Logical IT Certification Progression
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@travisdh1 said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@scottalanmiller said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@Brains said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
Haha I took my A+ when we still had to memorize the IRQ Assignments. Kids these days have now idea how much easier that test is now. Still worthless, but at least it taught me all my IRQs when I was 17.
Kids today have no idea how hard IT was in general. It was freaking HARD back in the day! No Google, hardware never worked, just installing an OS could take a week.
Yeah. Don't forget the fun of trying to specify a free BIOS address space via dip switches on a SCSI card. That was really so much fun when they first started coming out with the first "automatic" "choose it's own IRQ/address space" things
Those were the days. And having to memorize the different SCSI connectors.
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I did A+ I think it was 1998. Back when the test was in two parts, one for software and other for hardware.
Sadly, I actually didn't pass hardware the first time, I didn't study as much as software side.
Hardware test definitely covered esoteric things, pinouts, BIOS settings, endless acronyms, etc. I think I still have my small notebook with like 6 pages of acronym definitions from my study books. It was insider knowledge knowing which side of the device the red pin went. 80 pin IDE cables looked amazing with good cable management and nice folds.I hate the idea of failing a test question due to not knowing useless fun facts versus actual real world issues and scenarios.
I just did Net+ only a couple years ago. I feel like the questions were a little more real world but what always gets me with tests are the ways they try to turn them into trick questions. I hate hate hate when they play silly games about "select one or more" and of course they want a precise number. Or trick you with a subtle "not" in the question and you read it too fast to notice, etc. I don't want to fail a test due to trick questions and trickery. Why can't tests just present something real and not try and trick people? They often have questions that could very well be the answer but probably not.
Example: Name the three primary components of a computer: 1) motherboard, 2) power supply, 3) cpu, 4) ram.
Um, well all of them are pretty primary, but for a stupid test question I guess they have a sliding scale or something? These kinds of questions are inconsequential, like "oh know, this guy almost thought that ram was slightly more important than power supply! Inconceivable!There were some esoteric questions in Net+ like knowing ins and outs of encryption technologies used in specific wireless protocols and which cyphers they used. I feel like this is just fun facts and hardly the kind of stuff people should have memorized for most situations.
I spent multiple evenings trying to memorize all the 802.x specs. Such a waste, kind of.I would like to go down the Microsoft tract into servers and software development I think.
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I have a Certificate 4 and a Diploma of something to do with websites (it was ages ago... not like 1989 or anything but early 00's) from the local TAFE but no industry certifications (e.g. VMware, MS, RH, Cisco etc).
I learned a lot of basic knowledge programming languages, databases, multimedia editing (cameras that had floppy disks in them!!!) and some other solid foundational stuff.
I have done training courses that lead to taking certification exams, but I've opted to not take the exams.
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@guyinpv said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
I would like to go down the Microsoft tract into servers and software development I think.
Microsoft isn't bad, but they do test a certain way. Once you learn their testing thought process, the tests are fairly easy. The first time you take a MS test, it can through you for a loop.
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@IRJ said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@guyinpv said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
I would like to go down the Microsoft tract into servers and software development I think.
Microsoft isn't bad, but they do test a certain way. Once you learn their testing thought process, the tests are fairly easy. The first time you take a MS test, it can through you for a loop.
Yeah - I agree. In the NT4.0 days, the book designed for the test in question never covered the test material. I found that reading one book ahead was required (MS Press books).
As for the test itself. I think I needed something like an 820 to pass, and I got an 820 on the first MS test I took. After that, and learning the need to read ahead, they were pretty easy and I felt prepared, scored a few perfect scores, but luckily never scraped by the skin of my teeth like that first one.
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@IRJ said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@guyinpv said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
I would like to go down the Microsoft tract into servers and software development I think.
Microsoft isn't bad, but they do test a certain way. Once you learn their testing thought process, the tests are fairly easy. The first time you take a MS test, it can through you for a loop.
Example of what you mean?
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@Dashrender said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@IRJ said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@guyinpv said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
I would like to go down the Microsoft tract into servers and software development I think.
Microsoft isn't bad, but they do test a certain way. Once you learn their testing thought process, the tests are fairly easy. The first time you take a MS test, it can through you for a loop.
Yeah - I agree. In the NT4.0 days, the book designed for the test in question never covered the test material. I found that reading one book ahead was required (MS Press books).
As for the test itself. I think I needed something like an 820 to pass, and I got an 820 on the first MS test I took. After that, and learning the need to read ahead, they were pretty easy and I felt prepared, scored a few perfect scores, but luckily never scraped by the skin of my teeth like that first one.
Oh yeah, I remember that. You always needed to read at least one cert book ahead.
