Say No to Brain Dumps

In common parlance, transfer of important information from one person to another on a piece of paper is called a “brain dump”. In IT terminology, copying material from any set of data is referred as “brain dump”.

This is a well renowned term in IT certification industry today. Exactly copied exams or questions in certification exams is called brain dump. There are people who deliberately memorize all the questions which appear in the exams. After they are through with exam, they transfer the questions to other aspirants for a token amount.

Why brain dumps?
IT certification exams are very costly and are high stake exams, most often leading to coveted jobs in the industry. These exams are relatively difficult to crack as well. Approximately 60% of people who are preparing for certification exams, go for brain dumps, because they are relatively cheaper and sometime you can get them completely free on the Internet. These come significantly cheaper than the authorized study material in the form of books and online training courses.

In my opinion, brain dumps are very bad, both for the candidate as well as the industry. They are not useful, if you are aspiring to carve out a real career in IT. Using these dumps shows that you are not being honest towards your career. The questions given in brain dumps are not very helpful, because the pattern of certification exams keep on changing. Also the learning is practically zero. One must understand that only what we have really learnt well will help succeed in our career.

Say no to brain dumps!
Brain dumps devalue the certification itself and even the genuine certification holders loose out because of a few who clear exams just based on their rote learning from dumps.

From my personal experience, I have seen people who used brain dumps for preparation for certification exam and then were eventually stripped off their certification credentials. Oftentimes, the material specified in dumps is obsolete, inadequate & you can’t trust those questions.

People, who are selling brain dumps, don’t care about a student’s future and their career. Their only aim to make money. Students who are not serious about certification and don’t want to work hard, go for brain dumps. Only when they fail do they realize their folly!

Non-Disclosure Agreement

Brain dumps are a clear violation of the certification Non-Disclosure Agreement. Many certification vendors are using Non- disclosure Agreement (NDA) to prevent examinees to go for cheated material. It’s necessary for participant’s to sign the agreement before going for the exam.

Microsoft’s Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and General Terms of Use (the "Exam Agreement") is made and entered into as of the electronic signature date below by and between Microsoft Corporation, ("Microsoft") and the examinee (the "Examinee").

Cisco also maintains a record of participants who sign the Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA). If you are found searching for brain dumps or going for them, you are committing a legal offence.

Bottom Line
The bottom line is that brain dumps hurt everyone, whether you are going for it or not. I suggest that you should not go for brain dumps, rather start studying as we all do in our schools. They are strictly illegal & waste.

There are certain other ways to prepare for certification. There are affordable alternatives such as e-learning, where an aspirant can get all necessary material for preparation. Try out websites such as HyperLessons.com for a very holistic way to prepare for IT Certification exams.

How to prepare for IT Certification exams

Generally speaking, what are the best resources to use when studying for your certification exams? This quick guide to study will help you organize your thoughts and decide what resources to use when preparing. We have considered various factors including your budgetary constraints as well as the amount of time you can devote towards training for IT Certifications.

Case I: You are quite comfortable with the technology in question and you have some finances to spare

Being comfortable with the technology you do not require hand holding class room sessions. You can do really well with online training such as that provided by Hyperlessons.com. This not only has authorized courseware but also provides expert chat sessions to clarify your doubts, virtual labs for hands-on practice as well as practice tests from Brainbench. To get more exam tips from other fellow learners you can supplement your learning by frequenting forums such as Microsoft, Cisco, Sun, Oracle, ProProfs. Top this up with authorized practice tests from MeasureUp (authorized by Microsoft) and you are on strong footing. If online learning is not your cup of tea, go in for O’Reilly and Amazon to purchase books on IT Certifications. Books are relatively cheap and some are specifically geared towards examination preparation. One piece of advice here would be to use authorized courses as these are updated constantly and with these you can never go wrong.

Case II: You are NOT comfortable with the technology

Here the recommendation would be combine some online learning with instructor led classes such as those from NIIT. For students outside India there are other instructor led training options available. Also, there are options such as video lectures offered by players such as Testout. This combination ensures clarity in concepts and helps you succeed with certainty. All supplements help – for example, knowledge gained through forums, mock tests etc.
After learning online or from books depending on your preference it is advisable to keep abreast of exam changes by visiting popular forums for certification preparation, maintained by top experts & certified people, Hyperlessons, Microsoft, Cisco, Sun, Oracle, ProProfs. There are some general forums also like Cert Guard. Several sites offer chat rooms geared towards helping students with their certifications. Visit these chat rooms, Microsoft chat rooms, Hyperlessons, Cisco and Test Out.
Supplement these with authorized mock tests and you are prepared to take on the certification exams!
It is always important to keep abreast with general knowledge on IT Certifications. You can have these on general certification forums where experts and fellow learners share their knowledge on certifications. Handy links to some common ones are here - Cert Cities, ProProfs

Following the steps above with concentration and honesty will ensure that you do well on the D-Day. A general advice – never reply on brain dumps. First and most important, it does not lead to actual skill development and second you can be deceived (more often than not) when questions you have mugged up do not appear.