far more important than the one for NT, as it is much harder to get."

Just squeaking into third place comes Sun's Certified Java Architect. Think of the SCJA as the developer's CCIE -- among other requirements, candidates must pass an essay exam and complete a high-level assignment to achieve it. "Java is now the hottest programming language," said Alan Ong, an IT professional in Cebu City, Philippines. "To be certified in the highest level is truly amazing."

Best Entry-Level Title
Winner: Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)
Finalists: CompTIA A+, Cisco Certified Networking Associate (CCNA)

Microsoft's MCP title is the most popular certification in the world -- apparently for good reason. "Wanted or not, we all have to deal with Microsoft on a daily basis," commented Jacques Bouchard, a manager of implementation and support services in Edmonton, Canada. "The faster [entry-level IT pros] learn the basics, the better."

Deanna La Jambe of Winnipeg, Canada, agreed: "Microsoft virtually owns the desktop market, and many entry-level positions involve some desktop support."

Even so, CompTIA's vendor-neutral hardware title, A+, came in a close second, missing the top spot by only few percentage points. "A+ gives a good solid base for entry-level work," wrote Haig Kannar, a network administrator in Montreal, Canada. "Other exams that are more network-administration oriented are wasted, because entry-level people don't often start with admin jobs."

Still others said that it depended on what position the candidate is seeking. "Entry-level candidates often end up doing general support or help desk duties that call upon knowing desktop operating systems and PC hardware, and [A+] certification meets most of those …requirements," said a one reader. "However, having said this, Microsoft's MCP might be more pertinent for a candidate applying for a Microsoft product-specific position (Exchange admin, SQL Server DBA, or Office or Access developer, for instance)."

Farther behind but strong enough to garner a third-place listing came Cisco's CCNA. "''It is the starting point for anyone looking to enter the field of Cisco routers and switches," said Christopher M. Heffner, a Cisco instructor. "Perfect...for someone to learn the basics while being recognized by employers as a needed certification for Cisco administrators."

Some readers admonished us for listing the CCNA among entry-level titles, and still others thought there shouldn't be a category for these credentials in the first place. "Certifications should represent knowledge above entry-level," wrote Greg Dunbar, a senior information security architect in Cranston, Rhode Island. "If one obtains a title without working in the real world, what does that say for the cert?"

Best Mid-Level Networking Certification
Winner: Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA)
Finalist: Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)

You just love the MCSA. First it topped our list of "Hot Certs for 2002," and now you've voted it as the most valuable mid-level networking certification.

Mark Brophy, a network specialist in Rochester, New York, wrote, "This one title holds several vital sub-level tests in order to achieve it....MCP + A+ & Net+ or 5 MCPs."

"[The MCSA] indicates a good familiarity with the core Microsoft products," explained John Finch, an applications/systems engineer in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Some of you, however, were a little reserved in your endorsement, "MCSA is great for the next step after a PC tech or help desk position," commented Chris Welk, an IT analyst in Fort McMurray, Canada. "My only concern is that Microsoft certs tend to be paper-only, with most candidates having little or no real-world experience or knowledge."

Then there are those of you who got a little cheeky about your voting reasons. "Because it's the one I hold," was written more than once.

Cisco's CCNP came in about 25 votes behind the MCSA -- a strong showing. "Candidates with this will have complete WAN knowledge...Most industries need this kind of professional," commented Deepak Verma, a network engineer in Indore, India, on his vote for the CCNP.

Anders Ahl, an advisory IT specialist in Gothenburg, Sweden, agreed. "WAN technologies are omnipresent. Cisco is the natural choice."

Although several other titles also did well in this category, there wasn't enough of a margin between them to declare a second finalist.

Best Database Certification
Winner: Oracle Certified Professional Database Administrator (OCP DBA)
Finalist: Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA)

Oracle's OCP DBA certification took in almost twice as many votes as Microsoft's MCDBA. One reader said he voted for Oracle because while "Oracle and Microsoft both hold huge shares of the database market... true Oracle experts are few and far between."

Microsoft appears to be catching up, however. "SQL Server 2000 is becoming more popular and more positions are available for experienced DBAs," wrote Kyle Elworthy, a CEO in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Or as another reader put it: "Oracle owns the current database market, IBM has a great product and a great reputation, but Microsoft is what people are going to use."

Despite some heated opinions on either side, other readers didn't see a clear cut winner. "Since we have not standardized on a certain database platform…there is no one database certification that stands out ahead of the others," wrote Ken Cruz, a senior mid-range systems administrator in Burbank, Calif.