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@guyinpv said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@IRJ said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@guyinpv said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
I would like to go down the Microsoft tract into servers and software development I think.
Microsoft isn't bad, but they do test a certain way. Once you learn their testing thought process, the tests are fairly easy. The first time you take a MS test, it can through you for a loop.
Example of what you mean?
You have to understand their thought process in their questions. It takes an exam or two to pick it up. It's hard to explain, but if there is something new in 2012 vs 2008 and you are testing for 2012 you can be 100% sure they will test on all the new features (major and minor)
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@guyinpv said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@IRJ said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@guyinpv said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
I would like to go down the Microsoft tract into servers and software development I think.
Microsoft isn't bad, but they do test a certain way. Once you learn their testing thought process, the tests are fairly easy. The first time you take a MS test, it can through you for a loop.
Example of what you mean?
Well for me it was that you had to read one book ahead. Read book 1, take the test, and you're damned lucky if you don't fail it. While reading book 2, you see all the things they asked about in test 1, and realize you need to read books 2 and 3 before you even consider taking test 2.
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@Dashrender said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@guyinpv said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@IRJ said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@guyinpv said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
I would like to go down the Microsoft tract into servers and software development I think.
Microsoft isn't bad, but they do test a certain way. Once you learn their testing thought process, the tests are fairly easy. The first time you take a MS test, it can through you for a loop.
Example of what you mean?
Well for me it was that you had to read one book ahead. Read book 1, take the test, and you're damned lucky if you don't fail it. While reading book 2, you see all the things they asked about in test 1, and realize you need to read books 2 and 3 before you even consider taking test 2.
That's what I found too. The material for the one exam was not in that exam's material but in the material for a different exam topic. It was a bit of a problem, especially if you were focused on a single exam or topic and didn't know where they might be hiding the material that you needed.
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@scottalanmiller said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@IRJ said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@scottalanmiller said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@IRJ said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@Brains said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
Haha I took my A+ when we still had to memorize the IRQ Assignments. Kids these days have now idea how much easier that test is now. Still worthless, but at least it taught me all my IRQs when I was 17.
I remember 0 IRQs now even though I had to know them for the test lol.
Oh yeah, totally useless. Never needed them back then either. I've been in IT since 1989 and that's never been useful, not once.
I am not as old as some of you guys, but what I remember is the only time you need to touch the IRQs was if there was a conflict with another device. The only way that would happen is if you installed a card, removed it. Then installed a new card and reinstalled the old one.
Yeah, not something that normal people ran into and even less likely for IT people to run into.
@scottalanmiller said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@IRJ said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@scottalanmiller said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@IRJ said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@Brains said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
Haha I took my A+ when we still had to memorize the IRQ Assignments. Kids these days have now idea how much easier that test is now. Still worthless, but at least it taught me all my IRQs when I was 17.
I remember 0 IRQs now even though I had to know them for the test lol.
Oh yeah, totally useless. Never needed them back then either. I've been in IT since 1989 and that's never been useful, not once.
I am not as old as some of you guys, but what I remember is the only time you need to touch the IRQs was if there was a conflict with another device. The only way that would happen is if you installed a card, removed it. Then installed a new card and reinstalled the old one.
Yeah, not something that normal people ran into and even less likely for IT people to run into.
There have been a few situations, like (re)adding or rearranging terminal (serial port) cards, network cards (3C509/PCN2000 anyone?) or SCSI cards for scanners for example.
But yes, IRQ conflicts are a thing of the past nowadays.
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@Dashrender said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@guyinpv said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@IRJ said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@guyinpv said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
I would like to go down the Microsoft tract into servers and software development I think.
Microsoft isn't bad, but they do test a certain way. Once you learn their testing thought process, the tests are fairly easy. The first time you take a MS test, it can through you for a loop.
Example of what you mean?
Well for me it was that you had to read one book ahead. Read book 1, take the test, and you're damned lucky if you don't fail it. While reading book 2, you see all the things they asked about in test 1, and realize you need to read books 2 and 3 before you even consider taking test 2.
This sounds like more of a problem with MS's training books than with the tests themselves.
What if you studied with non-MS training materials? -
@guyinpv said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@Dashrender said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@guyinpv said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@IRJ said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@guyinpv said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
I would like to go down the Microsoft tract into servers and software development I think.
Microsoft isn't bad, but they do test a certain way. Once you learn their testing thought process, the tests are fairly easy. The first time you take a MS test, it can through you for a loop.
Example of what you mean?
Well for me it was that you had to read one book ahead. Read book 1, take the test, and you're damned lucky if you don't fail it. While reading book 2, you see all the things they asked about in test 1, and realize you need to read books 2 and 3 before you even consider taking test 2.
