CIW Master Designer Kit Self Study

Discussion in 'CIW Certifications' started by LIL_K, Oct 10, 2008.

  1. LIL_K

    LIL_K New Member

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    Hello all from a newbie!

    I am thinking about purchasing the CIW Master Designer Self Study Kit which includes: Foundations, Site Designer and E-Commerce. For all that comes with it I think the price $1050 seems reasonable. I just have a few questions if anyone has information or has completed this self study before.

    1. About how long would it take to complete the self study? I currently work full time in the I.T. industry but my job may be going to part time starting next summer. My goal would be around 12 months. I usually pick up on things pretty easily and have created my own personal web pages and dabbled with html. My IT background I think would help as well. I mostly have experience in software and hardware tech support with some networking in there as well.

    2. In the hardware requirements for the kit it says Windows XP. Any ideas if it will work with Vista? Or a Mac? It also says a broadband connection. Has anyone used wireless while completing the self study? I realize that wireless will always be a bit slower but the fact that I can be comfortable while working is a huge bonus.

    3. Now a question for those that are working in the Web Development/Design field: How many of you use a Mac for your web design? Or doesn't it really matter anymore since most of the sofware applications are made for both now. I started out as a Mac-girl but my current job requires me to use PC so I like both (the artsy person inside me though prefers Mac). :)

    Thanks in advance for any replies!
     
  2. chetan.crasta

    chetan.crasta Bit Poster

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    In my opinion, you are better off spending that money buying some of the "standard" web dev books. Example - O'Reilly's Head First series, SitePoint's Ultimate HTML Reference and CSS Reference etc. You could also invest in CIW training software by Boson or TestKing. This way, you'll spend less money and you'll get better quality resources.
    If your wireless connection is at least 128kbps, I don't think you'll run into any trouble.
    As for Mac Vs. PC, it doesn't matter, the web standards are platform independent. Note that you will have to test your web pages on Internet Explorer which is officially available only on windows. There is way of installing IE on the Mac - http://www.kronenberg.org/ies4osx/ but I haven't tested this.
     
    WIP: CIW A+ N+
  3. LIL_K

    LIL_K New Member

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    chetan.crasta,

    Thanks so much for your response. I will definitely check out these other books and references before I shell out the $$ for the self study. I think I was just worried about missing something important that I would need to know for the tests, but there is so much info out there about what is on the tests and the practices tests too, so I'm sure I would be fine if I did it that way instead. Much appreciated!
     
  4. GiddyG

    GiddyG Terabyte Poster Gold Member

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    Ahem... cough... Boson? Yup, I can understand and agree (if they do CIW stuff); however, the other one you quoted is deffo a BD and shouldn't be mentioned in the same post, let alone in the same sentence.

    As regards cheap, you get what you pay for... you spend a little, you normally get rubbish; spend that bit more and shop around, and you tend to get quality.

    As an aside, BDs can get you decertified for life.
     
  5. chetan.crasta

    chetan.crasta Bit Poster

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    Boson does have CIW test sims see http://www.boson.com/Product/PRO-ES-1D0425-02.html , each exam sim costs $39
    I am sure most reasonable people would agree that the CIW's official student resources are obscenely overpriced - http://www.ciwcertified.com/training/default.asp
    I think that if one wants to become a great web designer, a good way to start is by reading the books written by the gurus - Bill Kennedy, Chuck Musciano, Eric Meyer, Dan Cederholm etc.
    Buying the overpriced CIW resources might help you get the certificate, but I doubt they even come close in quality to the books I mentioned.

    By the way, GiddyG, can you tell us more about how using brain dumps can get one decertified?
     
    WIP: CIW A+ N+
  6. GiddyG

    GiddyG Terabyte Poster Gold Member

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    Yes. If you care to check out the likes of the MS and Cisco sites, you will see that they are completely anti-BD, to the extent that anyone found to have used them will lose their certification(s). Let's see what Certguard says on the matter.

    As an aside, why so keen to find out?
     
  7. chetan.crasta

    chetan.crasta Bit Poster

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    Thanks for the link, GiddyG.
     
    WIP: CIW A+ N+
  8. CertGuard

    CertGuard Bit Poster

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    Ok, so my name isn't GiddyG, but I am in a Giddy mood :oops: this evening...does that count?

    Chetan, here's the lowdown on why using BDs can get you decertified:

    I get the feeling you're not totally aware of exactly what BDs are and why using them is considered cheating. As GiddyG mentioned, Microsoft and Cisco are anti-Bd. So are CIW, Oracle, Novell...well, every Certification Vendor on this list is against the use of braindumps. The reason why using them is considered cheating and why people are losing their certifications is because the questions and answers have been stolen from their live exams. The widespread use of BDs has gotten so out of hand over the past decade that the Cert Vendors have had no choice but to start stripping the certifications of people that use those illegal methods to get certified.

    Do yourself, your co-workers, and your employer a HUGE favor and just verify the website you're looking at buying "study materials" from. http://www.certguard.com/search.asp

    Best Regards,

    Rob
     

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