VCE Exam Simulator woes + alternative

Avanset PricingAs you might know, I’m an IT-guy and thus I need to update my certifications and skills regularly. There are a couple of routes to go and it depends on the goal and my own knowledge which one I’ll take.
One of them is self-preparation before I actually take an exam, by the means of a test exam with software to go with it. In my case Avanset’s VCE Exam Simulator, which I once bought. But lately, it has become worthless. Why? Avanset (a subsidiary of Certplex Ltd) has decided to follow a new and aggressive pricing strategy, as illustrated on the left.

On top of that, with introducing their new subscription based tooling, they updated the tools and all the exams on associated and owned websites, they cannot be run with versions prior to the new VCE 1.2 programs.
This forces on a subscription, even onto previous buyers. And don’t get me started on their Premium service, for which you have to dish out at least $359 per year for their VCE files.

So they went from free to an absolute stupendous pricing strategy within a couple of months, even bitch-slapping their existing customer base in the process. Well done for helping the competitors this way 🙂
Because I really despise this extortionist approach, I decided to put up a post about a viable alternative, which will cost you € 11,99 for unlimited use, is available on both your mobile and desktop of choice and even packs a lot more easy to use features.

Steps to follow

  • Download and install Bluestacks (it’s an Android App Player)
  • Start the application
  • Click on the Search button
  • Type “A+ VCE” and click on the “Search Play for”-button
  • Click on the application of your choice

The first two listed applications are the payed and unpayed version. You can easily use the unpayed version to decide if this approach works for you.
Within the A+ VCE player:

  • Click on Add
  • Click on your preferred loading method
  • Load the exam and try it out!

I highly recommend using Dropbox or Google Drive to store your preparation exams, so you will have acces to them on any device you run A+ VCE. All exams unavailable to older versions of the Avanset VCE player work fine so far!
Additionally, you can find various account and (app-)sync options in the BlueStacks settings section to your liking.

Conclusion

So that’s it: An alternative with a combination of two apps that are actually a lot cheaper than using Avanset’s ridiculous subscription models and pack more usable options too. Talking about killing the goose with the golden eggs Certplex….

34 Comments

  2. I read the following about A+:
    “A+ player doesn’t open VCE files correctly. We have noticed that A+ Player tends to provide users with irrelevant files from its own repository when it’s unable to open the user’s VCE file. Therefore, the file you view in A+ Player might not be the file you think you have opened. Use VCE Exam Simulator to play VCE files properly.”

    Is this true?
    I have A+ 5.2.8 installed.

    • I have a hard time believing that. I really don’t believe it would have any sort of “repository” of files relevant to the loaded .vce. Most likely a scare tactic to get people to buy from Avasnet.

  4. Hi, thanks for this. Do you know how I can edit the vce files. I always find mistakes and test questions that don’t work. How can I edit them?

    • VCE Designer from… Avanset.. or alternatives like ProfExam suite / Adit Testdesk. I don’t think there is a good free-of-use piece of software around to edit them properly, but maybe it is unknown to me.

  5. The way they offer their contract is against EU law, adopted in the UK (and they know it)

    http://ec.europa.eu/justice/consumer-marketing/files/crd_guidance_en.pdf

    Page 32:

    quote:
    Article 8(9) of the Consumer Rights Directive expressly confirms that it is without prejudice
    to the provisions laid down in Articles 9 and 11 of Directive 2000/31/EC, whereby the trader
    is required to allow the consumer to verify the e-order before placing it.

    Accordingly, Article 8(2) of the Directive would in practice apply at the moment in which the consumer is asked to verify the order in line with the eCommerce Directive, i.e. to check the contents of the
    shopping basket before clicking on the 'buy' button.

    The terms 'directly before' in Article 8(2) should cover, firstly, the temporal aspect and should be construed as meaning ‘immediately before’. Furthermore, the terms 'prominent manner' and 'close vicinity' in Recital 39 suggest stronger requirements on presenting information compared to the general requirements under Article 6(1) and 8(1). The information should be presented in a way that the consumer can actually see and read it before placing the order without being obliged to navigate away from the page used to place the order.

    The specific pre-contractual information requirements referred to in Article 8(2) are:
    (1) the main characteristics (Article 6(1)(a));
    (2) the total price (Article 6(1)(e));
    (3) the duration of the contract and the conditions for terminating it (Article 6(1)(o));
    (4) where applicable, the minimum duration of the contract (Article 6(1)(p)).

    This is adopted in UK law as said:
    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2010-to-2015-government-policy-consumer-protection/2010-to-2015-government-policy-consumer-protection#appendix-3-implementing-the-consumer-rights-directive-201183eu

    After sending this, the response was that payment had to be done nonetheless because it’s company policy – like a company can state to not be bound by law… It says a lot about their business ethics.

    Then it was stated that the credit card company had been ordered to cancel future payments, and a confirmation of cancellation came. Which makes sense, because of too many people cancel it through their CC company, the CC company may stop processing orders for them.

    So if you want to hurt them, just let them know it’s against the law. Nothing else. Then if they withdraw from the CC, cancel it without warning. If they complain, restate it’s against the law and that you will cancel any future payment. If enough actual cancellations through CC happen, they will be forced to change their policy or lose the CC business.

    • Guess not …

      “Invalid file or extension. Please make sure that the file you are trying to open is valid and its name ends with .vce”

      • As we talked about, mind where you get your vce-files from. There are good, non-Certplex repo’s out there, like A+’ s own one. That should work 🙂

  8. Hi, I don’t know why, but somehow I saw it coming. But never in my wildest dreams I thought that Certplex would go crazy like this. I have been using both A+ and VCE Exam Sims for quite some time now. Although A+ is not as feature rich as VCE Exam simulator, but no way it is bad. I have now stopped (or should I say, I am forced to stop) using VCE Exam Simulator. They are some real idiots, who think people will buy at this laughable price.

    Have anyone seen the office addresses given in all major cert websites???

  9. Seriously Avanset…You suck so bad plus you stink…
    Someone we should come out with other reliable solution.I heard “.exam” coming good

  10. thank you i been all over google looking for a way to play these vce files and i can tell you this is the easiest THANK YOU!!!!!!!

  12. thank you man. I don’t mind paying for VCE, but that price point is insane.

  15. Thanks for sharing… All my MS .vce files only load to 86%.
    Need serious help.

  17. THANK YOU! I welcome the day when I no longer have to interact with avanset and their jacked-up-extortionist ways. This day maybe very near.

  19. Thanks for the info!

    I really hope Avanset rethinks the current pricing model. Its a great product, but i often have to postpone my exam dates, leaving the study software to expire.

  21. This is a great article!

    Do you know if there’s a way to print the vce files to PDF at all?

    • As far as I know, you could use this route: Install a PDF printer (BioPDF, Adobe Disteller etc.) and use the print menu from the original VCE player software.
      Other options are mostly shady online “services”. Stay clear of those to be honest..

  23. I’ve been using this for about a month and it’s not bad. I may have to break down and purchase the full version as I miss having certain things from VCE Exam Simulator, but they’re a bunch of idiots if they think that I’m going to pay them that much…

    Thanks for sharing, hopefully this gets to others. I’ve already told some others as well.

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