CBT single-exam products
Last month, I examined several comprehensive MCSE computer-based training (CBT) study programs. Although these comprehensive programs are helpful, they can get expensive. What if you need a CBT study program to help you pass one class? Fortunately, several MCSE examination products offer topical components that you can purchase individually. This month, I'll look at three of these products: GartnerLearning's CBT Series, LearnKey's Standard MCSE Core CD ROM Series, and NETg's Skill Builder. I'll also examine a new interactive simulation program from PC Age, LearnByDoing Windows NT.
CBT Series
If piecemeal CBT is what you are looking for, GartnerLearning is the first stop you should make. The company offers dozens of Windows-related CBT courses for MCSE candidates, although the courses are not specifically designed for MCSE certification.
GartnerLearning's Web site offers an unstructured field of courses. The company has clustered several classes—including those using NT Server 4.0 and NT Workstation 4.0—under the Operating Systems category, and other Windows 95 MCSE self-study courses under the Networking category. GartnerLearning might consider listing all its MCSE courses under a Certification category.
GartnerLearning uses a text- and graphics-based interface. No multimedia equipment is necessary, which is helpful for users with older computers or laptops without multimedia capabilities. However, the lack of multimedia components has a downside—the GartnerLearning products are little more than online books.
I tested GartnerLearning's NT Workstation 4.0 Maintenance course. Of the four products I reviewed in this article, this software proved to be the most complicated to install. Instead of simply creating a link to an executable file on the program CD-ROM, the installation program prompted me for an installation directory and dumped the entire contents of the CD-ROM onto my hard disk. Luckily, the program consumed only 30MB of disk space.
When the installation completed, I was ready to start using the product. When you launch the software, you must provide a username and student identifier to keep your records separate from other users' records. After I provided this information, a screen showing the program's lessons and topics appeared.
When you select a topic, a screen with several options appears, as Screen 1, page 92, shows. You select what area to concentrate on using the command buttons on the upper left side of the window. The first button accesses a series of Objectives for the topic. The Concepts button presents numerous informational slides that you can scan. Once you study the concepts, you can view the steps necessary to complete the tasks that the Concepts section outlines. The Summary section provides an overview of the information you've studied.
As you move through the various topics, the main portion of the window changes to show information on each subject. When there is more than one screen of data for a topic, you scroll through the screens using the arrow buttons at the bottom of the window.
The Examples button on the left side of the main window accesses specific cases that supplement the Concepts section. The Hints button provides tips and techniques. The Questions button leads you to a series of questions that help you gauge your mastery of the CBT program subject material. The Practice button (not shown in Screen 1) presents you with a series of exercises to reinforce your learning.
The list price for the GartnerLearning CBT Series is high. However, the company plans to rework its pricing structure to make the software more affordable.
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