How to structure a certification study group

I am looking to form a study group with coworkers also interested in pursuing
certification to meet at the office in the evening.

Does anybody know of any guidance as to successful formats for certification
study groups? I would like to plan the time to make the best use of it but
have never attended a certification study group so I am not sure how it
should be run.

I imagine we will schedule exam objectives or portions of a study guide for
each meeting, but then what, just free form discussion of the material?

I'd appreciate any feedback from anybody who has participated in a
certification group, especially what is useful and what is not.

Thanks.
--
Jim Anderson, MCSD
Consultant
Columbus, Ohio

=?Utf-8?B?SmltIEFuZGVyc29u?=

Jim. I have taught and structured tons of study groups in the past. You
are on the right path in your thinking. First and foremost, you have to
choose the certification you want your study group to focus on. Meaning
in your OP, you stated that you want to, "... form a study group with
coworkers also interested in pursuing certification. Make sure that
everyone in the study group is pursuing the same certification!

Secondly, get a feel for everyone's knowledge in the specific subject
that you are choosing to study. Visit my blog below or
http://www.microsoft.com/learning and find the certification the group
is interested in. View the Preparation Guides and print off the Skills
Being Measured. This is a roadmap Microsoft provides to successfully
negotiate the exams.

Before I proceed with any further advice, please tell me what
certification(s) are you looking to achieve. By knowing this, I can
recommend more advice.

--
Michael D. Alligood
MCSA, MCDST, MCP, A+,
Network+, i-Net+, CIW Assoc.,
CIW Certified Instructor

http://yetanotherblog.typepad.com/theclassroom



"Jim Anderson" <anderson_jim at Excite DotCom> wrote in message
news:276211D5-EDC8-4569-BDFC-:

> I am looking to form a study group with coworkers also interested in pursuing
> certification to meet at the office in the evening.
>
> Does anybody know of any guidance as to successful formats for certification
> study groups? I would like to plan the time to make the best use of it but
> have never attended a certification study group so I am not sure how it
> should be run.
>
> I imagine we will schedule exam objectives or portions of a study guide for
> each meeting, but then what, just free form discussion of the material?
>
> I'd appreciate any feedback from anybody who has participated in a
> certification group, especially what is useful and what is not.
>
> Thanks.
> --
> Jim Anderson, MCSD
> Consultant
> Columbus, Ohio

Michael D. Alligood

Thanks Michael. Yes, I intentionally didn't include a specific certification
because I was looking for advice in general on how to facilitate any
certification study group, not content for any specfic certification. Yes, I
can print out the exam objectives myself. My lack of experience is in how to
attack the objectives in a group setting. I know how I prepare/study for an
exam myself and what works for me alone, but don't know how best to utilize
the group setting. I'm afraid just getting a group together in a room and
randomly discussing an objective could end up being a waste of time. I
thought maybe somebody had experienced a structured process - again, for
general use given any set of objectives where everybody in the group is
focused on the same objectives, not specific to any particular certification.
I just don't want to waste my and other's time.
--
Jim Anderson, MCSD
Consultant
Columbus, Ohio


"Michael D. Alligood" wrote:

> Jim. I have taught and structured tons of study groups in the past. You
> are on the right path in your thinking. First and foremost, you have to
> choose the certification you want your study group to focus on. Meaning
> in your OP, you stated that you want to, "... form a study group with
> coworkers also interested in pursuing certification. Make sure that
> everyone in the study group is pursuing the same certification!
>
> Secondly, get a feel for everyone's knowledge in the specific subject
> that you are choosing to study. Visit my blog below or
> http://www.microsoft.com/learning and find the certification the group
> is interested in. View the Preparation Guides and print off the Skills
> Being Measured. This is a roadmap Microsoft provides to successfully
> negotiate the exams.
>
> Before I proceed with any further advice, please tell me what
> certification(s) are you looking to achieve. By knowing this, I can
> recommend more advice.
>
> --
> Michael D. Alligood
> MCSA, MCDST, MCP, A+,
> Network+, i-Net+, CIW Assoc.,
> CIW Certified Instructor
>
> http://yetanotherblog.typepad.com/theclassroom
>
>
>
> "Jim Anderson" <anderson_jim at Excite DotCom> wrote in message
> news:276211D5-EDC8-4569-BDFC-:
>
> > I am looking to form a study group with coworkers also interested in pursuing
> > certification to meet at the office in the evening.
> >
> > Does anybody know of any guidance as to successful formats for certification
> > study groups? I would like to plan the time to make the best use of it but
> > have never attended a certification study group so I am not sure how it
> > should be run.
> >
> > I imagine we will schedule exam objectives or portions of a study guide for
> > each meeting, but then what, just free form discussion of the material?
> >
> > I'd appreciate any feedback from anybody who has participated in a
> > certification group, especially what is useful and what is not.
> >
> > Thanks.
> > --
> > Jim Anderson, MCSD
> > Consultant
> > Columbus, Ohio
>
>

