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sruble · 2026-10-20T12:41:25-0500

I did the AI Fundamentals and mine was part of the class. I completed the entire class and have yet to receive the credential as proof.

Gregory Childers · 2026-10-20T11:22:01-0500

I had to delete my Reddit account for my own peace of mind.

Gregory Childers · 2026-10-20T11:20:47-0500

Rick Butler said:
Never argue with getting free stuff! I know when I did reviews for Redmond Magazine, I always loved getting free copies of books. In fact, I have several still on my shelf (including my old Sybex Server+ 001 book and two others for Red Hat Linux - meanwhile, I went down the Debian road...).

I typically donate my older tech books to the local library so they can sell them during their book sales. Most of the books on my shelf are less than four years old, although every now and then I find one that sticks around longer.

Rick Butler · 2026-10-20T11:12:09-0500

Gregory Childers said:
I'll agree that there are lots of shady training companies. Just like there are shady institutions of higher learning. I see ads on social media from colleges and universities that have "Zero to Hero" programs guaranteeing that people will not only get certified, but also get hired right away for high paying careers.

As we all know, it doesn't work that way. I'm straightforward and honest with all my students. It takes hard work and commitment. There are no easy roads.

Exactly. We had a college here in the Springs (who shall remain nameless here), who, back in the day, was touting fast-track paths to MCSE and the $65,000 starting salaries, etc etc. Even when I got my MCSE+I, I didn't see $65k for quite a long while.

Working in a for-profit higher ed institution, I, personally, have been very sensitive about not making promises that I know couldn't be kept, as well as delivering on what I could realistically do. I got our admissions team mad at me on a couple of occasions because I told a student prospect, "this is something you will have to work at" and "it's NOT going to be easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy", only to watch that prospect walk out the door, afraid of a real challenge.

I remember one interaction where an admin rep was peeved because I "lost one of their prospects". My simple retort was, "well, I'm not going to lie to them, just to get them in the seat, only to watch them drop the program two terms later."

We come to this topic regularly here on CIN and I think it continues to serve as a great reminder to all of us that there is a lot of sweat labor that comes from this work. And unlike all those out on the CompTIA subreddit that are looking for the quick and easy way, we keep holding the line.

Because if it was 'easy', everyone would do it, right?

Rick Butler · 2026-10-20T10:52:07-0500

Gregory Childers said:
I love getting promo copies. I just picked up a PMP exam prep book. I don't know if I'll use it for class, but it might make a good supplement for the students.

Never argue with getting free stuff! I know when I did reviews for Redmond Magazine, I always loved getting free copies of books. In fact, I have several still on my shelf (including my old Sybex Server+ 001 book and two others for Red Hat Linux - meanwhile, I went down the Debian road...).

Gregory Childers · 2026-10-20T10:21:22-0500

Rick Butler said:
I'm not a fan of boot camps because I feel they serve the organizations that put them on, not the students who come in with the hope of learning enough to be certified (properly).

I'll agree that there are lots of shady training companies. Just like there are shady institutions of higher learning. I see ads on social media from colleges and universities that have "Zero to Hero" programs guaranteeing that people will not only get certified, but also get hired right away for high paying careers.

As we all know, it doesn't work that way. I'm straightforward and honest with all my students. It takes hard work and commitment. There are no easy roads.

Gregory Childers · 2026-10-20T10:04:24-0500

Rick Butler said:
Usually, a publisher will offer a promotional copy - this has been a go-to for me when I just needed a text to study. For me, however, that has been less and less.

But then, while I call it a blessing to get free copies of texts, expecting it or even demanding it, to me is no good, particularly for an entire class. Publishers and authors should be compensated for their products and work - and my support (and dollars) helps with that. I know it's very competitive out there.

I love getting promo copies. I just picked up a PMP exam prep book. I don't know if I'll use it for class, but it might make a good supplement for the students.

Gregory Childers · 2026-10-20T10:02:38-0500

I give "challenging students" one chance. They may seem like they have an attitude because something else is going on in their lives. I had a guy once cuss me out in an instructor-led class and then walk out. Turns out, he was going through a bitter divorce and everything set him off. But if there's nothing that can be done, I dismiss them and that is the end of it. I won't let one person ruin it for the rest of the class.

Felipe Nicacio · 2026-10-20T07:34:09-0500

Has anyone received access to the V8 material yet?

Leonid.Tokranov · 2026-10-20T05:46:19-0500

Thank you. Registered and ready!

Tony Mationg · 2026-10-20T03:38:07-0500

Hello fellow trainers! May I ask how did your assessment became available? I already done with the AI Essentials course. When I check, It told me that the instructor will be the one to open for me. btw, the courseware comes from the last TTT for AI.

Any help is very much appreciated. THank you so much!

