Hands-on Performance Certifications

Hands-on performance tests, test a person's ability to apply the knowledge. Traditional multiple-choice tests, test a person's knowledge but not his ability to apply the knowledge. For e.g., a person might know that "A PERT chart is a tool that facilitates decision making; The first draft of a PERT chart will number its events sequentially in 10s (10, 20, 30, etc.) to allow the later insertion of additional events.", but does he know how to draw a PERT chart in Visio. Hands-on performance tests do this.

In Hands-on performance certification, a candidate has to perform a set of tasks related to a topic or technology.
E.g.: Excel, Oracle, Accounting (Quickbooks), MS Project.

A Hands-on performance certification answers the following 2 questions clearly,
   1. Does the candidate have the knowledge of the subject?
   2. Does the candidate have the skills to apply his knowledge of the subject?