The backbone of this story is our annual reader survey. For each of approximately 70 certifications, we compare the number of you who hold each title with those who say that you're going to get it within the next 12 months. For those certs that show positive growth, we score the difference on a 1 to 20 scale (20 being the best), which is the reader interest score.

Next comes the buzz score: What are people saying about particular certs? What recognition have these titles received recently? What do our contributing editors and columnists think of these credentials? After combing the Web and talking with the experts, we award each certification a buzz score of 1 to 10 (10 being the best). Add the reader interest and buzz scores together and our top picks for the hottest certifications of 2005 emerge.

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A few caveats before we get started:

• You may notice that a few favorites have fallen off this year's list (for example, (ISC)2's CISSP). The absence of a certification that was present in a previous year doesn't mean that title is any less valuable. Most often (as in the case of CISSP), so many of you followed up on your pledge to get that certification over the past year that the credential has a harder time making the list simply because it's more established. Again, it's not overall popularity but growth we're looking at.
  
• We're not perfect. While we base these scores on actual research, there's also some semi-intelligent guesswork involved. Take the list for what you think it's worth and be sure to share your picks at the end of this article. (You can also feel free to praise or, more likely, bash our picks, as usual, but we really would like to read some personal top 10 lists this year!)

Now, the envelopes, please …

#10: Project Management Professional (PMP)
Vendor: Project Management Institute
Reader Interest Score (out of 20): 7
Buzz Score (out of 10): 7
Total: 14

For the second year in a row, this non-IT certification has garnered just enough attention to grab the number 10 spot on our list, thanks to the increased interest IT professionals have in gaining "soft skills" to help them obtain or retain job positions. And it's hard to go wrong with this project management title, which has been building its reputation since 1984.

Trainer and CertCities.com Linux Columnist Emmett Dulaney said of this title, "Soft skills, such as project management, are always in demand. While others have tried project management certifications, the reputation of PMI is second to none."

Contributing Editor and CertCites.com Cert Advisor Columnist Greg Neilson likes this certification so much he ranked it No. 1 on his personal top 10 list for 2005. "This is valuable in not only having a tough test on project management knowledge, it also requires a significant amount of documented experience," he explained. "As we demand more from our IT project managers ... this is one way that experienced and knowledgeable project managers can differentiate themselves from the pack."

#9: Security+
Vendor: Computing Technology Industry Association
Reader Interest Score (out of 20): 10
Buzz Score (out of 10): 5
Total: 15

There's no denying that this vendor-neutral, entry-level title is a popular certification -- one of the most popular certifications to come out within the last few years. So while many of you did obtain the certification in the last year, enough of you still have plans to achieve it that it was just able to make this year's list.

Dulaney is particularly bullish on this title, placing it at No. 3 on his personal top 10 list. "Ten years ago, you were happy with an administrator who could install a network ... Today, you want an administrator who assures you that your network and data [are] safe," he explained. "An entry-level security certification will become a hiring prerequisite [of] the same magnitude as a high-school diploma."

The reason this title's buzz score isn't as high as last year's is that it didn't do quite as well on our contributing editors' personal top 10 lists. In fact, Don Jones, CertCities.com columnist and ScriptingAnswers.com Webmaster, said that all credentials that separately test security knowledge or skills leave him cold. "Certifications should focus on job tasks, and in most every case security is not a separate job task ... it's part of the everyday life [of an IT professional]," he commented. "Because security is overreaching and not a task in and of itself, treating it separately is kind of stupid."

#8: MySQL Core Certification
Vendor: MySQL AB
Reader Interest Score (out of 20): 13
Buzz Score: 3
Total: 16

We'll admit it: When we saw how well this certification did on our reader survey, we double-checked the numbers. Then we double-checked them again. And again. (O.K., maybe not that many times, but we definitely did a few retakes).

It's not that we didn't think the kudos weren't deserved -- by all accounts this is a solid credential that employers are using to determine whether candidates have the knowledge needed to set up and maintain their open-source MySQL databases. But it's a relatively new title that hasn't gotten much attention, perhaps because Oracle's OCP DBA and Microsoft's MCDBA continue to rule the database credential roost. And while we knew MySQL was growing in popularity, we didn't expect its certification to keep pace, especially considering that the open-source community tends not to be as certification-focused.

We were obviously wrong on all counts.

