Does anybody have Nortel Certs?

This is maybe a long shot, but does anyone have any Nortel certifications? if so which ones and how do you compare them to certs such as the CCNA and CCNP exams?

How long do they take to prepare for? (on average or from your experience)

Due to getting more involved in Nortel IPT at work I've been looking into this on the Nortel website and for example there are approx 50 different NCSS exams. I'm wondering if these take months of prep or with some Nortel experience can they be obtained within a month or 2?

If nobody actually has the certs does the webmaster or anyone know anything about the Nortel track or does anybody know anyone who has experience of this?

Thanks in advance

Malc

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Comments

doom969

Yep, i'd also be interested to know !

ty

Doom969

NinjaBoy

I don't have any Cisco or Nortel certs, but it is something that I've been looking into.

From what I've gather, the basis are the same, however where they differ is after the basics, they then specialise in their own technology (hardware and software).

As for taking an exam, it does depend on how much knowledge you have already - this will dictate how long it will take to prepare for the exam. The only thing I can suggest in this matter is to go thru the Nortel training material and see how you get on.

-Ken

(Sorry couldn't be more helpful)

malcybood

Thanks for the reply, didn't think I'd even get one for this post

NinjaBoy wrote:

From what I've gather, the basis are the same, however where they differ is after the basics, they then specialise in their own technology (hardware and software).

This is what prompted my question, from what I can gather, yes the fundamentals are probably the same but they exam tracks are completely different! Nortel appear to have an exam for every product as you say but I was just wondering if anyone had any exp of what the exams are like

NinjaBoy wrote:

As for taking an exam, it does depend on how much knowledge you have already - this will dictate how long it will take to prepare for the exam. The only thing I can suggest in this matter is to go thru the Nortel training material and see how you get on.

-Ken

(Sorry couldn't be more helpful)

This is what I intend to do but for example I had OK Cisco knowledge (not in production, only from learning myself) when I started studying and it took me 9 months to study and pass the 640-801. The CCNA is only either 1 or 2 exams depending on which route you take. With Nortel as I say have

- 48 different NCSS exams (these are the product ones you refer to I think)
- 2 NCTS Exams (Engineer on the ground type exams)
- 18 NCDS exams (Design track for product set)

I reckon I would probably start with this exam as we run baystack switch stacks in all of our regional offices. I should be able to lay my hands on 2 or 3 switches to simulate a lab stack to practice at work.

http://app97.nortelnetworks.com/cgi-bin/teds/cs/maintc.jsp?level=6&category=12&subcategory=8&subtype=&exOID=1057944

I think I will maybe ask our account manager to advise or if he can put me in touch with one of his engineers to advise and be sure to post back when I get some info.

For the record our Nortel products in the main are i2002 & i2004 desk phones, Callpilot/desktop fax sw, succession enterprise & a mix of baystack 460/470 switches.

What kit do you guys use if any?

wildfire

Well, I will chime in here, I have the NCTS (in real time networking), I first did it in 2004 when it all changed from the simple cert model. It has changed a little looking at the objectives (mpls etc now included)

This is more vendor neutral than Nortel specific, I did it because at the time I was working on Nortel Passports switches and merdians. To be honest I bought thier $50 pdf, which was more than enought, it was a pretty simple exam, and to be honest a waste of time. Think of it as a Network+ on the service provider side. I was going to do NCSS in the 8600, but then I woke up and got back to my Cisco books - I have never looked back

The exam was multichoice, about 70 questions, mostly easy, and mostly vendor nuetral, I think they have somone else write the certs!

I would say if you plan on the baystack exam and already use them it should be pretty easy, my company gets people to do Nortel certs for one reason! Partner discounts as we still do voice solutions heavily with nortel.

malcybood

wildfire wrote:

Well, I will chime in here, I have the NCTS (in real time networking), I first did it in 2004 when it all changed from the simple cert model. It has changed a little looking at the objectives (mpls etc now included)

This is more vendor neutral than Nortel specific, I did it because at the time I was working on Nortel Passports switches and merdians. To be honest I bought thier $50 pdf, which was more than enought, it was a pretty simple exam, and to be honest a waste of time. Think of it as a Network+ on the service provider side. I was going to do NCSS in the 8600, but then I woke up and got back to my Cisco books - I have never looked back

The exam was multichoice, about 70 questions, mostly easy, and mostly vendor nuetral, I think they have somone else write the certs!

I would say if you plan on the baystack exam and already use them it should be pretty easy, my company gets people to do Nortel certs for one reason! Partner discounts as we still do voice solutions heavily with nortel.

Great info wildfire thanks,

having looked at the NCTS objectives for real time networking more closely I reckon I could probably knock that one out as well as the baystack! I'm not planning on becoming a total nortel head just looking to expand skillset after CCDA before moving up to CCNP (Can't afford the lab equipment yet)

Can you point me to where you got the PDF as I think most of the sites that sell material for this are **** sites when I googled it as it is a rare exam. I want a legit study guide!

Ta

malcybood

dont worry I see the "training course" on the website is actually a document, not a course as such. Quite deceiving that!

http://app97.nortelnetworks.com/cgi-bin/teds/cs/maintc.jsp?level=6&category=9&subcategory=17&subtype=&CourseID=2225V-2-8&scrsreg=3

Malc

NinjaBoy

malcybood wrote:

For the record our Nortel products in the main are i2002 & i2004 desk phones, Callpilot/desktop fax sw, succession enterprise & a mix of baystack 460/470 switches.

What kit do you guys use if any?

The only Nortel kit that we use is the Phone system, the BCM400. We also use the i2002, the i2004 and another model that I can't remember off the top of my head.

When I have time, I want to do one of the Nortel certs that has to do with the phone system. One day...

-Ken

Paul Boz

I've got TONS of experience performing maintenance and provisioning on the Nortel DMS platform of telecommunications switches but have no certification or anything. To my understanding, the Nortel certs are pretty challenging.