CompTIA rolls out RFID exam with questions on physics, design selection

The exam will focus on various issues associated with maintenance and deployment of RFID, including troubleshooting, tag knowledge, design selection, site analysis, RF physics and peripherals.Together with subject matter experts from firms like Intermec Technologies, ScanSource and Texas Instruments, CompTIA came up with questions that formed the core of the examination. A beta version is currently available and a final version is expected for March.
The exam will be proctored by companies like VUE and Prometric, which operate testing facilities across the globe, including Canada.
David Sommer, CompTIA’s vice-president of electronic commerce, said the questions will be targeted towards individuals with six to 24 months of experience installing and maintaining RFID solutions. He said anyone who passes the beta version of the test will be awarded the certification and won’t be required to retake the test when the final version is released.
The test will be updated in a year or so, or as needs dictate, said Sommer. The test is currently written to reflect the latest standard in RFID tags, Gen 2. It will also include information from GS1, but is not currently being endorsed by the global standards body.
Toronto-based retail technology consultant Marty McGuiness said companies that are considering their own RFID deployments will be looking to organizations like GS1 for guidance. McGuiness said he hasn’t seen much of a need for an officially-sanctioned certification yet, but “there’s a need for education. Lots of people are jockeying for that.”
McGuiness said there is a shortage of people with real-world experience of RFID deployments. He added a lot of companies are still in the evaluation stage.