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>Assuming that no technical writer would ever have to
> take a single class in order to gain certification, but only
> pass an exam which tested minimal competence
>in the field, why is there so much defensiveness on the
>part of so many technical writers with regards to this issue?
Because it's probably impossible to design good test. Instead,
a poorly design certification test would probably just be used
to prove we're not adding value to the company.
Conversely, passing an exam which tested minimal competence
is of minimal value.