Windows 10 beta exam

gomcse2002

Any idea when this beta exam will be available worldwide ?

niles312

According to the Microsoft Learning website, looks like Exam 70-697: Configuring Windows Devices has a release date of September 1, 2015

https://www.microsoft.com/learning/en-us/exam-70-697.aspx

ed_003

very good to know THX

4chib4ld

I know I'm about a week and a half late to this post, but has anybody seen any texts published for the 70-697 yet? Was hoping a forum administrator would go ahead and open up a Windows 10 section.

srabiee

I generally wait until the Sybex "Mastering" series study guide is released for any given technology or exam. Hopefully that doesn't take too long, but I don't feel any big rush to begin studying for this. I guess it's because Windows 8.1 and Server 2012 R2 still feel so new to me. Maybe when Server 2016 releases I'll feel differently about it.

niles312

All,

The exam is now officially in beta and available for scheduling.
Note This exam is currently in beta. If you pass it, you will receive full credit toward applicable certifications, but you will not receive a score report or pass/fail notification until 8-12 weeks following the conclusion of the beta period.

Standard Commercial Price applies to the cost, USD 150.00 / AUD 206.00 (as this is a beta exam, you would think it would come at a cheaper price?)
Curious to see if those who are eligible for the previous promo received a pass for this:
Earn a Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) certification in Windows 8 between February 15, 2015, and May 31, 2015, and you’ll be eligible to take a Windows 10 exam (Exam 697) for free.

Also, as this exam falls within the Microsoft Specialist track, the Charter status does not apply.

alokin123

i got the beta exam invite and registered to sit it on the 15th. Dont like my chances of passing. Haven't really used it so will have to devote some time over the next two weeks to get up to speed.

Spiegel

I'm curious about taking this exam. How does it normally work? Are there study materials for this or do you just take it with your current knowledge?

niles312

Currently there is no training material tied directly to the 70-697 exam. As time goes on there will be, keep your eye out for MS Press & Sybex books, along with CBT Nuggets & Pluralsight.

For now, it will totally depend on your hands-on experience and knowledge against each skill measured within the exam outline.

niles312

So, has anyone taken this exam yet?

Still no Windows 10 exams sub-forum, perhaps we'll have one when the beta phase is over..

alokin123

Spiegel wrote: »

I'm curious about taking this exam. How does it normally work? Are there study materials for this or do you just take it with your current knowledge?

Microsoft normally releases an exam and if they ever get around to it, they produce a course that you can take at a training provider.

Study guides and stuff like that from MS Press come out months or a year after the exam is active.

you might be interested in these freebies from MS:
https://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com/en-us/training-courses/windows-10-technical-preview-fundamentals-for-it-pros-8464
https://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com/en-us/training-courses/getting-started-with-windows-10-for-it-professionals-10629
https://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com/en-us/training-courses/windows-10-update-for-it-pros-12208

Google teched and microsoft ignite for more free Windows 10 vids.

You can also register for these:
https://www.microsoft.com/australia/win10webinars/

Is it just me or is no one in the wider community really excited about Windows 10? I remember after Vista everyone was right onto Windows 7. But i am not seeing the same level of interest with Windows 10.

I must admit, i am a little underwhelmed by Windows 10. The new start button isnt really that good and i hate the new interface for configuring settings.

ed_003

alokin123 wrote: »

Microsoft normally releases an exam and if they ever get around to it, they produce a course that you can take at a training provider.

Study guides and stuff like that from MS Press come out months or a year after the exam is active.

you might be interested in these freebies from MS:
https://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com/en-us/training-courses/windows-10-technical-preview-fundamentals-for-it-pros-8464
https://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com/en-us/training-courses/getting-started-with-windows-10-for-it-professionals-10629
https://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com/en-us/training-courses/windows-10-update-for-it-pros-12208

Google teched and microsoft ignite for more free Windows 10 vids.

You can also register for these:
https://www.microsoft.com/australia/win10webinars/

Is it just me or is no one in the wider community really excited about Windows 10? I remember after Vista everyone was right onto Windows 7. But i am not seeing the same level of interest with Windows 10.

I must admit, i am a little underwhelmed by Windows 10. The new start button isnt really that good and i hate the new interface for configuring settings.

Good work alokin123

gomcse2002

hello alokin123

Just curious when will you be taking the Windows 10 beta exam ?

Good luck to your beta exam.

alokin123 wrote: »

Microsoft normally releases an exam and if they ever get around to it, they produce a course that you can take at a training provider.

Study guides and stuff like that from MS Press come out months or a year after the exam is active.

you might be interested in these freebies from MS:
https://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com/en-us/training-courses/windows-10-technical-preview-fundamentals-for-it-pros-8464
https://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com/en-us/training-courses/getting-started-with-windows-10-for-it-professionals-10629
https://www.microsoftvirtualacademy.com/en-us/training-courses/windows-10-update-for-it-pros-12208

Google teched and microsoft ignite for more free Windows 10 vids.

You can also register for these:
https://www.microsoft.com/australia/win10webinars/

Is it just me or is no one in the wider community really excited about Windows 10? I remember after Vista everyone was right onto Windows 7. But i am not seeing the same level of interest with Windows 10.

I must admit, i am a little underwhelmed by Windows 10. The new start button isnt really that good and i hate the new interface for configuring settings.

alokin123

gomcse2002 wrote: »

hello alokin123

Just curious when will you be taking the Windows 10 beta exam ?

