Nortel VS Global Knowledge tests

[NARSBARS]

Has anyone taken both Global Knowledge assessment tests and Nortel training tests?
I am getting to be management, meaning "I used to be a tech" and I am scheduled for two Global courses in November after they switch to Nortel tests. I am concerned that Global may not be up to the level of teaching required by the Nortel Cert tests.
Any comments on how hard the Nortel tests are?

NARSBARS

 

[janeenaj]

I just got back from CC6 class and the test was hell. Its nothing like the 20 questions straight out of the NTP and you can use your books that GK used to give.

What they taught in the class does not completely cover the Nortel Cert test. You'll have to do a lot of homework to cover the difference.

 

[Johnthephoneguy]

The tests are open book, if you can't pass that then there's not much hope for you lol

 

[janeenaj]

The Nortel Cert. test are not open book. GK is no longer giving open book assesment test.

 

[Johnthephoneguy]

Every Nortel Cert test I took before Gk was open book, why did they change that?

 

[NARSBARS]

I have read the description. Proctored, no open book.
My vendor has one of the certified "walk on water" Nortel techs and he says it is time to be afraid, be very afraid.
The new tests are modular so that if a cert requires three courses you can take a piece of the test for each course rather than all three at once.
I think Global has been skirting the issue and they may find that they need to do a better job of test prep.

NARSBARS

 

[johnpoole]

to keep people like me out of the switch.. global knowledge is the old nortel training division.. the only reason i know is i was in texas at symposium training, three long weeks, the instructor was a nortel employee when the course started and a gb employee when it ended.. they have drifted away from the insider knowledge they used to have and yes, open book test are not part of the game anymore..

john poole
bellsouth business
columbia,sc

 

[janeenaj]

The biggest reason why they changed the testing procedure...

ever herd the expression...Certified but not Qualified

There's a lot of that going around

 

[johnpoole]

very true and when people that had passed all the cbt test got to the advanced schools on site.. they could not log in... how are they going to keep up with people that didn't take the cbt's but have programed for a decade?

john poole
bellsouth business
columbia,sc

 

[NARSBARS]

johnpoole,
You are right. I have been programming switches for years, but never had to install one. I am taking an installation course and the scary part is I am good enough to know how much I don't know.

I need to grasp the process and understand everything well enough to manage vendors, but I am never going to be Supertech, like so many of the techs here.
This should be fun.

NARSBARS

 

[johnpoole]

i worked nothing but installs for years and thought i knew the switch, then went to inhouse and actually learned to work with users and features

john poole
bellsouth business
columbia,sc

 

[NARSBARS]

johnpoole,
Thanks for the encouragement. Users and features are easy to me, but determining the right setup (not just what will work) for security, networking, and expansions can give me the hives.
I even know how to call tech supp and actually listen to the answers.

NARSBARS

 

[KE407122]

Most courses always emphasized the old rule RTFM (Read The --- Manual)

As things are managed; multiple courses down would provide more money, not to mention a feeble attempt to lend more legitimacy with the certification of a moving target and more upgrade courses. (See online Mitel Lightware 34. upgrade test)

"I have read and understood the ...."

PASS.

I don't agree with it but maybe it's understandable. In thirty years, I've attended courses from Toshiba, Panasonic, Mitel, Nortel, Cisco, Octel, Rolm, GK, Microsoft et al. It was only on a Large System Release 25 course that I ever saw someone deserving to fail. He'd spent the entire two weeks tapping replies to every Blackberry message received. As you can gather the instructor was quite sympathetic.

Where's my bucket of yellow 77?










KE407122

 

[johnpoole]

blackberries and rls 25.. i must have read that to fast... and i haven't had yellow 77 on my truck since the 70's... we've been down a lot of the same roads... i would still be a rolm tech if simmons had left it alone... the 7000 8000 series orange boxes were my 1st big switch.. 9751 (ibm era) was as easy as it could be... 9006... what a joke... i spent 6 weeks in school on that one, 3 months before the company dropped the line

john poole
bellsouth business
columbia,sc

 

[sandyml]

John, you and I were in class in Texas at the same time! It was a very interesting time to be there..

 

[KE407122]

They lost 500 million that first year of chopping down Junipers. As the Fortune 500 article said...'nothing, just the rounding off error on their Rhode Island taxes.' Two years after I'd left, one of them from Santa Clara tracked me down. "Call back. Important!"
When I called back he wanted to know where the restaurant was in Toronto that I picked up the buttered shrimp from.


I look at my resume now and realize putting down certifications for discontinued products are about as valuable as an MCSE moniker six months after an new OS upgrade. The new twist on closed book exams and longer courses ($$$) will do nothing but force a lot of companies to have fewer certified monkeys out there and a lot of un-certified monkeys touching stuff they shouldn't.

Same roads but they're snow covered and my speed limit is metric.


KE407122

 

[johnpoole]

that is strange.. my instructor was a highschool teacher that didn't know any pbx just the sypmposium basic's.. the 1st week was a waste but after that it was a pretty good school... the good thing about non techs in the switch... they tend to cause real techs hours of overtime.. as a consultant i changed 150 per hour to clean up a dayabase and TRY to teach your inhouse how to keep it clean, usually my recogmendation was training of replacing at least half of any staff... anyone can learn, no everyone wants to..

john poole
bellsouth business
columbia,sc