Maybe there are other fields, like accounting, medical, etc. where certifications/exams really get to the heart of one's ability to perform?
Working in the medical field (and in an education position where we train and certify many medical professionals), I'd have to say that certifications rarely get at who is the most competent in that field either. There are physicians even who take the same courses over and over to achieve the bare minimum score to get the certification. They have the same certification as those who got 100% in the fast track version of the class the first time around. No one (other than us) knows who is who.
