Yea, most of it's great but there's also a lot of work that goes into making it great. I examine all the good bad and ugly of technology.
Preplogic.com - I like it. Makes me feel smart.
Posted 04-12-2009 at 08:14 AM by jaymarting
Updated 02-15-2010 at 09:55 AM by jaymarting (updated for progress)
Updated 02-15-2010 at 09:55 AM by jaymarting (updated for progress)
Tags 2009, audio, firefox, install, newbie, prep logic, preplogic, preplogic.com, training
About five months ago, I decided to for my CCNA. And I decided to use Preplogic.com to train for it. Preplogic has a fantastic program for networking wannabes (and networking already bes). For those of you only interested in the technology side of things, the CCNA is a decently high level certification from Cisco: Cisco Certified Networking Associate. My career in the networking field has been short for many but lengthy for me. Most of my 4 years have been spent as a Jr Network Admin at a small consulting firm. Here's a little synopsis of why I LIKE PREPLOGIC.COM!
Well after deciding to go for the certification, I had to decide how to go about it. I had heard of Preplogic (and other self paced companies) before but thought it may be better to do something with a live instructor). I considered the local community college - I'm in the Atlanta area (western side) - but that was too expensive and would take me a full 10 months. Books were an option but I was again faced with a time issue. Sure I could read the books and sure they would do the trick but dear God I really didn't want to have to read 650 pages of Cisco Press. And besides that, Preplogic has their own ebook for CCNA that I got for $1 on their site. Using Cisco's book would take me 6 months for sure. I couldn't torture myself like that.
I began doing some online research and came across PREPLOGIC. They were advertising an unlimited access program. It was less expensive than my local CC but much more than some books. So I did more research. I liked the program because they said it gave me access to everything on their site. So after I finished my CCNA I could go on. It works like netflix. I finally bit after the sales guy set me up on payments. I was not really excited about dropping over $1000 bucks in one shot. I've got rent, you know. My thought was this unlimited program from Preplogic better get me a raise!
Long and short of it is, very smart decision on my part. I got my CCNA training from Preplogic and quickly figured out I wasn't ready for it. I needed some additional basics under my belt. So I asked for the Network+ training from Preplogic and got that out of the way and went back to the CCNA. So now I'm A+ (had that already), Network+, and CCNA certified. And now I'm going for my Security+. And I still have another 19 months left on my unlimited subscription. The only complaint I have about the program is that It took me 6 days to get my Security+ training. I wish I could get my stuff more quickly. I hate waiting for anything. But I guess they can't control the post office. [update: Preplogic now offers their training online. I get everything instantly now and can watch it on video.preplogic.com]
Good news is I'm certified. Good news is I'm on my way. Good news is I still have a job while 2 others in our tiny little shop have been... um.... let go. I'll try to keep this blog updated with my progress on the CCNA and my experience with PREPLOGIC.
Well after deciding to go for the certification, I had to decide how to go about it. I had heard of Preplogic (and other self paced companies) before but thought it may be better to do something with a live instructor). I considered the local community college - I'm in the Atlanta area (western side) - but that was too expensive and would take me a full 10 months. Books were an option but I was again faced with a time issue. Sure I could read the books and sure they would do the trick but dear God I really didn't want to have to read 650 pages of Cisco Press. And besides that, Preplogic has their own ebook for CCNA that I got for $1 on their site. Using Cisco's book would take me 6 months for sure. I couldn't torture myself like that.
I began doing some online research and came across PREPLOGIC. They were advertising an unlimited access program. It was less expensive than my local CC but much more than some books. So I did more research. I liked the program because they said it gave me access to everything on their site. So after I finished my CCNA I could go on. It works like netflix. I finally bit after the sales guy set me up on payments. I was not really excited about dropping over $1000 bucks in one shot. I've got rent, you know. My thought was this unlimited program from Preplogic better get me a raise!
