[TheMercenary]

I am in a health profession where you can not work without a certification. I had to take 2 different levels of exams to get them. One issued on a state level, no passy, no worky... For the next it required a Masters Education, followed by a national certification exam, no passy, no worky. Certifications must be paid to the national certifying body to be current, it is not a huge amount but never the less must be paid annually to be current. The certifying exams are absolutely critical to measure competency. Without them you will not be certified and cannot work under any conditions.

The problem with a number of other "professional" (non-medical) organizations which recognize certifications and businesses is the lack of a national central organization which maintains standards of practice, and national or state level organizations which insure quality, maintain licensure, and have the authority to revoke your ability to practice with out certification and licensure.

The one area which is getting a lot of press on this issue today is people who are "certified" financial experts. There is generally no national organizations which certify them. You can take a course, a short exam, and you are "certified". That is the example which I have seen press on most recently. I am sure there are others.