[asterisk-users] Digium training course

[Craig Guy]

Fair enough,

I did not attend bootcamp, and I passed the dcap at Astricon 2004.  My
opinion was based on a number of questions in the written exam that I felt
had nothing to do with either Asterisk or integration of Asterisk into a
customer site.  My assumption therefore was that those questions covered
content taught in the Bootcamp.  I am happy to stand corrected on the
matter.

Craig

-----Original Message-----
From: asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com
[mailto:asterisk-users-bounces at lists.digium.com] On Behalf Of Chris Brentano
Sent: Monday, 22 September 2008 1:21 AM
To: Asterisk Users Mailing List - Non-Commercial Discussion
Subject: Re: [asterisk-users] Digium training course

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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