| How our Exam Guides are Created |
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Stage 1: Research & Development
1. Data Assimilation.
The ExamGuru Team reviews details with trainers and industry leaders around the world to learn about new certifications, trends, interests, and technologies. ExamGuru searches online and offline for certification news and vendor information. They interview conference attendees and exhibitors, IT companies, publishing houses, and training centers. The editorial team does considerable research on vendors certification programs to ensure that content is up-to-date and relevant to IT professionals, including administrators, developers, end-users, and managers.
2. Assembly.
ExamGuru gathers information about new or updated exams and certifications, making sense out of all the tiny details: exam topics, related certifications, vendor, release date, exam number and so on. We find out about retired exams, beta exams, and about changes within the IT certification industry as it happens.
Stage 2: Selection Process
3. Subject Matter Experts (SME).
ExamGuru chooses only talented SMEs and published authors to create and edit the Study Guide content. Every SME considered must be certified in their field, have extensive knowledge on the certification, a good standing within the IT community, and they must want to help contribute to those in search of true educational material.
4. Securing The Right Resources.
A number of our SMEs are widely acknowledged experts in their fields. When we hire new authors, we do so through an investigation of their professional standing, their knowledge level, their writing and technical skills and an evaluation of IT ethics. Many of our SMEs are also active members of the ExamGuru community and enjoy an educator/moderator status within our discussion boards.
Stage 3: Authoring
5. Templates and Guidelines.
ExamGuru has developed templates and guidelines for the Study Guides. We take pains to ensure the content is precisely suitable to the exam topics on which you will be tested. The style sheets and templates provide all authors with direction on creating guides that are concise, relevant, and accurate.
6. Hints, Tips, and Study Resources.
The author writes exam-specific tips, lists the exam topics (or "what to know" breakdown), provides links for additional review, and brings together all other helpful information, most importantly, which study resources to take advantage of.
7. Author Development.
The author conducts his/her own research on the exam, using online materials, official curricula, books, software, and hands-on testing. The author writes the Study Guide over several weeks or months.
8. Drafts.
The author writes at least two drafts of the Study Guide and then submits it to ExamGuru for approval. During the draft process, ExamGuru reviews the material and plots the information to the exam objectives. It is not uncommon for ExamGuru to request additional drafts until all the content meets the objectives of the exam and the tone is truly centered on educating the certification seeker.
Stage 4: Editing
9. Editors.
The ExamGuru Study Guides are edited by our in-house editorial staff and outside IT professionals. Our in-house editorial staff is comprised of tenured writers and editors who have strong technical skills and hold many IT certifications in their own right. The Study Guide goes through at least three separate editing processes:
a. Technical accuracy edit.
b. Grammar and spelling edit.
c. Format and design edit.
At least one outside technical editor edits the Study Guide; Typically however, several editors will review the Study Guide for technical accuracy and readability.
10. Editing Process.
The Study Guide is returned to the author for changes, clarifications, and corrections if problems or ambiguities are found during any of the editing processes. When the author resubmits the Study Guide after these changes are made, the editing process begins all over again.
Stage 5: Posting
11. Format Creation.
The PDF and HTML versions of the ExamGuru Study Guide are created.
12. Extra Information Posted.
Additional exam resources are posted, including tips, links, what to know, exam number, exam time limit, certifications, official exam site, etc.
13. Tools Linked.
Additional tools relating to the exam are linked to the Study Guide, including training notices, newsletters, Questions of the Day, and related jobs.
14. Discussion Boards.
A Study Guide-specific discussion board is created for ExamGuru members to post questions while studying for the exam. ExamGuru authors and expert moderators answer technical questions posted on these boards. The discussion boards are among the most popular features on ExamGuru.com. They’ve recently been consolidated to provide members more efficiency in online communication.
15. The Study Guide Is Posted.
But It is Not Over Yet. The first version of the ExamGuru Study Guide is uploaded to the ExamGuru web site, making it available for viewing or download for the first time.
Stage 6: Reviewing & Updating
16. Suggestions and Improvements.
The ExamGuru Study Guide undergoes constant reviews through a variety of means, including user feedback and active solicitation of opinions from independent IT professionals. When improvements or modifications are warranted, we make the appropriate changes to ensure the most accurate and up-to-date content is always available.
17. Fixes and Reviews.
Study Guides are constantly reviewed online by students, trainers, SMEs, and IT professionals in the field. Suggestions, fixes, and reviews are submitted to ExamGuru and the PDF and HTML documents are updated.
18. Revisions.
Often the vendor exam changes a little. If the exam becomes adaptive, goes from beta to active, if a new objective is added, or the vendor introduces a new question pool, the Study Guide and exam information are immediately updated to reflect the changes.
19. Updates.
If the exam is changed enough to call for a more extensive update, the Study Guide is brought back to the original author, who will rewrite and resubmit entirely new sections to fit the new exam.
20. Changes.
When exams retire or the exam-version number changes, often it is time for a new Study Guide to be researched and written from scratch. Significant changes to the exam and the exam objectives most often warrant a complete rewrite of the Study Guide.
21. A brand new Study Guide.
When a new or rewritten Study Guide is needed, fresh research must be done by SMEs, authors, and editors. The entire 21-step process begins all over again.
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