Friday, August 17, 2007
I took a plunge and got certified in the Certified Usability Analyst exam conducted by Human Factors International Inc. (CUA). Now I can proudly call myself Certified Usability Analyst. I must admit that this was one of the toughest exams I have ever taken. I had scheduled my exam one month in advance so that I can get a nice time for preparation. I started the test with my heart pounding real hard, but my anxiety vanished as soon as I got the first question on the screen. My hard work and efforts received sweet rewards when the exam result popped up. Oh Boy!! I scored 83% (much more than I had expected). Last week I received my CUA certificate and a stamp. HFI gives you a personalized self inking stamp after successfully passing this exam, which you can put on all the documents signed by you. Creative idea!! isnt it??
CUA exam is conducted at all HFI centers once in two months, so attend their training, prepare for the exam and get certified. I can assure it really helps you in building credibility in your organization.
Preparation track
To be a HFI CUA, it will be great to attend HFI’s certification track training course. The courses included are:
- User-Centered Analysis and Conceptual Design (UCA)
- The Science and Art of Effective Web and Application Design (Design)
- Practical Usability Testing (UT)
- Putting Research Into Practice (PRP)
More information on HFI’s training is available here
This exam is a test of knowledge and not the course content; hence thorough reading of study material is a must. It is an open book test, therefore you are expected to answer some scenario based questions. My tips for all who are preparing or planning to take this exam are :
My Tips
- Attend all four training courses of HFI
- Give yourself at least three weeks to prepare for the exam
- HFI’s training material is more than enough to study. Read it carefully and thoroughly.
- Use sticky notes to mark important sections on your training books so that you can directly flip to it rather than searching all the pages during the exam.
Insights of the exam
This exam consists of 100 questions and the duration is 2.5 hours (4 hours for other languages) with a passing of 70 marks. It is divided in 4 sections viz UCA (26 question), Design (38 question), UT (26 question), and PRP (10 question). PRP section is the easiest with only 10 questions so you can spare about 10-15 minutes for it.
So folks I must say that it was a really nice experience to pass this exam and to get certified. I would recommend all usability specialist do this certification as it will not only make your resume elegant but also boost your self confidence.
34 comments:
Thanks for the tips. My exam is on Sept 13 and I'm really anxious. I feel like I know the material but the thought of failing scares the hell out of me. After all, usability is my passion!
Hey Al,
Dont worry about the exam. Just read the material nicely. I also recommend you to put in some sticky notes for all the topics in your study material so that you can flip to the concerned page without searching for it.
And be confident, I am sure you will do good.
Hi Rahul,
I am attending the test on this Nov 17th. Read ur tips. Would like to know more abt the questions. Like whether they are straight forward ques or scenario based? Whether all are of objective typews? i mean single answer or multiple ans?
Thanks in advance..
Madhu
Hi Madhu,
My test had all single answer
questions..Maximum questons are straight forward.. some are scenario based.. and those are simple too hence you dont need to worry about the questions. My tips to you is read the training material throughly.. rest you will come out with flying colors
tahnks rahul. I heard it like the exam is open book type.. Is it?
regards,
madhu
rahul,
I have atteneded only 2 courses and i have all 3 course materials other than PRP. Can u pls tell me if u know any specific sites / books to refer on PRP?
Thanks,
@Madhu: Yes the exam is open book. You can carry all your training materials with you. But as the course material is enormous, its better to be well equipped with sticky notes and books marks all around your training material.
Actually PRP is the simplest part of the usability exam. There are no books or sites which can help you out. If you can get the latest copy of PRP training material, it will help you a lot. But my suggestion is to go for all the courses as passing this exam is not the goal of a good usability analyst but to understand the concepts is.
Rahul,
i know.. usability is my passion and am in this field for 10+yrs.. Looking for a job shift so thot CUA will help me a lot for the appropriate postion.Anyways thanks a lot..
madhu
Some of the people on my team took the exam this past month. I got mixed feelings from them. One said it was too hard and the courses need to be taken to pass. The other said that if we studied the material and they guided us, we could pass without the courses. What is your opinion?
Hello there,
I have taken this test after goin thru all the courses. Every person has different learning capabilities hence some may find this test easy whereas others may find it way too difficult.Ofcourse your experience in the field of usability also matters a lot.
Some of my friends failed in the exam even though they had done all the four courses.
I will again say that training material provided is more than enough to pass the test. But for its better to have atleast one person from your team attend the course and he can pass on the knowledge to others.
My two cents
Hi,
Need your contact number urgently want to talk on CUA
Hi,
I stay in Delhi and contacted HFI who mentioned that they would be starting their sessions in Delhi in April however now they are not. As their sessions require 10 days off from work however getting those leaves might be difficult seeing the project deliverables. Is their a way that I can get the material which is distributed to the people attending the session? I really wish to take the this test.
Any help would be appreciated.
Shweta
Food for Thought:
i wonder what would a doctor or lawyer would say (or for that matter potential patients/clients) if someone told them that they could consult patients/perform surgeries/fight court cases by taking a 10 day course and then giving an open book exam...
maybe the doctor/lawyer would just smile, sit back n enjoy the show as the "certified" guy keeps stamping away at glee with his/her "personalized self inking stamp"... this is creative indeed!
Hi, I am not sure if this a right forum for some questions I have on Usability. Since I didnt find any more relevant, I am posting them here. I am new to Usability but I am very interested in this area. I have a couple of questions about this as I wish to start a career with this line. How popular is this field? Are there enough openings? Will freshers be received well in the market? Will a certification like CUA suffice for getting a job? Please let me know. Your inputs will be very helpful for me. Thanks, Ankita Das
@Ankita Das
Thanks for posting a comment but this is not a forum, it's my own blog where I put in my views. Coming to your questions
How popular is this field?
