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Home > Archive > Certified Internet Webmaster - CIW > April 2002 > Passed Foundations
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Passed Foundations
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| buddahfool 2002-04-01, 6:30 pm |
| Got a 92%.
I am in a rut I get 92% for all my certs lately...  (3 in a row so far)
It asked some questions about troubleshooting database conectivity which I did not study but other wise went well. Know your OSI model well...
-Fool | |
| wildscribe 2002-04-01, 6:59 pm |
| Fantastic! A 92 is an awesome score!!!
I also think it's interesting that you took the CIW-A and I-Net+. Were you aware that the I-Net+ counts towards the CIW-A and for $95 (I think that's the current price), you could have gotten the CIW-A cert without taking a test?
But now that you've taken both the CIW-A and I-Net+, which test did you think was more difficult?
Good Luck with your future certs!
- Wild | |
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| quote:
Originally posted by buddahfool
CIW is a less mature exam. The wording was clumsy and seemed to focus on trivia. It seemed worse than the Microsoft exams as far as answering the questions "The CIW way" rather than the correct answer.
I would have to agree with this - if one were paranoid, one might suspect that they were determined to make sure you bought the official materials so you would know the idiosyncratic vocabulary required for certain questions... ;-)
My own feeling was that about a half-dozen questions relied on idiosyncratic vocabulary that you weren't likely to see outside the CIW materials. It wasn't enough to keep you from passing, but it was definitely enough to make you nervous if you were weak on any other section... ;-) | |
| buddahfool 2002-04-01, 9:26 pm |
| It is so true. My teacher could not keep a straight face when referring to an IP address as a "Dotted Quad" | |
| wildscribe 2002-04-01, 10:11 pm |
| quote:
It is so true. My teacher could not keep a straight face when referring to an IP address as a "Dotted Quad"
That does sound bizarre, but it doesn't surprise me. CIW was founded by a for-profit training company and they have to promote their own prep material. Thanks for the warning.
I like the CompTIA exams, at least the ones I took - A+ and Network+. I had been pulling computers apart since I purchased my first PC in 1982. I thought I had a good understanding about how they worked, but studying for the A+ really gave me a good education and showed me there is much more to learn. I have been able to put a lot of what I learned from the A+ to work at my current job. Same with the Network+. I am also looking forward to taking the security cert that CompTIA plans to offer in the Fall.
Thanks for the information on CIW-A and I-Net+.
Wild | |
| Drummer 2002-04-01, 11:56 pm |
| quote:
Originally posted by vidon
My own feeling was that about a half-dozen questions relied on idiosyncratic vocabulary that you weren't likely to see outside the CIW materials. It wasn't enough to keep you from passing, but it was definitely enough to make you nervous if you were weak on any other section... ;-)
I'll take that over the M$ stuff where they say right off the top in the MOC books that "these books will not cover all the material in the exams". At least with the CIW tests you know that everything on the exam was in a Prosoft book. It might have been in some obscure place but it was there. | |
| vidon 2002-04-02, 12:15 am |
| quote:
Originally posted by Drummer
I'll take that over the M$ stuff where they say right off the top in the MOC books that "these books will not cover all the material in the exams". At least with the CIW tests you know that everything on the exam was in a Prosoft book. It might have been in some obscure place but it was there.
The issue is always whether the test is meant to test your skills, or to screen your pocketbook... ;-) Don't get me wrong: I enjoyed the process of preparing for the CIW - and I've never been willing to go for the MS certs (talk about screening your pocketbook!). But some people have trouble affording the official materials, and in an ideal world should be able to pass the test without them - so long as they've fully mastered the publicly stated test objectives...
I still suspect that the CIW materials wouldn't be enough to prepare someone for the exam "from scratch" - but I agree with you that they are more than adequate as a guide to what you need to know, if you already more or less know it... | |
| buddahfool 2002-04-02, 1:12 am |
| quote:
Originally posted by vidon
I still suspect that the CIW materials wouldn't be enough to prepare someone for the exam "from scratch" - but I agree with you that they are more than adequate as a guide to what you need to know, if you already more or less know it...
Well to be honest I barely knew any HTML, no java, no CSS and nothing about registering a domain name or web hosting before I took the courses.
