GLUGnet (the .Net User Group in Lansing & Flint) is organizing a Microsoft .Net 2.0 Certification Study Group in pursuit of the “Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist / Web-Client Development” certification. GLUGnet started one in Lansing, and I thought it would be a good idea for us to fire one up in the Flint area, as well.

We will be using the MCTS Self-Paced Training Kits for Exam 70-536 (Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Application Development Foundation) and Exam 70-528 (Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Web-Based Client Development). Both books are available from Amazon for around $45. Attendees will self-study one chapter per week, and meet together once a week to discuss that chapter as a group. If we miss a week due to holidays, we can decide to either double-up the next week, or to just skip the week and cover that chapter next time. At the end of each book, we will take the applicable exam. Each of the two exams are $125 each, and the schedule has us certified around mid-January.

Exam 70-536 : Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Application Development Foundation. (Training Kit | Amazon)
            Study: June – September. (16 weeks).
            Exam: End of September.
 

Exam 70-528 : Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Web-Based Client Development (Training Kit | Amazon)
            Study: October – January. (13 Weeks)
            Exam: Mid-January
 
The group will be meeting every Tuesday from 6pm-7pm at the Crossroads Meeting Room in the Cromaine District Library, Crossroads Branch in Hartland, MI ( http://tinyurl.com/4kpgul ). The facility will hold 30 people, and has Wi-Fi available. The first meeting will be next Tuesday (June 17) from 6pm-7pm. I realize that the 17th is short-notice, but I wanted to get rolling. Because of the short notice, this first meeting will be just getting a feel of who is interested, getting to know everyone, discuss everyone's experience with 2.0, and discussing the format. We will then each read through the first chapter on our own throughout the following week, and the first chapter will be discussed by group on the following Tuesday, June 24.

I still encourage anyone that is interested to go. This group is open to the community and anyone is welcome.

I hope to see you there.