Should you be looking to gain accredited qualifications at the MCSA (Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator) level of study, some of the best training tools on the market today are for computer based training that works interactively. So if you are a professional but are looking to formalise your skills with certification, or you're a beginner, there are hands-on MCSA study programmes to fit your requirements. Each of these categories needs a different solution, so pay attention that you're on the right training programme in advance of getting your credit card out. Identify an organisation that takes the time to understand you, and what you hope to do, and one that has the ability to make available enough information to make your choice.

You have to be sure that all your qualifications are current and commercially required - don't even consider programs which end up with a useless in-house certificate or plaque. From the viewpoint of an employer, only top businesses such as Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco or CompTIA (to give some examples) will get you short-listed. Anything less just won't hit the right spot.

Always expect the current Microsoft (or Cisco, CompTIA etc.) authorised simulation materials and exam preparation packages. Avoid relying on non-accredited exam preparation systems. The type of questions asked is often somewhat different - and sometimes this can be a real headache when the proper exam time arrives. Practice exams are invaluable as a resource to you - so when it comes to taking the real thing, you will be much more relaxed.

Including examination fees upfront and offering an 'Exam Guarantee' is a common method with many training course providers. But look at the facts:

Thankfully, today we have to be a little more 'marketing-savvy' - and the majority of us ought to realise that of course it is actually an additional cost to us - it's not because they're so generous they want to give something away! For those who want to qualify first 'go', then you should pay for one exam at a time, give it the necessary attention and apply yourself as required.

Find the best exam deal or offer available when you're ready, and save having to find the money early. You'll then be able to select where you do the examinations - meaning you can choose a local testing centre. A lot of extra profit is made by some training companies who get money upfront for exam fees. For quite legitimate reasons, a number of students don't get to do their exams but the company keeps the money. Surprising as it sounds, there are providers who actually rely on students not sitting all the exams - as that's where a lot of their profit comes from. Most companies will require you to sit pre-tests and hold you back from re-takes until you've proven conclusively that you can pass - so an 'Exam Guarantee' comes with many clauses in reality.

On average, exams cost 112 pounds or thereabouts in the last 12 months when taken at local VUE or Pro-metric centres throughout the country. So why pay hundreds or thousands of pounds extra to get 'Exam Guarantees', when common sense dictates that the most successful method is a commitment to studying and the use of authorised exam preparation tools.

Quite often, students have issues with a single training area which is often not even considered: The way the training is divided into chunks and delivered to your home. You may think that it makes sense (with training often lasting 2 or 3 years to pass all the required exams,) for many training providers to send out one module at a time, as you achieve each exam pass. However: How would they react if you didn't complete every module at the proposed pace? Often the staged order won't fit you as well as some other structure would for you.

In an ideal situation, you want ALL the study materials up-front - so you'll have them all to return to any point - whenever it suits you. You can also vary the order in which you complete each objective as and when something more intuitive seems right for you.

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