IEEE Communications Society Launches Wireless Communication Engineering Technologies Certification Program
NEW YORK, NY, March 10, 2008
The Institute of Electrical &
Electronics Engineers Communications Society (IEEE ComSoc),
a worldwide professional organization dedicated to the
advancement of communications technologies, has launched a
program to certify the competency, practical knowledge, and
skills of wireless communications professionals.
The IEEE Wireless Communication Engineering Technologies
(IEEE WCET) Certification Program has been designed by IEEE
ComSoc to address the worldwide wireless industry's growing
and ever-evolving need for qualified communications
professionals who can demonstrate practical problem-solving
skills in real-world situations. By way of this
certification, professionals will be able to clearly
demonstrate their knowledge of wireless communications
technologies, and employers will have a new means of
selecting individuals for wireless engineering positions and
projects.
"This is a very practical program that will help wireless
professionals advance in their field, develop new
opportunities in a global marketplace, and certify their
expertise with real-world applications," said Celia Desmond,
the IEEE WCET program director who has more than 30 years of
telecommunications experience. "The certification also will
help individuals working in other engineering areas to
switch to the wireless field as new and exciting job
opportunities arise."
"The exam itself is vendor-neutral and transnational in
scope and will provide employers with a valid tool for
measuring an individual's ability to meet wireless
challenges in numerous industry, business, corporate, and
organizational settings," added Rolf Frantz, the program’s
industry relations manager and a communications industry
veteran.
To qualify for the IEEE WCET designation, engineers with a
bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and at
least three years of wireless engineering experience must
pass a detailed comprehensive examination developed by more
than 100 industry experts and experienced wireless
practitioners. Overall development of the program was guided
by Professional Examination Service (PES), a developer of
certification programs.
The IEEE WCET Certification examination is administered on
computer. The first testing period is scheduled for late
September at more than 500 testing sites located in 75
countries; the next testing period is slated for March 2009.
The exam itself will consist of 150 multiple-choice
questions encompassing the wireless areas of RF engineering,
propagation, and antennas; access technologies; network and
service architecture; network management and security;
facilities infrastructure; agreements, standards, policies,
and regulations; and fundamental knowledge.
The IEEE WCET Certification program fee is $500. In the
coming months, IEEE ComSoc also will launch a set of
resources designed to help participants prepare for the
examination. Two separate practice exams consisting of 75
different questions will be computer-based and available via
the Internet for a price of $75 for one exam and $125 for
both. A Wireless Engineering Body of Knowledge (WEBOK)
sourcebook that provides detailed information on all the
specialty areas covered by the examination also will be
available for purchase.
A Candidate Handbook for the IEEE WCET certification program
containing policies, complete details of the subject areas
covered, reference sources, sample questions, application
procedures, and contact information will be available free
of charge through IEEE ComSoc.
The IEEE Communications Society has more than 40,000 members
and is the second largest of IEEE's 37 technical societies.
Founded in 1952, it has become the major international forum
for the exchange of ideas on communications and information
networking.
For more information on the IEEE Wireless Communication
Engineering Technologies Certification Program (IEEE WCET),
contact Jean Niblett, IEEE Communications Society, 3 Park
Ave., New York, NY 10016, 212-705-8913, e-mail:
j.niblett@comsoc.org or visit
www.ieee-wcet.org