The ISA Certified Automation Professional® (CAP®) certification is a mark of career excellence that affirms your commitment to quality and demonstrates your expertise and knowledge of automation and controls. ISA CAP certification provides you with a non-biased, third-party, objective assessment and confirmation of your skills and expertise as an automation professional.
CAPs are individuals who have proven they possess an extensive knowledge of automation and controls and that they have the expertise and qualifications to excel in their fields. As automation professionals who work in process automation and manufacturing automation industries around the globe, CAPs are responsible for direction, definition, design, development/application, deployment, documentation and support of software and equipment systems used in control systems, manufacturing information systems, systems integration, and operational consulting.
To become an ISA CAP, you must meet certain education and work experience requirements, pass an exam, and commit to the ISA Code of Conduct. Learn more about CAP requirements.
Ready to take the CAP exam? Submit payment for the CAP exam fee to get started. You will be emailed one month before the beginning of your assigned testing window with next steps to schedule an exam.
Need further preparation? Enroll in the CAP review course to prepare for the exam. Visit the Prepare for the CAP exam page to view course format options.
ISA has developed an extensive library of training courses, study guides and publications that are built around the technologies and courses covered on the Certified Automation Professional (CAP) exam. These resources have been developed and reviewed by subject matter experts. Learn how to prepare for the CAP exam.
The CAP Body of Knowledge (BOK) encompasses the full scope of knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for competent job performance. It defines automation project domains, the tasks within the domains, and the knowledge and skills required to complete the tasks. View the CAP Body of Knowledge.
The aspects of automation covered on the CAP examination reflect the tasks performed in the range of practice settings throughout the United States. Familiarity with the following standards and codes is recommended. obtain the Reference to Standards and Codes (PDF).
For International applicants, note that the validation study for the exams was done in the United States, so there may be questions on the exams that reference US standards and codes.
Gaurav Kumar is an education industry professional with 10+ years of experience in teaching, aptitude training and test prep. He’s a graduate in Computer Science, postgraduate in Yoga Therapy and has previously worked with organizations like Galgotia College of Engineering and The Manya Group. At jagranjosh.com, he writes and manages content development for School and General Knowledge sections. He can be reached at gaurav.kumar@jagrannewmedia.com
A new paper Biomedical Engineering (BM) is being introduced in GATE 2020.
A new paper Biomedical Engineering (BM) in Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is introduced from the year 2020. This is expected to unify undergraduate syllabus of Biomedical Engineering among several universities, and to help stimulating the growth of BME research and product development in India, said a statement from IIT Madras which organised the GATE exam last time.
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GATE 2020 will be conducted for more than 20 subjects and it would be distributed over February 1, 2, 8 and 9 next year. The GATE examination centres are spread in different cities across India, as well as, in six cities outside India. The examination would be purely a Computer Based Test (CBT).
The organizing institute for GATE 2020 is IIT Delhi and the syllabus for the new GATE paper can be found at: http://gate.iitd.ac.in/syllabi.php.
The challenges of BME graduates in India were discussed in a recent meeting held at IIT Madras, which is organized by Biomedical Engineering Group of Applied Mechanics Department, IIT Madras, along with representatives from several other IITs. The meeting was chaired by Prof. V. Jagadeesh Kumar, Dean (Academic Courses), IIT Madras, and co-chaired by Prof. Neelesh Vasa who was the GATE Chairman last year.
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After analysing the issues, accoridng to the IIT Madras statement, it was decided to propose a new GATE paper for BME to solve some of the issues.
In the recent times, GATE has become the gateway for not only for various higher education but is also considered for entering Government institutions such as Public Sector Undertakings, Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) Laboratories, and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Centers in India besides a few educational institutes abroad.
Speaking about the importance of this new GATE paper in Biomedical Engineering, Prof. M. Manivannan, Biomedical Engineering Group, Department of Applied Mechanics, IIT Madras, said, "This is a boon for everyone working in healthcare in India. This has potential to make the Biomedical Engineering as the most sought-out program in India as in other parts of the world."
As the organizer of the meeting, Prof. M. Manivannan noted, "Although IIT Madras organized this meeting, credit goes to all sister IITs that participated in the consultation, without which the new GATE paper would not be possible at all. This is a team effort."
