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As you're looking to study for the MCSE certificate, you're probably in 1 of 2 situations. You could be about to get into the IT environment, and you've discovered that the industry has a great need for qualified people. Instead you possibly are someone with a certain amount of knowledge ready to formalise your skill set with a qualification such as MCSE.

Take care to ensure you confirm that the training company you use is educating you on the latest Microsoft level. Many trainees are left in a mess when it turns out they have been studying for an old version of MCSE which will have to be revised. Training providers must be committed to discovering the ultimate program for their students. Directing learning is equally concerned with helping people to work out where to go, as well as helping them get there.

So, why ought we to be looking at commercial qualifications as opposed to traditional academic qualifications gained through tech' colleges and universities? Corporate based study (to use industry-speak) is far more specialised and product-specific. Industry has acknowledged that such specialised knowledge is what's needed to service the demands of an acceleratingly technical workplace. Adobe, Microsoft, CISCO and CompTIA are the dominant players. Of course, an appropriate degree of background detail needs to be learned, but core specialisation in the areas needed gives a vendor trained person a real head start.

Think about if you were the employer - and you required somebody who had very specific skills. What is easier: Go through loads of academic qualifications from graduate applicants, trying to establish what they know and which workplace skills they've mastered, or select a specialised number of commercial certifications that specifically match what you're looking for, and then choose your interviewees based around that. You can then focus on how someone will fit into the team at interview - instead of long discussions on technical suitability.

A successful package of training should have wholly authorised exam preparation systems. Due to the fact that most examination boards in IT are American, you must be prepared for the way exams are phrased. It isn't good enough simply understanding random questions - they have to be in the same format as the actual exams. Obviously, it's essential to ensure that you've thoroughly prepared for your final certified exam prior to doing it. Revising simulated tests adds to your knowledge bank and will avoid you getting frustrated with failed exams.

Look at the following points carefully if you believe the marketing blurb about 'guaranteeing' exams sounds like a benefit to the student:

It's very clear we're ultimately paying for it - it's not so hard to see that it's been inserted into the overall price charged by the college. It's absolutely not free (although some people will believe anything the marketing companies think up these days!) Those who take each progressive exam, paying as they go are much more likely to pass. They are mindful of the cost and revise more thoroughly to be up to the task.

Go for the best offer you can find at the time, and hang on to your cash. In addition, it's then your choice where to take your exam - so you can find somewhere local. Why tie up your cash (or borrow more than you need) for exam fees when there was no need to? Huge profits are made because training colleges are charging all their exam fees up-front - and hoping either that you won't take them, or it will be a long time before you do. The majority of organisations will insist on pre-tests and not allow you to re-take an exam until you've demonstrated an excellent ability to pass - making an 'exam guarantee' just about worthless.

Prometric and VUE exams are approximately 112 pounds in this country. Students should be very wary of forking out hundreds of pounds extra in 'Exam Guarantee' costs (most often hidden in the package) - when good quality study materials, the proper support and a commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools are actually the key to your success.