Online Training for Windows 2000 MCSE Certification

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Online Training for Windows 2000 MCSE Certification
When you decide to pursue Windows 2000 MCSE certification, you have several training alternatives to choose from. Because different people learn most effectively in different ways, the training method that worked well for your coworker might not be the best option for you.

Instructor-led training in a traditional classroom setting provides a preset schedule and immediate access to someone who can clarify technical concepts. A classroom environment also provides access to equipment for direct hands-on experience. On the downside, classroom learning offers little flexibility in scheduling and requires you to travel to the training site, which often means spending money for hotel and airfare in addition to the cost of the training.

The self-study learning alternative lets you set your schedule and eliminates many of the costs of instructor-led training. However, this alternative lacks the benefit of expert assistance, and many people find that self-study isn't an effective learning method.

This Buyer's Guide presents an alternative to traditional instructor-led and self-study training options: online MCSE training. Different online courses offer different mixes of features. For example, most courses listed in this Buyer's Guide provide vendor-written technical material, but some offer Microsoft Official Curriculum (MOC) or employ Microsoft Certified Trainers (MCTs). For convenient offline use, some courses also offer training through recorded presentations or CD-ROMs.

Lab exercises are an important part of any technical training program. When evaluating online training sources, you should consider the way the vendor presents lab exercises. Does the vendor simulate the exercise, or are you able to get hands-on experience so you can learn from your mistakes?

For those who need expert assistance, some live instructor-led online training courses include 2-way audio so students can speak to the instructor. Other courses provide whiteboard and chat sessions for communicating in the virtual classroom. Another form of online training lets you proceed at your own pace and on your own schedule and provides assistance in a variety of ways, including telephone, email, instructor paging, and full-time online mentors. Some courses even let you know when other students are online so that you can chat with them. After you complete a course, some vendors offer skill-assessment pretests to help you determine whether you are ready to take the test.

MCSE certification training is challenging, and Win2K training is the toughest yet. We hope you can use this Buyer's Guide to find training that will help you reach your certification goals and prepare you for the real-world challenges that follow.