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Whizlabs SCBCD Exam Simulator review

 
author and jackaroo
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For those of you interested in what the Whizlabs SCBCD Exam Simulator offers, and what it looks like, I have posted a review in the JavaRanch toolshed. You can go straight to the review here.
Regards, Andrew
[ October 18, 2003: Message edited by: Andrew Monkhouse ]
 
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I will take this review with a huge grain of salt. I read the XML review about Whizlabs when I took the XML test. That simulator was useless. It did not teach, review, or test the subject. Besides it was written in Indian English.
 
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For $75, the sim ought to walk on water.
Whizlabs aren't exactly my favorite people right now; they included their (non-Java based) exam prep software in the Wrox SCWCD book, with a promise that a Linux version could be downloaded from the Whizlabs website. The URL in the book 404s, and repeated requests to their webmaster and support pages have gone unanswered.
Yes, I know that Wrox is "on the Wrox", but the book is still in bookstores and is sold bearing the Whizzlabs logo. Whizzlabs still lists Wrox as a partner on their website.
If they couldn't be bothered to write cross-platform testing software for Java tests, at least they could live up to their promise.
 
Andrew Monkhouse
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Hi Kathy
I mentioned in my review that the exam simulator will not teach you to program EJBs. But exam simulators are not meant to teach the subject.
What the exam simulator needs to do (and did for me) is to ask questions relevant to the exam criteria so you can see what you need to do extra study on. This is true for all exam simulators.
The Whizlabs SCBCD simulator also provide good explanations on the answers that are wrong, and a link to the page(s) / item number(s) of the specification which relate to the question. This is very valuable
I found that the simulator did allow me to review the SCBCD exam criteria very well. The questions were not identical to those on the real exam - in some cases the Whizlabs questions were harder - but they don't have to be (and cannot be) identical to the real exam questions.
I didn't notice any problems with Indian English in the SCBCD simulator.
Regards, Andrew
 
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Thanks Andrew for your review! It has really helped us shape the product to meet the expectations of our users; besides boosting our confidence.
Kathy: You might have "read" bad about one of our previous products which has got revamped. I would suggest you to see this (SCBCD) product for youself before setting any expectations, independent of the past. Just to share with you:
Whizlabs SCBCD Exam Simulator is authored by:
Valentin - I don't think there is a need to write about him at this place.
Seema - Co-author for Whizlabs SCJP 1.4, SCWCD exam simulators. Trainer: Whizlabs SCJP 1.4 and SCWCD Online Trainings. And much more on her credit..
It has also been part of Sun's Core Java and J2EE Newsletters (Sep'2003).
Maggie: I agree with you that eventhough we've shifted the technology of our Test Engine Software part of our Exam Simulator from Java to VB and Wrox "on Wrox", we ought to stick to our promise.
I couldn't find your e-mail id in your profile. I would request you to please send a mail to us at support@whizlabs.com and I promise you the required action from our end.
Best wishes,
Pradeep
 
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I actually didn't think the review you have there through that link says an awful lot about how good or bad the simulator is, but rather seemed more a description of the simulator itself... maybe it's just me at the early hour, who knows.
BUT, having used Whizlabs products before, I imagine it probably is a very good prep for the test - I used their UML practice product before I took the 486 exam and it definitely did help me out with passing that exam. If you're on the fence, the refund guarantee certainly should be enough to convince you to at least give their product a try - you're risking nothing if you fail your test.
 
Maggie Leber
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"For those of you keeping score at home", the email Pradeep requested was sent on 10/20.
No reply has been received.
> Date: Mon, 20 Oct 2003 11:25:31 -0400
> To: pradeep@whizlabs.com, support@whizlabs.com
> Subject: [Fwd: Linux version of wroxscwcdwhiz]Pradeep Chopra wrote:
> Pradeep Chopra wrote:
>> Maggie: I agree with you that eventhough we've shifted the technology
>> of our Test Engine Software part of our Exam Simulator from Java to
>> VB and Wrox "on Wrox", we ought to stick to our promise.
>>
>>I couldn't find your e-mail id in your profile. I would request you
>> to please send a mail to us at support@whizlabs.com and I promise you
> the required action from our end.
>>
>> Best wishes, Pradeep
>-------- Original Message --------
>Date: Tue, 07 Oct 2003 10:11:52 -0400
>From: Margaret Leber <maggie@****.com>
>To: Margaret Leber <maggie@****.com>, webmaster@whizlabs.com,
>support@whizlabs.com
>Subject: Linux version of wroxscwcdwhiz

>-------- Original Message --------
>Date: Sat, 04 Oct 2003 13:29:40 -0400
>From: Margaret Leber <maggie@****.com>
>To: webmaster@whizlabs.com
>Subject: Linux version of wroxscwcdwhiz
>
> The URL given for the Linux version of your practice exam software
> shipped with "Professional SCWCD Certification" by Dalton and Jepp is
> given on page 8 as
>
> http://www,whizlabs.com/wrox/wroxscwcdwhiz.zip
>
> This is currently coming up "not found" on your site. Has it been moved?
>
 
Andrew Monkhouse
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Hi Theodore,

Originally posted by Theodore Casser:
I actually didn't think the review you have there through that link says an awful lot about how good or bad the simulator is, but rather seemed more a description of the simulator itself... maybe it's just me at the early hour, who knows.


You are right - most of the review is a description of what the simulator is. This is in line with the other reviews in the Tool Shed. There are a lot of people who might be interested in a product, but don't know what they will get for their money. Hopefully these reviews will give people some idea of what the products do.
I did start and end by saying that I thought this was a very good product. But I tried not to spend too much of the review stating my opinion. (Note to self: make my opinion a bit more obvious next time )
Regards, Andrew
 
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I personally like Whizlab, their SCWCD + SCEA are great even
there were a lot of bugs.
I haven't try other products from them.
But right now the price is too high...
I tried INES-SCBCD which is much.. much cheaper.
It's also good.. even I liked Whizlab bit more.
But compared with the price, I think overall
INES is much better...
It really doesn't make sense to pay for $70 for a simulator,
with that money I can buy more than 1 great books !!!
Well... this is only personal though ..
 
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Originally posted by Gus Mus:

It really doesn't make sense to pay for $70 for a simulator,
with that money I can buy more than 1 great books !!!


But Gus whatever amount of books wont give you the on-hand practice of the exam as the simulators do.As for the price,agreed that Whizlabs is indeed very costly.But there is a downslide for Whizlabs as well.They are losing potential customers like you & me who would have liked to buy a Whizlabs product but cannot do so for the steep price.
 
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