Are IT Certification Exams Valuable?

I’m not very keen on IT certification exams.

They are money makers for companies, but I question whether they actually have much value in the real world. Are they even testing the right things?

I question this every time I’m forced to take one.

Over my career, I’ve occasionally had an interview where they wanted something very specific, like a particular flag or an argument. Normally, I would either consult the manual or a search engine.

Some of these tests appear to want the same sort of rote memorization.

This isn’t valuable.

It’s a waste of time and money. Employers want results not encyclopedias.