It is not the certificate that enriches you but the knowledge
you acquire while pursuing it does
Today a number of
Certification Programs are available for Security Management Professionals to pursue in the domain of Investigation,
Fraud Management, Information Security, Network Security, Physical Security or Disaster Management. The list is endless. All these options create confusion as to which certification one should acquire to get that extra edge in the professional front page.
In my view the following three questions should
make one able to take a well informed decision.
· Is the
certification related to my professional field of expertise?
· How
easy/difficult is it to earn?
· Does the certificate hold any credibility/value globally?
Today there are a number
of certifications which can be obtained by paying a participation fee and
attending seminars/work shop for 2-3 days on a particular domain
without any examination.
Some others are obtained by attending regular
structured classes in an institution/distance education mode spread over for
months and by passing an eimarks to obtain it. Most of the Banks in India recommend this course for their employees.
One thumb rule - nothing comes easy. If it is easy then one and all can get it and the
certification may not be of much value addition to your professional growth and
make you stand out.
How is the certification viewed globally? Well it’s a tricky
question, but some serious surfing on the web, job sites & review of JDs for
a relevant position would answer this question. Most of the employer would look &
prefer for a particular certification while recruiting. And this should be one key indicator for assessing the certification and
its worth.
Keeping the above in mind one can take a call as to aspire
and acquire which certification.
Taking cues from the subject matter experts and a bit of in depth study, I strongly
feel CPP and CFE are the certifications one should strive to obtain
if engaged in the field of Security Management / Physical Security/ Loss Prevention/ Fraud Management
etc.
Moving ahead with the pursuit, I cleared my CPP in 2018 and
for the benefit of all who are aspiring to obtain it, here is a little
first-hand information.
If you are thinking of taking on the CPP exam, then log on
to https://www.asisonline.org/ find
out your eligibility and accordingly enrol for the exam. Cost
$450 (approx. Rs 31000.00). Obtain a copy of POA (Protection of Asset
Manual, the recommended study material) Cost $559 (approx. Rs 38000.00).
Most would agree that self-sponsoring the exam fee &
buying the POA manual is costly. Yes it is ! Therefore I would suggest one to take annual membership of ASIS for $200; because as a
member; fee for the exam is $300 & Cost of POA is $359 and also as a member
you get a host of accessible resources for learning and professional networking. One good news is that starting 2019, Indian candidates can go for Emerging Market level 2 Membership for $ 75 and avail of the above member's discounts.
Well, once you have enrolled and invested your hard earned
money, just aim for CPP and pull the trigger.
Remember after enrolling for the exam and scheduling it with Prometric Test
Center, you need to appear for the test within two years. Now with the current circumstances of the global health emergency; which is definitely temporary; ASIS has allowed aspirants to appear for the online test right from their home without having to go to the nearest Prometric test centre.
There is an option to reschedule the test 90 days prior to the appointment with in this 02 years. Just in case if
one misses it in the first go then there is a cooling down period of 06 months before
re applying for the exam and also a retake fee of $200 (approx. Rs 14,000.00).
Therefore once enrolled for the exam go full throttle.
Your routine experience in the field of expertise will be definitely helpful but
continuous learning and being updated is the key to passing the CPP exam.
The recommended study material which is the POA Manual has 08
Modules and each one of it is comprehensive and requires deliberate study. They are as under.
1. Security Management
2. Crisis Management
3. Security Officer Operations
4. Investigation
5. Information Security
6. Physical Security
7. Applications
8. Legal Issues
The exam consists of 225 Multiple Choice Questions which is required to be
answered in 04 hours. Maximum scaled score one can get is 800 and the passing score required is 650 and above. Roughly around 81% to pass the exam. This sounds tough but
it is achievable; once you have made up your mind to take on CPP.
The exam covers tasks, knowledge and skills in the above 08
domains and as per ASIS, distribution of questions would be roughly as
under
· Security
Principles and Practices 21%
· Business
Principles and Practices 13%
· Investigations
10%
· Personnel
Security 12%
· Physical
Security 25%
· Information
Security 9%
· Crisis Management
10%
Indian Students are exempted from Legal Issues module;
however it is recommended that chapters like Business Ethics, Security &
Labour Issues, IR Issues, Security operations during Strikes must be studied.
The content in the POA is comprehensive and therefore
requires some sincere effort to cover. ASIS recommends a minimum of 250 hrs of
study and this should be good to put you in confident mode for taking the exam.
03 hrs average a day for 03 months (including some extra hours on
weekends) should be your target to cover the content and revise thereafter
is my suggestion. This is practically possible and realistic.(I
don't remember studying for Board Exam in full swing 06 months prior!) A good amount of flash cards and sample papers for CPP are also available on the web. I suggest one should take out some time to try this papers as it gives a fair idea regarding types of questions that could be asked. Practicing this tests will also boost your confidence for sure.
Prior to the exam I would recommend taking a week’s leave from work to focus and concentrate solely on CPP (well this is what I did).
One more suggestion, Stretching the exam schedule beyond 04 months should be avoided. The seriousness to take on the exam fades away with longer time lines of 05-06 months. (this is just my personal experience; many may disagree)
Some Dos & Don’ts
Dos:
· Study as
part of routine.
· Highlight
& Take notes of new learning.
· Clear
Concepts.
· Visualize
application in own setup while learning.
· Use
references for points that you feel require more clarification.
· Expect no straight questions in the exam. Carefully read the questions to find the most correct answer as all the options would seem to be correct at first sight.
· If stuck
with a question; tag it for review and deal at the end.
· Once done
with exam review the answers.
Don’ts:
· Don’t
remember any technical data like numbers and figures unless of very
high importance.
· During the
exam questions may not be straight or easy; don’t get bogged down; leave it for
review.
· Don’t rush
in through the questions, 04 hrs is adequate to answer the questions.
With this as a basic- you are good to go.
With this as a basic- you are good to go.
Well, now that you are done with your CPP; it does not stop here.
CPP is not a final accomplishment rather it’s a milestone for learning and
expanding the career horizon. That is why one must re-certify after every 03
years of clearing CPP. It is also this which sets apart the CPP Certification from others in terms of credibility and global value. Put it in simpler words to earn and retain it one need to continuously learn and attain it.
As we all know that hard work never goes wasted. It is not the
certificate that enriches you but the knowledge you acquire while pursuing it
does. So once done with your CPP; move on keep exploring the wider horizon, keep learning. Sometime it also happens that the first go is not in your favour, never mind and fight back
with Plan B. Remember success is not final and failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
Trust me when you are real serious about earning the CPP -
You just earn it.
Good Luck!
It’s Your Turn Now!
