IT certification practice exams pose risks

If you are taking an IT certification exam, beware of "study materials" from TestKing, Pass4Sure and many other similar test-preparation online sites. These sites advertise high-quality practice questions and answers that prepare you to take the real test. However, CIO.com reports that such practice materials are often being provided for sale illegally, and contain the actual questions and answers for tests offered by Microsoft, Cisco, IBM, HP, CompTIA and dozens of other certifying agencies.

"In other words, they are stolen goods,'' according to the publication.

If you are caught, you could be accused of cheating, and it could harm your career. Vendors and third-party agencies that offer IT certifications are cracking down on cheaters to preserve the value of the certifications. The bottom line: Prepare for certification exams legitimately, use the study materials recommended by the owner of the exam, and never buy or use sample questions and answers from unauthorized sources.

For more on the risks:
- check out this CIO.com article