Practice Exams
 

I am currently studying for my A+ and Network+ exams, and I was wondering what practice exams people have used. Is Transcender really worth the money?



p.s. Anyone hiring?

Thanks!

Do not get a word of what you are saying.

The Testking exams have two advantages -- they are typically real exam questions from current exams, and they also seem to get people from the companies who have such certifications (VMware, for one) panties in a wad about how a company such as this cheapens their certifications.

So if you need to pass, I'd check them out. :D

Most of what's on the A+ test is stuff that you've probably picked up on your own. What you need to find out is what obscure stuff will be on the test. There's no "trick" questions but there are a handful of items related to things that you might encounter once in a blue moon.

I don't think the practice tests are worth the money (I looked at a couple after I passed my certs). Just get a couple of different test prep books and don't focus on what you already know.

Still no clue what you are talking about.

http://www.comptia.org/
http://certification.comptia.org/a/glancebox.aspx
http://certification.comptia.org/network/

He's talking about certifications that techies can get to "prove" their mettle in the IT industry. Net+ and A+ are the entry level certifications, and as noted above generally cover the most basic stuff.

When I started with my certifications in '99 there was a series of books called Exam Cram. The "practice" tests were verbatim the questions that Microsoft actually asked. They were often in the same order. One could memorize the 50 answers, never read the questions and still pass. More recently the book versions have had actual practice questions, as have many of the more legitimate online versions.

Then there are the vendors like Test King. They are like the original Exam Cram series. The questions are lifted verbatim - including the typos - and do very little in terms of education or ensuring that the candidate actually has the knowledge. But they sure help make sure you pass.

If you actually know the content then you don't need the practice tests to pass. If you are looking to use them as study guides, go with Transcender. If you are just looking to pass and get it over with go with Test King.

Thanks! Looks like the transcender route!

Thanks.

I love that there are companies like Test King. These vendors (these days) create their own certification paths and then require partner companies to pass their tests. Then they make a $3000 class a pre-requisite to TAKE the test in the first place. So I see the certification more as a jump through the proper hoops than proof of anything. So if I'm going to take the certification test (because it's required so my company can be a vendor partner), you're darned right I'm going to do everything I can to ensure I pass.

I've took more vendor certification exams for my last company than I care to remember. Between Citrix, Cisco and Microsoft I has so many acronyms associated with my name that I was having trouble keeping track. And those were ones that didn't require the $3000 class to take the test. I certainly used the Test King approach on some of them as the knowledge wasn't stuff I needed or used, but the certification was.

I have no problem with folks using Test King just to pass the tests if that is what they are going for, but if you're hoping to actually learn something - or pass yourself off as knowledgeable based on the certification - then using the Test King approach is not the best.

On that, you and I most certainly agree.

I've played around with both Trancenders and Test King (although I've never taken the final step to get ceriftied - this is out of sheer laziness and wanting to donate to Prometic and Microsoft coffers). I like both of their interfaces, but as I've encountered more Trancedeners than Test King, that would be my personal preference.

Where possible, I think a lot of the cram areas only deal with nuggets of the subject matter, rather than a whole scope of the matter. Nuggets are great for passing exams, but for implementation in real life (not that you'll use half of it), you need a fuller understanding of the product.

Although working for my organsiation, I've had to beg for a day out to go to a Microsoft Technet event. And even then I had major issues getting the train travel expenses sorted (let alone the thought of air travel) :(