I passed 70-417 Windows Server 2012! This is what I did.

Grenada

This week I became officially MCSA  Windows Server 2012  certified after passing the certification test. It certainly wasn’t easy.  Back in March I started going through an uCertify MCSA course and the current CBT Nuggets course and then in October, I read through Microsoft's exam reference guide once. uCertify labs really helped me to prepare thoroughly for the exam.

My opinions about the exam:

As you know, when you take an exam you are under a NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) so I won't talk or answer questions  about the questions in the exam, however, I can say this:

• The exam is in 3 parts (one for every exam that you usually need for your MCSA 2012) and you have 20-20-21 questions.  You do them one section at a time, and once you finish a section, you cannot go back to review or change the answers.
• In a question on the exam, they refer to “Windows Server 8” instead of “Windows Server 2012” (I actually made a comment about that at the exam review at the end )
• Your final score is the lowest score of the 3 sections, so if you score 900-900-680, you fail the exam at 680.
• The exam software doesn’t warn you that you didn’t read the full question anymore. Before, when you made an answer, and lets say you didn’t read the last 1-2 lines of the question, you had a popup warning you.
• Lately, Microsoft has been pushing a lot towards PowerShell, and in ALL the new products certifications you need to know about PowerShell.  I don’t know how many PowerShell questions you will have in your exam, but if you don’t know PowerShell, you won’t pass for sure!.
• The graphics on the new exam are a lot better!

kaiju

Good information!!

Definitely know the basics of PowerShell for 2016 related exams or you will be in for a rude awakening. 

Pseudonym

Congrats. Did you do this to upgrade server 2003/2008?

jazz_01

Congratulations! Thank you for sharing your experience.

PCTechLinc

Did you have to take the test multiple times, or did you pass on the first try?  I was thinking about taking a bridge exam to upgrade my MCSA: Server 2008, but have hesitated due to the inherent difficulties of Microsoft exams.

Pseudonym

PCTechLinc said:

Did you have to take the test multiple times, or did you pass on the first try?  I was thinking about taking a bridge exam to upgrade my MCSA: Server 2008, but have hesitated due to the inherent difficulties of Microsoft exams.

70-417 is one of the few MS exams I passed first time around.