Hands-On Experience

TestOut's simulated labs provide students an environment to gain hands-on experience working with diverse technologies and platforms in a risk-free setting. Based on real world scenarios, students will practice key tasks they would encounter on the job. The labs are designed to give students the confidence they need to be able to complete a task, not just learn about it. All without any need to set up virtual environments or configure physical technology.

Hardware Labs

Students can practice installing, upgrading and configuring various hardware components involved in setting up a computer. Through this practice students will be prepared to build and troubleshoot a computer. They will also learn to manage and update devices and drivers across various operating systems. Students will be able to practice using various tools and utilities to manage various hardware devices.

IT Support Systems

Students will learn how to utilize ticketing systems to report, manage, and resolve user issues. They will learn how to utilize knowledge bases to discover related issues, possible solutions, and document and share resolutions to user reported issues. They will also explore asset tracking through an inventory tool and manufacturer warranty information.

Various Operating Systems

Students will learn to navigate and utilize common operating systems such as Windows 11 and Kali Linux. They will learn to mange essential functions, from file systems and permissions to the command line interface. They will also learn to configure settings, security, networking, and other crucial OS configurations. All of this across the most common operating systems, including Windows 11, Windows 10, macOS, Ubuntu, Kali Linux, iPadOS, Android, and more.

Networking Labs

Students will work in various networked environments where they will install, configure, and troubleshoot networking hardware and configurations. They will install a NIC, set up switches and routers, and connect to a wireless network across a business environment and SOHO setting. They will troubleshoot connections to resolve network issues. Students will also learn about varying server roles and how to manage systems from centralized tools.

Scripting

Students will learn about various types of scripting languages and how scripting varies across popular operating systems. Students will learn when scripting may be most useful and will be familiar with where they can expect to find scripting in use. Additionally, they will learn about common issues with scripts and the security implications of scripting.

Virtualization

Students will learn how to set up and utilize virtual machines across multiple systems. They will learn to use common hypervisors such as VMware and Hyper V to configure virtual networking and resource allocation. Students will practice creating and configuring virtual machines and virtual hard disks.

Security

Students will learn security best practices and how to enforce them in their role in IT. From physical and logical security measures to data disposal and incident response, students will learn many techniques to protect the safety of the organization. They will practice configuring firewalls, antivirus software, configuring remote wipe, and enforcing password security among other tasks.

Capstone Exercises

Students will be able to gauge their skills as they work through this set of comprehensive exercises. They will set up a computer from scratch, configure startup settings, and configure the operating system. They can also practice their skills in our sandbox environment, where they can make as many changes as they want, without any risk of breaking existing systems.