From esight.org

Taking Risks While Attending Microsoft Training Camp By: Eric Patterson

I think that one of the most recent risks I took was traveling to the
Microsoft Training Camp. This was a training session down in Irvine,
Calif., for people who wanted to obtain their certification.

There were several risks I took from going to this training:

I took a chance at not having enough time to study. They covered a lot of
material in the two-week period. Usually, that same amount of material
would be covered over a college term.

There was a chance that I might not be able to find my way around town. I
had never been to Irvine before, and I didn't know the area.

I also ran the risk of having technical issues with my speech software and
not being able to resolve them before it was time for me to take my next
examination.

I didn't know any of the testing facilities, and I took a chance at having
them refuse to provide me the testing accommodations I needed.

When I went down there, my hotel had a vehicle, and my instructor had
provided transportation to and from the examinations. So there was no need
to worry about transportation issues.

However, there were some issues with the testing accommodations. Their
testing facilities were so secure that I could not even install my speech
software on the computer. The testing software disabled all other programs
on the computer, including the start menu.

As a result, I had to have a reader read the tests to me. I could not keep
track of all the information she was giving me and did not pass two of the
examinations.

However, I did come home with certification as an MCP ((Microsoft Certified
Professional).

Next time I attend training I will go to a training center that gives me
more time to study. In addition, I will try to find a testing center that
allows me extra time to complete the tests so I have more time to have the
questions read to me.


VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
To join or leave the list, send a message to
[log in to unmask]  In the body of the message, simply type
"subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
 VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html