@Rustler,
While I can understand your perspective regarding the QuickBooks Online testing, especially the old version where it was virtually impossible to fail it, I can tell you that the new version has been dramatically improved.
Helping People Gain Confidence:
From a business perspective, Intuit made a very intelligent decision to provide both the regular and the advanced tests. Accounting can be very scary for a lot of people, and a large part of the challenge is learning a new software. By creating the testing, the way, they have, Intuit provided users a way to "buy into the experience" by spending the time to take a test and to become certified.
Gaining a new skill:
Every time we hire a new employee, the first thing we do is help them become certified on QuickBooks Online. Not only does it serve as a good introduction to what our company does, it also ensures that even if things do not work out with Parkway, they leave with a new skill that can help them throughout their career.
Parkway's New Hire Process:
Recently, I hired a new employee, Mary and as usual the first thing we had her do was to go through the ProAdvisor training and to take the test. Mary spent the first couple days going through taking notes and saving questions that she had along the way. After each section, she and I would review the data and I would show her real-world examples of what the lesson was trying to teach her. Fast forward to exam time, Mary was very disappointed that she didn't pass the test the first time around, but she dug back in and passed it the second time. If you had seen the look on her face, the sense of accomplishment that she had, you would never question why the exams exist.
Advanced Certified Matters:
Even with the redesigned exam, the QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor certification really is just a membership card, which is why the true professionals take the Advanced Certification as well. The QBO Advanced test is no joke and I almost did not pass it the first time I tried. So, if your concern is toward the validity of the testing being provided, just do like I do, tell everyone about the benefits of becoming certified and explain that if you are really looking for a true QBO expert make sure that they are advanced certified!
One last question, I know that you are not an accountant by trade, so the certifications probably do not mean as much to you, but have you taken the certifications yourself? Are you advanced certified in Desktop or Online?
