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"We would like to thank the folks at Whizlabs Software for their collaboration in producing the contents for the CD accompanying this book. Those guys certainly know the business of developing exam simulators for certifications in Java technology."
Khalid A. Mughal
Author, Programmer's Guide to Java Certification (Addison Wesley) |
| To start with, I had some problems with
activating (installing) the product: the instructions
were clear but for some reason, the activation
process failed to complete (progress bar hanging
for a long time with no network activity, finally
resulting in an error popup saying that the
license file was invalid). I can only assume
that the problem was the network, because after
a little break everything went smoothly and
the "main menu" jumped on me. I wouldn't
count this hassle with installation as a big
glitch. In the end, the process was very simple.
Still, I would've hoped to get a more specific
error message.
My second negative note was regarding how the
questions were displayed to the user. I know
that the code being shown in the real exam
is far from beautiful, but I really think that
the simulator should've indented code snippets
appropriately. Also, the font used for displaying
code snippets was not monospace, which was
kind of a minus as well.
I only encountered one question which had a
sort of discrepancy between the problem statement
and one of the available options. Generally,
the questions were of high quality and represent
the real exam quite well, which is obviously
critical for an exam simulator. Also, the different
question types (multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blanks,
etc.) were implemented nicely, which is of
course something to expect from a commercial
Swing desktop application. The user interface,
in general, is quite flawless. It doesn't have
too many buttons to choose from and responsiveness
is definitely not a problem. Furthermore, reviewing
answers during the exam is easy and the navigation
is intuitive.
So far, I haven't really listed anything that
would be different from the free online mock
exams. Whizlabs has attacked this value proposition
question by attempting to "personalize" the
software. What this means is that the simulator
stores the user's exam results (including the
answers for each question) for tracking progress,
including an objective-oriented view which
tells which areas to focus on. Also, the simulator
packs different types of exams allowing the
user to target her particular needs more closely.
In addition to "regular" exams, the
user can for example choose to go for a customized
exam letting her choose particular areas and
the number of questions from the same. Furthermore,
the "quiz" mode is a nice little
tool to pound on until the answers are flowing
directly from the spinal core, so to speak;
the quiz comprises of very short questions
of a chosen area with a user-defined timer
(by default 5 seconds). Once the time is up,
the quiz displays the next question.
To conclude, I believe the Whizlabs SCJP 1.4
Preparation Kit is a good product and can really
assist in preparing for the real deal. You
can get the same routine from online mock exams
but if you've got the extra money burning in
your pocket, the product will save some of
that precious time of yours. Besides, with
the money back guarantee, I don't think you
can go wrong.
By Lasse Koskela,
Bartender, JavaRanch
December 2003  |
An excellent resource!
This instructor led, online training should have some of the benefits of the classroom (contact with a human) and the benefits of the web (you don't have to spend hours in a classroom in a particular location).
- Marcus Green (www.jchq.net) |
| Certification exams are very popular with developers as they not only help learn a technology in detail, but also add significant value to the resume. To pass these certification exams, you have a number of books, tools and references available. The Whizlabs SCWCD Preparation Kit is one such tool.
The features of the product, as listed on the Whizlabs site are:
* 5 Full Length Simulated Tests
* 150 Quiz Questions
* Quick Revision Tips
* Detailed Explanation with Every Question
* Tips N Tricks
I did find the kit a very useful tool for my SCWCD 1.4 exam preparations. The question sets are impressive. They are neither too easy nor too tough, but are more than enough for anyone to pass the exam easily.
Different types of question (Objective, Fill in the blank etc.) are provided. The user interface and positioning of elements is quite nice. The tool also provides a facility to store your results, thus enabling you to focus on a weak topic and also check past records for improvements.
More...
Vikas Sharma
IndicThreads.com
|
I have no business interest in http://www.whizlabs.com one
way or the other but I have to say that they
have done a very good job with their first-to-market
SCWCD exam preparation tool.
The first thing that struck me was how easy
it was to install. (C'mon Java programmers
(like me), you know how clumsy some Java programs
can be to install and run).
I was also impressed (and I would like to know
how they did it) that it runs relatively fast
in old PCs (original Pentium 133s, e.g.)
The content (which is the most important part,
of course), has been well thought out. The
authors know their stuff and they seem to have
read the O'Reilly books too!
Congratulations to them.
