Microsoft Certification Exam Question

[Soukyan]

So I'll be taking Exam 70–270: Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows XP Professional tomorrow. I've actually had two courses on this, but I thought I'd ask if anyone else has taken any of the cert exams before and if so, what kind of last minute advice/comments could you give a "first-timer". Thanks in advance for any feedback.

[Roac]

Not sure that there's much that you can do last minute.  I'd recommend not going to take MS tests until you've worked through every practice exam you can find on the net with a grade well above minimum passing.  I've also found that while the courses can be useful, the books are often more so.  Main advantage of the courses is that you can ask clarification questions on material you've already read and get a good outline of the tested material, since the courses are far too short to really absorb everything that's being taught.  I'm hoping you've bought one of the test-specific books, read it cover to cover, and know about everything in it?

[Avatard]

So I'll be taking Exam 70–270: Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows XP Professional tomorrow. I've actually had two courses on this, but I thought I'd ask if anyone else has taken any of the cert exams before and if so, what kind of last minute advice/comments could you give a "first-timer". Thanks in advance for any feedback.

We're going to have another paper MCSE soon. How sweet.

[Soukyan]

We're going to have another paper MCSE soon. How sweet.

Actually, I already administer several Windows 2003 Servers and work with several others in the administration of XP workstations on our site, so it's not like I don't do these things in practice, I just don't have the MS credentials. Thus the reason for going to get them. Do you have any insight or tips or were you just attempting to be funny? I'll give you credit for other posts, but this one is just you being ignorant.

Anyhow, thanks for the feedback, Roac. I've read multiple books, done tons of exams and do pretty well on all of them. Have you taken any of the exams? Are the practice exams I've been taking fairly representative of the actual exams?

[Avatard]

Do you have any insight or tips or were you just attempting to be funny? I'll give you credit for other posts, but this one is just you being ignorant.

No tips, I was just trolling.



Good luck on your exam.

[Jayce]

I found that if you pass Transcenders 100% of the time, you will do fine on the exam.  They are close enough to the questions, and at least as importantly, have the same look & feel of the actual test.

In a less ethical vein, there are also braindumps on the internet - formerly free, I haven't looked for MS ones lately, so they might be trying to charge now - of the actual questions as remembered by various parties. These are obviously less reliable, it's an option.

I think you should be OK though, given what you say you've done to prepare.  Good luck and let us know how it turned out.

[Bunk]

We're going to have another paper MCSE soon. How sweet.

Actually, I already administer several Windows 2003 Servers and work with several others in the administration of XP workstations on our site, so it's not like I don't do these things in practice, I just don't have the MS credentials. Thus the reason for going to get them. Do you have any insight or tips or were you just attempting to be funny? I'll give you credit for other posts, but this one is just you being ignorant.

Anyhow, thanks for the feedback, Roac. I've read multiple books, done tons of exams and do pretty well on all of them. Have you taken any of the exams? Are the practice exams I've been taking fairly representative of the actual exams?

They were when I got my MCSE for NT4.  Half of the practice websites and the books I used had verbatim questions from the tests I took.
I doubt they have changed much. You should be able to hit 90% on those practice exams before doing the real thing.

Oh, and I agree with Avatard's sentiments towards most MCSEers. When I took my MCSE courses, they were selling the $8k course to guys who could barely turn on a PC. Its not hard to pass exams that just require memorizing the answers. Still, its worth it on the resume to have the certifcates, so you may as well get them.

[Soukyan]

Welp, aside from the test center having moved a city block down from the last time I was there and a bit of panic as I stood in the wrong building and frantically tried to find their number and get to the correct place, I managed to make it with time to spare before the exam was scheduled to begin.

After reading and signing the "I won't cheat, eat, scratch my head in confusion, move more than two inches outside of my personal space" clause and enduring the strip search and cataloguing of all personal items on my body, I sat down to take my exam. I used all two hours alotted to answer the 50 questions. Luckily, I didn't get an adaptive exam. Of course, I spent the last 15 minutes reviewing the questions and tallying how many I thought I missed and was coming to the conclusion that it was going to be close (you need to score 700 out of a possible 1000 to pass the 70-270 exam - quite a lot of leeway there, I know). So I provide comments on the questions and do a little survey, all the while thinking I've scored a 690 or some other such, so close yet so far away number.

Survey done. Nerves racked. Click End.

Congratulations, you scored a 923 and have passed the exam.

Hot. Fucking. Damn.


Thanks for the feedback, gents. We've got a new (paper ;) MCP in the house.