While we may have been blindsided, our contributing editors weren't. Greg Neilson put this credential at No. 10 on his personal list, while Jones put it near the top. Jones commented, "It makes perfect sense... it's such a popular product, and it's a database, so it's complex ... it's not just pushing a few buttons to install it," he explained. "Companies are betting their business on this product, so they have to have a way to identify individuals they [know] can set it up and maintain it."

By the way, you'll see exactly how strongly we underestimated the popularity of open-source credentials for the upcoming year as we get to the rest of this list.

#7: Novell Certified Linux Professional (Novell CLP)
Vendor: Novell
Reader Interest Score (out of 20): 11
Buzz Score (out of 10): 6
Total: 17

As little as a year ago, you might have thought it'd be a cold day in hell before a Novell credential would once again be considered a "Hot Cert." Well, it's time to start knitting Satan that sweater, because the company's new Certified Linux Professional title has firmly landed itself at No. 7 on this year's list.

Previous Hot Cert Lists 2003 2002

Just so you don't think we're completely dense, we did know this credential had a shot to make the 2005 cut, but we didn't expect it to do quite as well as it did -- in part because it's so new, and also because a strong majority of our readers work in mainly Microsoft shops. But we should have known better: After all, Novell is aggressively behind its new Linux initiatives, including this title and its sister cert, Certified Linux Engineer (CLE), so it's already got plenty of buzz. Plus, who out there can resist a hands-on, virtual lab exam priced at only $195?

Dulaney, our Linux columnist, put the CLE at the top of his personal top 10 list. "Novell has the clout to make this credential successful," he said. "There are enough customers out there still loyal to Novell and wanting to move to open source that there will be a demand for administrators who know not just Linux but the Linux with the N."

Neilson likes the title as well, although he said that because the CLP is just starting out, he expects that most of its growth will come in the next year or so, with the certification establishing itself as a niche credential thereafter.

#6: Linux Professional Institute Certification Level 2 (LPIC-2)
Vendor: Linux Professional Institute
Reader Interest Score (out of 20): 12
Buzz Score (out of 10): 6
Total: 18

Now, this is a Linux certification program that we've been following in relation to our Hot Cert articles for a long time. In fact, it had almost become the Susan Lucci of our top 10, just missing out on the list with one credential or another for the past three years.

We're proud to finally be able to give this vendor-neutral, community-developed and supported Linux certification program its due. The Level 2 credential rocketed all the way to the No. 6 position this year's list thanks to significant growth in your interest in the title.

Many of our contributing editors are long-time fans. In fact, LPIC-2 is one of only a select few certifications to make almost every contributing editor's personal top 10 list this year. Jones commented, "It's important that the Linux community has something like this ... They're doing exactly the right thing trying to stay vendor-agnostic."

Dulaney said that he has even higher hopes for the credential: "This is a great certification that suffers from too little promotion and no good study materials. He added that thanks to endorsements from providers like Novell, he expects the title "will get pulled into the mainstream and suddenly be acknowledged by those who are now overlooking it."

If you're interested in this certification for yourself, be sure to check out LPI's Web site -- the program is known for regularly offering discounted and even free exams worldwide through traveling tours and trade shows, making its titles affordable for those whom the exchange rate would normally keep out.

#5: Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)
Vendor: Cisco
Reader Interest Score (out of 20): 13
Buzz Score (out of 10): 7
Total: 20

There's simply a never-ending market for this Cisco certification. Sure, many of you achieve this mid-level title every year, but so many more of you set it as your goal. Add to this the credential's excellent reputation (not to mention difficulty), it's no wonder that the CCNP has made our Hot Cert list for the past four years in a row.

You also know the title is marketable: Employers are out there looking for the exact knowledge this certification tests, and when it comes to the backbone of one's network, those skills are especially important.

The CCNP just seems to have it all. We're not sure what else we can say here that hasn't been said before, so we're just going to keep a place warm for it for next year and move on to the rest of our 2005 list.

#4: Cisco Certified Security Professional (CCSP)
Vendor: Cisco
Reader Interest Score (out of 20): 14
Buzz Score (out of 10): 8
Total: 22

Last year, the CCSP was just a little too new to make the cut. This year, it's found its place at No. 4, and no wonder: It's bringing together two of the hottest areas in IT, Cicso and security. "Given the ever-increasing focus on network security it is not surprising to see growing interest in this relatively new certification from Cisco," commented Neilson.

