Best CBT?

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Hi there everyone,

Only joined yesterday but you seem like a friendly bunch. ;)

Just found this site on Google... where would we be without it huh?

I'm looking to study for MCDST but I am so confused where to go. So many sites offering this... that.. and everything else.

So I thought it best to get good feedback.

Can some please (please please please) some good CBT / Materials etc. in order for me to take my MCDST exams!

I have tried my local college who do a 10 week course for very reasonable money.. but only run the course Fri daytime - No good if you work full time.

So I suppose home study would be best. Searching for "MCDST training" in google, well it's a minefield... so can someone help (please)

Bye 4 now.

Glen

 

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Hi Glen,

Firstly what is your background in IT? do you have any prior experience?

I passed my MCDST exams with virtually no study at all, because I had prior experience. All I bought was this book to help me refresh my knowledge.

If you are looking for books that map to the exams criteria then you could try Microsofts official books here and here
Although I'm not sure how good these are.

If you want a book that I'd recommend then try the Sybex book, as it covers both exams and is a lot cheaper than the official MS ones.

As for CBT materials I'm not to sure, CBT Nuggets are supposed to be good.

 

Hi there, Thanks for your reply.

I'm not a novice .. actually a computer engineer (servers) so know my way around. I want to break into the more software side of things and thought MCDST would be good.

You suggest books - OK, I'll have a look. You could spend ££££'s with all this CBT stuff when all I might need is a couple of decent books.

;-)

Thanks for your feedback matey, appreciate it.

Glen.

 

The Sybex book is really good IMHO!

http://www.sybex.com/sybexbooks.nsf/2604971535a28b098825693d0053081b/8f2af25caf8fcde988256e51006759a1!OpenDocument&Highlight=0,MCDST

It also comes with exam prep software. Its around £25

In addition have a look at http://www.learnkey.com/elearning/M...ct/Windows_XP_MCDST_Certification/Course/627/

Around £200 quid.

 

Thanks Sarah

I now have the Sybex book. Looks pretty good...

Was thinking about getting the course @ http://www.cbtnuggets.com/

Looks OK and reasonable price...

Glen.

 

I used the very highly recommended LearnKey CBT some and this is all I'll say about it. It is a very high overview of any subject it covers. You simply can't put as in depth of coverage in a video based learning system as you can into books. And, you can buy many books for the price of any CBT.

 

Hi there

So you would recommend Learnkey as well as a couple of decent books? Kinda, got confused with what you were getting at....

But it's been a long day ;-)

Glen.

 

That's kind of what I got out of it. Look at it this way, The Lord of the Rings films were quite excellent (imho) and seemed very detailed but to include everything in the J. R. R. Tolkien novels into a set of movies would make them 20 hours long. ffreeloader is right in saying that even the best video training series in the world can't include all of the information a series of textbooks on the subject can incorporate.

This is just a long-winded way of saying, you're right. "Learnkey and a couple of decent books".

 

Sorry if I wasn't clear. I was trying to avoid stomping on the Training providers around here again.

I'd say any study source that gives a very high overview of a subject for a high price isn't a good value. A very high overview means that only the highlights of a subject are touched on. The basics, the fundamentals, are not covered well. If the fundamentals are not covered well then a person cannot get a good grasp of the concepts and ideas.

So, do I consider any CBT a very good source of training? No. A computer or two for hands on work, and enough books to cover the subject thoroughly will give you a much better understanding of what you are studying.

The purpose of getting a cert is not the certification itself, it's the working knowledge you get from going through the learning process. That's something that is very hard to get from any video on your computer screen.

To tell the truth I abandonded the Learn Key stuff less than half way through my certs. For me they were a complete waste of time and money.

I don't know what all the MCDST covers but for an example let's say it covers primarily XP. I would have a copy of XP Pro to work with and a server to connect to. I would also have a copy of an exam specific book such as the one Sybex puts out. On top of that I would have a copy of the XP Resource Kit book from Microsoft. That would be my minimalist base to study from and then I would use Google and the MS Knowledge Base to supplement the material not covered in depth in the books I have.

This would cover probably at least 3 or 4 times the material you would get in any CBT set. It would also give you hands on study without which your study is going to be almost useless for listening to someone talking about working on a computer and doing it are two vastly different things.

 

I have used Learnkey CBT's in the past, and in slight contrast to Freddy's opinion (or perhaps in agreement, actually) I find that overview highly rewarding if you are someone like myself who was completely new to the field at the time. In conjunction with some good books, a Cramsession or two, and the Net, you have it all at your fingertips.

HTH

 

Thanks guys for that.

I've been working with PCs since MS-DOS v3.2 or whatever it was, then Windows 3.1, Win95/98/XP etc.

Currently have a couple of machines with WinXP plus a server running 2003. I know not a great deal about w2003 as really it's there for 'education' - I also help friends / family with all their PC problems etc. so maybe going down the CBT I would be wasting my time / money as I'm not a novice.

ffreeloader the reason for me wanting to do the certification is is basically NOT just to get certified but to gain more knowledge and educate myself, it would be a BIG BIG bonus of course to get MCP status. So I do agree totally with what you said there. You made a excellent point.

I think I shall have a bash with a couple of books and my W2003 server with WinXP... I already have the Sybex book and maybe get Windows XP in a Nutshell or something.

Thanks everyone for all your help and advice! This certainly is a very friendly place to be! ;-)

Off to bed now to get some sleep.

Glen.