A question; why should we consider qualifications from the commercial sector rather than the usual academic qualifications taught at schools, colleges or universities? Industry is of the opinion that to learn the appropriate commercial skills, proper accreditation from such organisations as Microsoft, CompTIA, CISCO and Adobe most often has much more specialised relevance - saving time and money. Clearly, a certain amount of associated information must be covered, but precise specialisation in the areas needed gives a commercially educated student a distinct advantage.

When an employer is aware what areas need to be serviced, then all they have to do is advertise for a person with the appropriate exam numbers. Syllabuses are set to exacting standards and aren't allowed to deviate (in the way that degree courses can).

'In-Centre workshop days' can be portrayed as a big positive benefit by a lot of certification companies. After a good chat with many IT hopefuls who have used them, you'll discover that they're really a difficulty to be 'got round' as they hadn't properly considered the following:

- Masses of visits to the centre - sometimes very long trips.

- Workshop accessibility; often weekdays only and 2-3 days in a row. This can be difficult to get the leave of absence.

- Don't disregard lost vacation time. Usually we're lucky to have 4 weeks annual leave. If half is given up to classes, then there's very little left over for us.

- Workshops invariably get too big.

- Often trainees hope to push through at quite a pace, others want a more steady pace and not be pushed beyond their comfort-zone. This will often generate tension and unrest a lot of the time.

- And don't overlook the extra expense of arranging transport and bed and breakfast for the night either. Often, this will cost hundreds and even thousands of pounds extra. Take some time to add it all up - you'll get a shock.

- Study privacy can be very important to most trainees. Why would you want to give up any possible promotions, income boosts or achievement in your job just because you're retraining. If your work discovers you're putting yourself through accreditation in a completely different market, what are they going to be thinking?

- It's very common for students to not ask questions they want answered - simply because they're with their peers.

- If you occasionally work away from home, you face the added difficulty that events sometimes become very hard to attend - unfortunately however, they've been paid for in advance.

Doesn't it make a lot more sense to take classes at a time that's convenient for you - not the school - and utilise instructor-led videos with interactive lab's. You can train wherever you want. Got a laptop?... Then why not catch a little fresh air outside while you work. If any problem raises its head then get onto the live 24x7 support. Classes and lessons can be repeated when you're preparing for exams - the more times you cover something - the more you'll remember. And note-taking becomes a thing of the past - everything is already prepared ready. Could it get any simpler: Time and money is saved and travelling is avoided altogether; and of course you end up with a more relaxed learning environment.

An effective training course package will incorporate Microsoft (or key company) exam preparation systems. Ensure that your practice exams are not only asking questions on the right subjects, but additionally ask them in the way the real exams will pose them. It really messes up students if they're faced with unrecognisable phrases and formats. You should make sure you test your depth of understanding by doing quizzes and simulated exams before you take the proper exam.

Kick out a salesman who just tells you what course you should do without a thorough investigation to better understand your current abilities as well as experience level. Make sure they can draw from a expansive range of products from which they could give you an appropriate solution. With a little commercial experience or base qualifications, you may find that your starting point is very different to someone completely new. Starting with a foundation module first can be the best way to commence your IT studies, but depends on your skill level.

Incorporating examinations as an inclusive element of the package price then giving it 'Exam Guarantee' status is popular with many companies. But let's examine why they really do it:

Thankfully, today we are a little bit more aware of sales ploys - and usually we know that for sure it is something we're paying for - it's not because they're so generous they want to give something away! Trainees who go in for their examinations when it's appropriate, paying for them just before taking them are much more likely to pass. They are conscious of what they've paid and take the necessary steps to be ready for the task.

Take your exams as locally as possible and don't pay up-front, but seek out the best deal for you when you're ready. Including money in your training package for examination fees (and interest charges if you're borrowing money) is insane. Resist being talked into filling the training company's account with your hard-earned cash simply to help their cash-flow! Some will be pinning their hopes on the fact that you don't even take them all - but they won't refund the cash. Pay heed to the fact that, with 'Exam Guarantees' from most places - they control when and how often you are allowed to have another go. Subsequent exam attempts are only authorised at the company's say so.

Exam fees averaged 112 pounds or thereabouts last year when taken at Prometric or VUE centres around the United Kingdom. So what's the point of paying maybe a thousand pounds extra to get 'Exam Guarantees', when it's no secret that what's really needed is a commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools.

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