The information technology industry has moved toward strict standards for IT certification in many areas. Employers from over 2,000,000 companies in the United States will not hire someone for a particular job in information technology unless they can show certification. After all your education, how do you make sure you pass the exam on the first try?
Becoming certified involves passing a particular certification exam offered by a vendor of either software or equipment. For example, CompTIA, Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle and even Linux offer certification exams.
The venders listed above moved toward this business model because having certified professionals handling product saves both time and money.
In fact many insurance companies along with leasing firms require certification as a condition for equipment they use. Completing a class in a particular area of information technology will not be recognized by most employers as a qualification for hire. All classes are not taught in the same way and certain instructors may not have covered all of the material necessary for a new candidate to do a specific job.
How to Ace an IT Certification Exam
1. Pick a Good School
Find an accredited school that features certified trainers for your particular subject. Ensure your instructor has at least five years of practical experience and 2 years of teaching experience in your selected program.
2. Attend Classes
It’s amazing that people will pay good money to get a higher education, but skip class anyway. Learning from a textbook and trying things out at home can help you pass the exam; taking part in discussions, getting to know your instructor and participating fully will enrich your experience. Don’t shortchange yourself: show up to class, arrive early, and participate.
3. Make sure the school you select assigns labs
Labs are the hands-on components of IT education, and the groundwork of a career in IT. Complete all lab assignments. Students who fail certification exams admit they only read through lab assignments and didn’t actually complete them. This is a crazy decision when your career will depend on your practical experience.
4. Write practice exams, often
Take your practice exams over and over, until you receive a score of 95% or higher. When you take the actual certification exam, I guarantee your score will drop by a factor of at least 10%. Everyone gets a bit nervous when taking a new exam. If you are overly prepared, your tension on test day will decrease.
5. Do extra work in your subject
You can join a chat group on your subject, read professional blogs and use the Internet to conduct additional research about the topics covered in your class and program. In addition, reach out to people who have taken your certification test and ask them for suggestions.
6. On exam day, relax
When taking your exam, don’t be in a hurry. Whether the exam gives you 90 minutes or 3 hours, use all of your time.
7. Read the instructions
Be sure to follow the exam’s instructions. I know of one student who failed a Cisco exam because he didn’t follow the exam’s instructions.
8. Be passionate about your subject
My final tip is to have passion for your subject. If you have a vision of yourself engaged in this type of work three or five years from now, this will give you that added incentive to do that extra work, which will bring you to the promised land of certification.
Are you interested in learning information technology and gaining a new career, which will change your life? If so it is time for you to take that big step and contact ABCO Technology. You can reach us by telephone at (310) 216-3067 from 9 Am to 6 PM Monday through Friday. If communicating by email is easier for you, send your questions to ABCO Technology. Email your questions to: info@abcotechnology.edu