[asterisk-users] Digium training course

[Chris Brentano]

Actually, rethinking the original argument that the written exam is  
biased towards the class, I would say the exact opposite is true: The  
practical exam is biased towards the class. In fact, everything in the  
practical exam is taught in the class almost step for step.


On Sep 21, 2008, at 10:20 AM, Chris Brentano wrote:

> I would also disagree that the written exam is biased towards people
> who attended the training. I attended a Bootcamp earlier this year and
> thought I was fully prepared to pass the dCAP. Especially since I
> already had real-world Asterisk experience. But the written exam
> covered material that we hadn't even discussed in class, some stuff
> that was in the book, and other that I was totally lost on. I passed
> the practical with a near perfect score, but fell just short of
> passing the written. IMHO, the written portion needs to be re- 
> evaluated.
>
> What I think needs to change is de-coupling the dCAP exam from the
> Bootcamp class. I'll likely never retake the dCAP exam since Digium
> doesn't offer the Bootcamp in my area (Portland) and I can't go to a
> local testing facility (New Horizons, et al.) and do the exam. It
> would cost me well beyond the $300 to take the exam after factoring in
> travel costs and time spent away from work.
>
> Also, the problem with the dCAP being coupled to the Bootcamp is that
> it gives you the false impression that the Bootcamp prepares you to
> pass the dCAP and that is completely *not true*. In my Bootcamp class
> of 9 only 4 took the dCAP. Our own instructor said it took him 3 tries
> to pass! If this isn't going to change, then the dCAP should be
> changed so that the Bootcamp *does* prepare you to pass. And
> similarly, Digium should then also offer less expensive (at least,
> less than $3K) self-study materials or online training that also
> offers similar training without having to be present at the Bootcamp
> That way someone could elect to train at their own schedule and later
> coordinate to drop-in on the last day of a Bootcamp session and take
> the dCAP.
>
> - Chris
>
>
> On Sep 21, 2008, at 9:15 AM, Tilghman Lesher wrote:
>
>> On Thursday 18 September 2008 20:56:58 Craig Guy wrote:
>>> I felt at the time the written portion was heavily biased towards
>>> people
>>> who had done the training - in fact I would go so far as to say
>>> that it was
>>> designed specifically to discriminate against people who had not
>>> attended
>>> the official training.
>>
>> I'd have to disagree with that, having taken the written portion
>> without
>> having attended the bootcamp, and I got one of the highest scores of
>> the
>> people there that day.  Included was one question that I believe I
>> was the
>> only that day to have gotten right.  Of course, I had the written the
>> application upon which that question was based, so I had an unfair
>> advantage,
>> I suppose.  Other than that question, though, I'd have to say that  
>> the
>> written portion highly favored the person with a well-rounded set of
>> experiences with Asterisk.
>>
>> However, the test has been revised since I have taken it, and Jared
>> assures me
>> that some of the more tricky questions have been removed, so the
>> written
>> portion may be easier nowadays.
>>
>> --
>> Tilghman
>>
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