How Long?

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Have been doing a lot of research on the net with regard to training providers for distance learning.

One thing that I have noticed is not just the difference in prices that they charge but also the length they give to pass a course.

eg. MCDBA2003 course

CertifyITTraining -
All our MCDBA Packages include:

Four CD's
Four Approved study Guides
FREE MCP of your choice
FREE Delivery
Over 120-130 Hours of High Quality Interactive Training
30 Day Guarantee
Compare and Save!
£399+vat

Computeach
Duration
750 hours

Certification
MCDBA

Support
Tutor support by phone, email and web.

In-Centre Study
14 days study in the classroom

Support Material
Learning materials on CD and the internet. Comprehensive study manuals supplied
(from what I have read on the forum this course is about £4000 - correct me if I am wrong)

Can you see the difference?
One provider says they will give 120-130 hours of training and it costs £399+vat, the other says to pass the course you need 750 hours worth of study and also 14days of study ina classroom with a price of approx. £4000.

How can there be such a big difference? Many other providers also state you need to take your exams within 12 months.

With having no background in computers, apart from using applications such as word, excel etc, how long should I be looking at if I was to go for a course like this?

Cheers everyone
David

 

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Dave,

If I were you I would think long and hard before spending your hard earned money.
If you prefer the thought of going with a training provider then I would be asking all your thoughts and worries to them direct.
As you point out some of these companies are like chalk and cheese even though they are offering the same certifications which is a little concerning

A very good question is what if you exceed their recommended time? Does your tuturiol support run out? What about their career advice/help towards getting a job?

As far as I am concerned how long it takes you is really down to how much time you have spare and how you get on with the material.
At a guess, even if you didn't have a job or family commitments surely all that work for the MCDBA would take a year

All the best on making the first step to your new chosen career.

 

If one course is a great deal longer than the other then it sounds like they are offering a different service.

To start off with, the first one you mention 120-130 hours. Well that's how long they probably estimate it will take you to do their material. That could be based on assumptions of past experience, or certain pre-requisits. Also you may find one person who takes to programming like a duck to water and whacks through the course in half the above time, or you may have someone who likes to take their time and completes it in 250 hours, because they like to review the material more than once etc....

As for the Computeach one, well maybe they base their time on a totally different criteria than the other company. It does sound like it has more to offer like the in house training etc.. but of course it costs a great deal more.

Purely from a financial standpoint, it would make sense to me to go for the first offer (10 times cheaper) and see how it works out. At the end of the day, if you don't like it, or don't take to the programming at all, then it's 400 quid down the drain. If you find the same on a 4000 quid course, well ouch ... However, if you take the first option, find you are enjoying it etc... but maybe it lacks support (probably due to the price, you get what you pay for after all) maybe then it's time to seriously consider the more expensive option.

I hope my rambling is of some use, I don't have experience of either provider, but I guess that's what made sense to me based on the options presented.

 

I can't see anyone with no background in IT becoming a MCDB in 3 weeks. And that what 120 hours equal out to be. A person would would be hard press to learn a deep knowledge of MS Access in 3 weeks. MCDBA is a sql database. There alot of scripting involed here. Then there is the networking part?

I'm with boyce on this. Invest in yourself not someone elses pocket.

 

According to the MS learning site, an MCP should take about 100 hours study. But they assume that all the people doing them are experienced IT professionals (see exam requirements).
Anyone offering do do it quickly is just going to chuck exam cram at you, possibly with their own braindumps.
If you're going to do it, you may as well do it properly.

If you read the stuff suplied on that first one, it sounds a bit thin.
4 CDs. OK, fine.
120-130 hours interactive training. Yeah, it's on the 4 CDs.
Free delivery. WTF? So they don't charge you to put a stamp on the jiffy bag. Do any of the others?
30 Day Guarantee. Guarantee of what?
Where's the support?

 

FREE MCP of your choice

This says to me that you get the fee's for 1 of the exams in the package and have to cover the cost of the others yourself.

Four Approved study Guides

Youll probably find these are the microsoft exam guides or similar and readily available on amazon.

Over 120-130 Hours of High Quality Interactive Training

Sounds like Thompson's NetG interactive training software or similar.

And i think £4000 for the CT course is a bit low Gaz45 would be the best guy to ask about that as i believe hes doing the MCDBA with CT.

Stu_C