Swansea - South Wales Questsions (courses)

[chrisredfield93]

1. Does anyone know where the nearest MCSE/MCSA Centre so I could find more infomation about it?
   
2. How much are we on about? £?
   
3. What is these Equivalent to? HNC/HND A Levels
   
4. Is it possible to have a combination? since I have read that the MCSA picks up from where MCSE finishes.
   
5. Length of course?
   
6. Any network courses reccomend?
   
7. any other courses recommend?
   

I am job seeking at mo and the market is very rare, I am thinking of september to do a HNC, and i have got a 1yr and 6months experince but was made rundant at the end of last month.

 

Thanks all looking forward to your replies.

[jamesb]

Does anyone know where the nearest MCSE/MCSA Centre so I could find more infomation about t?

Can't tell you, but a quick search should turn up something.

 

How much are we on about? £?

For the exam I believe its around £80, but different qualifications require multiple different exams. If you want a full course you're looking at something between a few hundred to a few thousand, the books run to about £40-£50 each if you're looking to self study, though pre-owned ones are often under £10.

What is these Equivalent to? HNC/HND A Levels

They're a professional qualification, I don't think you could really compare them to academic quals.

 

Is it possible to have a combination? since I have read that the MCSA picks up from where MCSE finishes.

Yep, I have a collection of them, I just don't tend to use the extra letters much, it gets embarassing. MCSA and MCSE cover different areas, although the MCSE is often considered to be a more advanced MCSA. With the newer ones the MCITP: SA and MCITP: EA cover different job descriptions.

 

Length of course?

If you've already got most of the knowledge an intensive course will be a couple of weeks, I believe the self-study courses are meant to be about nine months, but it depends on how you study.

 

Any network courses reccomend?

For what?

 

any other courses recommend?

For what?

 

Without more detail about your experience, and the areas you're interested in, there's not much point in people suggesting random courses.

[somabc]

I have come to the conclusion that IT Certification is designed to be as complicated and expensive as possible but here are my thoughts on your questions.

 

1. Prometric are the sole suppliers of MS exam testing.

Prometric: Microsoft Testing and Microsoft Certification: MCP

Why Microsoft Certification?

 

2. About £100 to sit each exam.

 

3. Not really equivalent to any academic qualifications.

 

4. Yes you can combine them eg MCP -> MCSA -> MCSE.

 

5. You can take as long to study for the exam as you need. If you want to pay for a course then a few weeks intensive training should be enough.

 

6. CCNA seems to be the standard intro networking course

CCNA - Career Certifications & Paths - Cisco Systems

 

7. CompTIA A+ and Network+ are good starting points and count as credit towards an MCSE.

 

Have a look at CertForums for more info

Edited April 19, 2009 by somabc

[Kitkatninja]

1. Does anyone know where the nearest MCSE/MCSA Centre so I could find more infomation about it?
   
2. How much are we on about? £?
   
3. What is these Equivalent to? HNC/HND A Levels
   
4. Is it possible to have a combination? since I have read that the MCSA picks up from where MCSE finishes.
   
5. Length of course?
   
6. Any network courses reccomend?
   
7. any other courses recommend?
   

I am job seeking at mo and the market is very rare, I am thinking of september to do a HNC, and i have got a 1yr and 6months experince but was made rundant at the end of last month.

 

Thanks all looking forward to your replies.

 

1. CHeck out prometric's website.

2. It's about £88 per exam (can't remember if it was VAT on top of that or not, again check out Prometric's website)

3. You can see here, I did a rough mapping of professional certs with the UK NQF.

4. Yes

5. Depends, 1 week full time per module to 6 weeks per time per module to how fast you can self-study.

6. The Network+, I would strongly recommend doing that course first before the 70-291.

7. The A+, the MCDST, the MCTS Vista, the MCITP: EST, the list goes on.

 

I did the HNC and found it to be a good qualification, plus if you want you can always top it up to the following qualifications: HND, DipHE, BSc/BA with or without Hons.