This sounds like more of a problem with MS's training books than with the tests themselves.
What if you studied with non-MS training materials?Back then there weren't many options. I haven't studied for MS test that way since then, I don't know if it has changed or not.
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@IRJ said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
I agree with this 100% as someone who went the A+, Net +, MCSA track. A+ didn't teach me anything useful. It was a test just to get a piece of paper to help me get a job. Unfortunately, many IT companies require A+ or at least look at it like it should be a requirement.
Net+ is just basic networking knowledge and yes anyone in IT should know the material on there. Even HelpDesk techs could benefit from understanding networking. I feel like there are some desktop techs who don't really understand what a firewall, switch, or router really is. They would benefit greatly from Net+. While I believe Network+ was a decent certification, I would take CCENT if I had to do it over. The material is similiar and it gives you the option to continue to the CCNA track. CCENT is cisco focused, but most of it is learning networking that works the same with any device.
I never took Server+ or Security+. After taking A+ and Net+ I really wasn't too impressed with CompTIA.
I would say almost anyone would benefit from studying the network+ material
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I think that progression is listed fairly well for a working foundation. To add to that (in no particular order)...
Network+ > CCNA
Security+ > SSCP
Server+ > MCSA (maybe RHEL cert if desired).
I have nothing for A+... it's just terrible.
That's only if someone really feels they want and/or need certifications and want to continue.
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@BBigford said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
I think that progression is listed fairly well for a working foundation. To add to that (in no particular order)...
Network+ > CCNA
Why not CCENT > CCNA? CCENT is basically the same as Network+, but gives you credit towards CCNA
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@IRJ said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@BBigford said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
I think that progression is listed fairly well for a working foundation. To add to that (in no particular order)...
Network+ > CCNA
Why not CCENT > CCNA? CCENT is basically the same as Network+, but gives you credit towards CCNA
That's interesting. I thought CCENT was worthless, but that is a good reason to get it provided you are going a cisco route
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@IRJ said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@BBigford said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
I think that progression is listed fairly well for a working foundation. To add to that (in no particular order)...
Network+ > CCNA
Why not CCENT > CCNA? CCENT is basically the same as Network+, but gives you credit towards CCNA
Because it costs money and, as you said, it's basically the same thing. I've told people to just keep studying and skip it if they already have the Net+. Assuming they want to keep going and are considering the CCENT because they think it holds more merit than the Net+ as far as difficulty and industry recognition goes. Only reason is I think it's just a waste of money when someone could spend more time studying for the CCNA and just go ahead and test on that.
Just my opinion though.
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@Dashrender said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@guyinpv said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@Dashrender said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@guyinpv said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@IRJ said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@guyinpv said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
I would like to go down the Microsoft tract into servers and software development I think.
Microsoft isn't bad, but they do test a certain way. Once you learn their testing thought process, the tests are fairly easy. The first time you take a MS test, it can through you for a loop.
Example of what you mean?
Well for me it was that you had to read one book ahead. Read book 1, take the test, and you're damned lucky if you don't fail it. While reading book 2, you see all the things they asked about in test 1, and realize you need to read books 2 and 3 before you even consider taking test 2.
This sounds like more of a problem with MS's training books than with the tests themselves.
What if you studied with non-MS training materials?Back then there weren't many options. I haven't studied for MS test that way since then, I don't know if it has changed or not.
It wasn't that way in Windows 2012. Back when I took Windows 2000 you were basically tested on all 7 books at once when taking your MCSE tests.
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@wirestyle22 said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
@IRJ said in Logical IT Certification Progression:
I agree with this 100% as someone who went the A+, Net +, MCSA track. A+ didn't teach me anything useful. It was a test just to get a piece of paper to help me get a job. Unfortunately, many IT companies require A+ or at least look at it like it should be a requirement.
Net+ is just basic networking knowledge and yes anyone in IT should know the material on there. Even HelpDesk techs could benefit from understanding networking. I feel like there are some desktop techs who don't really understand what a firewall, switch, or router really is. They would benefit greatly from Net+. While I believe Network+ was a decent certification, I would take CCENT if I had to do it over. The material is similiar and it gives you the option to continue to the CCNA track. CCENT is cisco focused, but most of it is learning networking that works the same with any device.
I never took Server+ or Security+. After taking A+ and Net+ I really wasn't too impressed with CompTIA.
I would say almost anyone would benefit from studying the network+ material
My Net+ books were great. Lots of "basic" info, foundational stuff, general stuff, multiple platforms, lots of reference material, etc etc. Hours doing IP address conversions, subnetting, binary math.
The test was just the icing on the cake. It's cheap enough, and "proves" some level of foundation. Otherwise you still have nothing left to show for studies.