Long and short of it is, very smart decision on my part. I got my CCNA training from Preplogic and quickly figured out I wasn't ready for it. I needed some additional basics under my belt. So I asked for the Network+ training from Preplogic and got that out of the way and went back to the CCNA. So now I'm A+ (had that already), Network+, and CCNA certified. And now I'm going for my Security+. And I still have another 19 months left on my unlimited subscription. The only complaint I have about the program is that It took me 6 days to get my Security+ training. I wish I could get my stuff more quickly. I hate waiting for anything. But I guess they can't control the post office. [update: Preplogic now offers their training online. I get everything instantly now and can watch it on video.preplogic.com]
Good news is I'm certified. Good news is I'm on my way. Good news is I still have a job while 2 others in our tiny little shop have been... um.... let go. I'll try to keep this blog updated with my progress on the CCNA and my experience with PREPLOGIC.
Total Comments 46
Comments
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Hello again to everyone...I wanted to jump back in here. I know it's been a while since I posted but I wanted to comment on how my experience went with Preplogic. In my post up above I asked how the audio training was...and didn't get a ton of answers. Thank you everyone who did respond, I really appreciate it. Long story short, I went ahead and signed on with Preplogic and was happy from day one, really. The audio training was great and I travel a lot and go to the gym a lot, etc so it was like absolutely perfect for me and my situation cuz I was able to use it and not waste time just plain studying. That was probably the best part about it was that I could use the audio training while I was driving, or working out, or whatever, and that way, as opposed to pen and paper, or a boot camp, I was actually multitasking, which is great for me cuz I'm super busy all the time. I am really happy with my sales guy over there who keeps helping me out with different stuff. I call him up and he chats with me and asks me how life is going...he actually remembers me believe it or not. Anyway, whatever I have goin' on he helps me out with it, which is great. For anyone on this board thinking about whether or not Preplogic is a good solution for audio training, or really any CBT training, hear it from me first hand: it is.Posted 05-27-2010 at 07:59 PM by salmon913 
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Inarea: yeah man, I definitely want to second your statement that you don't want to fail the tests and have to re-take them. Let me just say, that that is something that I have had to deal with in the past and it is not fun. One thing I have seen lately is a lot of the actual technology companies (like MSFT) giving second chance vouchers. Maybe these certifications are big money for them? I would think with a company like Microsoft that it would be a drop in the bucket, but who knows. Either way, let me second the notion that you should definitely make sure you are ready for each exam before you take it. Not worth failing.
Posted 05-31-2010 at 03:51 PM by gbaxtin
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Preplogic, good stuff. I have been using their audio training for a while now and it is working very well for me no doubt. I love the flexibility it gives me and I am looking forward to using these guys for further certifications in the future.
Posted 06-03-2010 at 10:15 AM by salmon913
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So I am a newbie here with all this stuff, but am certainly looking for some direction on who to use for my exam prep. I am looking at like A+ and Net+ and have recently come across Preplogic, but am looking for some unbiased opinions from those who have used their services for IT certifications, etc. I have found a couple other posts and stuff, and they do have some preplogic reviews on their site, but again, looking for some people who have used them in the past and what they thought of the product and the customer service.
Customer service is very important for me because I have had some bad experiences with other CBT companies and have wasted some serious money trying to get certified. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, and happened to fail some of my early attempts at certifications a little bit ago. Not fun, and what was even worse was the customer service I came across after I failed and was trying to get back on the wagon. I'm hoping preplogic is a bit better than what I ran into in the past.
Anyone used them and had really good experiences?Posted 06-07-2010 at 12:04 PM by jbux99
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Jbux: I haven't posted here in a while but I used them last year and had an awesome experience with the Unlimited access program. To me, their video and audio training was top notch and I loved them as a company. Sorry to hear that you failed your first exams, but that is another reason I would suggest the unlimited access program from preplogic because it would allow you to jump right back in in case you fail again and keep trying to knock your training out. Umm, customer service was very good for me as well. They handled all my stuff very professionally and I had no problems there either. Take it from me, I would recommend these guys any day.
Posted 06-14-2010 at 02:21 PM by Tancredi
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Agreed with Tancredi on this one dude. They are solid. I have had nothing but good experiences with them and have nothing but good things to say. I really like this training method (self study) overall, as opposed to boot camp or in person training because it is just that, self paced. I am so busy but this method lets me do all this on my own time and in my own way. I really latched on to this learning format and am really glad I did cuz preplogic was a good choice all along. Make me your second good Preplogic review here. I recommend them highly.
