traing Certification on a very tight (naffall) budget?

**Acme Thunderer** · 23 November 2011, 19:54

For ISEB just read the book and search the Web for sample questions. That's how I passed mine at foundation level

**GreenLabel** · 23 November 2011, 20:30

Originally posted by Aman View Post

Hi,
I've been benched for rather a long time, looking after my dad and the local market is dreck. Even for pretty low-level support work the agencies are disregarding my experience and asking for certs.

I need something recent on my CV (to counteract the tulip contracts I have had recently) so thinking of getting the following certifications:

Cisco CCNA
ITIL / ETOM
ISEB (software VV&T)
Prince2
DOORS

What are typical course fees if I were to take courses?
Any suggestions how to attain these on a low budget? I have some switches, routers educational materials for the Cisco CCIE as I worked extensively with Cisco, Geotel & Stratacom equipment in the past
Any recommended free or cheap materials for the others?

Can I take the exams without forking out for a course?

ITIL Foundation can be done with out a course, though the more advanced ITIL exams require you to take the corresponding courses if I'm not mistaken. CCNA, Prince2 Foundation, and Prince2 Practitioner can all be done without a course.

I'm not sure on DOORS or ISEB.

**stek** · 23 November 2011, 20:36

Tho I have to say, never done any courses and never been asked for any certs, contracting since 1992 apart from the odd permie break for a rest.

**Aman** · 23 November 2011, 20:37

Originally posted by Acme Thunderer View Post

For ISEB just read the book and search the Web for sample questions. That's how I passed mine at foundation level

Thanks. Which book did you use? Could you recommend a book? The SQA ones I have that I used for my Engineering Council part 2 are probably out of date as there's no mention of methodologies like Agile.

I think ISEB may be one of the cheaper ones to do, ith the least preparation. I have £100-200 in my spreadsheet but I'll need to start shopping around again cos I can't recall where I picked that figure from.

GreenLabel.
Do you know any good texts for the ITIL, P2F, P2P? The local bookshops here in the sticks are tulip.

Stek.
I've never taken any vendor courses either. The vendors I've worked at said not to bother with them. I've only been asked for certificates once, the tw*t of a manager 'lost' them.

**northernladuk** · 23 November 2011, 20:43

Nick a cert from some brown noses desk at your current client, scan it change your name on it and blag it when you get a gig..Whats the worst they can do? Let you go?

Sorted

**Acme Thunderer** · 23 November 2011, 20:51

Originally posted by Aman View Post

Thanks. Which book did you use? Could you recommend a book? The SQA ones I have that I used for my Engineering Council parts 2 are probably out of date as there's no mention of methodologies like Agile.

I used the BCS recommended book Software Testing an ISEB Foundation.

I's also worth getting the syllabus from the BCS as it changes from time to time

IIRC the exam costs £120. More details from the BCS/ISEB websire

**Zippy** · 23 November 2011, 20:52

The PRINCE2 stuff can be done without a course but spaces for the public exams fill up quick (plus you have to pay and buy the manual). You should be able to get a full foundation and practitioner course for about £600 and - if you are serious about doing it - you may find it a hell of a lot easier (and not much more expensive) if you just cough up.

**GreenLabel** · 23 November 2011, 21:27

Originally posted by Aman View Post

GreenLabel.
Do you know any good texts for the ITIL, P2F, P2P? The local bookshops here in the sticks are tulip.

I used this one to pass the ITIL Foundation. It's a dead easy exam. There are also a lot of resources on YouTube if you're struggling with any particular part of the subject matter.

I self-studied for the Prince2 Foundation using the official text and the Passing the Prince2 Exams book. That exam isn't particularly hard either. The Practitioner exam is a bit more difficult, and I used a 1.5 day course for that one. The course fee - which included the exam fee - wasn't much more than the price of sitting the exam on its own, so it was a bit of a no-brainer really.

Mind you I was on the bench at the time, so I didn't have the additional cost of lost invoicing to think about.

**Aman** · 23 November 2011, 22:27

Thanks for the recommendations. I'm benched just now and it's that time of year when things may get quiet on the contracts front so it'll keep me busy over the quiet period.

A one and a half day course is feasible, as I'd probalbly have to travel i's only one or two nights accommodation costs..

For some reason, I never thought of looking on YouTube for industry training videos (though I often brush up on Berkeley, MIT, Stanford, Michigan, Yale opencourseware).

I've viewed a few ITIL vids, I can see YouTube is going to be a very good preparation resource.

traing Certification on a very tight (naffall) budget?