CCNA/MCSE Toronto School Program

nasu

Hello guys,
I am looking for a good private or public school that offers the CCNA and MCSE classes. I would like to know from your experience which schools in Ontario, Toronto area you would recommend.

I would like to know the followings:
1. How long it took for the CCNA or MCSE classes ?
2. Were they available part-time or full -time?
3. How relevant were they in regards to the CCNA or MCSE certifications?
4. What was the cost ?

I really appreciate your time guys.

Thanks a lot

dynamik

Is there a reason you're looking for classroom learning?

You could get yourself a CBT Nuggets subscription, lab gear, books, etc. and still have a ton left over compared to what you would spend for classroom instruction.

I don't like the pace or the cost of classroom learning. That's just my opinion though. If it works for you, go for it.

nasu

I am not looking into self-study yet maybe after the classes. I could pay up to 12k for a very good course that I can get theory and hands on experience

Thanks.

vintage_69

I've taken some courses at Trios in London which I found to be ok. I believe their main campus is in Toronto. Their MCSE program offers a ton of other cert material but if the teacher isn't very good, you end up teaching yourself anyway.

The school I ultimately went to for MCSE 2003 training is only located in London and I found even having a good teacher who had years of experience, many certs and was an MCT, I still put in a lot of home study and lab work. At the end of it all I feel like I learned more on my own time.

nasu

bump guys ..anyone..

networker050184

nasu wrote:

bump guys ..anyone..

Most people here do self study so we probably won't be too much help.

skrpune

networker050184 wrote:

nasu wrote:

bump guys ..anyone..

Most people here do self study so we probably won't be too much help.

Agreed. I've done the CBT Nuggets for A+ & N+, but no classroom training, but haven't gotten to the more advanced stuff yet so I can't offer any recommendations.

There are TONS of places to go in the Toronto area if you want classroom based training though. Just watch TV for an hour or to and you'll see countless commercials for training centers, technical "colleges" and the like. But be careful, some of those places are very much focused on letting EVERYONE in so they can take your tuition money and less focused on giving you an education. Go visit some places and see what they "feel" like and ask if you can talk to some current students. If they leave you with an impression of being an organized scholastic environment, then that's a good indication that they're not a scammy type place.

What part of the GTA are you in? I lived in the Scarborough area and took my A+ exams at NetCom College (near 401 & Markham Rd I think) and it seemed pretty good from what I could see - small place, seemed like nice people who were student focused...but then again, I was only there to use their testing facilities so I didn't look too deeply into their services. I also took a MS test at NetPlus on Ellesmere Rd - DO NOT GO THERE. The "school" is a series of back hallways and closets behind a scruffy looking & loud tech store front, and I had to wait in someone's (very dirty and cramped) office until literally 1 minute before my scheduled test time...and then the test computer came up with errors and the fellas there had to scramble to fix me up so I could take my test. If that's any indication of their organizational skills and how they teach their classes, then I'd highly recommend stay as far away from them as possible!!

Daniel333

Take that same 12k and invest it in equipment/rent/beer and self study. IT is always changing, faster than schools for the most part! Get used to self study now.
Another important reason you need the equipment for self study is that you already need upgrade your MCSE to the 2008 versions and the CCNA alone these days won't get your foot in the door. You'll need a CCNA specialization, CCDA and/or the CCNP.
Most schools are rushing and won't be much help, and nothing can replace the actual experience of running the labs yourself with the real thing.
The CCNA took me about 6 months and the MCSE is coming up on a year. But I work full time and just study the weekends mainly.