3.
Steps to IT Certification
Part
1 - User Specialists
There are many routes to professional IT certification and
experienced IT professionals can usually jump straight in to
whichever course is needed to gain their preferred certification. However,
less experienced people may need to take a number of steps to
achieve their ultimate goal. We will be running a series of articles
explaining what those steps are.
This month we look at routes for User
Specialists.
Novices and beginners
ought to start with the European Computer Driving Licence - ECDL.
This is an internationally recognised certificate of IT competence
in the use of computer skills.
The
ECDL is designed specifically for those who wish to gain a basic
qualification in computing to help them with their current job,
develop their IT skills and enhance their career prospects. Many
businesses are also seeing the benefit and some organisations like
the NHS have made it their standard for all staff to achieve.
To
achieve the certificate you must pass one theoretical test which
assesses knowledge of the basic concepts of information technology,
and six practical tests which assess the holder's competence in
using the computer.
 Module
1 - Basic Concepts of IT
Module
2 - Using the Computer and Managing Files
Module
3 - Word Processing
Module
4 - Spreadsheets
Module
5 - Database/Filing Systems
Module
6 - Presentation and Drawing
Module
7 - Information Network Services
More
information and courses for ECDL...
The next step is to
become a Microsoft Office Specialist. Until very recently
this was known as Microsoft Office User Specialist or MOUS.
certification can be gained at a number of levels in either Office
2000 or Office XP.
The
Office Specialist certification programme provides individuals with
three levels of certification to meet the need for varying skill
levels and to help Human Resource and Information Systems
departments refine the assessment of skills and properly allocate
resources. The three levels of certification are Core, Expert
and Master.
| Core level
certification can be gained by passing one of the Core exams
for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access or Outlook. |
|
Expert
level certification can be gained by passing one of the Expert exams
for Word, Excel or Project.
Master
level certification can be gained by passing ALL FIVE exams for Word
Expert, Excel Expert, Access Core, Outlook Core & PowerPoint
Comprehensive.
With
appropriate training accreditation, one can move on from Master to
become a Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructor.
More
information and courses for Office Specialist...
We will have more about routes to IT certification
next month...
Back
to Top of Page |
