Best CBT company?

SephStorm

What company do you use or prefer for your cert focused CBT training? I like CBT training, as my time and movement are resticted, and are likely to stay that way for some time. The main company I have seen promoted here is CBT Nuggets. I have also heard of CBT Planet. Any suggestions for real good CBT Training, that will really prepare a student for a cert exam?

earweed

What cert do you want it for? Not all the CBT's by one company are equal, for Net+ and Sec+ I used Labsim and it was excellent (you have those certs already) tried same company for 83-640 and was disappointed with the product.
I hear Trainsignal is good, never tried them myself.
I use IT Academy for MS stuff through WGU but it's not really CBT, you mostly read stuff and get read to by a computer generated voice and you watch someone perform tasks onscreen and then you do the virtual lab.

dynamik

Nuggets and Train Signal are both quality. VTC is a little dated, but significantly cheaper. I haven't used CBT Planet.

SephStorm

I imagine my next certs will be CIW Associates, MCTS 7 and GSEC, and from there MCITP:SA.

I don't think i will need CBT's for CIWA, based on reviews here, I might just challenge it next week

*looks*

Uh oh. Looks like CIW is trying to make a move. They now count as a 1 year experience waiver for CISSP and they just updated their curriculum. maybe I'll wait another week, I got an extra day off.

Main thought, though it may be momentarily out of reach is the GSEC, CBT Planet is the only place I have seen with a GSEC CBT. I would have to contact them, find out how updated it is.

earweed

If you need books for CIW associate PM me, you can reimburse me for postage. Windows 7 doesn't have any good CBT's out that I know of.. any actually except for learnkey and VTC and I haven't heard any reviews of either.
Know nothing about GSEC, for MCITP:SA I hear the trainsignal is pretty good.

dynamik

Trainsignal has Win7. I'm surprised CBT Nuggets doesn't; they don't even have a date on the schedule. They need to get more people than Conrad if it takes this long to get CBTs out. That's ridiculous.

You're not going to find any CBTs or other training materials for the SANS stuff (i.e. GSEC) other than SANS itself.

earweed

Trainsignal only lists Win7 Administration Training. I was searching recently as I plan to take Win 7 after I finish my MCITP:EA. I sorta cheated (took Vista)
There are free CBT's available on the web for individual topics if you don't mind hunting for them.

mikedisd2

SephStorm wrote: »

What company do you use or prefer for your cert focused CBT training? I like CBT training, as my time and movement are resticted, and are likely to stay that way for some time. The main company I have seen promoted here is CBT Nuggets. I have also heard of CBT Planet. Any suggestions for real good CBT Training, that will really prepare a student for a cert exam?

Like real classrooms you get good and average teachers. I found Zachary on Testout to be excellent for the MCSE exams. Chris Bryant is really good in the Trainsignal Cisco series. Personally I found CBT Nuggets was a bit too much blah blah lame joke blah illegible handwriting blah, but others on this forum dig that franchise. Maybe I just picked the wrong tutor.

Know that CBTs won't fully replace reading material, but it's alot easier to digest when starting.

NetworkingStudent

SephStorm wrote: »

What company do you use or prefer for your cert focused CBT training? I like CBT training, as my time and movement are resticted, and are likely to stay that way for some time. The main company I have seen promoted here is CBT Nuggets. I have also heard of CBT Planet. Any suggestions for real good CBT Training, that will really prepare a student for a cert exam?

In my honest opinion, I feel that Test Out is the best option for students for the following reasons:
• They talk to you ,and you feel like you’re in an actual class room
• Each video segment has tons of things you can print out, plus they suggest questions to watch while watching each video.
• All videos contain numerous labs and question to measure a candidates understanding of the material.
• They offer a student discount
Here are some links to the videos that walk you through Testout, and show you what the training is like.
• TestOut - Videos
• TestOut - Labs
• TestOut - Exams
I have purchased Train Signal , and I like them for the following reasons:
• They make things easy to understand, and explain things in a very simple manner.
• You get your training in multiple formats
• I am watching my videos on my ipod touch
• Also, I have been burning the audio files on to CD’s, so that I can listen to the video series when I’m driving.
• You get a free Transcenders test with each video you purchase.
• Also, they give you free stuff like Windows R2 Server 2008 training disc.
• I love their customer service, and all my DVD’s and the packing looked very professional
So far the only training I didn’t care for was element K, which seemed kind of dull and boring. Also, I have heard some people suggest professor Messor, I think that’s how you say his name. I watched 2 minutes of his video once, and something just didn’t seem right.
I haven’t tried CBT Nuggests, so I can’t comment on them myself. I feel you should try each training company, and see which one you feel most comfortable with. Most of these companies allow you to have a certain trial period to test their product or video certification series, without actually paying for the item itself. Some people on this forum swear by CBT Nuggets, while others swear by Train Signal. Then others like me swear by Testout. Might even be a few that swear by Prep Logic. It all depends on a person individual taste and experience with the product. Also, I feel that if you passed so many certs with one product that might also make a person develop loyality to a certain company, but that’s just my theory.
Even though this link below highlights differences between CBT Nuggets vs Train Signal CCCNA… I still think that it highlights the main differences between the companies.
TrainSignal Vs CBT Nuggets CCNA Video Training | Networks Training
Good Luck.. I hope this helps

Daniel333

Depends on what cert you are getting really?

vtc.com still has a good selection of MCSE, Exchange 2007 and some and great Linux stuff. But in the Microsoft/Cisco world they have fallen behind. No Exchange 2010, No Windows 7 cert, no current Cisco.

Generally CBTnuggets are the best. But I have also liked TrainSignal.

earweed

Actually VTC has windows 7. One of the few to have a cbt for it. It's 7 hrs. but I haven't heard any reviews.

brad-

Ive used CBT Nuggets and Trainsignal. They're both expensive, both good. Trainsignal is a little better.

Devilsbane

CBT Nuggets material is ok. Not worth the money though, more of a hasstle just to use than then the information they give. Go with trainsignal.

Plantwiz

SephStorm wrote: »

What company do you use or prefer for your cert focused CBT training? I like CBT training, as my time and movement are resticted, and are likely to stay that way for some time. The main company I have seen promoted here is CBT Nuggets. I have also heard of CBT Planet. Any suggestions for real good CBT Training, that will really prepare a student for a cert exam?

Which certification are you looking to prep for?

I like both TrainSignal and CBT Nuggets, though I like TrainSignal a little more...because I think the material is presented a bit more how it is used in the work environment and not so much as a test prep guide. In a nutshell, to me, there is more longterm value to TrainSignal's product....but as others have mentioned...it depends on the exam you are preparing for.

phoeneous

NetworkingStudent wrote: »

So far the only training I didn’t care for was element K, which seemed kind of dull and boring.

Agreed.

Paul Boz

CbtNuggets got me most of the way there for most of my Cisco certs. I don't have experience with any other instructors but Jeremy C really does an above average job on the Cisco stuff.

RobertKaucher

NetworkingStudent wrote: »

In my honest opinion, I feel that Test Out is the best option for students for the following reasons:

I second that.

But I also want to say that many of the others are good, and while CBT Nuggets is a great resource it is in many cases way over hyped. I would say that for the ones I have seen of both TestOut and CBT Nuggets TestOut far exceeded CBT Nuggets (290 and 431 are prime examples).

hustlin_moe20

The VTE site has good stuff also.

genXrcist

As many of you probably already know, CBTNuggets does have a Windows 7 series out now. I just finished it a couple of days ago and I thought it was excellant!