I knew some network stuff out of books but never really used it.
hmmm... but I think I attribute the usefulness of the course to to good teachers at UNM Continuing Ed. They really expanded on the material and had me participate in exercises that used the skills till I knew the concepts not the rote memorization.
hmmm... but I took MCP classes from the same people and I had the opposite expereince...
sooo... maybe they have good material. On the balance the books were actually good references and I will use them in the future.
boy am I wordy tonite, 
-Paul | |
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| buddahfool 2002-04-02, 6:19 am |
| Sorry, I only used the offical books. 
I found this site a good practice test. http://www.ciwcram.com/
Combine that with the www.cramsession.com guide and you might have a decent foundation. | |
| examiner 2002-04-06, 8:29 pm |
| Hi Paul (buddahfool),
I refer to your posting that your teacher could not keep his face straight upon referring to an IP address as a "dotted quad". Yes, it does seem to sound odd but it is not really a term that only Prosoft uses when talking about the format of an IP address...
There are many, many sites out there that use this term, even at Apache's official site!!
Something to try at Altavista (www.altavista.com)....
Enter the following as search string, enclosed in double quotes:
"dotted quad"
The search will result in over 27000 matches.
But I think the term "dotted decimal" should be used instead. Some RFCs use the term "dotted decimal" instead of "dotted quad"... Over 27000 pages and so shouldn't be wrong and "dotted quad" should also be right?? Not necessarily... There was a time when everyone thought the world was flat!! But when so many people make the same mistake without realizing it is a mistake, it just don't appear the slightest bit to be a mistake! Some sites will also tell you that "dotted quad" and "dotted decimal" are interchangable terms. Right??? Before one can answer, one must get the CORRECT definition for these terms...
But "dotted decimal" sounds 'square'---unimpressive; "dotted quad" seems to be more impressive, 'techco'. So, what the heck, let's continue to use "dotted quad". The world is still flat.
Examiner | |
| Diamyo 2002-04-08, 9:46 am |
| Well i go to take my foundations test at 3:30pm today. I have been studying hardcore, and I believe that I will pass.
I kinda wanna get this one over and done with because now we are into the 2nd class, Design Methodology, and taking in so much more from this class.
We all had a hard time with the first class due to "teacher incopetence" and would have been better off just buying the books for $102.00 and not taking the $2000.00 class.
Ok off to last minute cram!
/D | |
| buddahfool 2002-04-09, 3:34 pm |
| I hope you do well on the test.
Boy, I know what you mean about teacher incompetence, allow me to vent a little:
UNM's program I am taking was one of the few in town that did not do the "boot camp" approach to certifications. I felt they wanted you to learn the subject not just cram the info to pass the test.
I just started my site designer's course on monday. I had hear such good things about all the cross platform techniques I was going to learn and the awesome teacher. At the last minute that teacher became unavailable and they brought in a new instructor.
ARRRRGGGHHH!!!!
She is terrible. She is not from a technical background but from a "training" background. She is just interested in cramming facts down our throats and making us like we are idiots. When ever we ask a question about more in depth knowledge, I get impression that that we should shut up and listen to "the way things really are" for the test.
I am too used to the open learning environment of previous classes, I am in shell shock. I guess this kind of teacher most people seeking "paper" certifications want. Depressing.
I complained to the office (along with several other students) about this teacher, but talked me into trying it another day. I guess they are thinking of dropping the CIW program and this might be my last chance for this course though...
Well Diamyo, by the time you read this you will certainly have passed your foundations, so don't let my ravings get you down.
enjoy the day,
-Paul | |
| Diamyo 2002-04-09, 4:45 pm |
| WooHoo!! Passed the test!
It's finally over. I stressed about this whole thing because of the fact the teacher was so bad, but I did pretty good on the exam.
Let me tell you something else our teacher told us, as long as were blowing off steam:
The teacher down the hall came by one night and was talking, and asked if he (our Teacher) gave test's?
"Well, of course not" he said "I am only here to present the information in the books".
NOW.... It seems to me that when I spend a couple thousand dollars for a class, that the teacher should be more concerened about our LEARNING the information.
He then proceeded to tell us how he failed the Networking part of his test, but made up for it with the others.
This is definately the last time I take a course at this college.
And for taking more CIW exams, I will finish the next two, because I have already paid $7000.00 for the "package" deal, and the teacher seems much better and knowledgable.
But, sfter finishing the courses, I am buying just the study materials for another course, and see how I do on that route.
I pretty much had to do the same thing for the foundations course, why not try another?
ok I'm done, THX!!!!!! for all the input from everybody here at the forums and I hope that I can help others here in the future.
