9/24/2008 -- Microsoft has a number of exams scheduled to start beta testing this month, among them:

• 71-433: TS: Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Database Development. Registration started for this on Sept. 19, and it's scheduled to run from Sept. 22 to Oct. 10.
  
• 71-403: TS: Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008, Configuring. Registration began Sept. 23 and the beta is scheduled to run from Sept. 30 to Oct. 24.

Information about the beta exams, including registration codes to use when signing up, can be found here.

CompTIA Exams To Be Revised
CompTIA is in search of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to help with revisions to the Network+ certification exam. A Cut Score Workshop -- designed to help in item review and set the passing score for the new version of the exam -- is scheduled for Oct. 24 to 28. Those who are interested must be able to commit to the five days, have industry experience and not be in a position to financially profit from knowing the contents of the exam. Anyone interested should contact .

A Job Task Analysis (JTA) was done in September for the A+ certification exams (since there are four of these as opposed to the one for most CompTIA certifications, the task is a bit more complex). The output of the JTA is the starting point for four surveys that are being used to determine what should be on the next version of the A+ exams. Two of the surveys (Essentials and IT Tech) are now available, with the other two planned for later this year. After the surveys are finished, SMEs will be recruited to write/revise questions and assist with rolling out new exam versions (tentatively scheduled for the third quarter of 2009).

Book Review: 'Cisco Firewall Video Mentor'
Any time you have a chance to learn the same information you would in a classroom for a fraction of the cost, you should take advantage of it. Additionally, if you can learn the same material but in less time than you would in the classroom, then you'd be foolish not to capitalize.

While there are plenty of books in the market about firewalls -- most of which cover the same material you would in a classroom -- they all suffer from the fact that they take longer to read and digest than if you just spent a few days listening to an instructor.

Enter Cisco Firewall Video Mentor. This product -- you can't really call it a book even though it has an ISBN and is sold as such -- consists of 16 video vignettes on one DVD. Each snippet runs between 10 to 30 minutes and includes configuration tasks -- such as setting up SSH access -- and walks you through it. A small lab manual accompanies the DVD and includes the elements you'd expect to find in a training guide: scenario, steps, etc.

I was very impressed by the quality and content of the Cisco Firewall Video Mentor and hope to see this format utilized more often.