Are you a certified expert? We’ve had several stories in the TrainingRepublic about the value of certifications and what it takes to pass the tests, and our readers have responded by sending us e-mail on those subjects. I’ve posted a number of those messages in the TrainingRepublic forum where you can read the notes in their entirety. Here are some of the hot topics:

  • Recently I wrote an article about OfficeCert.com , a great site for helping you prepare for the Microsoft Office User Specialist (MOUS) certification tests. You can read that article here . In response to that article, I heard from TechRepublic reader Melissa Loadholt, who recently earned the Microsoft Office 97 Master certification. According to Melissa, “Integration between the different Office apps was a recurring theme, and workgroup features were heavily covered in the Excel exam.” To read Melissa’s complete comments, follow the Forums link to the TrainingRepublic forum section.
  • Last week we published Ivan Mayes’ tips for passing the IIS 4.0 exam , and we heard from John Figliozzi, MCSE, who passed that exam. John pointed out that there a few question topics on the exam that we include in our article. To read John’s complete comments, follow the Forums link to the TrainingRepublic forum section.
  • TechRepublic columnist Bruce Maples has reviewed the new formats of the Microsoft certification tests, and he believes the tests have been made harder to make sure test-takers really know their stuff. TechRepublic reader and quality assurance analyst Cory Lewis agrees. “It has troubled me in the past to be sitting in a class of people and finding out after talking to them that they’ve never even used NT or IIS or Exchange before,” he wrote. To read Cory’s complete comments, follow the Forums link to the TrainingRepublic forum section.

Have you been certified lately? Send mea note and let me know how it went.