ExpertRating

What ExpertRating is

ExpertRating sells online certifications to individuals and skill tests to employers. Its home page says it is "a leader in Online Certification and Skill Testing" offering "an affordable and efficient way for people to prove their expertise in over 300 widely accepted online certifications." Each certification is a self-study course followed by an online test, and passing earns a downloadable certificate and an online transcript. The company has run "Since 2001", according to the home page, and the same page lists "1100+ Skill Tests", "6500+ Companies", "25 Million People Tested", "160 Countries Serviced" and an "86% Reorder Rate".

That makes ExpertRating two products under one name. The learner product is the certification catalog: buy a course, study it in your own time, take the test. The business product is pre-employment testing, where companies test candidates or staff, and an integrated testing system that other websites can embed. This entry covers both, with the certification catalog first, since that is what most readers will buy.

The certification catalog

The catalog leans heavily on fitness and wellness. The combo list on the makeup page includes Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Trainer, Master Trainer, Senior Fitness, Youth Fitness Trainer, Strength and Conditioning, Pilates, Yoga, Advanced Yoga, Indoor Cycling Instructor, Kettlebell, Kickboxing Training, Boot Camp Training, Functional Fitness, Kinesiology, Stretching and Flexibility, Self-Defense, Aerobics, Sports Nutrition, Weight Management, Health Coach, Advanced Wellness Coach, Meditation Instructor and Health Club Management certifications, among others. A fitness instructor or coach can build a stack of these from one account.

The home page list goes well beyond fitness: Life Coach, Business Coach, Paralegal, Doula, Baby Sitting, First Aid, Time Management, Stress Management, Administrative Assistant, Human Resource, Medical Billing, Medical Coding, Business Analyst, Project Management, a PMP® exam preparatory course, Six Sigma Green Belt, Black Belt and Master Black Belt, Lean Management, Kaizen, Total Quality Management, SEO, social media marketing for businesses, online business writing and online public speaking. The footer of the makeup page groups the self-study courses into fitness, healthcare, management and quality, office skills, personal development and enrichment, and entrepreneurship and social skills. The home page also links to a list of free online certifications.

How a certification works: the makeup artist example

The Makeup Artist Certification page shows the format in full. The course provides "70 video lessons", listed one by one with running times, from an introduction and a contouring workshop through foundations, concealers, lashes and brows to makeup for mature skin, darker skin tones and men, special effects such as bruising and tattoo cover, theater makeup, bridal, red carpet, HD makeup and lighting. The syllabus runs from color theory and the basic kit to working on a set. The author is a Los Angeles makeup artist and licensed esthetician with more than 12 years in the trade.

Study is self-paced. The page says "Most people take 2-4 weeks to complete the course studying 1-2 hours a day", with "24 x 7 access" to the courseware from a computer, tablet or phone, and access continues after you finish. The course needs only internet access, an e-mail account and a web browser. You have one year from enrollment to complete it.

The final test "is fully based upon the Makeup Artist Courseware" and "consists of multiple-choice questions from different chapters". Sample questions appear on the page. The result appears as soon as the test is done. If you fail, "you can re-attempt the exam for $20 up to three times." The certification can be renewed after one year for a fee of $30, which brings a new PDF certificate.

Prices and what they include

Certifications are sold one by one. The makeup page headline price is $99.99 ("AT JUST - $99.99"), and the page says "The $99.99 is all-inclusive": the courseware, the final test fee, an online transcript and a downloadable certificate. One paragraph on the same page gives the course as $69.99, so check the price at checkout. On the combo list, most fitness certifications are $99.99, others such as Health Club Management, Kettlebell and Boot Camp Training are $69.99, and CPR Certification is $49.99. A combo gives "50% off on additional purchases": the first certification is full price and every additional one in the combo is half price. Group enrollments have their own link. Payment is by "all major credit cards or PayPal", and the page says ExpertRating is a PayPal verified seller with "200,000+ sales through PayPal."

The certificate is digital, issued as a downloadable PDF that "does not mention the word 'online'", with an online transcript showing the exam score. A printed hard copy can be bought and posted for an additional fee. The company says it answers "hundreds of employee verification requests annually", and the site has a transcript verification page.

Quality claims

The makeup page states that ExpertRating "is ISO 9001:2015 certified" and is a member of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (I.C.E.), which it describes as "a professional association for the credentialing community." It also says the certification is "recognized by hundreds of private employers and government bodies in the US and other countries". The page itself notes that certification "is not mandatory for makeup artist", so the certificate is a signal to clients and employers rather than a license. The home page says the company won a Google SME Heroes award at a ceremony organized by Google and FICCI in New Delhi.

Pre-employment testing for companies

For employers, the home page describes a testing system with a per-test fee: employers "can commence their employee testing program by simply signing up and paying a per test fee, as and when they need to test", and can "start testing your employees in as little as 3 minutes." Listed features are flexible testing options, in-depth reporting, multiple payment options and economical testing, and the site offers Codeassess programming tests. The integrated testing system lets "employers, recruiters, ATS and HR software developers, educational institutions and websites" build the tests into their own sites. The home page names Ericsson, Fox News, GE, IKEA, Convergys and Deltek Systems among the companies using it to evaluate employees.

Who it suits and who it does not

ExpertRating suits fitness trainers, coaches, beauty professionals and office workers who want an inexpensive, self-paced certificate to show clients or an employer, and who can stack several at half price through the combo. Employers that need ad hoc skills tests without a contract can pay per test.

It does not suit anyone who needs a license, a degree or credits: the certificate is a private credential, and the makeup page itself says certification is not mandatory in that field. There is no live teaching, cohort or instructor contact; the product is courseware and a test.