Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
opposition was based on both philosophical grounds—many in the ACM
believed that the CDP examinations were superfi cial and irrelevant—
and institutional ones, since control over an industry-wide certifi cation
program would have granted the DPMA considerable political author-
ity.
48
The two group also sparred over trivial issues, such as unauthorized
use of member-address databases.
49
Despite several halfhearted attempts
to explore an ACM/DPMA merger, or at least to establish an interasso-
ciation liaison, the two groups rarely communicated.
50
When AFIPS was
established in the early 1960s, the NMAA and other industry-oriented
groups were treated with dismissive contempt, and the DPMA resisted
AFIPS affi liation until the mid-1970s. At a meeting arranged by AFIPS
offi cials, for example, DPMA representatives were kept waiting, without
explanation or apology, for over an hour.
51
In the year that it was introduced, the CDP examination attracted
1,048 applicants, 687 of whom passed successfully. The exam itself
included 150 multiple-choice questions on programming, numerical
analysis, Boolean algebra, applications, elementary cost accounting,
English, and basic mathematics (not including calculus). In response to
criticism from the many otherwise-qualifi ed programmers who did not
have formal mathematical training or college-level degrees, the educa-
tional requirements for the CDP were suspended until 1965. The other
prerequisites—three years' experience and “high character qualifi ca-
tions”—were so vague as to be almost meaningless, and appear to have
been only selectively enforced.
By the end of 1965, almost seven thousand programmers and data
processing supervisors had taken the exam. Figure 7.3 shows for the
years between 1962 and 1973 the total number of candidates taking
the exam, the total number of candidates who passed the exam, and the
cumulative number of CDP holders.
The data in fi gure 7.3 reveal the mixed fortunes and troubled history
of the CDP examination. The striking early success of the program,
which more than quintupled in size in its fi rst three years, suggests that
many data processing personnel saw certifi cation as an attractive profes-
sional strategy. This corresponds well with evidence from industry jour-
nals and other documentary sources. A survey of the candidates in 1963
reveals a remarkable range of background, experience, and education.
52
For the examination session in 1966, however, the education require-
ments outlined in the original program announcement from 1962 were
fi nally put in place. These requirements included specifi c courses in math,
English, managerial accounting, statistics, and data processing systems.