Good luck to your beta exam.

On the 15th Sept which is the last possible day it was available. I had the free coupon because i was registered on the Microsoft Subject Matter Experts site: https://connect.microsoft.com/site862

I dont like my chances of getting close to passing. I don't know that the exam is available after the 15th even if you paid for it until it becomes an official exam?

niles312

alokin123 wrote: »

On the 15th Sept which is the last possible day it was available. I had the free coupon because i was registered on the Microsoft Subject Matter Experts site: https://connect.microsoft.com/site862

I dont like my chances of getting close to passing. I don't know that the exam is available after the 15th even if you paid for it until it becomes an official exam?

Best of luck, looking forward to hearing about your testing experience

grbond007

How much luck have you and others had with the Sybex books for previous microsoft exams? I was considering taking a class for a MS exam but at $3k, I would rather do self study.

grbond007

It's available now. At $150 its really cheap, so I am tempted to take it and just to see what a Microsoft exam is really like. Pass or fail, my career isn't going anywhere with Comptia's garbage.

niles312

Looks like we got a Windows 10 sub-forum!

Thanks team

aaronchristenson

I took the beta exam today, it was more difficult that I thought, but I also have little to no experience with Store apps or Intune. I would be very surprised if I passed.

alokin123

aaronchristenson wrote: »

I took the beta exam today, it was more difficult that I thought, but I also have little to no experience with Store apps or Intune. I would be very surprised if I passed.

This is what annoys me about MS exams. They think everyone will use their products to the max and integrate everything to the cloud.

niles312

aaronchristenson wrote: »

I took the beta exam today, it was more difficult that I thought, but I also have little to no experience with Store apps or Intune. I would be very surprised if I passed.

Well done for taking a shot at the exam

srabiee

niles312 wrote: »

Looks like we got a Windows 10 sub-forum!

Thanks team

Yep, just noticed it. Hopefully we get a Server 2016 forum pretty soon.

charrow

Hi,

When I attempt to schedule the exam through this page:
https://www.microsoft.com/learning/en-us/exam-70-697.aspx

It shows on the VUE side 'The exam is not available for delivery.' for all test centres near me.

It also shows as full price, even though I am eligible for the free exam:
https://borntolearn.mslearn.net/b/weblog/archive/2015/02/19/how-to-get-a-windows-10-exam-for-free

Is this just a 'beta thing'? Will it start working after the exam goes out of beta?

Thanks,

niles312

As mentioned earlier, CBT Nuggets now has a video series in production:

Microsoft Windows 10 70-697: Configuring Windows Devices
https://www.cbtnuggets.com/it-training-videos/microsoft-windows-10-70-687-configuring-windows-devices

Expect this to be completed over the next few months

alokin123

I took the exam yesterday. It felt like a mish mash of generic Windows client questions that would have been at home on a windows XP exam and a whole bunch of stuff on azure and intune and other cloud stuff.
For all of the hype around Windows 10 i was expecting questions about the new? features of Windows 10 which on the exam i took seem to revolve around backups and "apps". I just don't know where MS are going with this.

It will most likely be a fail for me but at least it was free.

What size screens do people have when they take exams? I seriously had to scroll up and down on half the questions because it couldn't fit on the screen. Its just gotten worse over the years.

Bolek

Hi!
How many questions were on the exam?
Thanks.

Chrome

Anyone else studying for this puppy? Anyone know what the new specialist badges look like?

XxNooniexX

Anybody know what the deal is with this course? I thought it was supposed to be out in September and now its nearly Christmas and the site says that the exam is still in Beta.

I don't quite understand what's going on with Microsoft anymore....I was originally studying Windows 8 and I didn't quite have enough to pass it ( I had like 660 or something like that... I can't remember now what it was) and I was going to try again and then I heard they were terminating the test in November rather than giving a years notice like they usually do. So now I don't even know what to study. Windows 8 and 7 are now terminated I believe and Windows 10 is not an MCSA but a Specialist course instead... So are these specialist courses the way to go rather than MCSAs now or am I just missing something? And what do you mean by Specialist badges Chrome?

TacoRocket

XxNooniexX wrote: »

Anybody know what the deal is with this course? I thought it was supposed to be out in September and now its nearly Christmas and the site says that the exam is still in Beta.

I don't quite understand what's going on with Microsoft anymore....I was originally studying Windows 8 and I didn't quite have enough to pass it ( I had like 660 or something like that... I can't remember now what it was) and I was going to try again and then I heard they were terminating the test in November rather than giving a years notice like they usually do. So now I don't even know what to study. Windows 8 and 7 are now terminated I believe and Windows 10 is not an MCSA but a Specialist course instead... So are these specialist courses the way to go rather than MCSAs now or am I just missing something? And what do you mean by Specialist badges Chrome?

Windows 7 and 8 have not been terminated. Windows 7 ends tomorrow and Windows 8 at the end of January

Piers

And they're not actually terminated, they're Specialist certs now

"The MCSA: Windows 7 certification is retiring in the fall of 2015. "Exam 680, Exam 685, and Exam 686 will continue to be available to earn Specialist certifications"

"The MCSA: Windows 8 certification, Exam 689, and Exam 692 are retiring in early 2016. Exam 687 and Exam 688 will continue to be available to earn Specialist certifications."

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/learning/specialist-certification.aspx

niles312

Well I just had a look at the page and it seems like the beta phase for this exam is finally over!