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On January 9, CompTIA and TestOut joined forces, accelerating the shared goal of empowering millions of students with technical training and digital literacy education. This acquisition will greatly accelerate CompTIA’s training and certification offerings into more tech and IT job roles.

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Founder of TestOut
A Letter from Noel

On Monday, Jan. 9, I got together in Utah with the folks at CompTIA and sold TestOut to them. The meeting lasted only 30 minutes. Now that is going to sound quick — but the discussion on selling TestOut actually started in March 2022. That’s when I got an e-mail from Todd Thibodeaux, the CEO of CompTIA, asking whether I would be interested in selling TestOut. It took me two weeks to respond to his e-mail because I wasn't sure. That said, over the past 10 years, I have often thought that if I were going to sell TestOut, CompTIA would be at the top of my list of potential buyers. And it’s not a small list: Over those same 10 years I would receive a call at least once a month from a buyer (sometimes from multiple buyers) wanting to purchase TestOut.

What had we built at TestOut that was attractive to CompTIA and so many others? Here is my short list: 1) We have many schools buying from us. For the core CompTIA product line, I believe we own the market share. 2) We own the technology, LabSim, that we use to deliver our courses. 3) We have a remarkable team of people who develop our courses and simulations. 4) We have been in business 31 years and have a proven record. Yes, I am proud of what we have done. I started TestOut in my bedroom in November 1991 after getting laid off by Novell.

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Noel and Carrie Vallejo

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Today I am old and bald, but I was able to raise six children with my wife, Carrie, with what we built at TestOut. My greatest joy was working all these years with the amazing schools and educators who use TestOut products: You are the best of what this world is made of, working with our team at TestOut to give hope to your students.

I knew that CompTIA would be a good choice to carry on the legacy of TestOut because CompTIA’s mission and values are well aligned with TestOut's mission to make a difference in a person's life through education using breakthrough technology.

Thank you, CompTIA. And thanks to all of the amazing customers and friends who brought us to this point. 

Sincerely, 

Noel Vallejo

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Founder of TestOut

Noel Vallejo

CompTIA Acquisition of TestOut FAQ

If you have additional questions, please reach out to your TestOut representative or email sales@testout.com.
What does this acquisition mean for me as a TestOut customer?
  1. Acquiring TestOut provides CompTIA the best opportunity to unlock potential, drive student success and become the most respected place to start and advance an IT career. TestOut brings substantial expertise to augment CompTIA’s content development team and an entirely new capacity for platform development and innovation. Together, we will be able to provide our customers with enhanced capabilities and access to more resources and tools.
What stays the same, what changes? What are the biggest changes I should expect?
  1. Our goal is to provide consistency and continuity to existing CompTIA and TestOut customers, especially during these first six months. Things like your point of contact, level of service, available courses, product access, etc., will remain the same. CompTIA will honor current agreements, including licensing and pricing.
As a TestOut customer, what processes are changing now, such as remitting payments, student ordering, information for bookstore ordering and the like?
  1. All established processes you have had with TestOut will remain in place. You will be notified in advance when these change over time.
Will outstanding quotes still be honored?
  1. CompTIA will honor existing quotes.
Will there be any impact to my learning platform, courses, and services?  
  1. CompTIA does not intend to make any immediate changes. Our goal is to provide consistency and continuity to existing CompTIA and TestOut customers during the transition time.
What about my current agreements including licensing and pricing?
  1. CompTIA will honor existing agreements related to licensing and pricing.
Who do I call if I have a problem or concern? Will I experience the same level and quality of support?
  1. CompTIA and TestOut share very similar cultures and values, and we will continue to provide the quality of support that you are accustomed to.

    Our goal is to provide consistency and continuity to existing CompTIA and TestOut customers, especially during these first six months. For now, current CompTIA customers should contact CompTIA Customer Support, and current TestOut customers should contact TestOut support.
What types of product maintenance and support will CompTIA provide to TestOut customers?
  1. CompTIA will continue to provide the same level of maintenance and support during the transition time as we learn and strategize how we will evolve.
Will TestOut purchases count towards the CompTIA academic partner annual purchase requirement?
  1. Yes, TestOut purchases can count toward CompTIA academic partner annual purchase requirements.
Will the TestOut name be changed to CompTIA?
  1. The decision about if and when to transition the TestOut brand will be made after a period of reflection, evaluation and feedback from customers. We will seek your input about the nature of our future branding.
Will non-CompTIA-associated TestOut products still be offered? (Microsoft, Cisco, etc.)
  1. We will continue to sell existing TestOut products, including Microsoft, Cisco, etc.
Can I continue to purchase additional TestOut courses after the acquisition?
  1. We'll continue to sell and support all existing content in the market for both TestOut and/or CompTIA customers.
Will I be able to bundle TestOut Products with CompTIA products/vouchers?
  1. The sales teams will work closely with customers to help them determine which combination of tools, platforms and curriculum are the best option for them.
How and when will TestOut materials be integrated with CompTIA’s?
  1. We’ll continue to sell and support all existing content in the market for both TestOut and/or CompTIA customers. The sales teams will work closely with customers to help them determine which tools, platforms and curriculum are the best option. As titles come up for refresh, we’ll be building unified content meant to live across all our platforms at the same time, although this may take a while to fully materialize.
There are many individuals who have TestOut Pro certifications. How will TestOut certifications pair with CompTIA certifications as the acquisition moves forward?
  1. Currently and in the immediate future, we are not looking to discontinue or make immediate changes to TestOut Pro certifications and will continue to develop and offer them as part of the learning package since they do serve an important purpose for learners and educators. Changes will come after discovery from our customers.

    TestOut exam objectives for the IT Fundamentals Pro, PC Pro, Network Pro, Security Pro, Linux Pro, and CyberDefense Pro certifications are not positioned to be equivalent to the CompTIA IT Fundamentals+ A+, Network+, Security+, Linux+, and CySA+ certifications. TestOut certification alumni will not receive equivalent CompTIA credentials for having passed them. TestOut and CompTIA certifications will continue to be separate certifications.  
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