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November 21, 2024
So you’re registered for a virtual training from Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g) and not totally sure what to expect? Or are you interested in signing up but generally uncertain? You’re not alone, my friend.
We at CXperts love NN/g training and invest in their virtual training as part of our mission for continued education. Often when our newer team members take a course for the first time, some of our more experienced team members get asked about tips, tricks, advice, to take into the session. We thought we might share that knowledge more broadly in this post.
Before we continue, probably worth a small disclaimer that the following are our opinions and observations and your experience may differ, and - of course - NN/g may change their format and related details in the future. If you still have questions after reading this article, check out the NN/g FAQ page or reach out to NN/g directly.
Maybe the biggest surprise for some is that the training is not recorded. It’s likely NN/g doesn’t want their high-value, high-investment training content in broad circulation. Also, recorded content might just detract from attendees' level of participation and attention to the content, with participants falling back on the old, “eh I’ll just watch the recording,” bit. It’s critical for comprehension and retention to listen to the instructor and take notes, understand examples, and hear the additional explanations that are not written on the slides, all of which will help you in the exam later on (should you chose to take it).
⚡️TIP: Truly dedicate your time and attention to this training opportunity: mute notifications, close email (yes, fully x-out of it), and reduce distractions.
Depending on the course you sign up for, you may end up in smaller working groups with other trainees. Take advantage of this opportunity to make new connections with other UX professionals. You will have access to a NN/g Slack group specific to the course, but long after the session you’ll still be able to post, chat, comment, and connect.
⚡️TIP: Network by finding your fellow attendees (and even your lecturer) on Linkedin and stay active on the NN/g Conference Slack
First, let’s talk about timing: NN/g offers many different time zones, some covering Europe and Latin America, and Eastern North America, while other times are more fitting for Australia, Asia, and Western United States and Canada.
Secondly, they have full-day or half-day options. I personally like the full-day because it’s easier to block out my calendar for the day, learn the content, and take the certification all in one go. Yes, the training is a pretty involved eight hours of focused attention, but I prefer it this way.
Other CXperts like the half-day option where one course is taught over two consecutive days, four hours each day. It’s been remarked to be easier to absorb the material and fit this high-quality training into your workday while stilling getting stuff done.
Lastly, if you need to reschedule they are super accommodating in my experience. I had a new client pitch come up a week or so prior to a call. NN/g let me move to the next series of training that made sense with my schedule. Plus their customer support team is really fast via email.
⚡️TIP: Just book a session – either full day or two, part-day blocks – and if you need to change your date, email support.
You will have a number of resources available to you from each course, specifically the presentation slides shared during the course, which you should download ASAP. These resources are essential for learning the material of the course. I find it’s helpful to have the presentation handy while in the training (on a second monitor maybe) to preview what might come up soon or to refer back to.
⚡️TIP: The training materials are password protected. The instructor will tell you the password and it’s also accessible from your NN/g account. Save the password in your notes, but if you forget there is an automation in the NN/g Slack that can provide the password to you.
The exam is a great way to confirm your absorption of the materials and concepts reviewed in class. Eventually you can attain certification from NN/g with completion of five courses, so it’s definitely worth the extra cost to get exam credits.
The exams are 30 questions with a 1 hour time limit. Some questions are pretty straightforward and directly from the training, while other questions are more high concept questions that test your ability to apply the learnings to new examples.
We highly recommend taking the exam right after class while everything is fresh. It is open book / open notes so if you’re a note taker like I am, definitely use those.
And no, you will not get the individual questions back, but they do provide general topic areas to revisit. Again, if these questions leaked then their certifications become less impactful if everyone could just pass them.
⚡️TIP: I’ve found that reviewing some key articles on the NN/g Blog is a helpful way to fill in any knowledge gaps.
These are our overall impressions of NN/g, but things may change over time. Be sure to check in with others or with NN/g directly as your course approaches. Be sure to reach out to CXperts if you are looking for our recommendations on which courses to take!
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