10/25/2000 -- Microsoft said recently that it has expelled a number of MCPs from its certification program as a result of its recently updated anti-cheating and exam non-disclosure policy. The latest iteration, made public in June (go to www.microsoft.com/trainingandservices and click on Certification, then on the news item “Microsoft Enforces Exam Security Policy”) threatens anybody caught cheating on an exam with immediate loss of any current certifications the candidate holds and permanent ineligibility for any Microsoft Certified Professional certification. Examples of violations include using notes brought into the testing center, copying test questions, and looking at the monitors of other test takers.

Microsoft is also hitting hard on Web sites suspected of publishing exam material. Alice Ciccu, exam development program manager in the MCP program, said the owners of seven sites were recently found to be in violation of the nondisclosure agreement by publishing questions from certification exams.

“We can go after individual posters, but that takes a long time,” said Ciccu. “If I can just get the Web site taken down, all those people [who] posted to it are removed.”

The site owners -- four MCPs in Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, and Texas -- were immediately decertified and are now permanently ineligible for any Microsoft certification.

“All four of those people had violated the nondisclosure agreement,” Ciccu said. “They also violated their MCP program agreement, which said they would not do anything to cause harm to the program or Microsoft, which a braindump site clearly does.”

Ciccu said she believes that most of the Web sites in question have either come down or removed content related to Microsoft exams. She added that a “couple of dozen” individuals will probably become decertified in the month of September for sharing questions or cheating.

The company requests those who know of specific incidents of cheating or exam piracy to provide details to or by calling 800-636-7544. As the policy states, “We will investigate all credible leads.” -- Dian L. Schaffhauser

This article originally appeared in the November 2000 issue of Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine.

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