<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>It appears that Esri has open registrations to take the Desktop Certification exams for ArcGIS 10.1. This includes both the Associate and Professional Level. The best news is that if you have a Desktop Certification on ArcGIS 10, you are eligible to be grandfathered for the same level with ArcGIS 10.1 at no charge. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>So how do you get your current ArcGIS 10 Desktop certification grandfathered to 10.1? Esri is sending everyone with an ArcGIS Desktop Certification an email with instructions on how to do this. You do have to put in a little effort but it is not hard. Basically all you need to do is login into your certification account (this is not the same as your Esri global account. It is the one you created to sign up for and schedule your exam). Once you have logged in, you need to send a message saying you want to grandfather your existing ArcGIS Desktop 10 certification to 10.1. It took me less than 24 hours to get a response saying my certification had been grandfathered. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Why is Esri allowing this easy upgrade without making us take and pay for another exam? According to Esri the first reason is because the changes to the desktop environment are nominal. This would make it hard to justify forcing existing Certified Desktop users to take and pay for another exam in my opinion. Esri also knows many organizations are still running ArcGIS 10 and will for the foreseeable future. As a result, they wanted to provide new certification candidates an opportunity to make an informed choice between the 10.0 and 10.1 exams based on their own needs and requirements. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>So what about the other Certification Exams? Those are still under development. ArcGIS Server has undergone a pretty major overhaul with ArcGIS 10.1. If you have had the opportunity to install it you know what I mean. So my guess is these certifications will not be grandfathered though Esri has not made any official announcement just yet. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>For more information about Esri technical certifications check out the following links:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://training.esri.com/certification/">http://training.esri.com/certification/</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.appliedspatialintel.com/?p=15">http://www.appliedspatialintel.com/?p=15</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.appliedspatialintel.com/?p=43">http://www.appliedspatialintel.com/?p=43</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://blog.rockymountaingeo.com/2011/04/how-i-passed-esri-arcgis-desktop.html">http://blog.rockymountaingeo.com/2011/04/how-i-passed-esri-arcgis-desktop.html</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://blog.rockymountaingeo.com/2010/12/10-questions-to-ask-when-choosing-gis.html">http://blog.rockymountaingeo.com/2010/12/10-questions-to-ask-when-choosing-gis.html</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>Tripp Corbin, MCP, CFM, GISP</span></i></b><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'> </span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:black'>| Chief Executive Officer</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'><br></span><b><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#244061'><a href="http://www.egisassociates.com/"><span style='color:#244061;text-decoration:none'>eGIS Associates, Inc.</span></a></span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><a href="mailto:tcorbin@egisassociates.com"><span style='color:blue'>tcorbin@egisassociates.com</span></a> | <a href="www.egisassociates.com"><span style='color:blue'>www.egisassociates.com</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>678-710-9710 ext 21 | 866-</span><span lang=EN style='color:#244061'>304-3864 Fax</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Esri Certified Trainer | Esri Certified Desktop Associate</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>