Should you be ready to formalise your skill set at the MCSA level of study, the latest courses available are based on CD and DVD ROM's using study with interactive components. So if you have a certain amount of knowledge but are ready to gain accredited qualifications, or you're a beginner, you'll come across hands-on MCSA training programs to fulfil your needs. To pass at the MCSA level there are four MCP's (Microsoft Certified Professional exams) needed to be passed. If this is your first entry into computing exams, the chances are you'll have to have some coaching prior to doing the first of the four MCP's. Find a company that has industry experts who can guide you towards the right way to tackle your goal and can match your current skills to the right level of course.

You should only consider training paths which will grow into industry acknowledged certifications. There's an endless list of minor schools offering minor 'in-house' certificates which will prove unusable when it comes to finding a job. Unless your qualification is issued by a conglomerate such as Microsoft, Adobe, CompTIA or Cisco, then you'll probably find it will be commercially useless - as it'll be an unknown commodity.

It's generally accepted that it should take roughly 300-350 hours to train for the MCSA, & about two hundred hours extra for the 'MCSE', assuming you have use of top-notch multi-media training, plus excellent help and support facilities & examination preparation. When you have some experience you might realistically study part-time & achieve your accreditations in under a year. Without any previous experience it could be foolish to leap right in. The 'Comptia' 'A+' & Network+ need to be regarded as the starting-place. You can find details of these training-tracks on the 'Comptia' pages of this web-site. Add on around 200 hrs of studying time, which is likely to take a minimum of 6 months part-time.

The age-old way of teaching, utilising reference manuals and books, is often a huge slog for most of us. If this describes you, look for learning programmes which feature interactive and multimedia modules. Many years of research has constantly confirmed that becoming involved with our studies, to utilise all our senses, will more likely produce memories that are deeper and longer-lasting.

Start a study-program in which you'll receive a selection of CD or DVD ROM's - you'll start with videos of instructor demonstrations, with the facility to use virtual lab's to practice your new skills. It's wise to view some examples of the kind of training materials you'll be using before you sign on the dotted line. The minimum you should expect would be instructor-led video demonstrations and interactive audio-visual sections with practice modules.

Pick CD or DVD ROM based materials if possible. This then avoids all the potential pitfalls with internet connection failure and issues with signal quality.

A skilled and specialised consultant (in contrast with a salesperson) will want to thoroughly discuss your current situation. This is vital for understanding your starting level of study. Of course, if you've got any accreditation or direct-experience, then you will often be able to pick-up at a different starting-point to a student who's starting from scratch. For students embarking on IT studies anew, you might like to avoid jumping in at the deep-end, by working on some basic Microsoft package and Windows skills first. This can be built into any study program.