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Thanks ShaunR. Since, I cannot certify myself, I cannot officially claim to be a CLA !!

Hello All, I appreciate the feedback and will attempt to put it to good use, beginning right now. I can provide some history and some insight into how came to where we are and where we are going as well as information on the appeals process. History The CLA exam was developed after we did a thorough task analysis – a process which involved interviewing several key members of the community to determine the certification levels, tasks, knowledge and skills needed to perform at the CLA level. Community members expressed fundamental differences / disagreements as to what an architect should be or do. Some said an architect is just a LabVIEW project manager (one extreme) and others said an architect is an advanced developer using advanced designs and messaging. We decided to define a LabVIEW Architect as a technical function. Our general expectations of what make up a CLA can be determined by reviewing the preparation guide for the CLA exam and the recommended courses for CLAs. The CLA exam has evolved from “essay only” to “part essay/part development” to “a complete architecture development” test. This evolution has occurred from us learning and growing and listening (so a hopeful indication for those wanting more change). There are several factors governing the design of the exam other than technical – localization, delivery logistics, consistent and defensible grading to name a few. It is a difficult challenge to come up with a universally acceptable exam, but one we believe we have been successful in meeting. Graders/Grading The training & certification team is technically competent and well versed in advanced topics and design patterns. Development, technical and project help is regularly sought from members of R&D, Systems Engineering and experienced Application Engineers. We go to great lengths to ensure those doing the grading are well qualified and consistent. Future We will continue to monitor and review our exam on a regular basis and taken corrective action when and where merited, whether it be with the exam content itself, the preparation material, the courses that prepare users for the CLA, whatever. Do not hesitate to provide feedback via whatever channel is most convenient for you, whether that be via emailing certification@ni.com, discussion forum post or other means. Failure Situation We obviously cannot and will not discuss specifics concerning Dave’s results, but I can say that we are talking to Dave, will answer any questions he has and will listen to his feedback. We understand that failure is a frustrating experience – especially for a person with a good amount of experience and obvious esteem by his peers. There are numerous reasons why someone with good credentials can fail. They might get distracted and spend too much time on particular area; they might simply overlook one or more key deliverables. The deliverables are communicated in the exam preparation, demonstrated in the provided sample(s) and further emphasized in an exam preparation session (organized by user group/ field sales). Please let us know if there is a miscommunication in the preparation document – we will most gladly clarify / rectify the situation. Finally, there is an appeal process for reviewing the exam evaluation – email certification@ni.com with your questions / comments and the reason for contesting the disposition. We are open to and need suggestions, feedback and even questions / solutions to the exams. I believe it would benefit the community if we allowed the appeal process to run its course before discussing a failed situation, but that is certainly up to each user to determine how and when they want to discuss a failed exam. We realize we will not make everyone happy, but we sincerely strive to make the vast majority of the community have faith that tests are administered fairly and equitably and that the challenge is sufficiently hard to so as to guarantee a minimal level of expertise for someone to be regarded as a LabVIEW Architect. Thanks Zaki Chasmawala Senior Engineer - Training & Certification National Instruments