The teachers were native Spanish speakers, and the classes were conducted entirely in Spanish. By being immersed in Spanish four hours per day, five days a week, I quickly learned to speak the language - maybe not fluently, but well enough to understand and be understood by native Spanish speakers. Then I got my degree, went to work and never spoke Spanish again. Put me in a Spanish-speaking country today, and I will be totally lost. My experience with Spanish is analogous to what is happening to many people today who are seeking the quick route to gaining an industry certification.
Bookstores carry various books on how to cram for the exams.
The idea is to become certified as quickly as possible. Surveys have shown that people who have an MCSE or a CCNA get more job offers and better salaries. But as I found with Spanish, the problem is if you don't use the knowledge, you lose it. I have Certified Novell Engineer, Cisco Certified Design Associate and CCNA certifications. By attaining these certifications, I have gained the knowledge I need to understand the technical issues of networking and talk to my employees at a technical level.