It sounded intriguing so I looked into it. Over the past two years I have taken advantage of both Second Chance Free offers with mostly good results (I passed four exams with these, first try). Frankly I would not have taken most of those exams - at least not so quickly - if I did not have that safety blanket to cushion the possible failure. After all, $125 is not chicken feed and though I am the first to sing the benefits of passing cert exams, the reality is that failing them can get pricey.
I know what you're thinking and you're right (a la Magnum P.I.); I have written that taking your first exam should not be put off because even failing it will be a good learning experience. I stand by that and if you have never taken a cert exam you should go for it. Failing your first exam still lets you know what you should be preparing for. Failing your second exam is just lost money (I know, I have over my career paid for three failed exams). That is why test takers should have every possible tool available going into exams, and that includes knowledge, experience, juju (read the earlier blog article), and yes if it is available to them they should have their safety blanket.
When you get onto an airplane or into a car you make sure you are insured. When you buy a home you do the same. When visiting a foreign country you make sure you have health insurance because you hope everything will work out but if it doesn't you will not be financially ruined for breaking a leg (I actually broke my elbow skiing in Utah a couple of years ago and was very happy to have spent the extra sous). I doubt $125 will ruin anyone but it still stings knowing the money is gone so why not use it?
I do not have all of the details but I know that this insurance is offered through the testing centres themselves, rather than by Pearson/Vue or Prometric. For that reason it is not offered by all testing centres (including to date the one where I teach) but hopefully it will catch on and spread so that we can all take advantage wherever we test.
I also do not know how much it costs but here's an added benefit: If you take the insurance and PASS your exam, you automatically get a discount on your next exam.
Good on these centres for making it a little bit easier to take the plunge!