Posted 06-14-2010 at 02:52 PM by gbaxtin
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Well, everything looks pretty good so far. I mean, I have only heard from a few of you but everything that I have heard has been fantastic. I think overall these guys probably have the best self study product out there for sure. At least that is what it looks like from the website. I just wish that I could like try the product out and see what their video is like and stuff before I buy it. Does anyone know if they have a free trial of any kind?
Posted 06-21-2010 at 05:10 PM by jbux99
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Yes, they do. It's called unlimited access. I never actually used it but I actually have a friend who did and he liked it a lot. He had to do a lot more certifications than I did, which was the difference. If you are in the boat that you are gonna do a lot of certifications over a longer time period, it's a good option. Oh, sorry, forgot to answer your question!! ha ha. The unlimited access program has a 30 day trial. I think it's like $99.
It all really depends on what your overall plan is. You should give them a call if you haven't already because the sales people are pretty solid and are good at walking you through what your specific situation is and whether or not unlimited access is a fit.Posted 06-22-2010 at 11:48 AM by Tancredi
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Yeah, they do. It is called Unlimited Access and it's what I used in the past. Actually, mine is still good I think, but I don't need it anymore because I have gotten all the certs I have wanted to get over the last 2 years I have had it. It's really the best deal going if you are looking for a quality self study product. Boot camps and books aren't for everyone, including me. I am much more of a video and multimedia person so this was right on target for me. With Unlimited Access, from what I remember, they let me try it out for $99 for 30 days. I liked it so much I decided to keep it beyond that and ended up using it multiple times from there on out.
Posted 06-22-2010 at 03:50 PM by gbaxtin
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Thanks for the Preplogic feedback
Thank you everyone for all of your responses. It's really nice to be able to get help like this from a great users forum. I did get a chance to check out their free trial details and I think I'm in. I just think that Preplogic self study is definitely the way to go for me. There's no way I could see myself sitting through a boot camp or trying to use books. Seriously, I am so over the college book stage and never wanting to go back to books it's not even funny. I have this one friend who is still in school and he always has work to do, and I'm like..."yeah, so glad I'm out of that craziness." Wish me luck with the Preplogic trial. I think it will go over well.Quote:Originally Posted by gbaxtin
Yeah, they do. It is called Unlimited Access and it's what I used in the past. Actually, mine is still good I think, but I don't need it anymore because I have gotten all the certs I have wanted to get over the last 2 years I have had it. It's really the best deal going if you are looking for a quality self study product. Boot camps and books aren't for everyone, including me. I am much more of a video and multimedia person so this was right on target for me. With Unlimited Access, from what I remember, they let me try it out for $99 for 30 days. I liked it so much I decided to keep it beyond that and ended up using it multiple times from there on out.Posted 07-06-2010 at 12:55 PM by jbux99
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Just wanted to hop back in and let everyone know that my Preplogic training has been going very well. I am almost at the end of my 30 day trial and am still kind of on the fence about keeping the full product. Let me say, not because I don't like the product, by any means, but because money is just a little bit tight right now. If I cancel, I lose my $99, but would get to keep all the stuff I downloaded. I am so back and forth, but am really leaning toward keeping the program active because the product is so good. I have loved the video style as opposed to the books and really want to keep going with it. Thanks again everyone for your help before I started. I needed support from those who had "gone before" with Preplogic. Couple days left, will let everyone know if I spring for it!
Posted 07-20-2010 at 03:29 PM by jbux99
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Dude, keep it. I was in your exact situation and decided to keep it, and haven't looked back. Believe it or not, I actually sat down and tallied up all the stuff I downloaded from Preplogic that would have cost me for each piece outside of the Unlimited Access, and I ended up saving a LOT of money. I was just like you, very unsure, in the beginning (at the end of my trial), but after I sprung for it, I looked back and realized that it was a fantastic decision. I highly recommend keeping it.