Tony Alicea, Sherrif, JavaRanch |
The exam simulator will not teach you how
to program EJBs, but it will get you used to
the types of questions that are used in the
exams and highlight the areas you are weak
in.
Whizlabs have ensured that all styles of questions
that you will see in the real exam are also
used in the mock exams, including the new “drag
and drop” formats.
As well as the 5 exam simulations, a "Quiz" and
a "Customised Exam" are also offered
to help the candidate concentrate on one particular
area of study. So if you are concentrating
on the EJB-QL criteria, you can choose to do
a quick quiz on questions just relating to
that criteria, where questions are popped up
onto screen and you have 5 seconds (customisable)
to answer the question. Or you could choose
to create a customised exam containing as many
questions on EJB-QL as are available.
Like the real exam, the exam simulators are
timed. If you have still have time remaining
when you have answered all questions, you may
go back and review your answers.
When you have completed a trial exam, quiz,
or customised exam, you are shown a report
detailing which answers you got right and which
were wrong. From here you may view the questions
and answers. Each question is shown in it's
entirety, along with the answer(s) you chose,
and the correct answer(s). Except for the drag
and drop questions, each question and answer
also had details of why the correct answer(s)
are correct and why the incorrect answer(s)
are wrong, along with a reference to the section(s)
and/or subsection(s) of the EJB specification
that covered the question. These explanations
along with the references back to the specification
are invaluable in learning nuances of the specification
and highlighting the gaps in your knowledge. (I
was provided with some early releases of Whizlabs'
SCBCD offering, so it is possible that a later
version may also provide the candidate with
references for the drag and drop questions.)
You may save your results from each trial exam,
quiz, and customised exam, allowing you to
come back and view your answers again at a
later date, and to see how you have progressed.
Whizlabs are so confident that you will pass the exam after
using their simulator that they offer an Unconditional 150%
Test PASS Guarantee in the unlikely event that you fail.
By Andrew Monkhouse,
Bartender and Jackaroo, JavaRanch
October 2003
|
"SCEA simulator from Whizlabs is handy
for any corporation that wants to gets its
architects certified for the Java Architect
Exam. Whizlabs has combined the formula of
cost-effectiveness, exam focused, user friendly
interfaces and Customer satisfaction to deliver
this simulator. Corporations can be benefitted
by using this software for exam training without
having to spend on instructor led courses.
They just need to spend a fraction of the cost
if they were to appoint a instructor for helping
through the certification process for their
employees. This simulator is best suited for
the phase 1 of the examination. The simulator
has a very simple and easy to follow interface,
coverage questions are more similar to the
actual exam questions. Using this software
will guarantee you 110% satisfaction."
Vaidyanathan Nagarajan
Coauthor, Xquery - Kick Start, Java 2 Enterprise Edition 1.4 Bible |
Sun Certified Enterprise Architect is the most prestigious certification offered by Sun in the Java technology path. The certification covers a broad range of J2EE platform concepts, along with general design and architectural skills one can expect from an expert architect.
The computer based testing software offered by WhizLabs can be a very useful tool for prospective test takers to prepare for Part I of the SCEA path. The product certainly exceeded my expectations. The SCEA Exam testing suite exhaustively covers all of the SCEA objectives and features various different testing modes such as diagnostic, practice and the focused mode, apparently my favorite. This mode allows the test taker to customize based on objectives, level of difficulty and time. Based on the feedback generated in the diagnosis mode, the test takers can identify their weak areas and use the customized mode to evaluate their progress. Included in the product are quick revision tips, detailed explanations for all the questions, very helpful multi dimensional reports tightly timed quizzes (some versions only) for performance evaluation under pressure. One can even participate in a free online test that determines ones relative standing (percentile) with other test takers. Certainly a morale booster!
Like the rest of world class WhizLabs testing suites, the SCEA Preparation Kit includes a very intuitive user interface that almost resembles the real test. The software is quite stable (barring some of my initial problems with JRE1.4 that were resolved with excellent customer support) and installs easily on any Windows box.
Over all SCEA Preparation Kit is yet another great certification product from WhizLabs that will surely impress anyone!
