Social Security Numbers & Microsoft Exams

[Simon Cooke <simonc@jumper.org.uk>]

> According to the page at <http://www.microsoft.com/mcp/certstep/examreg.htm>
> Microsoft requires anyone who registers to take its "certification" exams to
> provide a social security number and "demographic" (i.e. personal)
> information. Opting out of the "demographic" survey is not allowed. Given
> this initial information, Microsoft could then find out anything else it
> wanted to know about the candidate. Hmmmm. 
> 
I wonder why?
 
Perhaps it's to ensure that you are who you say you are when you take the
test, in order to prevent fraud?
 
Let's see:
Driving Test: you have to provide your social security number.
Department of Education Teaching License: you have to provide your social
security number
A+ Certification (http://www.narrows.com/~jnelson/a.htm) - you have to
provide your social security number*
Sylvan Prometric examinations (any) - you have to provide your social
security number (info from: http://www.aci-int.org/certification/ce-spon.htm
)**
Certified Electronics Associate exam - performed by Sylvan Prometric,
therefore you need to show your Social Security number.
Sun Microsystems Certified Java Developer exam - performed by Sylvan
Prometric, therefore you need to show your Social Security number.
Actually, pick any exam you like, and you'll find that you have to give
*someone* your social security number.
In fact, here's a list of the lucky organisations who have signed up with
Sylvan, thus ensuring that you HAVE to provide that info:
http://www.sylvanprometric.com/testcenterlocator/registrationnumbers.htm
 
Now, let's see who does Microsoft's exams - golly! It just do happens to be
SYLVAN PROMETRIC. So what do we end up with? Exams that are pretty much
guaranteed to have been taken by the person who claims to have taken them.
And guess what? That's pretty similar to UNIVERSITY EXAMS - except a
University keeps hold of you for X years - and you only give them your
social security number at the beginning of the course.

As for the demographic survey - have you taken many exams recently? A lot of
them these days (especially self-adaptive computer based ones) have pilot
exams which come before the main one in order to gauge how someone's
understanding of English etc etc. could affect their results - this allows
the exam to concentrate on the examinee's knowledge, rather than their
vocabulary.

Back home in the UK, I took a driving test theory exam. Beforehand there was
a short, 15 minute vocabulary test, with demographic information being taken
into account.

None of these practices are unusual, and to be honest, they're good for the
examinee.

Simon Cooke (not speaking officially for Microsoft. The views of this
author are his and his alone)

*A+ Certification is a testing program sponsored by the Computing Technology
 Industry Association (CompTIA) that certifies the competency of service
 technicians in the computer industry. Anyone who wants a nationally-
 recognized credential as a competent computer service professional can 
 take the A+ exams. The program is backed by major computer hardware and
 software vendors, distributors, resellers and publications, as well as a
 leading industry service organization, the Association of Field Service
 Management, Inc. The test, which is administered by Drake Prometric
 (Bloomington, MN), was first available in July 1993, with periodic
 updates since then. 
 **"ACI will strive to be the world's premier developer and disseminator of
  information on the use of concrete for structures and facilities." - so 
  it's not just computer people who have to go through this.