Last Day of School - Summer 2013

Today is a bittersweet day, as the last day of school always is.  It is the end of the all too short summer term.  In just two short weeks, we will be starting our Fall 2013 semester. 

I'll admit that we are pretty laid back in the summer.  Enrollment is still small as the school builds our summer offerings.  But that does not mean we are not working just as hard.  I told you last week about a few of students who have earned certifications.  On this, our last day, I am proud to add another to that list:

Peniel Adolphe has spent most of the summer learning about Windows Server 2008. This work culminated in him and Eva building a server including configuring hardware RAID, installing the Server 2008 operating system and working with Active Directory.  Today he took and passed the 68-365 Windows Server Administration Fundamentals.  He earned an MTA (Microsoft Technology Associate) certification in that technology.  Peniel is well on his way to his final step of earning his MCSA and MSCE this Fall.


You have heard me talk about the new certifications offered by TestOut.  Because they are new, they are not well known yet.  However, I find that they are a nice alternative to the Comptia certifications because they are simulation based as opposed to multiple choice.  I find my students know the material quite well,  but sometimes over think a multiple choice question.  Now, Comptia is including simulation based question in future tests and those kind of questions are starting to appear.  The biggest complaint I have gotten from my students, though is that they are given no instructions on how the simulation software works and they are having trouble navigating the question.  That is another reason the TestOut certification is nice.  The students are familiar with the interface, so it is a genuine gauge of their knowledge, not an assessment of Comptia's (or maybe PearsonVue's simulation software.)

The reason I brought this up is that TestOut recently released the official version of the Security Pro certification.  I had taken and passed the beta exam and found the material covered to be quite comprehensive and indicative of what a technician might encounter in the "real-world".  I look forward to letting you know about my students and their successes when they pass the exam.

Have a great (rest of the) summer!