About the ACE Program
The Achieve Career Excellence (ACE) program is a NOVA initiative designed to help students earn professional credentials so they can work in their desired field while they remain in school. Information and Engineering Technologies (IET) pathway students can receive a free test voucher to take the industry-certification exam after successful course completion.
This initiative is part of the Taskforce on Higher Education and Opportunity.
This is a merit-based program for students who completed one of the following NOVA IT courses and earned a grade of A or B within the last 2 years.
| If You Completed This Course with a Final Grade of A or B | You Are Eligible for This Exam - Substitutions are NOT AVAILABLE |
|---|---|
| ITN 106 and ITN 107 | CompTIA A+ Core 1 and Core 2 |
| ITN 101 | CompTIA Network+ |
| ITD 145 | CompTIA Data+ |
| ITN 170 | CompTIA Linux+ |
| ITN 200 | CompTIA Server+ |
| ITN 260 | CompTIA Security+ |
| ITN 262 | CompTIA CySA+ |
| ITN 213 | AWS Certified Solutions Architect |
| ITN 257 | AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner |
| ITN 295 - Introduction (Part 1) and Intermediate (Part 2) Payments Cybersecurity | VISA Payments Cybersecurity Certified Associate |
NEW - Visa Intermediate Payments Cybersecurity Certification Details
NOVA is offering students who have completed ITN 295 - Introduction to Payments Cybersecurity (Part 1) and Intermediate Payments Cybersecurity (Part 2) with a final grade of an A or B the opportunity to take, at no cost to the student, the VISA University Visa Intermediate Payments Cybersecurity exam. Passing this exam will grant the student with the Payments Cybersecurity Certified Associate certification. Below is a link to the Visa Intermediate Payments Cybersecurity (VIS-CS100) Examination Guide.
Passing the Visa Intermediate Payments Cybersecurity exam shows you have the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively demonstrate an overall understanding of payments cybersecurity. To successfully complete the exam, you should understand the payments system, security concepts, the payments threat landscape, risk management, applied security and payments industry and regulatory concepts.
What are Industry Certification Credentials?
- Industry Certification Credentials are issued by a certification body such as a trade, industry, or professional association.
- AWS, and CompTIA are examples of these types of associations.
- Earning an Industry Certification Credential indicates mastery and or competency in specific knowledge, skills, and abilities accepted as industry standards.
- Certifications expire and must be renewed.
What is the value of the IT Credentials?
NOVA recognizes the demand for IT industry-recognized certification credentials has greatly increased over the past decade and that the cost of sitting for required exams can be a barrier for students. Therefore, NOVA has committed funding to purchase select IT industry certification exam vouchers and created a program for eligible students to apply for an exam voucher at no cost to students.
| Certification Name | Retail Value of Certification Exam | Retail Value of Retake Exam Voucher or CertMaster Practice | Total Retail Value of Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner | $100 | $100 | $200 |
| AWS Certified Solutions Architect | $150 | $150 | $300 |
| CompTIA A+ (Core 1 & Core 2) * | $506 | $274 | $780 |
| CompTIA Network+ | $369 | $201 | $570 |
| CompTIA Security+ | $404 | $211 | $615 |
| CompTIA Linux+ | $369 | $201 | $570 |
| CompTIA CySA+ | $404 | $211 | $615 |
| CompTIA Server+ | $369 | $201 | $570 |
| CompTIA Data+ | $253 | $137 | $390 |
| VISA Payments Cybersecurity Certified Associate | $350 | $350 | $700 |
| * This certification requires students to pass two separate exams in order to earn the credential. | |||
Program Purpose and Expectations
This program provides select IT certification exam vouchers at no cost to eligible students. Students are expected to sit for the exam within 30 days of receiving the exam voucher and upload the score report to the ACE Score Reporting File within two days of completing the exam.
Program Scope
Awards are granted once per semester by invitation from the NOVA Information and Engineering Technologies (IET) department.
Program Limitations
- Eligible students may only apply for an exam voucher for ONE (1) IT certification exam per semester.
- Students may not apply for an exam voucher for the same exam in a future application period.
- SUBSTITUTIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE