When you want to improve your chances on the job market, getting a certification for a particular piece of software can be a big help. The main way you can get certification is to pass a test administered by the software developer. The usual suspect is Microsoft, but other companies offer it too. To pass these exams is not easy, so you will have to exert some effort to study for them. Here are a few tips that should help you out.
Don’t Cram
One of the bad habits that many people pick up in college is to prepare for exams by cramming. Though it can be successful, certification tests are much more thorough than the exams you took in college. This is why you need to stretch out your studying to more than a single session. The best way is to study for months before the exams and to use the knowledge you learn in hands-on experiences. Applying your studies into realistic situations ensures that you both remember and understand the material.
Dedicate Study Hours
You will want to allocate dedicated studying time to your preparation for the exams. During these periods, you should have no distractions at all. Prepare for this by setting aside the time and by telling people not to disturb you. You might also want to do your studying in an isolated room, without any distraction sources like the internet or your phone.
Have Multiple Sources
The great thing about studying for something as important as certification is that many people will have something to say about it. This is why there are many textbooks about one particular subject. It can be tempting to just limit yourself to one book on the topic, but it is advisable to buy or access multiple information sources. This ensures that you have multiple perspectives, and you can have full coverage of the topic. Besides that, with different options available, you can compare them so that you can better understand things.
Get an Instructor
To better understand things, it is best to have a living instructor or adviser working for you. This ensures you have someone you can ask for clarification from them. Depending only on books limits you so it is worth it to have someone you can direct your questions, too.
Take Practice Tests
There are services that offer practice tests, and you should use them. For example, a 70-410 practice test can introduce you to how the certification center does things. Some people might be surprised by their approach, so practicing eliminates that disadvantage. Plus, a practice test can give you an idea of what questions there will be and how to answer them.
On the Special Day
After weeks of preparation, you will want to be ready for the day itself. Go to sleep early on the day before so that you can get a good rest. Before the exam, have a good light meal to ensure that you don’t get hungry and that you are ready for the mental effort. Finally, read the questions twice and always review your answers.
Aiming for certification is a major investment in both time and money. You need to ensure that all of that you put into it is not wasted. The tips above should be a big help in achieving that. Keep them in mind so that you can get that certification.