I recently attended two classes which are part of the so called 'career track' offered by guidance software. Included in that career track is the EnCE.

The first of the two classes was EnCase Intermediate Analysis and Reporting which is said to cover all that you need to know to pass the EnCE. It's a 4 day course which shows you really all the possibilities EnCase gives you to make your life easier and get results quicker. I already had some experience with the software and got basicly the same results doing it my way - but at the expense of at least twice the time for getting the results and even more time needed to compile the reports.

The second class was EnCase Advanced Computer Forensics. During that 4 day course you go over the internals of different partition types, filesystems, operating system artifacts etc. The 4 days are really charged, sometimes it was difficult to follow (for me especially when the instructor talked about systems I really know nothing about like Mac File Systems), but everything is explained in depth in the course books so you can go over it again.

If you are working with encase I can recommend both courses. I did the courses in Pasadena (at the headquarter of guidance), both instructors knew what they talked about, just the classroom was a bit noisy from the air condition and would need some windows.

Now just waiting to do the other 2 courses (Advanced Internet Examination and Live Forensic Investigation), perhaps in september, and after that - hopefully - passing the EnCE 

They just ask you if you have some experience but there is no need for any special evidence for that.

The certification consists of two parts, a theoretical (multiple choice) test and a practical.

I think that possibly you can pass the theoretical part by just studying the offical study guide, but for the practical you need to know what you are doing (or at least know somebody who does !). You'll get a case-file on CD and have to answer questions about that case within 60 days. Sure you can try to answer every question by looking up the manuals (a bit tedious)...

And what do you get that way ? First time you'll have to do a real case you'll be caught.

I think I'll go for the exam by the end of the year, I'll tell you afterwards if could be possible to solve the practical without any experience.

Nevertheless I think having to complete a practical is always better then getting a cert by just completing a multiple choice test - it's far more easy to learn answering some questions only.