CIW Certification

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Hi all, Just a quick question is the CIW certifications worth going for and is the CIW Foundations exam really basic and easy to pass. From what I've read it seems that way. Also is it a multiple choice exam like the A+ exam?




Slypie

 

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Hi Slypie

I went for the CIW certs because i had completed my A+, Network+, Server+, Linux+, CCNA and MCSA and was looking for a new challenge.

I cant say for sure that the CIW qualifications i have, have directly got me a job. My experience and ability were the main factors. However having done the CIW exams (4 in total) it shows a willingness to learn and a commitment to learning andto my profession.

I also learnt alot from studying for the exams.

The CIW foundations is quite simple, basic HTML and theory of the internet.

However of all of the 13 or 14 exams i have taken i have only failed one, and the CIW fundementals was the one i failed.

Because it looked so simple i dont think i took it as seriously, but i passed it on the second attempt and went on to pass the others.

Yes it is a multiple choice exam, 70 or so questions if i remember correctly.

I hope this helps....

Also if your an MCSA or MCSE you can claim security anaylst status if you take the security exam, and there are also other shortcuts to be recognised if you have MCSE etc, check the website for details...

 

Cheers Matt for the info. I think I'll put the CIW exams on my todo list

 

Good plan, tho no matter how many things, certs or topics to learn i put on my "to-do" list....

It never gets any shorter!!!

 

Yes it is worth going for if your abilities are limited (like mine were). I actually found it quite hard because I couldn't get my head around networking, and it was the first exam I have taken in years. I was assured a golden path of full employment lay open to me on passing the exam, and most job interviews Ive been to have never heard of CIW so its not much use in that respect. The Sybex study guide is however excellent.

 

I found the same thing. CIW is a USA thing, but there isn't really a good 'web design' equivalent available (that I can find).
Although foundations isn't exactly hard, there are about 85 questions in 90 minutes, so it's quite a pace compared to Microsoft exams.

 

Hi, my daughter has just been visited by someone trying to sell her a ciw design manager. Is it worth doing? I am getting various reports about it.

 

I would say that the CIW design courses are an excellent supplement to someone who already tinkers with a bit of Web design stuff. It teaches you all the things that you wouldn't pick up from a book on 'how to learn Dreamweaver in a weekend'. It is more business focussed than hands on but it does tell you stuff that you need to know if you want to be taken seriously as a designer.
I've done both iNet+ and CIW foundations. They cover mostly the same stuff, but foundations has more questions about design and management with less protocols and IP addressess.
It's worth checking which version the trainer is offering. Foundations changed to Version 5 just before I sat it, and the others are changing around now. I only found out because I was trying to buy a textbook from computerprep and they told me.

 

From what I've just read on this thread it seems as though those of you already out there and working in the web design field don't really rate the CIW as a tool to securing work in the field (?)

Does anybody work freelance or even in-house for web design agencies? If so, would you agree that this qualification is not particularly advantageous in the UK??

 

would also like to no the answer to this question?

 

I used to work as a self employed designer and found it helpful. Clients always want to know that they are investing wisely, and a certification like CIW can reassure them that you know what you're doing.
It's no substitute for talent and experience, but I think that's true of any certification. You can prove that you know the rules of the game.
I've seen a lot of kids who have got real flair and can do great stuff with flash and the rest, but they have no idea of the rules and guielines that apply to these things. The go around trying to sell what they can do, but does the client get what they want?
You don't want to get a year down the line and discover that the designer you hired has stolen all the images he used from the 'Bank of Hong Kong' website because he didn't know any better.
I certainly learned a lot from it, and that's what really counts.

 

my 2 cents

if you learn stuff from doing the certs - great, they're worthwhile, so CIW can be worthwhile in that regard

If you do a cert to improve your chances of getting a job, the acid test is to go somewhere like jobserve and see how many jobs require the test.

MCSE returns thousands of jobs. CIW - you'll be lucky to find 10

You want to be a 'web designer' - get a design qualification, and then learn how to use the apps used by web designers.