Ajith Kallambella
Modeator, JavaRanch
Co-Author: Java 2 Certification Passport
November 04, 2003 |
After many successful simulator releases in 2003 and before (SCBCD, SCJP 1.4, etc), Whizlabs now wants to make you MAD (that is, a Mobile Application Developer) by complementing their product suite with another exam simulator for Sun's new certification exam targeted at the Micro Edition of the Java 2 Platform (J2ME). Whizlabs' simulators essentially pursue the following goals:
• to provide a huge question bank in order to best train the exam taker, and
• to closely mimic real exam conditions.
Basically, the user interface hasn't change much compared to what I have experienced with other simulators from Whizlabs' product line. While some display bugs have been eliminated, a few ones are still on the edge eargerly waiting to be terminated. Furthermore, when looking back at Lasse Koskela's review of their SCJP 1.4 simulator last December, it appears that Whizlabs has done much of its homework since:
- I haven't experienced any problems during the installation process, and
- the code is well indented (even though monospace font is still not used for displaying code snippets.)
Moreover, I have to admit that I have specially liked the way Drag-n-Drop questions have been implemented. They are even better than in the real exam since after you have answered a question you can reopen the Drag-n-Drop box without having to answer the question again. This is, in my opinion, one of the big limitations in Sun's certification exam software. Actually, as most of you, every time I take a Sun certification exam, I have to write down my answer to a Drag-n-Drop question before closing the dialog box, which is a little annoying.
Valentin Crettaz
Moderator- Javaranch, June 2004
|
Whizlabs XML Certification Preparation Kit is
targeted at people who would like to be prepared
for the "XML and Related Technologies" certification
(IBM Test 141). The application provides
five mocks exams containing 285 questions
with a big emphasis on scenario-based ones.
As an added bonus, it also features a brief
and concise, yet good, XML tutorial. This
test engine will bring you in a real-exam-like
situation in which you have 90 minutes to
answer 57 questions. It assists you in saving
time by allowing you to mark a question and
come back to it later. Once you have answered
all questions, you may either review your
answers (provided time isn't up), or go ahead
and finish the exam. In the later case, the
tool will generate an evaluation report that
gives you feedback on your performance and
allows you to browse through the detailed
and high-quality explanations. The test reports
can be saved into an overall test report
containing the reports of all the test you
have taken.
Valentin Crettaz
Moderator: SCJP Forum at Javaranch.com
|
We have purchased and tested and rated
most of the Oracle study guides and practice
exams currently available on the market.
The ones tested are listed below. Our rating
was based on 5 factors.
1) Average scores we achieved on the actual
Oracle exams.
2) Available selection.
3) Price.
4) Ease of ordering.
5) Product Guarantee.
In addition, we tested several of the exam
simulation software programs currently available
on the Internet using the same factors listed
above. The results of those tests showed
that WhizLabs were
the overall best for the Oracle exams.
Oracle Certification
http://dba-certification-training.com |
The simulations have a straightforward interface,
and are not overly cluttered with a lot of
bells and whistles. A little timer in the corner
shows how much time you have to answer each
question, and you can customize your simulation
to set your own level of difficulty and time
limits. The simulation includes a tip sheet
for review, which offers a number of facts
that will be essential to successfully passing
both the simulated and the real exams.
The simulator is actually a set of tests that
starts out with a ten- question dummy test
that just gives you a chance to get used to
the interface. Then you dive into a diagnostic
test, which will help you find out your strengths
and weaknesses. Then you can go in one of two
different directions-a predefined test on the
subject matter, or a customized test, where
you can set ahead of time the level of difficulty
and particular subject areas you want to be
tested on.
Dan Blacharski Author, several books on technology,
business, and entrepreneurial concepts. He
has been a freelance writer and editorial consultant
for nearly ten years and currently covers high-tech
topics for the trade press. |
|
I liked the fact that it was set up in two different window
panes, which made for easier reading and better viewing space
for each question and answer list. The Whizlabs 70-210 exam
had several levels that you could select.
The questions were straightforward multiple choice and fill
in the blank varieties, and had detailed explanations for
all of the answers. Unlike other tests, they do not have low
passing scores that are not challenging enough. You have to
score a 85% - that is getting 45 questions out of the 53 given
in order to pass most of the Whizlabs tests.
Having used many other exam simulators, and going into real
exams with a false sense of security, I highly recommend Whizlabs
testing simulators for Microsoft 70-210. This company offers
full money back guarantee if you do not pass the real exam,
which is usually a good indicator that you can trust the product.
