PartnerWorld
IBM Certification Program

The following text describes the meaning of the data in the columns of the table.

• Level

  Level defines the amount of credit a particular skill contributes to the competency

  • High (H)

    Advanced/Expert level experience with the product or solution.

  • Medium (M)

    Intermediate level with the product or solution.

  • Low (L)

    Entry level experience with the product or solution.

• Eligible Skills Name

  The name of the skill in this table entry. If it is hyperlinked, then the skill is described on the IBM Certification Program site, and it is currently available to be taken at a Pearson VUE test center. If it is not hyperlinked, then it is no longer available to be taken at a Pearson VUE center.

  Skills can also be recognized by earning selected IBM Open Badge Program badges.

• S/T

  The "S/T" column shows whether a named skill is a sales ("S") or technical ("T") skill.

• Status

  The "Status" column indicates three levels of status of the skill:

  • New/Active (or Active) skills

    Shown with the "Eligible Skills Name" hyperlinked (to information about the skill on the IBM Certification Program site), this indicates that these are the newest skills, and are available to be taken at Pearson VUE test centers or via the IBM Open Badging Program

  • Withdrawn skills

    Shown with no hyperlink on the name, these skills will qualify for PW skill points but are no longer available to be taken at a test center or the badge is no longer being offered.

  • Expiring skills

    Shown with a date in the "Expiration Date" column, these skills are not available to take, and will no longer count for PW skill points effective on the date listed.

• Expiration Date

  If the Status column indicates Expiring, then this is the date on which the skill will no longer count for PartnerWorld. A bolded date signifies that the skills will expire within the next 90 days. Expired skills remain in the table for 60 days after their expiration date, with their date bolded.

• PW Skill Code

  The "PW Skill Code" consists of two parts, the Skill's root number ("cert #") and the skill's version counter ("Ver"). When you see multiple versions of a skill listed, you will note that their eight digit number in the "PW Skill Code" column have the same first six digits in common, but the last two digits differ — indicating that these are consecutively newer versions of that skill. It is good to remember this numbering convention as the PW Code is used to identify skills in PPS, and in other BP programs, to refer to the skills without using their names.

  PW Skill Codes beginning with the letter B are for skills earned by completing the requirements of the defined badge.

Periodically, new skills will be added to this table e.g., badges and certifications for a newly announced product. Once added, they will immediately be used to determine your firm's competency achievement toward a new level. Occasionally, when a new badge or certification is added it may cause an older version of that skill to be removed from the list. If a skill is to be removed at any point, it will be kept in the table with an ""expiration date"" next to it indicating that it will no longer count toward the firm's Silver/Gold/Platinum level after that (expiration) date. This will give you a window (normally of at least 90 days) to recognize the fact and replace that skill with its newer version or with another eligible skill.