 

-Ken

[Guest blacksheep]

This one id use for exams (never taken a course there), recommended by the ccna instructor.

 

Its in Cardiff http://www.e-academy.ltd.uk/

[chrisredfield93]

All have you been great help here's list of all my qualifcations so I see what others reccomend.

 

GCSE's

 

Double Science - AA, Catering - A, Information Technology - C, Maths - C, Geography - C,

English - D, Religious Education - D.

 

Things I Done In College

 

Main Course

 

Advanced A Level in ICT (Double Award) - EE (have to find a copy of breakdown of modules & grades and it was all paperwork not actually doing, some things greatful on paperwork others not but i know in real world the only paper work you need to produce is a manual)

 

Other Courses Thrown in by teachers during college

 

Introduction to PC Configuration and Troubleshooting (Level 1, 6 credits) - Pass

PC Configuration and Troubleshooting (Level 2, 6 credits) - Pass

E -Tutor: Induction to On Line Learning (Level 1, 6 credits) - Pass

College Induction (Level 2, 3 credits) - Pass

IT Principles (MC) - Pass

OCR Level 2 Key Skill in Application of Number - Pass

Level 2 Diploma for IT Users – Pass

Things I done after college

 

Health & Safety Introduction - Pass

ASDAN Foundation Training Certificate - Pass

NVQ Level 1 for IT Practitioner

Current Sitting

 

ECDL

NVQ Level 2 for IT Practitioner

 

Future

 

HNC (I heard HND and above loads of uncessary paperwork plus full time education dont think i can do that agian up rather enjoy hands on and in a work enviroment),

 

Experince

 

1 year and six months as a Trainee IT Technician, done most things that the network manager did except small odd important things, now I am job seeking.

 

What Else you lot recommend and any questions I answer?

[somabc]

I would forget about your GCSE's etc employers will not be interested in them.

 

Your college and work experience is helpful for starting out in IT.

 

I would take the A+ and network+ and see how you feel. Then you can move on to the Microsoft exams. Self study is not for everyone and as your still young and probably entitled to financial help you might be able to find a college course that combines an HND / HNC in IT with MCSE & CCNA at a reasonable cost.

 

Swansea College offer A+ & Network+ Courses over 10 weeks. Expensive though if you are not entitled to financial help.

http://www.swancoll.ac.uk/Courses/PT/IT

 

Alternatively this book seems to be recommended

[ame=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Certification-All-One-Guide-Sixth/dp/0072263113/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240231908&sr=8-16]A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Sixth Edition: Amazon.co.uk: Mike Meyers: Books[/ame]

Edited April 20, 2009 by somabc

[chrisredfield93]

Thanks Somabc, so can anyone can infrom Comp TIA A+ and Network+ be about?

 

Since I have missed start one i give the college a ring to see if they can give pointers aout MCSE/MCSA too

[jamesb]

Thanks Somabc, so can anyone can infrom Comp TIA A+ and Network+ be about?

 

Since I have missed start one i give the college a ring to see if they can give pointers aout MCSE/MCSA too

 

The CompTIA qualifications are mostly vendor independent, so they're about general principles of the topic.

 

A+ covers basic hardware and IT troubleshooting.

Network+ covers basic networking knowledge and skills.

Security+ covers basic security principles (and can be used as an elective towards a specialist MCSA:Security or MCSE:Security)

 

The MCSA is pretty much as it sounds, aimed at people who want to be system administrators and covering the skills required to administer a Windows 2003 domain. The MCSE goes into a little more depth in some areas.

[Guest blacksheep]

Future

 

HNC (I heard HND and above loads of uncessary paperwork plus full time education dont think i can do that agian up rather enjoy hands on and in a work enviroment),

 

I found the HND to have one system administration module (it may vary from college to college)

which covered some NT and Linux stuff but nothing compared to a network based qualification!

