I'm currently attending a community college majoring in Computer Networking Technology and am interested in gaining some certifications in order to obtain an entry-level IT position.

I've attempted to obtain my A+ certification through purchasing a book and studying my *** off. Unfortunately, 100 pages into the book, I lost interest and gave up. I'm not taking classes for it and hope to pass the exam at the end of this semester.

My question(s) is this... Has anyone every used CBT Nuggets, TestOut or QuickCert to obtain their certifications? I thought that I might have more luck with something like CBT or TestOut because they offer videos to help you pass the exam. Anyone have first hand experience with any of these sources to obtain the knowledge to pass the certification exam(s)?

As always - thanks in advance.

Hi

IVe looked into CBT nuggets but its just a guy talking through it. There are no demonstrations and i actually felt at the end like i needed to read through the book to actually take it in.
Also for the money its kinda OTT.
So on that basis i would step away from CBT. However the other two i have not looked at so i can give you a reccomendation.

certs per se are useless and will NOT get you any job interviews

good background and certainly worth spending some time on one on the
area of your interest, eg CCNA

here are some, but notice they are MS Product oriented -- and that's a limiting factor

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mc...fications.mspx

also a list of other certs (see left hand panel)
http://www.careeracademy.com/

Thanks for the advice.

I'm not looking to bail on school to bank on some certifications but most people won't even grant you the interview without certifications. I myself was hoping to double-dip with the education background (majoring in networking) and having the certifications to back it up. I just can't sit and read 900 pages within 3 weeks AND keep up with school, working, etc.

School and work experience always trumps certifications. In 37 years in the industry, I've NEVER had an interview question that remotely touched upon any certification.

There is no substitute for experience BUT having the certification will certainly get your foot in the door for many current job openings especially in the networking field. MCSE (Microsoft) and CCIE (Cisco) come to mind. I dont think any interviewer would ask related questions since they themselves may not be experts. (then again they may be). In any case having the piece of paper is usually good enough to prove the certification without having to answer more related questions. A+ is more for actual PC Hardware techs and is a nice thing to have but not related to networking. Again, experience is best BUT certifications keep you current and up to date with modern technology. Much like an auto mechanic gets ASE certification to keep up with new and emerging technology in the automotive industry. I have gone through the testout (MCSE) program and it is much better than reading any book since it is more like an actual course (on your PC) using video and exams that simulate the actual course.

Thanks for the advice. TestOut seems like a better course compared to CBT Nuggets. I have a hard time sitting and reading the book cover to cover so I was hoping to read, watch, listen, etc.

Anybody else use any type of online learning programs/services to get their certs through?

I am a Junior in High School, and me and a friend are actually using TestOut. The program is pretty dang good, including videos (we don't watch, honestly, we don't have the time) and everything you need to know in Text. It gives quizzes to see if you actually learned anything about it, and can teach even someone with very limited experience with a computer everything they need to know. It even teaches you how to do simple tasks such as renaming folders inside of Windows XP.

If I were you, navigate over to www.proprofs.com, sign up on the forums, and look at their study sheets and all the other stuff they offer. They even offer quizzes (free) and a few other resources.

I'm going with Dr. Vader (here on TS) to SkillsUSA this Spring, but we don't know who is going to participate, as only one can.


Good Luck!

What about practice exams? Every place I've looked from Google gives me some BS website that doesn't really help. Are there any free practice exams for the A+ certification exam?

Thanks.

You know I think you've got to research any online education provider to greater lengths than you do when you attend an actual college. It's a good start to inquire on forums such as this, but be sure to take it as far as you can before making your decision to give anyone your money.
Best of Luck to you. Phil.

Pro Profs offers quizzes here:

http://www.proprofs.com/certificatio...ms/index.shtml

http://www.proprofs.com/certificatio...ce/index.shtml

Realistically - how long should one be studying for the Net+ and/or Security+ exam?

How much information is there compared to that of the CompTIA A+ exam?

Can one find a real job after completing the A+, Net+ and Security+ certifications?

How good is the CCNA cert in the job market?