Meridian certification route 1

[hurricaneguy]

I have been working with nortel equipment for quite a while. I have experiance with DMS switches, Option 11 and 61 PBXs, and BCMs.

Though I have been doing this for 15 years I never had time to get any certifications. I mostly work on Option 11s and BCMs at the moment. What is the best route to go?

Nortel has so many certification tests I just want to make sure I'm heading in the right direction before I start paying for tests.

 

[LeeMcCauslin]

I'd like to know this as well - my employer is willing to pay for the Global Knowledge classes as long as they result in certification (Assuming I don't tank the tests).

I assume there are many different certifications, all requiring several classes each, some overlapping and some not.

When I was at Database Admin class our instructor said we were allowed to take any cert test we wanted while attending any class but that taking the tests without classes first would be a waste (for most people - there are planty of people who have the experience to pass the tests).

She mentioned a Nortel Certification that included Database admin, OTM and Bars/Nars but I don't recall what the cert was called. Looking at the Global Knowledge site I don't see any track that includes just those but I do see some that have those plus VoIP and/or other things.


And how about online classes? Are they worth it?

 

[Klowndog]

I think it is really going to depend on what you plan on doing (i.e. system planning, engineering or just plain MAC work).

Myself, I have come to be just a basic MAC and repair tech so I only have gone to the familiarization course (which was required before I could take any other classes, large switch maint and MAC's. I do alot more than this but this is all that the companies I have worked for and I am wiling to pay for, for the time being.

I think Nortel\Global Knowledge has changed the layout of the classwork as far as titles go (i.e. take courses A,B and C and your a XXX. I can't recall how they did it)

 

[yyrkroon]

Go to this site:

http://app97.nortelnetworks.com/cgi-bin/teds/cs/maintc.jsp?level=0&category=12&subcategory=

click on the pyramid and it will give you more detail on each certs and the prereq

 

[hawks]

Go to the Nortel site and look under Training and Certification. There you will get a Certification Overview you can take a look at and see which direction you want to go. Good Luck...If you have been working with the systems long enough and feel comfortable then you can just take the test on some and not the classes.

 

[LeeMcCauslin]

For me, 90% is MAC plus Callpilot voicemail and menus - but I will also be expected to support 30 odd branch locations that either have Norstar key systems (a mix of 3x8s, MICS and CICS), plain old copper sets with no system (no training for that - punch to the demarq and go home)and, coming online very soon, 9 sites with SRGs (bcm50s) and VoIP connected to a CS1000 at our south division HQ.
I won't be expected to plan or design but I will be the first guy called when someone can't figure out how to get voicemail or they want the name on their phone changed or they move offices....

 

[Klowndog]

Wow, I was looking through the site and I don't even see the courses i took. They have really changed the structure of certifications.

 

[hurricaneguy]

The majority of the job is MAC work. But pretty much anything that needs tobe done in either the Options or the BCMs I have to do.

I have been looking at the Nortel Certs pages. I was just hoping for some advice in which would be good places to start.

 

[Klowndog]

I guess some of the course numbers are still the same. I did find this:

http://app97.nortelnetworks.com/cgi...rainingOID=87448&CourseID=0301C-2-1&scrsreg=3

I wish I could recall the other course number but I recall I did have to take the fam course before i could take this one. Not sure if it still applies. It was a self paced CD-ROM and was a breeze.

 

[LeeMcCauslin]

They (Global Knowledge) let me take the next course (0302) without having the 301 or the intro course but I did have to sign a waiver stating I I was stupid to do it. ;o) - My vendor got me into the class and I don't know if that helped or made no difference (They have given me a LOT of on the job training). I didn't feel lost but I think I wouldn't have minded taking the 301 class first. But they were paying for 1 class only at that time so we figured more bang/buck if took this one since I had already been doing basic MAC work for a while.

 

[yyrkroon]

It all depends on which certs you want,
NCSS - support specialist
NCSE - support expert
NCDS - design specialist
NCDE - desing expert
...

All of the expert certs requires you to have the specialist cert first... clicking on each section of the pyramid will provide you with what certs are available and what it counts toward and the prereq if any.

note: for those that haven't taken any of these yet, they're not open book and it proctored and some of the test can be damn hard...not because of the subject matter but how the question is phrased.

 

[808user]

After taking the NCSS (support specialist) tests for Succession Database and Installation, I did notice that a number of the questions is based from information from the Student Guides for Succession I&M/Database courses. If you can find someone who has those Student Guides and is willing to lend it you, it would really help (but it helps if you attend the classes).

 

[informidicate]

You have to get Cert. NCTS Converged IP Telephony Solutions
exam # 920-803 "Technology Standards and Protocols for IP
Telephony Solutions"
This is a requirement before you can take any of the
NCSS Certs for BCM or CS1000(opt 11,61,81)
Global Knowledge CBT course 365 " VOIP Technologies" is
the recommeded course to prepare for that Cert.
The Nortel certification web site gives you the info you
need to know what courses you should take, what material
is covered in the exam and also has sample tests you can take. Testing is done at Prometric testing site.

http://www.prometric.com

You do not have to have formal training (classes,courses) to take Cert. tests, just know the material well enough to pass the test.

 

[Johnthephoneguy]

the VOIP test covers both BCM and the Succession platforms, that would probably be an easy one to start with. The test itself is not easy though.

JohnThePhoneGuy

"If I can't fix it, it's not broke!

 

[informidicate]

I just took it, it was tough.