=?Utf-8?B?SmltIEFuZGVyc29u?=

Jim. Shoot me an email and let us see if we can come up with something.

--
Michael D. Alligood
MCSA, MCDST, MCP, A+,
Network+, i-Net+, CIW Assoc.,
CIW Certified Instructor

http://yetanotherblog.typepad.com/theclassroom



"Jim Anderson" <anderson_jim at Excite DotCom> wrote in message
news:0AB2AE2C-7564-4783-B682-:

> Thanks Michael. Yes, I intentionally didn't include a specific certification
> because I was looking for advice in general on how to facilitate any
> certification study group, not content for any specfic certification. Yes, I
> can print out the exam objectives myself. My lack of experience is in how to
> attack the objectives in a group setting. I know how I prepare/study for an
> exam myself and what works for me alone, but don't know how best to utilize
> the group setting. I'm afraid just getting a group together in a room and
> randomly discussing an objective could end up being a waste of time. I
> thought maybe somebody had experienced a structured process - again, for
> general use given any set of objectives where everybody in the group is
> focused on the same objectives, not specific to any particular certification.
> I just don't want to waste my and other's time.
> --
> Jim Anderson, MCSD
> Consultant
> Columbus, Ohio
>
>
> "Michael D. Alligood" wrote:
>
> > Jim. I have taught and structured tons of study groups in the past. You
> > are on the right path in your thinking. First and foremost, you have to
> > choose the certification you want your study group to focus on. Meaning
> > in your OP, you stated that you want to, "... form a study group with
> > coworkers also interested in pursuing certification. Make sure that
> > everyone in the study group is pursuing the same certification!
> >
> > Secondly, get a feel for everyone's knowledge in the specific subject
> > that you are choosing to study. Visit my blog below or
> > http://www.microsoft.com/learning and find the certification the group
> > is interested in. View the Preparation Guides and print off the Skills
> > Being Measured. This is a roadmap Microsoft provides to successfully
> > negotiate the exams.
> >
> > Before I proceed with any further advice, please tell me what
> > certification(s) are you looking to achieve. By knowing this, I can
> > recommend more advice.
> >
> > --
> > Michael D. Alligood
> > MCSA, MCDST, MCP, A+,
> > Network+, i-Net+, CIW Assoc.,
> > CIW Certified Instructor
> >
> > http://yetanotherblog.typepad.com/theclassroom
> >
> >
> >
> > "Jim Anderson" <anderson_jim at Excite DotCom> wrote in message
> > news:276211D5-EDC8-4569-BDFC-:
> >
> > > I am looking to form a study group with coworkers also interested in pursuing
> > > certification to meet at the office in the evening.
> > >
> > > Does anybody know of any guidance as to successful formats for certification
> > > study groups? I would like to plan the time to make the best use of it but
> > > have never attended a certification study group so I am not sure how it
> > > should be run.
> > >
> > > I imagine we will schedule exam objectives or portions of a study guide for
> > > each meeting, but then what, just free form discussion of the material?
> > >
> > > I'd appreciate any feedback from anybody who has participated in a
> > > certification group, especially what is useful and what is not.
> > >
> > > Thanks.
> > > --
> > > Jim Anderson, MCSD
> > > Consultant
> > > Columbus, Ohio
> >
> >

Michael D. Alligood