The principal Windows software program development 'environment' is called 'Microsoft' 'Visual Studio'. Several 'languages' are offered, though the 2 most commonly used ones are 'C#.Net' & VB.Net. You can find out more about these on our dedicated Programming & Development web-pages. Principle accreditations are currently the MCTS and MCPD (as they have replaced the earlier 'MCAD' & 'MCSD'.)

Good user-skills can be obtained through specific 'Microsoft' accreditation paths, & professional support skill-sets through others. The MOS ('Microsoft Office Specialist') and 'MCAS' ('Microsoft Certified Application Specialist') programs deal with the Office Suite in-depth. A grade up from MOS and MCAS is 'MCDST' - Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician, which provides you with the skill-set to support others in an office.

You could equally be thinking of a more senior job in the I.T. industry, which would require more in depth and specialised MS accreditation training. In a move to upgrade their skilled professional certification programs, MS have just lately restructured many of their exams. 'Microsoft Certified IT Professional' (MCITP) & 'Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist' ('MCTS') are now being brought in, though many Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) examinations are still current. Typically, the 'MCTS' qualifications are achieved en-route to the full MCITP program.

Workshop days can be portrayed as an important element by some training academies. After chatting with the majority of computer industry trainees who have partaken in a couple, you'll begin to see a common thread - they are viewed as a major problem due to many reasons:

- A lot of journeys to the training centre - usually hundreds of miles.

- If you're working, then Monday to Friday workshops are hard to attend. You could be contending with several days in a row too.

- Annual leave lost - a lot of working people only get 4 weeks annual leave. If you use up half of that with training days, that isn't going to leave much vacation time for students and their families.

- 'In-Centre' workshop days can get bloated with students.

- The pace of the class - centre-days usually have students of mixed aptitude, therefore tension develops between the quicker-learners and the ones who need a little longer.

- You shouldn't disregard the added cost of travelling or several days bed and breakfast either. Often, this will cost a lot of money - from hundreds to thousands. Do the maths yourself - you'll get a shock.

- Most trainees want their studies to remain private to avoid any kind of questions at work.

- Many of us find it difficult to ask questions when surrounded by our fellow attendees - so we don't appear ignorant.

- There are those of us who on occasion work or live away part of the time, imagine the increased difficulty in getting to the needed workshops, as time becomes even more scarce.

It would be better to just watch and gain knowledge from tutors one-on-one through videoed classes, taking them at your convenience - not somebody else's. Just imagine... If you've got a laptop then you could study in any location you choose. And live 24x7 support is only a web-click away if you hit challenges. Just repeat the elements as often as you need to prep for an exam. There's absolutely no need to make notes as you'll have direct access to the instruction whenever you want to go back to it. The outcome: Less hassle and stress, money saved, and travelling is removed.

Typically, a new trainee will not know to ask about a painfully important area - how their company divides up the courseware sections, and into how many parts. Typically, you'll enrol on a course requiring 1-3 years study and get sent one module each time you pass an exam. It seems to make sense on one level, but consider these issues: How would they react if you didn't complete each and every module at the required speed? Often the staged order won't be as easy as another different route may.

For maximum flexibility and safety, it's normal for most trainees to have all their training materials (which they've now paid for) posted to them in one go, with nothing held back. It's then up to you in what order and how fast or slow you'd like to take your exams.

A sneaky way that course providers make a lot more is via an 'exam inclusive' package and presenting it as a guarantee for your exams. It looks impressive, till you look at the facts:

Everyone knows they're still being charged for it - obviously it has already been included in the overall price charged by the course provider. It's absolutely not free - and it's insulting that we're supposed to think it is! Qualifying on the first 'go' is what everyone wants to do. Going for exams in order and funding them one at a time sees you much better placed to get through first time - you prepare appropriately and are mindful of the investment you've made.

Go for the best offer you can find when you take the exam, and hang on to your cash. You also get more choice of where you do the examinations - meaning you can choose a local testing centre. What's the point in paying early for examination fees when you didn't need to? A great deal of money is made because training colleges are getting paid upfront for exams - and then cashing in when they're not all taken. The majority of companies will require you to sit pre-tests and prohibit you from re-taking an exam until you've demonstrated an excellent ability to pass - which makes an 'Exam Guarantee' frankly useless.

Exams taken at local centres are approximately 112 pounds in the UK. Students should be very wary of forking out hundreds of pounds extra in 'Exam Guarantee' costs (often covertly rolled into the cost of the course) - when the best course materials, the right level of support and study, commitment and preparing with good quality mock and practice exams is what will really guarantee success.

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