Up and Coming... Every year, a few titles miss making the Top 10 by just a few points. To give them their due, here are the top five runners-up for 2005 GIAC (SANS) Intrusion Analyst Check Point Certified Security Expert (CCSE) Planet3 Certified Wireless Security Professional (CWSP) Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: Messaging (MCSE: Messaging) Citrix Certified Internet Architect (CCIA)

But there's not just buzz behind this certification. To earn it, you must first hold the company's CCNA or CCIP, then pass five required exams: Securing Cisco IOS Networks, Cisco Secure PIX Firewall Advanced, Cisco Secure Intrusion Detection System, Cisco Secure VPN and Cisco SAFE Implementation. That's one more exam than any other mid-level Cisco certification. And, of course, all of these exams feature hands-on questions (as do most Cisco tests) and have Cisco's reputation of difficulty behind them.

Dulaney says the title's desirability makes perfect sense, especially in today's market. "When hiring managers think of the Internet and think of networking appliances, quite often they think of Cisco hardware," he explained. "With security being such a hot topic right now (on so many different levels), the combination of security and Cisco in a single certification should draw notice among those who make hiring decisions. Since that is one of the primary drivers of popularity for any certification, this one holds great potential for explosive acceptance and growth."

#3: Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE)
Vendor: Red Hat
Reader Interest Score (out of 20): 16
Buzz Score (out of 10): 7
Total: 23

After making the list for the past three years in row, we weren't sure exactly how the RHCE would fair this year considering the recent change in focus to Red Hat Enterprise. But while some may complain about the switch, your overall interest has actually increased over the past year, taking the title up two notches over 2004.

Part of this lift could be the overall increase in interest in open-source certifications (as evidenced by the record four titles that made this year's list). But then, not only does the RHCE cover the most popular corporate Linux distribution, it also features that grueling, full-day, hands-on lab exam that is both feared and admired.

Jones says the title "definitely has its place," stating it has pretty much become, "the MCSE of Linux certifications."

Dulaney isn't so sure, commenting that while reader interest is growing, he has questions about the RHCE's overall marketability: "While there is a need for such a high-level certification with one product, the demand has been met."

#2: Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: Security (MCSE: Security)
Vendor: Microsoft
Reader Interest Score (out of 20): 17
Buzz Score (out of 10): 7
Total: 24

Yes, we know, many of you slammed us when this title topped last year's Hot Cert list and will probably do the same this year, but what can we say? Your reader interest score placed it there last year, and it's done the same this year, albeit at the No. 2 spot.

And frankly, we understand why so many of you want this title: Not only does it bring the top OS together with security, but it also allows you to earn it without going through the entire process of obtaining a separate certification -- simply choose your exams correctly and you can earn it by passing almost the same number of tests as it would take to earn the MCSE alone.

As Neilson pointed out last year, "MCSE: Security will grow quickly since new folks who are already working toward their MCSE will likely choose their electives accordingly to get this specialization."

But the combination of these two topics may be the real appeal. Commented Barkl, "In the Microsoft world, this one is worth the effort when it comes to understanding how to secure Microsoft operating systems and services."

And now, on to our prediction for the No. 1 Hottest Certification for 2005:

#1: Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE)
Vendor: Cisco
Reader Interest Score (out of 20): 18
Buzz Score (out of 10): 8
Total: 26

After placing second last year, Cisco's high-level CCIE reclaims the top spot on our Hot Cert list for 2005.

We already know how much you all love this credential -- after all, it sweeps our Readers' Choice Awards every year. But desirability isn't enough to be a repeated Hot Cert winner. Difficulty is also key, and this title's got it in spades.

There's simply no IT exam more feared than the hands-on CCIE lab, which is rumored to have a pass rate as low as 15 percent. When candidates consider themselves lucky to pass a $1,250 exam on the second try (not to mention the travel costs to take the exam at one of a handful of testing locations worldwide), you know there's something there.

Our contributing editors like it as well. Andy Barkl made it his personal top pick due to the title's "industry recognition and prestige." Neilson placed it highly on his personal top 10 list.

Jones also likes it but wonders about the CCIE's applicability in the real world. "It has its place, but you really only need this title if you work for a major carrier like Sprint," he commented. "The vast majority of humanity doesn't need a CCIE."

Dulaney said of the future, "The days of needing such a concentrated certification are waning."

Despite some doubts, enough readers and experts voiced in to make this certification our top pick for Hottest Certification for 2005, and we're sticking to it.

Now it's time to share your take! Be sure to post your personal favorites below.