2011 certification

I sure wish they would be more on the ball with that. 2011 is available to the public in early November. Yet the proadvisors cannot get certified until mid to late November. That's just silly. We should be able to begin work on our certification at least a month before its available to the public. Just my opinion.

It's hard for them to write the certification course and test before the program is finished.

Then they shouldn't release it until December.  We need to be able to help clients with it and know what we're in for before the client makes that first call.

Release the new version and the test by early November and release to the public in early December. They don't change that much each year to where they can't have the new version out earlier. I'm only asking for a month advance to get certified instead of two or three weeks later.

I know you don't have a say in it. However, I bet you know who to forward our thoughts to. :) I know I'm not the only one who feels this way.

HI DPartinEA

(sorry - can't see your real name).  I completely understand your position here, and wish it was possible to release Certification earlier.  However, as Michelle correctly pointed out, we cannot develop the Certification based on Beta software.  This because the beta testers cause things to be changed, and the Certification courses take a long time to be coded to that they work on the Internet and the Learning Management System platform.

So you understand the things I face with Certification and the processes we have to use:   The courses are first written in Word with Screen shots - we have to wait until the product is FINAL before we can finalize this scripting (because of the screen shots mainly, but also because sometimes a feature makes it into Beta and then is changed up radically based on Beta Feedback). Once it is finalized (we move as fast as we can to get it finalized) then that is turned over to a programmer who codes it into HTML . At last count, there are over 4 million lines of code in our Certification courses and exams.  Once we get the first vcoded ersion, we have to test it many times - for Content accuracy, for look and feel, for logic, and also for "behavior" on the LMS (this means - does the course DO what we want it to do - does each page advance, do all the links work, do the quizzes and exams score properly.)  Usually we go through several iterations and change cycles until we get it right.

BELIEVE ME when I say I wish I could release it earlier.  It isn't humanly possible.  I speak from experience.

Now - to address your other concern about us moving the release of the Product to December?  I don;t think our accountants would appreciate having to install and learn a new accounting package concurrent with Year End and the start of Tax Season.  So we have always traditionally released in the Fall.  that may change in the future, but in recent memory, that has been our release cycle.

To bridge the gap between Launch and Certification launch, we try and make sure our valued Accounting Professionals are kept up to date with our Launch Tour, which typically starts just after Launch (in October) and runs through December.  We go to many cities, and we use experienced ProAdvisors like Michelle Long and Laura Madeira, etc to teach What is New to our Accounting Pro customers.  You can sign up for the Tour (we have local classes and webinars) at http://accountant.intuit.com/training

I do hope this helps you gain more context around why Certification typically launches after the product, and I really do understand why you and others might be put out by that.  I just don't have any way to change it. (although this year I am releasing a full 10 days before last year's certification release.)

Alison Ball

Hi Alison,

Thanks for the info in your response.  Question - you said you are releasing certification a full 10 days earlier than last year. 

So that date is?

I'm not Alison, but I would expect it sometime real soon! :)

Technical issues...the locker is not available now!  Support told me it won't be available for at least 7 more days!  First time ProAdvisor so I am pretty unimpressed so far.

Hmmm... I know they had some problems yesterday and were working on it all day (maybe 7 hours???).  I just logged into the course locker without any problems.  I've been a ProAdvisor since 2004 and I don't think it has ever been down for days. 

Your course locker should be available NOW.  If you cannot get in, please call the ProAdvisor Customer service number and ask them to escalate if someone tells you (incorrectly) that the course locker is not available for 7 days.  In fact, if you could get that agent's name and send it to me, I would be happy to let them know that is incorrect information.