certs in a week?

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As some of you may know ive started a new job this week, as part of that i get free certification training etc

2 people that are on the primary team with me are both doing their A+ soon, to do this they were given the sybex A+ fast pass book and a week long residential training course

neither of them have read any of the book and have only been working in 1st line support for about 7 months

my question is, do you think this way of passing certs id effective? or even possible? i know myself i couldnt do it, ive been studying it for months on and off and im no where near ready

 

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Getting 1st line experience, then passing the exam through real-world experience? Whodathunkit?!?!?

Of course that's an effective plan! Why wouldn't it be? Many people take the A+ without being in IT at all!

 

These people have experience so they could pass, but they should still be reading the material. Experience can teach you a lot more than a book.

 

Is it effective - well, if they pass, the answer must be yes. If they don't well, the opposite must be true

Is it possible - again, yes, but thats dependant on how quick they pick stuff up, what they know already, if they've used it before etc.

Looking back on the A+ I would say it is pretty easy (only 6 months ago I passed) but then I've had more time for the information to settle in and use it at work so is it possible, yes, would I swear by it 6 months ago, probably not - unfortunately everyone and everyones' life/time etc. is different.

Don't fret yourself about it, do what you can do and take the exam when you feel ready - I learnt not that long ago, once I stopped comparing myself to others and how quickly/slowly I did something compared to them the happier I was trundling/speeding along at my own pace.

 

Good information already provided above.

Remember, the certification is to show competent knowledge and experience. Can you pass the A+ without experience? –yes (read books & practice). Can you pass with experience? –yes (seen / done it in the real world).

The point is it depends on the individual and their background. I’d suggest reading the material to be confident; but that’s just me .

 

I don't want to sound repetitive but from my personal experience, on the job experience helps a great deal in not just passing the certification exam but actually understanding the material.

 

I agree with what you have all said about experience

but i should point out that our job roles are not A+ related, we reset passwords and take servers in and out of farms, as well as various other silly little tasks. thats it.

Which is why i questioned this fast pass way of doing it. as they could have been doing this same job for 10 years, but still not need to know anything thats in the A+

 

The A+ covers password resets and user permissions in the configuring windows chapter of the AIO book, servers isn't covered anywhere though.

 

A+ is a starting building block, and an elective (along with network+), for MCSA.

I think maybe the company will be looking to train and promote from within, so making sure the basics are covered makes sense on the companys part.

Also the fact the training week is free, whether 100% relevant to your current role, is a good reason to do this, and do it well, this will probably give you more hand on id imagine.

Personally, id revise the book, make sure im 100% ready, do well in this and maybe your company will favour you over the others ;)