Very much especially among the good companies
Are there enough openings?
I am not sure about this. But earning a bread and butter is not a big thing.
Will freshers be received well in the market?
Everyone is a fresher at some point of time. You need to work good for the market to recieve you well. Freshers have a creative mind and very open as well. Also Usability is not a theory it is more experience oriented.
Will a certification like CUA suffice for getting a job?
Many people have this in mind. A certification is always good to have. In my opinion just doing a certification is not enough. One should also have good knowledge and experience.
Hi Rahul,
This is a really nice blogspace you've got here. And a very useful one to many aspiring CUAs, I'm sure! :)
Well, I am a Usability Professional too and hope to get a UA certification from HFI myself. There was, however, a question I was hoping you could help me with. Well, I was just wondering if for such certifications, with people coming in from various other cities, does HFI assist with accomodation too...since its a duration of 10-days in another city?
Regards,
Shilpa
(P.S.: May your pennings continue to find expression here and motivate others too!:))
@Shilpa,
Hey thanks for your kind words. As per my knowlwege, I do not think they provide accomodation for the course. However it would be great to get in touch with them directly. May be they have changed then policies.
All the best for the course and exam.
Hey Thanks Rahul!
That was a rather quick reply! :)
Well, thanks for the wishes too. Really hope all goes well.
Still have time before I embark on the HFI journey...so was wondering...are there any pre-course tips and any helpful links that you can suggest, which could prove beneficial?
Some additional reading and understanding never hurts...right? :)
@Shilpa,
HFI's website and some newsletters will be a good read before you start the course. During the course, enjoy yourself ,concentrate on minute details and participate in every activity.
This will prepare you well for the exam.
Hey thanks. Am already doing that. Thanks for the tips too.
By the way, do check out my blog when you have the time. Not too much of a subject advicer, but I believe in the power of expression...so do visit it when you feel like.
Though I am interested in the Certification, course price is very high. Is it possible to read some books/articles for the exam? Is the course material available with others be of help?
The material could be of help. But I am not sure why are people just after the certification. I feel that the course is more important and one needs to understand that.
Hi Rahul,
Have some queries regarding Usability and the certification.
Please can you pass me your email-id since that would make corresponding easier.
Looking forward to a positive reply.
Regards,
Shilpa
@Shilpa:
You can mail me at rahul[dot]mainkar[at]gmail[dot]com
Just wanted to say thanks for this blog. I am about to take the exam this morning, and was wondering about a few of the details, that I believe you answered. Thank you for sharing your information!
And to anyone else just wanting to take the exam - I have to concur that the courses are a must. Not only for passing the exam, but for becoming a more knowledgeable Usability Analyst. If this is what you do for your career, you will improve your skills tremendously (no matter what level you are going into the course).
Hi, Rahul,
Congratulations!! Thanks for the wonderful article. Have you cleared all four exam?
I would like to know that If I complete the exam of "The Science and Art of Effective Web and Application Design". What kind of certificate I can get? In other word they provide "Certified Usability Analyst"?
Thanks in advance.
ouch, 700$ for a piece of paper and a stamp? a bit steep if you ask me.
i mean all this fashion of being a certified something, it's just wasted money because after all your clients want to see your portfolio and less your diplomas...
anyway congrats and it's going to be useful i guess but it's hard to see the ROI on this one :)
@Anonymus:
There is only one exam which includes all the 4 courses.
Hi Rahul, I am not sure if I can spend so much to take the training. But I am confident that I can prepare myself and take up the exam. Can you please share the materials or point me to the links please? Thanks!
Cheers
Lakshmi
Hi Rahul,
I am came across your blog while searching for CUA Training Material online. Nice to read the tips for the exam. Just want to check whether you can share the material if any in the form of PDF/ebooks for the same.
Just to introduce myslf... I am Tarak Parekh working as Sr. User Interface Developer at JPMorgan Chase & Co. I have over 6.5 years of experience in related field.
Also, just curious whether u know Sagar Gadre. He also works with SAP Labs, Bangalore.
In case you have anything to share, please do reach out to me at tarakparekh80@yahoo.co.in
Regards,
Tarak.
Hi Rahul,
Your tips are useful. Thanks!
I completed my 10 days HFI - CUA program last week in Bangalore. I'm planning to take up the exam in June (I actually wanted to take up the exam one month after the course, but then there's no exam scheduled for May). Most of my batch mates are appearing for the exam in this week. They say, they want to take it immediately after the course as it'll be fresh in their mind. That's what even some of the HFI staffs (observers) are saying.
So, I'm a bit confused. I'm not sure if it makes sense to appear for the exam after 45 days.
But I'm reading the course materials and my notes everyday and revising whatever is taught in the training. Do you think this is good enough? I learnt from your blog that you also appeared for the exam at a later time. Could you share your thoughts?
Your ideas and opinions will be most valuable.
Hey Rahul, your blog and all the comments helped me boost my confidence before the test. I took the course and gave the exam in a weeks time and I cleared it quite comfortably. As you said the course materials are good enough and yes there are no direct answers :) the essence has to be understood to clear the exam.
Today I got my CUA stamp :) cheers!
Hi Rahul,
I am enrolling for the CUA certification track in June, the exam is right after 2days of the training completion. I am a little worried about whether it would be possible to clear the exam if its that close. Shall I take the exam after 2days or shall I wait for the next exam? Please suggest.
Thanks,
Chetan
Hi Rahul...
Can you please exp.. me how i can study without taking training of HFI
thank you rahul
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