CIW Site Designer--v5 vs v4 questions--oh my!

Discussion in 'CIW Certifications' started by JuryDuty, Jun 25, 2007.

  1. JuryDuty

    JuryDuty Bit Poster

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    I'm ready to start studying to receive the CIW Master Designer certification but I'm wondering: will the v4 study materials suffice?

    I'm so frustrated that I can't find ANY v5 study materials except study questions or the expensive books by CIW themselves. However, I could get several very thick v4 books for a bargain. But I don't want to shoot myself in the foot by studying old material. Thoughts?

    (Bit of background: I have a LOT of experience creating websites from design angle both personally and professionally. What I'm more weak in is the e-Commerce and some foundation stuff, especially in regards to technology.)

    Any replies would be greatly appreciated.
     
    WIP: CIW Site Designer
  2. JonnyMX

    JonnyMX Petabyte Poster

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    If you've got a high level of experience, you may not need any books at all!

    The only thing that might trip you up is some of the jargon/abbreviations and the 'correct procedure' questions like 'what should be discussed in a pre-development meeting?'

    Given the cost of the exam (what are they now? £108?) you may find it cheapest to have a crack at it...

    Mind you, there is a fair bit of networking in Foundation - so even if you are oozing with design skills you still need to know what the difference between a router and a switch is and what POP does...
     
    Certifications: MCT, MCTS, i-Net+, CIW CI, Prince2, MSP, MCSD
  3. stuPeas

    stuPeas Megabyte Poster

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    Have you taken the foundations exam yet!
    If not, you will not be able to take the designer exam because the foundations is a requirement before you can sit any of the other modules.

    As for V4 vs V5, I know that the V5 foundations has changed quite allot so I presume the Designer has too. I would think a BIG part of the changes will be browser related, and CSS along with Accessibility issues and different display mediums.
     
    Certifications: C&G Electronic, CIW Associate (v5).
    WIP: CIW (Website Design Manager)
  4. JuryDuty

    JuryDuty Bit Poster

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    This is mostly what I'm concerned about. I think I can fly through the Site Designer exam, but the Foundations and E-Commerce have me worried a tad. That's why I was wondering if the v4 books would suffice, or if I'd be cheating myself/not preparing myself.

    As a follow-up question, if I must go with the official CIW study material, is the e-learning addition a good value? It adds about 75% to the price and I would only want to do that if it were really worth it.
     
    WIP: CIW Site Designer
  5. JuryDuty

    JuryDuty Bit Poster

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    No I haven't--I'll have to take them in order for sure. I'm just saying that I think the Site Designer exam will be easier for me than Foundations or e-Commerce.
     
    WIP: CIW Site Designer
  6. stuPeas

    stuPeas Megabyte Poster

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    I see what you mean. Then I would strongly advise the V5 foundations. Dont know what the eLearning entails bit to add 75% seems very steep. I would have thought the books and this forum would probably be enough. Do you get the "labs" and "movies" disks along with the books?
     
    Certifications: C&G Electronic, CIW Associate (v5).
    WIP: CIW (Website Design Manager)
  7. JuryDuty

    JuryDuty Bit Poster

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    The web site says that eLearning:
    I would think the eLearning could be good, EXCEPT that the books come with CDs that include:
    Kinda sounds like the same thing to me. OK, so I guess I answered my own question on that after doing a bit more research. I'll just skip the eLearning. And, you know, maybe I can ebay my course books afterward for a good part of what I paid to get them. After all, no one else is offering updated materials on ebay or elsewhere. So I should make some of that cash back, lessening the sting.

    Anyway, thank you friends for the quick answers.
     
    WIP: CIW Site Designer
  8. stuPeas

    stuPeas Megabyte Poster

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    Weird!! you're right, Whats the difference, I need an Interpreter to convert the Sales Spiel. Its a shame you cant get a trial.

    It sounds like you will get all the same as I got (but I paid a TP £2500) by just buying the manuals.
     
    Certifications: C&G Electronic, CIW Associate (v5).
    WIP: CIW (Website Design Manager)
  9. JuryDuty

    JuryDuty Bit Poster

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    The more I look at the pages, I think the difference is that the eLearning is the same as the CDs only MORE of it. Regardless, I don't think it lives up to its value.

    Anyway, I'm going to try it out with just the books and will report back on how I do.

    (PS Sure you paid more, but you had a lot of hands-on training, right? This is purely self-study through books and a few computer quizzes. If I had it, I would probably go the hands-on route, too. But I just got out of a Masters program and have way too hefty student loans that I don't want to add to. :P)
     
    WIP: CIW Site Designer
  10. stuPeas

    stuPeas Megabyte Poster

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    You would think that wouldnt you, but NO, absolutely no Hands on. This is a "distance Learning" course. So, what you recieve when you get your materials will be more or less the same as I have.

    Anyway, let us know how you get on, and good luck with the foundations (I dont think you'll need it with the design module).
    :D
     
    Certifications: C&G Electronic, CIW Associate (v5).
    WIP: CIW (Website Design Manager)
  11. nellyp123

    nellyp123 Byte Poster

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    Hi juryduty!

    Take it from me (who has only just passed my foundations v5 exam) that just using the modules alone will be suffice. As you may already know...the training modules come in three parts
    1. Internet business foundations, which is basically a bit of everything , networking, how the web began, e-commerce ect, ect.
    2. site development foundations, which will be a piece of piss for you, if you already have good knowledge of building sites.
    3. Network technology foundations, which if i remember right...came up alot in the exam and is quite difficult to learn.

    I passed the exam without studying to hard on the networking module as i rushed it all a bit and only just passed by the skin of me teeth, so my advice would be to study the first and last modules first.

    Hope this helped.
     
    Certifications: CIW Professional

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