The committee that met at IIT Madras proposed a syllabus that emphasized the fundamentals required for the BME graduates. Until now, Biomedical Engineering graduates could write two papers in GATE: IN (Instrumentation and Engineering), and EC (Electronics and Communication Engineering), which were closer to BME curriculum.
In order to appear in any of the two streams (IN or EC), BME graduates need to prepare much more than their curriculum and compete with graduates from other streams in which the other students have specialized. Therefore, chances of BME students getting good ranks in GATE proved challenging. This reduced the chance of their higher studies and affected the medical device development in India.
"Medical instruments and equipment are vital for Modern medical practice. Chennai, as the healthcare capital of India, gets many advanced medical equipment released here before anywhere in the world. However, Biomedical Engineering, the backbone of medical instruments and equipment, is in need of more skilled manpower. This leads to dependence on the foreign manufacturers for repairing the equipment here in India. This new GATE paper in BME is intended to be one step in helping address this issue," the statement said.
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The Chemistry Department at the University of Nevada has developed a Student Safety Program and has developed policies that will minimize your exposure to hazardous situations that may occur in courses. This information is based on the Department of Chemistry Student Safety Program, and applies to CHEM 100, 121L, 122L, 201, 202, 220L, 330, 345, 347, 348, 423, 424, 432, 435, 444, and 455. Other more specific safety policies may be applicable to individual courses, and to advanced Chemistry Department laboratory courses such as CHEM 292, 392, 490, 495, and 496.
The University of Nevada and departmental safety policies represent a Student's Right to Know about any potentially hazardous situation in which you may be placed while performing an experiment. For this reason, before you begin any experiments, your faculty instructor and teaching assistant (TA) will go over any safety precautions of which you should be aware and show you how to perform any particularly difficult or potentially dangerous procedures. Your TA will also emphasize any personal protective equipment and other safety equipment needed. All safety procedures will also be documented in writing, either as a part of the laboratory procedure, or as a handout. They may also be discussed in the lecture part of the course. You should ask your TA if you feel that you do not fully understand the instructions or information given to you about the hazards of any experiment. Once properly instructed, it is your responsibility to follow all safety procedures.
The experiments in these laboratories have been chosen or modified to use relatively safe chemicals and procedures as much as possible. However, all chemicals have a certain level of hazard and toxicity. Therefore, the use of hazardous chemicals cannot be avoided. Some of the experiments do use chemicals that are hazardous (flammability, toxicity, etc.), and special precautions are required. As part of the pre-lab for each experiment, you are expected to review and note the safety precautions and procedures for that experiment. The TA will check this part of your pre- lab before you are permitted to begin the experiment. When using organic solvents, use the chemical fume hoods and protective gloves. If students in advanced classes or undergraduate research work with carcinogenic or acutely toxic materials, they must use gloves and lab coats in addition to goggles, and work in a specially designated area. There is always the possibility of individual sensitivity or allergy to any substance. If you experience any unusual irritation, itching, or burning of the skin, respiratory tract, or eyes, stop the experiment and report the situation to your TA. Anyone with any relevant physical or medical condition (e.g., pregnancy, epilepsy, history of severe allergies, etc.) that might pose difficulties with laboratory operations must report these conditions to the laboratory and course instructor.
The most important personal protective equipment is eye protection. All persons in the laboratory shall wear goggles with impact and splash protection whenever any chemicals or experimental equipment are in use or on the benches anywhere in the laboratory. This includes the full laboratory period except during introductory discussions by the TAs or after all experiments are done and all equipment and chemicals are stored and students are only using the computers. Students who are asked more than twice (in one lab period) to put their goggles on or follow any other safety procedure will be dismissed from the lab for that period. The student will not be allowed to make up that lab and will receive a "zero" for that experiment. More than two "zeros" mean failure of the course (not just the laboratory portion of the course). Full coverage splash and impact goggles (ANSI Spec. Z87) must be worn. Any other splash goggles that you may have from another course may be acceptable. Have your TA or faculty instructor check them for you. You must have a pair that you can wear continuously in the laboratory. Ordinary plastic safety glasses or impact-only goggles are not acceptable. Impact goggles have a larger number of ventilation holes around the facepiece and do not offer protection from a chemical splash. Acceptable safety goggles are available at the ASUN Bookstore.