Henry Henderson
(MCSE)
Author, Forum Moderator, Product Reviewer
|
I've been into training industry for over
10 years and have seen the Training Content
in various forms like Books, Notes, Paper Based
Tests, Video/Audio Cassettes, Mock Preparation Kits.
An year back I came across the products from
Whizlabs and was amazed at the quality of its
first product J@Whiz. Since then I have been
recommending Whiz products to all my faculty
and students. In fact I have used some of these
products (MCSE and CCNA) for my own certifications.
The major strength of these products after
my experience with them is the quality of the
questions and exhaustive explanations at highly
affordable price. On the other side, of the
coin, the quality of these products can be
further enhanced by adding some advanced features
like Adaptive Testing, limited and necessary
use of audio-visual methods.
Overall I rate them among the top 1% of the
available products and HIGHLY recommend to
an IT Certification exam aspirant.
Suhas Malik
Training Manager - IT Certifications (MCSE,
CCNA, OCP, Java) |
Whizlabs' Preparation Kit - a superb test preparation
tool
Before taking a certification exam, you should
always prepare yourself with practice tests/simulation
software. Over the past few weeks, I've
had the opportunity to review Whizlabs's
CCNA Exam simulator. It is impressive. Whizlabs
offers simulators for Microsoft, Java, Cisco
and other certification Exams. I've gone
over the CCNA simulator and I must say this
is a great offering. The wide range of test
assessment techniques is what makes the Whizlabs
style exceptional. Unlike what you get with
most of the other practice test providers this
product stands out with flexibility and diversity.
Whizlabs mock exams are offered in five formats
in a simulated environment: Trial, Diagnostic,
Practice, Customized and Final exams. Each
mock exam has its unique purpose. Combined
they all serve the same goal -preparing
you for the exam.
The Trial exam gives you a few questions that
get you familiar with the mock exam environment.
Interestingly the trial exam is free with all
Whizlabs products. So you can actually try
the simulator out before you buy. The Diagnostic
exam is designed to help you identify and analyze
your practice/preparation needs - your
strengths and weaknesses. While the Practice
exam tests you with the aspects you need to
master to pass the exam. The final exam as
the name implies is designed as the last exam
you should take before the actual exam. Customization
is what further enhances this product. With
the Customized exam, you can set time of test,
the level of difficulty and the particular
areas you want to be tested on. Customization
allows you to work on your weak areas and preparation
effectiveness.
The combination of different exam formats and
customization gives you a powerful preparation
tool by making it easier to assess your level
of preparedness in different ways. With a good
idea of your strong and weak areas, you can
devote more time to your weak areas and you
can always go back and review the exams as
often as necessary. Apart from flexibility
of testing, the quality of a practice tool
depends to a large extent on the quality of
questions. Whizlabs questions are the right
quality, not watery and at the same time, not
extreme. I found the questions appropriate
and challenging. The exam objectives are covered
completely. What I found very useful were the
answer explanations, with some offering unique
insights into scenarios.
Answers are explained exhaustively - why
is the correct answer is correct, and why are
the incorrect choices wrong. The Whizlabs simulator
is for great for individuals who need to assess
their level of preparedness for the test experience.
It highlights gaps in knowledge and shows you
were you are doing fine. Add the unconditional
100% money back guarantee Whizlabs offers for
all its products and you can't get a
better bargain.
In my opinion, you can't go wrong with
this amazing certification prep tool.
Jide Awe- Founder, Jidaw.com http://www.jidaw.com
- Your Guide to taking the Right IT Career
Decisions |
I've been into training industry for over
10 years and have seen the Training Content
in various forms like Books, Notes, Paper Based
Tests, Video/Audio Cassettes, Mock Preparation Kit.
An year back I came across the products from
Whizlabs and was amazed at the quality of its
first product J@Whiz. Since then I have been
recommending Whiz products to all my faculty
and students. In fact I have used some of these
products (MCSE and CCNA) for my own certifications.
The major strength of these products after
my experience with them is the quality of the
questions and exhaustive explanations at highly
affordable price. On the other side, of the
coin, the quality of these products can be
further enhanced by adding some advanced features
like Adaptive Testing, limited and necessary
use of audio-visual methods.
Overall I rate them among the top 1% of the
available products and HIGHLY recommend to
an IT Certification exam aspirant.
Suhas Malik
Training Manager - IT Certifications (MCSE,
CCNA, OCP, Java) |
|
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