Sunday, January 3, 2010

IT Study Considerations Considered

By Jason Kendall

A+ consists of four exams and study sections, but your only requirement is to achieve certification in two for qualification purposes. Because of this, a great number of colleges restrict their course to just 2 areas. But allowing you to learn about all 4 options will help you to build a far deeper level of understanding of your subject, something you'll discover is essential in professional employment.

Alongside being taught how to build and fix computers, trainees on an A+ training course will have instruction on how to work in antistatic conditions, along with remote access, fault finding and diagnostics.

Should you fancy yourself as the person who is a member of a large organisation - fixing and supporting networks, add Network+ to your CompTIA A+, or follow the Microsoft route - MCP's, MCSA or MCSE in order to have a more advanced experience of the way networks operate.

It's essential to have the current Microsoft (or relevant organisation's) authorised exam preparation packages.

Confirm that the simulated exams are not only asking questions in the right areas, but additionally ask them in the same way that the proper exam will structure them. This throws people if they're met with completely different formats and phraseologies.

Practice exams can be very useful as a resource to you - then when the time comes for you to take the real thing, you don't get uptight.

Students who consider this area of study often have a very practical outlook on work, and don't really enjoy classrooms, and slogging through piles of books. If you identify with this, opt for more involving, interactive learning materials, where you can learn everything on-screen.

Our ability to remember is increased when we use multiple senses - learning experts have been saying this for many years.

Interactive audio-visual materials utilising video demo's and practice lab's will beat books every time. And you'll find them fun and interesting.

It's wise to view some of the typical study materials provided before you sign the purchase order. The minimum you should expect would be instructor demonstrations, video tutorials and a variety of audio-visual and interactive sections.

Select CD and DVD ROM based physical training media wherever available. You can then avoid all the difficulties of broadband 'downtime' or slow-speeds.

Chat with a practiced advisor and they can normally tell you many worrying experiences of salespeople ripping-off unsuspecting students. Ensure you only ever work with an experienced industry advisor who quizzes you to find out what's right for you - not for their bank-account! It's very important to locate the right starting point of study for you.

It's worth remembering, if you have some relevant previous certification, then you will often be able to start at a different point than someone new to the industry.

If you're a new trainee starting IT studies and exams as a new venture, it can be helpful to break yourself in gently, by working on some basic Microsoft package and Windows skills first. This can be built into most training packages.

One crafty way that colleges make a big mark-up is by charging for exams up-front and then including an 'Exam Guarantee'. It looks like a good deal, till you look at the facts:

They've allowed costings for it one way or another. It's definitely not free - it's just been rolled into the price of the whole package.

People who take exams one at a time, paying for them just before taking them are much more likely to pass. They are conscious of what they've paid and prepare more appropriately to make sure they're ready.

Hold on to your money and pay for the exam when you're ready, and hang on to your cash. You also get more choice of where you sit the exam - meaning you can choose a local testing centre.

Big margins are netted by a significant number of organisations who get money for exam fees in advance. For quite legitimate reasons, a number of students don't get to do their exams but the company keeps the money. Surprising as it sounds, there are providers that rely on that fact - as that's where a lot of their profit comes from.

It's also worth noting that exam guarantees often have very little value. The majority of organisations will not pay for you to re-take until you can prove to them you're ready to pass.

Exams taken at VUE and Prometric centres are in the region of 112 pounds in the UK. Why pay exorbitant 'Exam Guarantee' costs (most often hidden in the package) - when good quality study materials, the proper support and a commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools are actually the key to your success.

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