Students must wear a protective laboratory coat during experimentation. Because of their lack of protection, shorts and short dresses are not allowed in the laboratory. Legs must be covered to the foot. Open sandals or bare feet are forbidden in the laboratory. Shoes must cover the entire foot and be completely enclosed. Individuals with long hair must tie it back to keep it away from fire, chemicals, and moving equipment. Bracelets, necklaces, neckties, and similar loose items of attire may create a hazardous situation and so they must be confined or not worn in the laboratory. Students will not be allowed to enter the laboratory if not properly clothed and will receive a ‘zero' for that day's experiment and will not be allowed to make it up.
Extended school hours Addressing a meeting of education officials and teachers in Kurunegala this week, he said schools which begin sessions at the usual time of 7.30 a.m would close only at 3.30 pm. He said teachers enjoy three months’ holiday and work till 1.30 pm at present while all other government servants and public sector employees work till 4.30 p.m. He said that this new move would help teachers to devote more time to cover the syllabus and to impart their knowledge to students. |
As concern grew over the plight of education in Sri Lanka particularly the overloading of work for children and compulsory tuition, a poll by the Business Times (BT) this week confirmed the anxiety of parents, students and administrators over the education crisis and the stress on kids.
The BT polls follows an extensive panel discussion on the same issues last week by a group of experts representing administrators, parents and doctors which concluded that today’s education structure is leading to the creation of a generation of misfits in society. (See last week’s report in the BT)
The poll asked three questions: (1) Is the education system facing a crisis today given the tough syllabus’ and examinations? (2) Are school children over-burdened with work leading up to the OL/Als examinations? and (3) Has tuition, which most children take today, become essential rather than an option because of the present system? (Results in the graphic)
The poll, conducted in collaboration with the Colombo-based Research Consultancy Bureau (RCB), a market and social research agency, amongst over 800 respondents including street interviews, found the majority responding with a ‘Yes’ answer to all three questions. Each question found more than 65 % responding with a ‘Yes’ answer.
Respondents ranged from parents, students, administrators, doctors, government officials and from various sections of civil society with many providing additional comments as to why they felt the system was wrong. One respondent, during a street interview conducted by RCB said that “tuition will become necessary for children with the appointment of the biggest tuition master as the Education Minister and now no one can stop the tuition business.” The reference was to Education Minister Bandula Gunawardene, an economics teacher-turned politician. The Minister has rejected claims that he is still in the tuition business having sold his Sussex tutory at Nugegoda some years ago.
Comments poured in from respondents on email and from street interviews reflecting the concern that today’s parents and civil society have over the education system, the stress on their kinds, the structure and role in the country’s development.
Here is a trial of the comments:
National plan needed
Our school system is defined and dictated by whoever is ‘running the show’ at the Education Department or the Ministry at that time.
Unfortunately our administrators travel overseas and try to emulate the system in that country and copy everything that they see, instead of taking the gist of what they learn and apply what is suited to our country and the infrastructure that is in place. The syllabus seem to change with the change of each administration, due to showmanship of those at the helm! A good example is when our children are asked to follow the O/L in the English medium with text books that are in Sinhala.
The syllabus is outdated with outdated examples, outdated case studies, and an attempt made to shove down the throats of students throat the maximum information possible, whether relevant or irrelevant. Thus we are creating a generation of mindless drones, who are unable to think out of the box, unable to think creatively and simply do not know how to use common sense to figure out solutions to simple problems!
Comments from RCB’s street poll
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If you look at some of the text books at the open university, you would probably see that the cases and examples cited are from the 1980’s or the 1990’s. How relevant is that in 2011?
It is sad how the new generation that is to take this country forward will have two to three degrees but have no knowledge of culture, no creativity and simply have no clue how to even issue a receipt at a tea boutique if the computer breaks down!
Effectiveness
However tough the syllabus may be, I always wonder whether it is effective in preparing an individual to successfully face the challenges in the contemporary world in competing with the students who follow IB or any other international standard education system. I have mostly have come across graduates from Sri Lankan universities being overrun by less qualified ones due to the nature of the education they each have received.
