If you want Cisco training, the chances are you’re looking for a CCNA. Cisco training is intended for individuals who wish to get to grips with routers and switches. Routers are what connect computer networks to other sets of networks of computers over dedicated lines or the internet.
Routers connect to networks, so it’s important to understand the operation of networks, or you’ll have difficulty gaining the qualification and not be able to do the work. Seek out a program that covers networking fundamentals (CompTIA is a good one) and then move onto CCNA.
The appropriate skill-set and comprehension prior to starting the CCNA is very important. So find an advisor who will be able to help you.
Always expect the most up to date Microsoft (or any other key organisation’s) authorised simulation materials and exam preparation packages.
Because the majority of examination boards in IT come from the United States, you must be prepared for the way exams are phrased. You can’t practice properly by merely understanding random questions – it’s essential that you can cope with them in the proper exam format.
Ensure that you test your knowledge by doing quizzes and practice in simulated exam environments to get you ready for the real deal.
One thing you must always insist on is proper direct-access 24×7 support via dedicated instructors and mentors. So many companies we come across will only offer a basic 9am till 6pm support period (maybe later on certain days) with very little availability over the weekend.
Beware of institutions which use messaging services ‘out-of-hours’ – with your call-back scheduled for standard office hours. It’s not a lot of help when you’ve got study issues and want support there and then.
The best training colleges opt for an online 24 hours-a-day system involving many support centres over many time-zones. You will be provided with a simple interface that seamlessly selects the best facility available any time of the day or night: Support when you need it.
Always choose an educator that goes the extra mile. Because only live 24×7 round-the-clock support gives you the confidence to make it.
The old fashioned style of teaching, using textbooks and whiteboards, is an up-hill struggle for the majority of us. If all this is ringing some familiar bells, look for learning programmes which have a majority of interactive, multimedia parts.
If we can involve all our senses in the learning process, then we normally see dramatically better results.
You can now study via interactive discs. Instructor-led tutorials will mean you’ll learn your subject through their teaching and demonstrations. You can then test yourself by utilising the practice lab’s and modules.
Always insist on a demonstration of the study materials from your training provider. The package should contain demo’s from instructors, slideshows and virtual practice lab’s for your new skills.
Purely on-line training should be avoided. Physical CD or DVD ROM materials are preferable where possible, so you can use them wherever and whenever you want – ISP quality varies, so you don’t want to be totally reliant on your broadband being ‘up’ 100 percent of the time.
Exam ‘guarantees’ are sometimes offered as part of a training package – this always means exams have to be paid for upfront, at the start of your training. However, prior to embracing this so-called guarantee, consider this:
Everyone knows they’re still being charged for it – obviously it has been added into the full cost of the package supplied by the course provider. It’s definitely not free – don’t think these companies are so generous with their money!
It’s well known in the industry that if a student pays for their own exams, when they’re ready to take them and not before, they will be much more likely to qualify each time – since they’re aware of their investment in themselves and will therefore apply themselves appropriately.
Go for the best offer you can find when you take the exam, and avoid college mark-up fees. You’ll also be able to choose where to take your exam – so you can choose somewhere closer to home.
A surprising number of current training companies net a great deal of profit by charging for all the exam fees up-front and banking on the fact that many won’t be taken.
Don’t forget, with ‘Exam Guarantees’ from most places – they control when and how often you can do your re-takes. They’ll only allow a re-take once completely satisfied.
Exams taken at VUE and Prometric centres are around 112 pounds in the United Kingdom today. Students should be very wary of forking out hundreds of pounds extra in ‘Exam Guarantee’ costs (often covertly rolled into the cost of the course) – when good quality study materials, the proper support and commitment, effort and practice with quality exam preparation systems are the factors that really get you through.