Posted 07-20-2010 at 03:36 PM by gbaxtin
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I so did it, and I am glad I did. I actually went ahead and borrowed some money from a couple of my friends, but they were happy to help me out. I am amazed at how easy it was to just stay on after the trial and keep the Unlimited Access. Truth is, I just couldn't let go of it. I guess that is why they do the trial, but I am not upset about anything. I loved the product to much to let it go. Besides, I was so far into my studying and stuff that it would have been a big deal to just lose all of that all at once. So, I guess from now on I will just have to let everyone know how my studying is going. With the Unlimited Access I actually have, just out of curiosity, gone around the site to the different products and checked out some of the intro study materials for the different certs. I definitely think I am going to keep going and get more certs after I'm done with the one I am working on now. Good stuff.Quote:Originally Posted by jbux99
Couple days left, will let everyone know if I spring for it!
Posted 07-26-2010 at 02:41 PM by jbux99
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Good to hear about your experiences man. I had a similar good experience with preplogic using their cisco certification materials. I actually am looking at changing jobs myself. I have to do some research to see if I can get into this one local company that I really want to get into. I have been in IT my whole life and having the certifications that I have has been a lifesaver. I have seen them come through in multiple situations where I have had an automatic leg up on the "competition," so to say just because I had a certain cert. I have so many friends who are telling me that certs don’t matter that much, but as an older person I have seen them come through time and again. I actually have just as many friends who have lost jobs as older gentlemen who require larger salaries because the younger job candidates are coming in making less than half of their salaries, and my friends are certified. Times have changed I guess.
Posted 07-31-2010 at 06:04 PM by salmon913
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yes, they have for sure. my dad was kind of in the same boat. He was in IT for like 25 years and then his company hired some kid half his age, for half his salary and kicked him on the curb. The economy has made things go cut-throat out there. Companies are doing whatever they have to to cut costs, including eliminating positions and hiring younger people. I guess this is good for people my age (in my 20's), but for the older generation of computer folks, it probably isnt gonna get any easier. Certifications, in my opinion, are becoming more of a standard requirement because there is so much job competition out there right now. I am really glad that I found Preplogic on Yahoo and ended up using them to study for mine. I couldn't deal with books and study guides anymore.
Posted 08-02-2010 at 02:03 PM by gbaxtin
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Weird, same deal for my dad as well. My situation is a little different because the majority of the IT industry is male dominated, but my dad taught me well and being a female helps me stand out and be different. Anyway, he also just got booted for someone who was younger and required a much lower salary. I told him about Preplogic so he may be checking them out to see if he can get some quick certifications because he is definitely not ready to retire. I think he would go crazy.
Posted 08-03-2010 at 12:09 PM by Tancredi
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This is the second Preplogic blog post I have come across with largely positive conversation, so they must be pretty solid. I first heard about them from a friend after I told him that I was looking to start in IT and get my A+ and Net+ certifications, so I am probably gonna go check them out. Any advice for someone like myself who is just starting out with a base level certification?
Posted 08-16-2010 at 02:40 PM by bmanny
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Hmmm, well first I would say only go as fast as you can and still prepare well. My first time around trying my A+ certification exam I used books and stuff instead of Preplogic and also went to a boot camp, and I ended up trying to cram everything into my brain a lot faster than I should have. Then I found Preplogic's a+ certification materials and used those to study at my own pace for the second time around. It worked much better that way because I was going at my own pace. Make sense?
Posted 08-23-2010 at 03:17 PM by gbaxtin
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Yeah man, sure does. I have talked to a ton of my friends who are also working in IT positions and they have said pretty much the same thing. Study and be prepared. I have one friend who just rushed into things thinking that he would know everything on the test, but he failed and it went downhill from there. Money and time down the drain. I can see how you would think that you know the material, but it all kind of runs together when you sit for the test. I am excited to get into this because I am hearing a lot about how certifications are being treated a lot differently than they were 10 years ago. Also agreed about the "go at your own pace" deal. That is like the main reason why I am looking at PrepLogic because I want to stay away from the boot-camps and the 4 inch books. Thanks for the notes, gbaxtin. I appreciate you taking the time to help me out.
Posted 08-24-2010 at 04:02 PM by bmanny
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So has anyone seen PrepLogic's new LMS? Definitely newsworthy. I just jumped in there the other day to grab another video in my series and bam! They like totally redid the whole interface thing. You guys who are on UA should definitely go check it out.
Posted 09-06-2010 at 11:31 AM by salmon913
