As you've arrived here there's a good chance that you'd like to enter the world of computers and you fancy taking your MCSE, or you're currently an IT professional and you're aware that the next stage is the MCSE certification.

When looking into computer training companies, make sure you stay away from those who reduce their out-goings by failing to use the latest version from Microsoft. This is a false economy for the student due to the fact that they'll have learned an old version of MCSE which isn't in line with the existing exam programme, so it's likely they'll fail. Watch out for training companies that are only trying to make a sale. You should know that buying an MCSE course is the same in a way as buying a car. They're not all the same; some will be fantastic, whilst some will be completely unreliable. A conscientious organisation will offer you time, expertise and advice to check you've got the correct course. When providers are proud of their courses, you'll be able to see a sample of what you're getting before buying anything.

One thing you must always insist on is full 24x7 support with trained professional instructors and mentors. Too many companies will only offer a basic 9am till 6pm support period (maybe later on certain days) with very little availability over the weekend. Email support is too slow, and telephone support is usually to a call-centre that will take the information and email an instructor - who will attempt to call you within 24-48 hrs, when it suits them. This is no use if you're sitting there confused over an issue and can only study at specific times.

It's possible to find the top providers which recommend and use online direct access support 24x7 - even in the middle of the night. If you fail to get yourself direct-access 24x7 support, you'll very quickly realise that you've made a mistake. It may be that you don't use it late in the night, but you're bound to use weekends, early mornings or late evenings.

Throw out any salesperson who recommends a training program without a thorough investigation to assess your abilities as well as level of experience. Ensure that they have a generous range of products so they're actually equipped to solve your training issues. Often, the level to start at for a person with some experience is substantially different to the student with no experience. Opening with a basic PC skills program first can be the best way to get into your IT programme, but really depends on your level of familiarity with computers.

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