Best Security Certification Program
Winner: International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium ISC(2)
Finalists: SANS Institute, Check Point

This was one of the tightest races in all the competition -- and one of the most exciting to watch. The programs above flip-flopped as the voting progressed, but in the end, ISC(2). took the top spot by just 10 votes. SANS, in turn, was just nine votes over Check Point's program.
That's close.

From your comments, it's clear that all three programs garner respect. Kyle Elworthy, a CEO in Charlotte, North Carolina, said he voted for ISC(2) because of its CISSP title. “This is non-vendor specific training/certification that targets the best practices approach," he wrote.

As did M. Satish Kini, an enterprise security consultant in Bangalore, India. "In this world, when all others die, there's security which stands up," he wrote. "That's the reason you require ISC(2) CISSP."

SANS supporters were equally enthusiastic about their program of choice. Harvinder S. Malhotra, an infrastructure architect in Manchester, Conn., said he picked SANS' GIAC roster of certifications because of the "very rigorous courseware, and the company itself has been doing security work for well over 13 years."

Many of you said you voted for Check Point because it has the "best firewall." Christen Madison, a network engineer in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, explained it this way: "If you ever worked with a Check Point firewall you would know why…The best gateway server to have on any high secured network yet!"

RSA Security and Sniffer Technologies both had strong showings this category, but with the others battling for the top spot, neither had a chance to make it into the finalist ring.

Best Developer Certification
Winner: Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD)
Finalists: Sun Certified Java Developer (SCJD), Oracle Certified Developer (OCD)

The MCSD walked away with this category, no doubt in part to the high level of Microsoft-certified readership that CertCities.com has. But that doesn't mean the win isn't well deserved. Many felt strong about their Microsoft vote. As one reader put it: "If you aren't developing on Microsoft platforms, then you aren't developing what people are going to use tomorrow."

Anoop Jalan, an infrastructure architect in West Des Moines, Iowa, agreed: "Due to the install base that Microsoft has and with the new .Net initiative, the MCSD probably covers the most ground."

But there's enough Java support out there to give the SCJD title a strong second place finish, and a finalist spot. "You really have to know your stuff for the Java cert," John Delaney, owner of Ankco Networks in Parsippany, New Jersey, said of his vote.

Others picked Sun, but found themselves torn between it and the Oracle title. "Close one," commented one reader. "The only reason I chose Java over Oracle is due to the proliferation of development work for Java developers at this moment."

Best Internet/Web Certification
Winner: Prosoft Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW) Professional
Finalists: Macromedia Dreamweaver Developer, Sun Certified Web Component Developer (SCWCD)

More than half of you abstained from voting in this category, but those of you who did pushed Prosoft's CIW Professional to the top spot. Stephen Dawe, a CIS instructor in LaGrange, Georgia, said he voted for the CIW because "It appears rigorous enough to ensure skills are learned that are relevant to managing/developing a Web site." And many of you said you liked the fact that the title is vendor-neutral.

Macromedia's Dreamweaver Developer certification wasn't far behind, however. Many of you said you voted for it because it is the "most common platform," or because "Dreamweaver is a popular product."

Only a few votes behind was Sun's SCWCD title. "Sun means Java, which every Web site wants," one reader said of her vote.

Despite these winners and other programs that received strong support, some readers took all of the Internet/Web titles to task. Said one, "All of these certifications hold no true skillset in the respected area."

Best Overall Certification Program
Winner: Cisco

There can only be one "Best in Show." In this contest, it's Cisco.

When voting in this category, we asked you to consider everything from exam quality to program benefits to customer service. And despite having more than 20 programs to choose from (plus an option to nominate others), Cisco was the clear winner in this category, getting more than 40 percent of the votes.

"Cisco does not pull any punches," one reader said of why he felt Cisco deserved to win. "If you want to pass the exams you must know the material -- period.”

"The numbers and reputation of the exams tells it all," said Ken Cruz, a senior mid-range systems administrator in Burbank, Calif. "Look at how many people have passed the MCSE, and how many passed the CCIE. The main difference is the hands-on."

But according to Stephen Dawe, a CIS instructor in LaGrange, Georgia, it's not just the labs and simulation questions. "Cisco supports its exams well …it's been updating them and letting us know up front how long the cert will be valid."

Even so, it appears that difficulty equals desirability. As another reader put it, "One must truly learn to pass a Cisco cert."

Did your favorite titles win? See any surprises? Post your comments below!

More articles by Becky Nagel:

• Q&A: Gene Salois, Vice President of Certification, CompTIA
• ANALYSIS: Report from Strategies 2003, State of the Industry & Trends for the Future
• CertCities.com's Guide To Developer Certs
• Q&A: Hewlett Packard Speaks Out on Post-Merger Cert Program