New Security Measures Underscore Commitment to Protect Certification Integrity and Value

SAN JOSE, CA and BLOOMINGTON, MN–(EMWNews – July 22, 2008) – Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) and

its global testing provider, Pearson VUE, a business of Pearson, today

announced a series of security enhancements that will reinforce the

integrity and value of the Cisco certification portfolio.

“Cisco certifications are one of the most highly valued credentials

available to information technology (IT) professionals, and protecting that

reputation is paramount,” said Erik Ullanderson, manager of global

certifications for Learning@Cisco. “Proxy testing and other forms of

cheating can diminish the value of certifications for individuals and the

organizations that employ them. Pearson VUE and Cisco are leading the way

in aggressively combating this industry wide issue through the latest

advancements in exam development and delivery.”

The advanced security enhancements include the use of digital photographs

for candidate-identity verification and forensic analysis of testing data.

The new measures, to be implemented beginning on Aug. 1, will include:

--  Photo on Score Report and Web -- On completion of a certification exam

    at the test center, candidates will receive preliminary score reports

    imprinted with their photos and unique authentication codes. The

    authentication code can be used to access a candidate's official score

    online at Pearson VUE's website www.pearsonvue.com/authenticate usually

    within 72 hours of the examination. The online score report will also

    display the candidate's photo. Candidates may share access to their online

    records with employers or other third parties.

    

--  Forensic Analysis -- Exam results and other testing data will be

    continuously analyzed by forensic software to detect aberrant testing

    behavior and to flag suspect exams for further investigation. When problems

    are identified with the validity of a test result, the candidate's score

    will be invalidated. Depending on the exact issue with the flagged exam,

    further consequences may range from having to retake the exam to the

    imposition of a one-year or lifetime testing ban.

    

--  Preliminary Score Report -- All paper score reports will be

    preliminary, pending the results of forensic analysis, until official exam

    scores are posted to the Web within 72 hours of exam completion. Once the

    exam scores are official, candidates may use the authentication codes on

    their score reports to access the Pearson VUE website for score and photo

    verification.

    

“We looked at alternatives for addressing the issue of proxy testing, the

two primary victims of which are employers and those members of the

certification community who chose training, hard work and experience as

their path to certification,” explained Randall Trask, vice president of

market development for Pearson VUE. “We determined that adding photos to

score reports and providing employers with the ability to authenticate both

the exam score and the person achieving it will provide a direct benefit to

all.”

These new exam security measures are part of Cisco’s overall strategy to

protect the value and integrity of its certifications. Other measures

include simulation-based testing, dynamically generated questions and

emulations to help ensure that Cisco certified networking professionals

continue to have the knowledge, skills and credentials to perform well on

the job.

About Pearson VUE

Pearson VUE (www.pearsonvue.com) is the global leader in electronic testing

for regulatory and certification boards, providing a full suite of services

from test development to test delivery to data management. Pearson VUE

offers exams through the world’s largest network of test centers in 162

countries, providing testing services for information technology, academic,

government and professional clients. Pearson VUE acquired the former

Promissor in 2006, thereby extending its leadership in the certification

market. The company’s innovative technology offers the highest levels of

security and program control, while its commitment to service provides

clients and individual test takers with an unmatched testing experience.

Pearson VUE is a business of Pearson (NYSE: PSO) (LSE: PSON), the

international media company, whose businesses include the Financial Times

Group, Pearson Education and the Penguin Group.

About Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms

how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco

can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to

http://newsroom.cisco.com

Cisco, the Cisco logo, and Cisco Systems are registered trademarks of Cisco

Systems, Inc. in the United States and certain other countries. All other

trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective

owners. The use of the word partnership does not imply a partnership

relationship between Cisco and any other company. This document is Cisco

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