So you want to take a class and NOT waste your money. What do you need to do?
The first thing is find the right school. The best places to go use Microsoft Certified materials as their main courseware. They might supplement it with their own books but I think it is important to have the information that Microsoft has decided is important in your quest for a passing grade. I really believe that you need to learn their info because it is their operating system/software. I think they know things about I that others might not. I feel that will serve you not only on the exams but when you are working in the field in the future.
You should also want to be taught by a certified trainer. We have had to go through the same tests you will so we can bring that experience to the table. I also think having a trainer with some applied knowledge works too. Again, that may not serve you so well for the exam itself but it will definitely be important when you try to do your job.
The other big question is how do you take the classes? Do you sign up for a shortened “boot camp” type class where it is all compressed? Do you take the full classes one at a time or maybe “cherry pick” just the ones you think you need? First off, I am not a fan of just picking what you need. While I may not agree with the organization of the classes, there is a flow to them and it is very possible that you won’t be able to “keep up” if you don’t have everything that the books assume. I don’t really think there is a difference between the full classes or compressed ones IF you have a very good command of the material before hand. If you work with the products so you are familiar with the basics, you should be prepared to go at the advanced pace needed. If you don’t then you should definitely avoid the accelerated classes. There is a real danger of you feeling like you wasted your money.
You know what? Forget everything I said….just take classes at New Horizons (shameless plug to make my boss happy).
But seriously…the next entry will discuss how to get as much as you can out of the classes you take. By the way, I am planning a series of entries that talk about specific types of questions and how to think through them to get the right answers. If you have any questions that you have had trouble with on the exams or from practice tests, send them to me either in a comment or at ronc@nhny.com .
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