the sort of certificate that "carries weight"

Carries weight for what? For getting a job? I interview people for programming jobs, and manage a team of programmers. Certificates carry little weight, even less if I think you got the certificate just to have a certificate. Degrees carry some, but the junior guy on the team is the only one with a master's degree. He's junior principally because he lacks confidence in his coding ability (and I'm pleased to say he's getting better and more confident). Resumes matter more, but the interview is where the hiring decision is made. In the interview, I'm more concerned with your curiosity, willingness to keep learning, your ability to analyze a problem and to make good decisions, than with what you know.

The "carries weight" comment was a quote from the article by the CEO of Udacity, David Stavens. Apparently this is something Udacity hopes will happen if their finals are given in physical testing locations. I definitely think it's a move in the right direction, but I completely agree with you that what matters most in an interview is not where the candidate graduated, but what they can do and what they can offer the organization.

Yes of course if these are to be delivered at Pearson VUE then I expect it to be the same as every other exam there where anyone can pay the registration fee and sit the test.

@tpdi - I'm not a believer in certificates myself, but sometimes they do help to get past the HR screener. When interviewing with a non-technical person, certificates might be what they gravitate toward to assess your abilities.

That said, I have none and plan to get none. shrug :)