Mct

Ginger

Suppose I already know who can answer this (Mick??)

How does one go about certifying as an MCT. I have read the stuff on the web on the MS site and its still bloody confusing. There is registration, presentation skills & train the trainer and thats it??? Am I right? Oh and the whole you must teach 15 people or something?

Who does the assesments in Ireland?

mick.fr

Yeah it is confusing I agree.

Basically you have to produce a short course introduction (Could be anything) in front of a jury (Approved Microsoft Trainer Jury, do not remember the name sorry. This is basically a MS partner). It lasts 5-10 mn usually.

Well in my case the jury was only one person, the first time a psychiatric, the second time a movie director (Yeah failed first time, I was 23, not easy at this stage).

If you pass it (Mainly based on your pedagogical skills, ability to explain well, ability to make sure people are actually following you, making sure they understood, making sure you are looking at everybody's eyes...) you will then need to send your approved exam, fill in the form, and pay the annual fee to be officialy a MCT (Around 400 euros).

I am not sure in which order because I was working in a Microsoft Training Center at that time in 1999-2000. So they did all the paper work for me.

You can give them a call, the support guys are pretty cool.
Just look up the phone number on Microsoft Learning website.

You also have to be MCSA at least, otherwise you do not qualify.

The other really important thing is that you have to train 15 people a year.
And in Ireland this is almost impossible.
I mean there are a few approved MS training companies here, but none of them are recruting, and most of them have 2 MCT already.
This is a really small market in Ireland. So it is really difficult to keep your MCT, because if you do not train, you can not keep your MCT.
Unless you become a MCLC (Microsoft Learning Consultant).

After 5 years of having beeing a trainer, you do not need to train people anymore, that is not mandatory anymore.

Ginger

Well I might get away with the training 15 people, our place is a certified academy (learning partner) or whatever, so I would be explaining to them to let me get the MCT to offset the cost of the training as I could give the courses for them.

Hmm .. so who does the assesments in Ireland?

Shad0r

Ginger, have you read:

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mct/default.mspx

Ginger

Ginger wrote:

I have read the stuff on the web on the MS site and its still bloody confusing.

Yup.. What i am looking for is the assesor for Ireland and what breaks are handed to people working in MS Academys/Learning Partners

mick.fr

Well for the assesor I do not know I passed mine in France.
Now as you are telling us you are working for an education partner, they surely can tell you this.

If they can not, you can call Microsoft Learning Help-Line : (1800) 554920

Now getting away with the 15 people to train a year is not an option, even for a partner or so.
15 people at least per year, have to go online and give feedback to Microsoft directly from a secure website.
This is not your employer who goes online or so and fill in the evaluation in lieu of the customers. So just forget about this idea.

As I told you the only alternative to that is to also be a MCLC.
But willing to be a trainer without willing to train people is ...
Now willing to train just a little bit is ok, but not providing training at all...

Good luck

Ginger

You misunderstand me.. we have training courses in house about once every 2 months for some of the developers. Instead of bringing in an MCT I would do it...

rooker7

Hi Ginger I don't think you will be able to count those as "official courses"

I got my first MCT at 22 and taught at a Gold Partner in the UK, the assessment can be a bit daunting. We had 2 days of "how to be a trainer" followed by a videod session of us delivering a topic of our choice (As a crypto geek I did EFS). This video was then sent off to MS for a review.

The easiest cert to get to become MCT ready is the MCDST - two basic MCP's - and then pay whatever the cost is for the assessment. We did have the training before hand which cost the company quite a lot of money.

Shad0r

Ginger I spoke to our Operations & Training Manager and she said that in broad strokes to become an MCT you firstly need to have an MCSE.

Then you can go on a CTT+ course. These are not run often but there is one coming up in Galway fairly soon. It's a three day course. Upon completion of that there is a 90 minute Prometric exam that needs to be passed.

That is to get it, keeping it is another kettle of fish altogether. If you would like information about the course in Galway let me know and I'll email it to you.

Ginger

Well based on what rooker7 said, if its a case of courses that we run in house arent counted, i cant see my manager going for it... I will check and see what the deal is. All the courses we have ran so far have being the MS courses with the courseware and books.

Shad0r, I am an MCSD and I have a couple of other MCPs as well. Most of this stuff will be aimed at developers or db developers rather than the engineers

mick.fr

Shad0r wrote:

Ginger I spoke to our Operations & Training Manager and she said that in broad strokes to become an MCT you firstly need to have an MCSE.

No this is wrong. A MCSA, MCSD can be an MCT.

mick.fr

MCT requirements in term of certifications
You must hold one of these before you can actually apply.

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mct/guide/one.mspx

Shad0r

mick.fr wrote:

No this is wrong. A MCSA, MCSD can be an MCT.

When I said MCSE, I was speaking in broadstrokes. Not sure why, but I made the assumption that OP was asking about an infrastructure MCP.

That said you are correct an MCSA will also do.

Neil

Graham

The CTT+ course in Galway is really intense.

If you're going down that route, be prepared for late nights working on your presentation.

That said, I thoroughly recommend it.

Shad0r

Graham wrote:

The CTT+ course in Galway is really intense.

If you're going down that route, be prepared for late nights working on your presentation.

That said, I thoroughly recommend it.

If you're interested in doing that course PM me as I can point you in the right direction.

Graham

It's a fantastic course but jeez Mairead sure does crack the whip lol.

My tips for anyone planning to do the same course:

1) You will be asked to prepare a 10 minute presentation before the course starts. DO IT! Ideally it will be something technical and something that you are familiar with. Get this bit right and it will save you worlds of pain.

2) Don't plan to spend your evenings sampling the wonders of Galway nightlife. It won't happen.

3) If you have a laptop, take it with you. You'll need it for refining you presentation during the evenings.

4) If you can get one of the little Powerpoint remote controls (e.g. Microsoft Presenter 3000), do. There's something very stilted about having to return to your laptop and click a mouse button each time you want to change slides. The remote control also gives your hands something to do, without it your likely to feel like you've got 10lb's of dead weight that you don't know what to do with (your arms).

5) That presentation that you put together for item 1, practice it, then practice it again, then practice it some more (although be prepared to have it very thoroughly refined during the 3 day course). You really want to be in a position where you're almost not thinking about the content of your presentation, this leaves you to concentrate on your presentation style, trainee interaction etc.

6) Book the day following the course off as holiday, you'll need it.

Mairead will do everything within her power to get you to pass, so be prepared to be pushed, hard!

Overall the course is incredibly hard work, but equally incredibly rewarding. I think your company can also now get 60% of the course fees paid by Fás, at least I know that was in the pipeline when I attended.

Ginger

Whats the cost involved?

Graham

More details here:

http://www.ashlingcommunications.com

Before anyone asks, I've nothing to do with the company involved other than being an attendee on their CTT+ course.