In-Depth
Tons of Fun: Pass That Exam! MCSE in a Box
Some vendors suggest you can become an MCSE simply by working through their massive bundles of books, CDs, and practice exams. But can you? We'll tell you which products really pull their weight.
We live in an age where one-stop shopping is the preferred
purchasing method. All you need to do is head down to
your local Wal-Mart Supercenter for a 31-inch TV, diapers,
and a gallon of milk, while you simultaneously let them
rotate your tires and develop your baby pictures.
Now the technical professional has a similar resource.
With the growing popularity of the MCSE certification,
many companies now offer what has come to be known as
the “MCSE-in-a-box” approach. These sometimes-behemoth
study kits promise everything you need to obtain your
NT education and MCSE certification. No more searching
for the right study guide and practice exam product. No
more wondering what test to take next. And no more excuses!
In this evaluation, we look at seven products that purport
to teach you all of it. We chose these products for review
specifically because they offer the promise of a complete
education—lessons, quizzes, hands-on labs, sundry
exercises, and practice exams. Note that with all of these
products, (with the exception of the product by Microsoft
Press) the one thing that isn’t in the box is the
product software you’ll need to get hands-on experience.
For that, if you’re not running the products, you
can use the 120-day evaluations that Microsoft offers
at seminars and throughout its Web site.
| What
Makes Up an MCSE in a Box? |
The products evaluated here
vary in components and content. But all
have one thing in common: They provide
comprehensive training materials to help
you prepare for the core exams for the
MCSE title. The core exams include:
- 70-058, Networking Essentials
- 70-064, Windows 95, or 70-073, NT
Workstation
- 70-067, NT Server 4.0
- 70-068, NT 4.0 in the Enterprise
Several also cover elective exams to
help you complete your certification.
The most common electives addressed
by these products include (but aren’t
limited to):
- 70-053, TCP/IP on NT 4.0
- 70-077, Internet Information Server
3.0, or 70-087, Internet Information
Server 4.0
|
|
|
While buying by the pound can save money (as shown by
our special pricing chart), it won’t necessarily
enhance your study process. The fact is, individual products
don’t always meld well even when joined together
in the same box. As our reviewers found, the mix can become
boring for the student to work through.
Likewise, the price of a bundle isn’t always a measure
of its true value. One of the least expensive products
reviewed here gets the highest marks.
| The
product |
What's
included |
Price
if pur-chased sepa-rately |
Wt. |
Exam
Objec-tives (A) |
Qual-ity
and accu-racy (B) |
Va-lue
(C) |
Sample
ques-tions for exam prep? (D) |
Tech-nical
prep or exam prep? |
Pros
and Cons |
IDG Books Worldwide
MCSE
Core Requirements Study Kit
$129.99
ISBN:
0764531166 idgbooks.com
800-762-2974 |
2 books: NT suite, NE |
$139.98 |
7 lbs. |
A |
A |
B |
B |
Exam prep |
Complete, compre-hensive, and readable;
labs are well thought out.
Value of CDs appears to consist in
allowing you to install Internet Explorer,
so you can go on the Web and get up-to-date
information.
|
LearnKey
Complete
MCSE Exam Training Series with MasterExam
$1,899.95 for CDs or videos; $1,995.95
for a bundle that includes Sybex study
guides
learnkey.com
800-865-0165
801-674-9733 |
30 CDs: NT suite, NE, TCP/IP,
Exchange 5.5 |
$2,119.70 |
7 lbs. |
C |
B |
D |
A |
Both |
Good multimedia presentations. Handy
interact feature. Decent exercises.
MasterExam provides accurate measurement
of your readiness for real exam.
Awful setup program and lousy searching.
Superficial treatment of subject.
|
Microsoft Press
Microsoft
Certified Systems Engineer Core Requirements
Training Kit
$299.99
ISBN:
1572319054
mspress.
microsoft. com
800-MS-Press
800-677-7377 |
4 books: NT suite, NE |
$379.96 |
12 lbs. |
C |
B |
C |
B |
Both |
The Gospel according to Microsoft.
It would be pretty embarrassing if something
were on the test and not in here. Plus,
you get evaluation version of the product.
Lots of redundancy and methodo-logical
inconsis-tencies among volumes. CDs
(other than the product evals) add little
value. Visual presentation (user interface)
is boring.
|
New Riders Publishing
MCSE
Complete
$149.99
ISBN: 0789715643
mcp.com
800-858-7674 |
2 CDs and 2 workbooks |
Not available |
2 lbs. |
A- |
A- |
A++ |
A |
Exam prep |
Navigator is great! If you happen to
skip ahead, you always know what you
have left and where you stand.
Exam prep questions need improvement.
Also, it wouldn’t be a bad idea
to make the online study guide more
product-oriented instead of just exam-oriented.
|
PC Age, Inc.
MCSE
CBT
$1,295
ISBN: 1577390326
pcage.com
800-722-4360
732-287-3622 |
One CD: NT 4.0 suite, NE,
TCP/IP 4.0, IIS 4.0 |
$1,770 |
Less than 1 lb. |
A |
B |
A |
A |
Exam prep |
Good study material. Nice testing engine.
Exam-specific throughout. Easy to use.
Simulations are too picky about mouse
clicks/ keystrokes. No search capabilities
in study material. Not all test explanations
have cross-references to study material.
|
Sybex Network Press
MCSE
Core Requirements, Second Edition
$149.96
ISBN: 0782122450
sybex.com |
4 books: NT suite, NE |
$199.96 |
14 lbs. |
D |
C |
B |
C |
Slightly better for technical
prep than exam prep |
Information is thorough and accurate.
Well-designed exercises. Lots of exam
tips.
Exam-specific material is scattered
throughout book and isn’t indexed.
No explanations provided for answers
to review questions. CDs are difficult
to use.
|
Wave Technologies
MCSE
Career Pack
$1,995 complete; $1,295 limited
wavetech.com
888-204-6143
314-995-5767 |
Complete version: 9 books,
1 CD, online training access, digital
upgrades. Limited version doesn’t
include online training or upgrades. |
$1,995 for complete version
|
22 lbs. |
A |
C+ |
A- |
A |
Both |
Something for everyone. Entire system
designed so that you not only prepare
for exam, you also acquire in-depth
knowledge of the products. Plus, training
manuals provide an excellent desk reference.
Tools seem fresh out of production.
Additionally, test engine is difficult
to navigate and the review section provides
no help for wrong answers.
|
|
Key:
A. How closely does the product map
to exam objectives?
B. Is the product error-free and accurate?
C. Does the product give you good value
for its price and quality?
D. Are there sample questions that map
to the exam or help you prepare for
the exam?
NT 4.0 suite includes modules
for NT Workstation, NT Server, and NT
Server in the Enterprise exams.
NE = Networking Essentials; IIS
= Internet Information Server
|
|
|
Each of our reviewers holds at least an MCSE title. Their
job was to evaluate each bundle inside and out, then gauge
its relative worth for two groups of people: those seeking
an education in NT from the ground up, and those already
working in the field but wanting to get certified. The
real finds in this group of products do both well.