Later,
/D | |
| buddahfool 2002-04-12, 2:33 pm |
| Well my faith in this school has been restored. They fired her (the bad teacher), rescheduled the class (with a kick butt teacher) and let us keep the books.
Wish me luck on my A+ OS test monday,
-Paul | |
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| Hey Hey! Sometimes things do work out like they're supposed to...
Good luck on the upcoming exam! | |
| examiner 2002-04-12, 8:51 pm |
| Anybody (trainers, developers, whatsoever) who adopts a sloppy, "I'm here just to earn $$$" attitude, whose work is only good enough to be flush down the toilet, should be FIRED.
My impression is that there are many such people in the I.T. industry and I wonder how many of these are certification holders... | |
| buddahfool 2002-04-12, 9:40 pm |
| The school just hired me to teach part of the CIW Foundations ciriculum... LOL
I hope I do better than she did with our class... | |
| examiner 2002-04-13, 4:45 am |
| Hi !
You are certainly lucky to have a job offered to you without asking for it.
Well, since you know the negative "traits" of the previous trainer, I am sure you would avoid these and do a better job than her...
Wish you all the best in teaching Foundations!! | |
| Diamyo 2002-04-13, 11:59 am |
| LOL, the foundations teacher that just left the district asked if I was interested in teaching the foundations class also. | |
| buddahfool 2002-04-13, 2:26 pm |
| Am I the only one worried about the low standards for CIW instructors? (this is not a dig against you Diaymo) I am a very clever student, but I have never even made a single web page professionally yet.
I guess this one of the reasons that this school is thinking of dropping the CIW program. Talking to the other teacher they tell me:
a) Next to impossible to retain teachers who will teach it more than once because of the following.
b) Hard to teach mixture of students who tend toward the extremes, either 1) boot camp: "just me the test answers no more" or 2) "teach me the material so I can understand it when I do this profdessionally"
c) The CIW tests have many answers you only need for the test and never will see in the real world. This encourages brain dumps and boot camp style studying.
d) The ciriculum claims to be platform independant but the tests truely are not.
Kinda depressing. Sigh, I wish CompTIA had a more extensive web certification program. CompTIA is a not for profit trade association, CIW was designed to make its founders money and I think it shows. CompTIA's i-Net is a good first start but they need more. | |
| examiner 2002-04-13, 7:47 pm |
| Hi, Diamyo,
What Buddhahfool said is very true. It is not an easy thing handling a class of trainees with diverse backgrounds and different expectations.
When the other trainer left, you were asked whether you would like to be a trainer, too. Perhaps, "Wait till you teach a class yourself,... !!!"
As for boot camps,... Perhaps the training center should design shorter duration courses and label them as "boot camps" or "cram sessions" instead of the usual CIW sessions. This, I think will be beneficial to both the training center and the trainees... They get what they want.
As for CompTIA not being profit-minded,... I do not quite agree with Buddhahfool (Paul) on that point. Still a dot com company... It will be good if the certification is developed by a .org or at least if it is a .com, is one that is actively involved in international standards such as W3C. | |
| Diamyo 2002-04-13, 8:50 pm |
| No offense taken.
I understand your point about "boot camp".
That is what it felt like to me.
I posted here somewhere else about the teacher not being "up to par" with his knowledge of the principles, and his remarks about what his "job" was, quote:"
I'm just here to present the information".
How about explaining it?
I'll tell you what...
If I was a CIW instructor, I would get fired right away for failure to comply with their standards.
How can anybody say they "teach a class" when all they do is take some phrases from the book and read them to you? And then to top it off, not understand the concept himself?
Like you also Buddahfool, I a smart student, and I believe that I am pretty knowledgable in the area of web design, ( I have built a few Business, and pleasure sites), but I am definately worried that all this money I spent ( bought the package deal) for these classes was WAY OVER what they are actually worth, at least the Foundations class, for the little that I learned from him, (the teacher).
I am currently taking the web design & Methodology class and the teacher in teacher for this class is in the field and has "real life" experience in the field (works for Verizon as the Web Admin).
The teacher for the Foundations class, from what he said, had only taken the Foundations class and passed a year prior to his teaching it. Never did any professional design work...His own site wouldn't work for the whole time we were in the class. I don't think he knew half of what the Design teacher forgot.
Ok Type at ya's lata,
/D
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Any suggestions ?