	Sign In Sign-Up

In association with:

Home- Table of Contents- About the Editor- Contact- FAQ- Book Reviews Home Page- Letters- Music- Videos- Links

IT banner exchange

Resources for Certified Internet Webmaster Exams

I have achieved the Master CIW Designer certification. I have done this without spending thousands on classes. This may be because of my background, but supposedly I don't know that much since I've been unable to find a full-time position using my Web design/development skills. I hope the following will prove helpful; please email me if you have your own recommendations, especially for the other CIW tracks. Click on the hyperlinks for more info from Amazon.

Please note that MCSE+Internet and MCP+SB are being phased out and it doesn't look like they are being replaced so this is a way for you to demonstate your knowledge.

Books

Exam 1D0-410: CIW Foundations

This exam is required for all the tracks. It covers:

Internet Business Fundamentals
HTML Fundamentals
Networking Fundamentals

I already had enough backgound in everything but networking to pass this exam. You will not need to know tables, frames, CSS, etc. but the HTML books I've recommended will help you with the advanced exams.

How Networks Work: Millenium Edition,Les Freed and Frank Dertler
HTML Goodies,Joe Burns
Teach Yourself HTML 4 in 24 Hours,Les Freed and Frank Dertler

I did not use the following books myself, but they are recommended by Prosoft.
How the Internet Works: Millenium Edition,Preston Gralla
Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The origins of the Internet,Katie Hafner and Mathew Lyon
HTML 4 for the World Wide Web,Elizabeth Castro

1D0-425: CIW E-commerce Designer

This exam covers a lot of material, including:

Business-to-business, Business-to-consumer site design
Security, including different encryption methods, SSL, etc.
Usability issues
Different options, such as inhouse vs. outsourcing
Online catalogs
Payment gateways
Microsoft products (Site Builder Commerce and Visual InterDev)

You do not need to be an expert with the Microsoft Products but you may want to know the different wizards and views. I also recommend you read everything you can get your hands on regarding e-commerce; I spent a lot of time surfing sites like Computerworld to get current trends and basic concepts. I did use the following books, as recommended by Prosoft; depending on your background, they may be enough to get you through also.

Exploring E-commerce, Global E-business and E-solutions,Craig Fellenstein and Ron Wood
eCommerce Development: Business-to-Consumer,Microsoft Mastering
Web Commerce Technology Handbook,Daniel Minoli and Emma Minoli

1D0-420: CIW Site Designer

It covers many development tools. You'll need to know HTML, including tables, frames, CSS, and the different flavors. You'll need to be familiar with JavaScript, multimedia, standards, DHTML, XML, Java applets, etc. Specific software includes Front Page, Dreamweaver, Flash, HomeSite, Paintshop Pro.

I used the following resources:
Web Design, The Complete Reference,Thomas A. Powell
This book is huge and not cheap, but it covers just about everything from usability issues to CSS.
HTML Goodies,Joe Burns
Teach Yourself HTML 4 in 24 Hours,Les Freed and Frank Dertler
JavaScript Goodies,Joe Burns

I have not picked up anything on FrontPage etc., yet. I own FrontPage, HomeSite and PaintShopPro, hope to pick up enough about the others to get by. There can't be but so many questions on the exam about each package so I'm hoping that knowing HTML, JavaScript basics, etc. will be enough to pass without knowing Dreamweaver, etc. The following book was recommended to me but I have not bitten the bullet to pick this one up; if you do, let me know what you think.
Platinum Edition: Using XHTML, XML and Java 2

Exam 1D0-450: Server Administrator

To achieve the Master CIW Administrator certification, you need to pass the Foundations exam, this exam, Internetworking Professional and Security Professional. I have no book recommendations at this time.

Exam 1D0-460: Internetworking Professional

These are recommended by Prosoft:
Internet Protocol, Version 6,Deering and Hinden
Windows NT SNMP,James Murray
TCP/IP Illustrated, Vol. 1: The Protocols,W. Richard Stevens

Exam 1D0-470: Security Professional

These are recommended by Prosoft:
Building Internet Firewalls,Brent Chapman and Elizabeth Zwicky
Intrusion Detection: Network Security beyond the Firewall,Terry Escamilla
Practical UNIX and Internet Security,Eugene Spafford and Simson Garfunkel
Hacking Exposed,McClure, Scambray and Kurtz

Exam 1D0-435: JavaScript or Exam 1D0-437: Perl

To achieve the Master CIW Enterprise Developer certification, you must pass the Foundations exam, one of these language exams, Application Developer, Java, Object Oriented Analysis and Design, Database Specialist, and Enterprise Specialist. I don't have any book recommendations for these exams at this time.

Links

CIW Certified, offical Web site
Get more in-depth information on the different tracks, what each exam covers, etc.

Internet.com
A good site to keep up to date on e-commerce issues and trends.

Computerworld's Ecommerce Community
News briefs and tech info from the source of IT news.