What's it take to get certified?
Certification isn't an easy path, nor is it meant to
be. Those that are certified have separated themselves
from those that aren't by taking extra steps to
demonstrate they have certain knowledge.
What are those extra steps?
It takes a combination of training (self-study for some),
hands-on application of knowledge, research to answer specific
issues, and then study, study, study to know the objectives
inside out.
Study the objectives
Read the objectives of the test. Often, you'll
find specific references that will cover the material on the
test. Other times, you'll find that material you'll be
tested on is not included in the referenced courses.
For example, the MCDST certification requires passing two
tests: 70-271 and 70-272 .
Skipping this step often results in frustration on the part
of many candidates. This is not to say that the
objectives are often explicitly clear on what the test
questions will be; they're not. But they do give you an
idea of what topics you need to study.
Training
For any certification, there are courses that are available
that will guide your learning path. For example, the
MCDST certification has courses 2261 and 2262 that are
designed to guide the student through learning specific
material.
Training has many benefits. For starters, you have an
expert that has in-depth knowledge of the material, has taken
the path of certification, and will guide you through key
learning steps. In most courses, there are excellent
labs that can guide your learning by actually performing the
steps.
In a classroom you can make mistakes. If things blow
up, no problem. they can be fixed. Often, the
trainer can help you learn what went wrong and help you
recover.
You can ask questions. Unlike some of the newsgroup
forums where many will attack you in a heartbeat, in a
classroom, there are no stupid questions. If you have a
question, the instructor is paid to help you get an
answer.
Others ask questions. Often, just by being a silent
observer and hearing questions that others ask, you gain a
different perspective.
Does everyone need to learn in a classroom
environment? No. As a matter of fact, at this
stage of learning for me, I rarely have the opportunity to
learn new material in a class environment.
I identify at least two books that I can purchase and start
studying them. I like reviewing the comments others make
on sites such as Amazon or Bookpool to help me choose.
Sitting in a classroom and learning is an easier path
requiring less discipline, but often more costly in terms of
time and money. Do you have to sit in a class to
learn? No, but sometimes it's just easier
that way.
Hands-on Application of Knowledge
If you're studying for a certification, you need to be
working on the same type of system. As the saying goes,
practice the way you're going to play.
What's this mean? If you're studying for MCDST, you
need to be running Windows XP. If you're studying for
Windows Server 2003, you need to have a system running Server
2003.
More, if you're studying a certification that requires you
to have knowledge of networking, you need to be running a
network. It doesn't have to be elaborate, but at least
two computers networked between each other so that you can do
some of the basic things like ping, remote assistance, remote
desktop, file sharing, etc.
Research
There are some items that you'll run across that aren't
answered in the sources you have. You need to develop
new sources.
Search engines. Learn to use Google or
another search engine. When you come across a topic that
you don't quite get, reading what someone else has written
about the topic is often quite enlightening. Beware
though. Just because you read it on the Web doesn't mean
it's true.
Knowledge Base articles. Learn to use the knowledge
base articles on Microsoft's
Web site. Often, knowledge base articles are cited
by just their number. Plug the number into the Microsoft
site, or even Google to access the full article. For
example, if you want to learn about Office Application
Recovery Tool, read the Knowledge Base article 294933.
Resource Kit. If you're studying for one of
Microsoft's certifications, you have access to their online
resource kits. These have a tremendous amount of
technical material on specific operating systems. For
example, the Windows XP resource kit can be found here.
White Papers. Often there are white papers published
on key topics that are available for free on the
Internet. A white paper can be a few pagest to over a
hundred. They include an overview, the technical
details, and often step-by-step instructions on how to
implement the covered topic. Microsoft courses often
include white papers on the student CD. To view some
white papers on Windows XP, take a look here.
Study, Study, Study
Now you're ready to start predicting the questions.
Often practice tests are invaluable in helping students
understand how questions are worded and presented.
Some practice tests are free and some cost
money. Find what you like.
Note that this step is last. Some people start with
this step and skip the rest. This is where the term
"paper" certified comes from. If you're studying, there's
nothing wrong with using practice test sites to help, but if
it's your only source of studying, you're missing a lot.
If you have questions or comments about this topic, or
would like to read about other topics, feel free to post
them.
Feedback
| re: What's it take to get certified |
| AM A STUDENT OF O LEVELS AND I WAS IMPREESED BY
ARFA'S SUCEES SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT IT AND
WOULD LIKE TO GIVE EXAMS AS WELL |
| 8/14/2005
6:53:09 AM | SHUMAILA | AM A STUDENT |
|
| re: What's it take to get certified |
| AM A STUDENT OF PRE-ENGINEER AND COULD LIKE TO KNOW
MORE ABOUT ALL THE THINGS |
| 8/17/2005
10:18:37 AM | FATIMA | AM A STUDENT |
|
|