System too archaic
The issue is not about how tough the syllabus is; it’s about an archaic system, how poor the teaching tools are, and how non productive the assessment system is which makes tutorials a necessity and studies a chore. I have spoken to many kids who have moved from local to international schools and they say they find the studies there easier. Trust me the syllabus for international schools is more intensive. But it’s the way concepts are presented that makes it easier to understand and more interesting - having said that I do not think even international schools are perfect. Poor teacher training, poor pay scales - some local school teachers get paid less than Colombo maids -, poor funding, excessive centralization; the issues are huge and many While the government seems to spending billions on infrastructure relatively not much attention is given to building the true pillars of our future.
Z score
Elementary and higher education has been messed up in Sri Lanka. Admission to grade one is all politicised and then comes university admission which is highly competitve and again politicised. Due to the Z score admissions in place, the most eligible candidates gets weeded out and the secod tier candiates get in.
The so called ‘International Schools’ and degree awarding ‘commercialised foreign universites’ are the net beneficiaries of our systemic deficiencies as evident from the rate they have been mushrooming.
Passing exams
The entire education system has to be revamped. Today in Sri Lanka we have an education system that trains the entire student population to pass exams: They all got the ‘Text Book Intelligence’ but nothing beyond that. This is very clear when you see the calibre of the local graduates. After a 4-year program they walk out with a certificate but without any tangible skill or knowledge that potentially makes them employable.
Reforms
Our education needs fundamental reforms qualitatively and quantitatively. We must introduce subjects that the students can think beyond the books and focus on self reliance. More importantly we must train them for non traditional professions that are very much in demand as opposed to blindly demanding they be professionals where the majority fights for few jobs or clamour to be doctors and engineers.
Practical thinking
Literacy rates highest in Asia Sri Lanka has one of the highest literacy rates in Asia – a commendable achievement indeed. However a qualitative assessment of competencies in key criteria shows a huge shortfall that is evident from primary right through to the highest grades. For example a 2005 World Bank Report on education in Sri Lanka, revealed that on an average, mastery of language skills (across all languages) was less than 50% at the end of the primary cycle. Likewise for mathematics, the mastery level was a mere average of only 38% at the primary level. One can easily extrapolate how this trend would impact education at secondary and tertiary levels. The study reports an GCE O/L pass rate of a mere 37 %. Moreover of these approximately 1/3rd of the student population, only about 50% go on to pass their A Levels. Children today assimilate information differently than in previous generations. They are exposed to multimedia and technology, and are constantly bombarded with information. The education system unfortunately has not kept pace with that change. There is a low emphasis on research and practical applicability of what children learn, and far too much stress on study by rote. No wonder then that children find the content of the curriculum tedious, boring and in parts not relevant. Simply put school children are not engaged enough. The current system also shows a lack of flexibility because of the manner in which assessments are conducted. Even if schools were to take a modern and innovative approach toward teaching, they remain constrained by the exam requirements which, by and large, still require students to memorize and regurgitate information. In most advanced countries today there is a system of continuous assessment and standardized exams, if at all, are conducted only at the high school level. By contrast, many local schools initiate children into the exam culture as early as the first grade. Raising the competencies of teachers is another huge challenge if we are to overhaul the education system in Sri Lanka. Bill Gates has identified education as the single biggest issue facing America and has made hefty investments in this area. His research has uncovered that investments made in better teaching which include upgrading teacher skills, better teaching methods and tools but most importantly recruiting, incentivizing and retaining the best teachers, had far greater impact than any other measure. Reduction of classroom sizes, better equipment and infrastructure etc. had a relatively insignificant impact on overall student performance by comparison. In Sri Lanka, teachers today earn only 85 % of what they did in 1978 after factoring in inflation. They work with very little in terms of training, feedback and incentive. The need of the hour is to provide teachers with student oriented and activity based teaching tools that will engage and teach children to think creatively and independently. Teachers should be empowered and encouraged to innovate. After all any change to the education system has to begin in the class room. On a closing note, expectations made of professionals today is discipline, creativity, pro-activeness and leadership. We have to ask ourselves if our education system helps deliver what is demanded by industry in the 21st century and if the answer is no, then the time to change is NOW. |