 

There was areas like Information systems and lots of Relational database theory, design and coding of.

 

Lots of Coding with various programming languages, enjoyed this lots.

 

Hardware architecture (easy)

 

The remains was general skills like a Maths (core stuff) and wordprocessing module (office). Then lots of assignments on things like ECommerce/change management etc.

 

HND I did was good if you were looking for a coding or database analyst type position later. Also useful for getting into lots of jobs that ask for hnc/hnd/degree. Learnt jack about networking from that course though and Degree is much the same (maybe some abstract concepts). Although you can do ccna / mcse as part of a degree now

 

Glad I did it and would like to top it up to bsc hons but what is off putting is that a lot of pupils get degree they dont really deserve. I have had various here and lots of them copy their projects or find stuff on the net to do it for them (even advised by lecturers). ie. Surely if you do a project in PHP you learn to code in PHP and not rip it off etc.!

Edited April 21, 2009 by blacksheep

[chrisredfield93]

Well I know it varies depending on where you sitting, and what modules etc you got taught, but it any sort of HNC/HND/BSC Honors sure is hard work, so it should be taken for even if the modules were pointless,

 

heres the modules of the HNC i thinking of sitting, yes it in college but a universty has passed it onto the college dont know if there any extra's thrown in.

 

• Computer System Fundamentals

• Managing your home PC

• ECDL: Advanced Word-Processing

• ECDL: Advanced Spreadsheets

• ECDL: Advanced Databases

• ECDL: Advanced Presentations

• Internet Application Development

• Professional Development & Business Skills

• Accounting for Business

• End-User Support

• Rich Internet Application Development

 

How's Effectively these are teached and based in a real world situation all depends on the teaching, programs used by the college, etc. I have been taught things by reading book or teachers meation but no experince on doing the things. but during my NVQ period I learnt loads and manage to put something into trying, but some things cant try incase you wreck the current system! so does anyone know where i can download programs that provided simualtions and tips etc and what they think of the modules.

[jamesb]

How's Effectively these are teached and based in a real world situation all depends on the teaching, programs used by the college, etc. I have been taught things by reading book or teachers meation but no experince on doing the things. but during my NVQ period I learnt loads and manage to put something into trying, but some things cant try incase you wreck the current system!

 

That's what Virtual PC or VMWare is for. I wreck on average about two virtual machines a week experimenting.

 

so does anyone know where i can download programs that provided simualtions and tips etc and what they think of the modules.

 

See above for the simulations.

[chrisredfield93]

That's what Virtual PC or VMWare is for. I wreck on average about two virtual machines a week experimenting.

 

Does this cover servers? thought could attmept to practise with domains, plus anyone know where I can get a half year trial for free, becuase I could just keep reinstalling it virtually if this copes with servers.

 

Plus what people think of the HNC Units.

[Guest blacksheep]

I learnt loads and manage to put something into trying, but some things cant try incase you wreck the current system! so does anyone know where i can download programs that provided simualtions and tips etc and what they think of the modules.

 

I agree that Virtual machines are good, but what sort of thing do you want to simulate?

 

 

Plus what people think of the HNC Units

 

Looks general, probs some coding on Internet apps. Not specific to networking or OSs, like we have said, but can fulfill the further education IT thing that a lot of jobs ask for.

ie. Management here seems to have unrealistic expectations of someone who has a degree etc. , as if they think they could walk in here and just run the place easily, if that is common everywhere (in schools?) then they are good quals to have. Regardless though you improve your self so is good

Edited April 24, 2009 by blacksheep

[jamesb]

Does this cover servers? thought could attmept to practise with domains, plus anyone know where I can get a half year trial for free, becuase I could just keep reinstalling it virtually if this copes with servers.

 

It will work with servers, and entire networks. For the trial thing I can't give you any advice, but I'd recommend picking up a year's subscription to TechNet which'll provide all the Microsoft software you can eat, and some training materials as well.