Acitp...

G

GraMar89

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Have you as a professional heard of the ACITP qualification?

I am in the process of forking out £1000.00+ for a course in VB.NET to achieve this qualification.

I have been to their website and read the spiel, but I need some professional opinions, please.

The ACITP qualification is a lot nearer to my pocket than the MSCD is, (in truth I can't afford to go for a MSCD) but I don't want to waste my time, or money.

Please advise! :)

Many thanks.

G.
 
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Question: Have you as a professional heard of the ACITP qualification?
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Answer: Can you provide a link?
Click to expand...

I guess that pretty much sums up whether we've heard of them or not. :)

But just because I've never heard of them doesn't mean they're not a good resource for learning .NET. I couldn't speak about their certification either but maybe they're more well known in England (I assume, from your reference to £). I wouldn't be too concerned with getting *any* certifications unless you know that you need to, for a particular job for instance. You can see another thread where I mention the MCAD/MCSD cert and my opinion on the role they play in getting a job and such (in general, experience is more important).

-nerseus
 
Thanks Nerseus,

For the £1050.00 I get VS.NET Academic, free telephone helpline, and membership into an association.

At the end of the day, I couldn't find many places that were offering useful courses in .NET. By doing this course, whatever the qualification, I will be able to show that VB.NET and I have co-existed and had a fruitful relationship...

I have been following the thread you mentioned with interest, and as my career started out in programming in COBOL, Z80 & 6502c assembly back in the 80's, I hope this will contribute to some rapid forward movement for my prospects as I try to re-enter this market.

Hmm... just received a magazine called 'Awake!' that is discussing the benefits of sleep - must try it... :)

Many thanks again.
 
Myself and another guy at work are both studying with the Learning Library on the VB course.

I personally think the course is worth the money and has taught me a great deal but I am studying because of my interest in programming not solely for the qualification.
 
How far through it are you, and how good has the support really been?

My wife and I are both doing it in my name. We'll just need to pay for her exam, etc, at the end.

Thanks.

G.
 
I have completted the first 7 assignments.

The feedback from the tutor on these assignments has been the most help. Usefull comments and criticism.

I had only one occasion where I needed to contact him and he was available during the supported hours and answered my phone call imidiately.

I also contacted student services when my software haddn't been deleivered. They said it would be shipped the following week and arrived when they said it would.

I have only two criticisms. Firstly is that there are mistakes in course books but this is normally easily recognised and has not caused any problems in understanding the material.

Secondly is the grading of assignments. There is no 99 out of 100, or A+ B-, you simply get one of three possible grades.
1) The work is of a high standard
2) The work is at the required standard
3) The work is below the required standard

However, you also get usefull and constructive comments which you don't always get with other marking schemes.

Don't forget also, it may cost £1000 but you get Visual Studio .Net Academic (Pro with extras) thrown in. When I signed up hey also gave back £100 for every person you recomended who signed up. I don't know if they still do this.
 
One method you could use to determine if this is a widely accepted/recognized certification is by going to job searching sites and searching for it. This will often give you some kind of indication as to the recognition it is given by companies. Not a fail-safe method, but still something to try.
 
Thanks BusterG.

The course is in my name, but my wife and I are going through the material together. At the end of it it'll just be a matter of paying for her exam and membership.

Your comments here have been extremely helpful.

One of the benefits of 'Distance Learning' is that you can go through the course at your own pace in accord with your circumstances - but this can also be a downfall - how did you arrange your study times?

As for the £100 token, yes they still have that - so if any readers here are interested... ;)

Thanks.

G.
 
I work full time as many people but my position envolves erratic working hours due to travel (upto 1k miles per week) so I study when I can.

I set my alarm 2 hrs early when i'm working locally and if I don't feel too tired, will get up when it rings. I don't push myself to an extreme which is what I had to do when I studied with the Open University, but study when I can but try and keep the study sessions regular.

The whole idea abount this course is that although there is a schedule, it is intended as a guide, you don't have to stick rigorously to the timetable. I was behind the schedule before christmas but caught up by the time I was back to work.

You shouldn't punnish yourself by sticking to the schedule when taking it slightly slower will make it more enjoyable and therefore more memorable. It's no good rushing and forgetting when theres an exam at the end.
 
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