Varun Pathak · 2026-10-19T21:41:49-0500

Registered and Excited

Varun Pathak · 2026-10-19T21:34:52-0500

Finally Something other than IEC 62443 in market , Registered and eagerly waiting for this

Rick Butler · 2026-10-19T13:01:11-0500

KGreen said:
It's more the boot camp vs the 40 hours. 40 hours is reasonable, but they need absorption time.

Absorption time and opportunities for multiple exposures to the same information - which is necessary for long-term retention. Most people cannot acquire/retain information from one or two exposures. The average human brain requires about seven from different sources and modalities to write information reliably.

I'm not a fan of boot camps because I feel they serve the organizations that put them on, not the students who come in with the hope of learning enough to be certified (properly).

dlross · 2026-10-19T08:33:18-0500

KGreen said:
How's the rest of the cohort doing?

They did well. The cohort ended, and all participants passed all certifications.

Felipe Nicacio · 2026-10-19T06:39:01-0500

I am available as an instructor for Security+ and CySA+.

If interested, please get in touch.
Thank you.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/felipe-nicacio

[email protected]

Felipe Nicacio · 2026-10-19T06:33:13-0500

If you need an instructor for courses in Portuguese, we can make a deal.

RCINISCompTIA · 2026-10-19T06:16:18-0500

Wow, amazing results.

Jerry Naidoo · 2026-10-19T02:35:57-0500

Same here. Have not received the CySA+ voucher.

KGreen · Sunday at 8:12 PM

How's the rest of the cohort doing?

KGreen · Sunday at 8:10 PM

Don't forget Humble Bundle. They routinely have sales on IT books. If I don't get direct from the source I also get from Packt.

KGreen · Sunday at 8:04 PM

Rick Butler said:
Um, yeah...? The question I would have to ask is how much did the students actually retain in all that? Our school uses 12 weeks to go through both sides of the A+, including dedicated laboratory time. I can't conceive of packing all that into 20 hours of time we have or even a 40 hour boot camp format.

It's more the boot camp vs the 40 hours. 40 hours is reasonable, but they need absorption time. Learning is not at the speed of me speaking or their reading. I found A+ to be the most challenging for this. I've had:: 16 weeks consecutive split 8 weeks Core 1 / 8 weeks Core 2, 10 weeks Core 1 / 10 weeks Core 2, 16 weeks Core 1 / 16 weeks Core 2, 16 weeks consecutive split 10 weeks Core 1 / 6 weeks Core 2. Even with 10/6 being very intense it was far more do-able because of better absorption in Core 1 providing better foundation for Core 2 than 8/8.

KGreen · Sunday at 7:48 PM

I'm in. Also this week's Sneak Peek SecOT

Ayomide Oluwaga · Sunday at 2:15 PM

Hello CIN family,

Sharing a win from Lagos.

I recently wrapped a five day CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) bootcamp with a brilliant group at Zenith Bank in Victoria Island, and the results are in: two more of my students, Kidochukwu and Loveday, have officially passed their Security+ exams this month.

That keeps my pass rate at 100% for the year, and honestly, I'm prouder of how they got there than the stat itself. Both of them put in the work every single day: evening study sessions, practice questions on weekends, and the kind of questions in class that tell you someone is thinking like a security professional.

A few things that made this cohort work:

- Two hours of structured daily study, not last-minute cramming. Consistency won every time.
- Every exam objective anchored to something real from their day jobs in SOC and IT operations.
- Practice tests treated as diagnostics, not verdicts. Every wrong answer became the next day's warm-up topic.

Kidochukwu is already applying his skills in SOC operations, and Loveday balanced a demanding job with daily study and still came out on top. Students like these are the best part of this job.

To every instructor mid-cohort right now: the results follow the process. Trust it.

On to the next cohort.

Ayomide

Ayomide Oluwaga · Sunday at 2:05 PM

Hello CIN family,

Putting this out here for training coordinators and partners planning cohorts for the rest of the year and into Q1.

I'm Ayomide Oluwaga, a cybersecurity and AI trainer based in Lagos, Nigeria (CIN, CTT). I deliver CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701), CySA+, and broader cybersecurity and AI security training, both virtually and on-site.

A few things that define my delivery:

- Student results first. My most recent cohort wrapped their final week with multiple perfect assessment scores, and nobody finishing below 88%.
- I teach to the exam blueprint, but anchor every objective in real-world scenarios, so students leave able to do the work, not just pass the test.
- Comfortable adapting pace and depth for mixed-experience cohorts, from career starters to senior enterprise teams.

I'm currently open to:

1. Contract delivery for Security+ cohorts (virtual or on-site)
2. Corporate training engagements, including enterprise upskilling programs
3. Mentoring new instructors who are building their delivery confidence

If you're planning a cohort, need a reliable contract trainer, or simply want to compare notes on Security+ delivery, feel free to message me here or connect with me on LinkedIn. Happy to share references and sample session recordings on request.

Looking forward to collaborating with some of you.

Ayomide

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