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Been thinking about this problem. There are more and more alternatives for education but testing and credentialing are not keeping up. It's a real problem to be able to prove you know something. Where can I go to get random skills competently tested and earn my verifiable badges?

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Eric Weinstein

@EricRWeinstein

· Jul 10, 2020

I respectfully **strongly** disagree. To many of us “Learning disabled” kids w/ lousy grades & crappy teacher recommendations they are our only lifeline. True, we may struggle with them as well. But sometimes one can show a C-average student in the >95% percentile on such a test. twitter.com/AndrewYang/sta…

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Jesse Powell

@jespow

Jul 11, 2020

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a skill you can get tested pretty much anywhere in the world these days. There's even a BJJ lineage tree to trace back the belt promotions. Would be nice if you got a digitally verifiable badge from the IBJJF too. bjjtree.com

Jesse Powell

@jespow

Mozilla has Open Badges. We just need a better system of testing. Maybe accredited universities can take this on for a fraction of the price of an education. Skip the class, take the test. Could be handled at scale by great TA's. wiki.mozilla.org/Badges

4:20 AM · Jul 11, 2020Twitter Web App

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We'll look back on this era in amazement. Whether or not you got into a class was based on if you were quick on the draw. Whether or not the teacher is good? Another crap shoot. Ridic

Jesse Powell

@jespow

Jul 11, 2020

I had a math class once that there was a massive waitlist for because the professor used a free book vs a fancy $200 new book. People actually auctioned off their seats in the class for cash to people on the waitlist. I wonder if people still use ratemyprofessors.com

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Cisco networking knowledge certificates are also a great example and an industry standard

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LinkedIn is trying to disrupt this with verified testing that recruiters can see regarding candidates. Essentially LinkedIn proctored exams, not sure how difficult or relevant the tests are. I've seen some excel tests for example.

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Some professional certifications may provide decent road maps. e.g. CFA charter is obtained through self study and passing a few exams. Costs a few thousand dollars but can be worth more than an MBA in financial analysis job markets.