Wave Boot Camp Thoroughly Tests MCSE Recruits |
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Soon after I signed up for Wave Technologies' two-week MCSE Boot Camp, I knew it was going to be a challenge. I received a big green duffel bag, a box of study guides, and CD-ROM-based simulations that weighed about 25 pounds; the recommended pre-study time for this two-week course is at least 80 hours. Wave staff members called me to make sure I was doing my homework and preparing for the grueling task ahead. The thought of going back to boot camp brought back memories of marching on the grinder and shining my boots at Naval Training Center San Diego some years ago. With my workload around the Test Center, I did not have time to do all the recommended preparation. I was able to overcome this, however, because I had some previous experience with Windows NT and gave 200 percent during class time. The Wave MCSE Boot Camp is geared toward professionals who have some on-the-job experience with NT 4.0 and have been studying to take the exams to become a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE). Wave's facility had up-to-date systems on every student's desk and a full-time connection to the Internet. It took me a couple of days to get used to the accelerated pace that Wave uses to prepare people for the MCSE exams. The first week of class was spent preparing for the Windows NT Workstation 4.0, Windows NT Server 4.0, and Windows NT Server 4.0 in the Enterprise exams; the intense focus on exams left little room for in-depth discussion of the details of NT. However, once I passed my first exam on the second day of the class, I found myself in a high-speed learning groove. I passed all three tests on the first try. With one week down, I felt like an old pro -- but the hardest was yet to come. Week two brought on the Networking Essentials and Internet Information Server 4 exams, as well as the dreaded TCP/IP exam. Each exam was its own nightmare, but the instructor did a great job of preparing us for each one of them. The topic I found hardest was calculating subnets, and the instructor spent extra time with me to help me understand it. In fact, although the course hours were 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., all of the instructors were willing to stay late or come in early if a student needed extra help. Wave boasts a 93 percent pass rate for the Boot Camp, and my two weeks were no exception: Only a couple of students had difficulty with the tests. I give credit to the instructors for being able to keep this group of technologically advanced students -- who sometimes like to argue the facts and spend lots of time proving their own theories --focused on the objective of passing the exams. I have some reservations about this kind of certification: It does not require any work experience or hands-on troubleshooting, so anyone with good study habits can pass the test. But for those who -- like the students in the class I attended -- have decided that MCSE certification will help advance their careers, Wave's course can be a great help. In fact, Wave offers a conditional money-back guarantee. If you want to learn about the MCSE subjects in-depth, then you need to take one of Wave's other courses -- but if you want to pass the MCSE exams, the Wave Boot Camp will not steer you wrong. Although it is not required, I recommend taking the two weeks back-to-back; there is a lot of information in the first week that you will need to remember during the second week. If you have never taken a certification exam, you should spend some time looking over the course study guides and taking as many simulation tests as possible. Wave's online university is one good resource, with lots of sample tests to guide you through the maze of the MCSE testing. | ||||||
| Last Updated ( Sunday, 08 March 2009 ) | ||||||
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