The Beast has got my number

576, 576, 658.........when will the agony end! Sorry folks, just need to rant a bit how fricking difficult I find this test. Its the last one I need for my MCSA and it is just kicking my grill in. I work in a Microsoft shop daily, have hands on equipment at home, yet still seem to get the most random crap-based questions ever. Some of the stuff they ask is so archaic, lets find the one random command-line based way to do something and ask them that. (Not that I have a grudge against the cmd) Its just come on people get real, ask pertinent questions about real world situations. I setup networks all the time as a consultant, properly I might add, I know this crap, ARG!!!!!!1

Ok I'm done now......thanks for the encouraging site, I'll see you on the flipside.

Ryan

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Vask3n

Sorry to hear....I can only imagine how difficult this test must be. Don't give up, I'm sure your study habits are fine, but if you find that they are asking you information that is very granular, simply study that granular material for next time...I can imagine how you feel.

Good luck on your next try.

seuss_ssues

The only questions that i had that come close to archaic command line commands were actually very good questions in my opinion. In life it is often extremely useful to be able to create scripts to automate processes and those command line tools are the backbone to those scripts.

Be sure you know your DNS, DHCP, and security.

that was the biggest chunk of the exam.

Take your printouts from the tests and the sections you didnt do well in go and read the chapters in your book concerning them. Do any exercises you can concerning that material, then go slay the beast.

SWM

What study material are you using? It may be time to change. I used Ucertify and got through this exam on my first try. I agree its not an easy exam. Best of luck next time

frede

I just had to chime in because I am also completely frustrated and need to rant - even though I have yet to take the test. I don't know if your problem is the study guides that you used, but the ones that I am TRYING to prep with are killing me. I just finished busting my best pen in half out of frustration while trying to study RRAS. The books I am using (EC2, MSPress Syngress) skip 3/4 of the configuration properties. This leaves me trying to find good information out on the web, or on MS's website for hours on end. The problem is that very few of us (admins) deal with the initial setup and config of subnetting, DNS, RRAS, and DHCP on a regular basis.

I have been studying for 6 weeks with no end in site. I know I will pass 70-291 WITHOUT cheating, but the question is how much hair will I have left when I do......

AHHHH....... #$&%@!!!!!.......$#@!$%!!!!!!!!

OKAY I'm done......back to the books

Fred

PCHoldmann

Guys, this might sound crazy, but go look at some of the stuff on the CCNA and other Cisco forums. I took The Beast 1.0 (70-216) soon after taking the PIX firewall exam, and had things like routing, subnetting and the like pretty well burned into my head, which helped quite a bit.

I also had to laugh and bite my tongue with the "you have a network with foour W2K routers" questions. First step, reassign them, and go buy some REAL routers

Peter

mikey_b

That's the problem with the exams: They aren't a test of your knowledge, but rather your test-taking ability.

I can't count on all my fingers and toes how many questions I read that completely misdirected you into thinking you were going to be dealing with one specific feature/command/whatever, then at the end changed to something completely different.

When you sift through the garbage, it's easier to answer the questions. I started reading the last line first, the line which states what you are trying to accomplish. Then read through the question and pick up on the key items (like Windows versions, protocols, directory structure, security template names, etc.) and the answer comes much easier. When you simplify the question, it is very easy to find the answer (oftentime without even reading through the choice of answers, the information presented is enough to clue you in).

Gabe7055

I agree mikey_b Microsoft really has gotten on a trying to trick you kick with their questions. Yes it makes the exam tougher but to me it doesn’t effectively judge your network ability rather just how good your are with problem solving questions.

My biggest rant is who in the IT world tries to fix anything with out looking to there resources first. If I am working on something difficult I check thru all my books, check the internet and ask my other people. Now I am not saying exam test should be open book but asking you to memorize every little small detail is kind of annoying.

/rant

blargoe

I can't really sympathize with someone who fails because of DNS (basic, not necessarily AD stuff), DHCP, or subnetting. These are basic networking concepts that if understood would automatically translate to a correct answer on a lot of the questions on this exam.

Now the command line/vbscript utilities - yeah this isn't the way most people would choose to administer AD, and that's not something that would be used on a regular basis, sure. But I think one of the objectives tests being able to do automate admin tasks, which usually would only be possible with these command line programs.

In my experience you can normally get the question right if you basically know what a program does, this would allow you to narrow down incorrect answers.

seuss_ssues

I do agree.

Its not that i always knew which of the 4 choices was correct. But im damn good at finding the 3 that are wrong.

dogcheese

I agree with the guys like seuss, if you don't know your DNS, DHCP, RRAS, etc quit complaining. But I set this stuff up all the time. I also agree with the point about using cmd and scripting to automate stuff, and the point from Gabe regarding referencing your resources is spot on. If I need to automate a process for 50 servers, chances are I'm not going to know exactly how to do it using the correct cmd switches. I'm fortunate to work in a place that put me through $8000 in Microsoft MCSE classes from a MCT, plus I've used TestOut study materials and also Ucertify; so I'm not some lazy SOB trying to paper cert my way through. In my opinion, the reason some of these tests have some random crap is because the guys/gals that write them worked on computers when it was all cmd, and its there way at getting back at us generation gui'ers, j/k! Appreciate the feedback here, great forum.

Ryan

Until 14 days from now..................

jpeezy55

mikey_b wrote:

When you sift through the garbage, it's easier to answer the questions. I started reading the last line first, the line which states what you are trying to accomplish. Then read through the question and pick up on the key items (like Windows versions, protocols, directory structure, security template names, etc.) and the answer comes much easier. When you simplify the question, it is very easy to find the answer (oftentime without even reading through the choice of answers, the information presented is enough to clue you in).

Another trick to use along these guidelines is to read the answers first. This way, you see what your 4 choices are and as you read the question, some of those answers will be eliminated quickly and the question will make more sense.

So, I guess it would be to read backwards! Read the answers first, then the last line of the question, and finally the rest of the question.

I failed 291 about 3 months ago and am hoping to try again here next month as that is my last step to becomming an MCSA...not sure what took me down last time, but I definitely need more hands on. I work in a Novell Network (so that sucks) and my home lab is not functioning right now, so I need to get that running since it is my only hope for hands-on.

Good luck!

Danman32

Novell network sucks? Sacralege! Not that MS networks are bad.

jpeezy55

Danman32 wrote:

Novell network sucks? Sacralege! Not that MS networks are bad.

Well, I didn't mean that Novell itself sucks, after all, Microsoft stole all the finer ideas for Server from Novell.

What I meant is that I am trying to learn Server 2003 and all day long at work it is Novell. The thing that sucks is that I don't get to see it in action.

There is another job that I applied for that would actually have me doing PC Tech work, but also be part of the Admin team and get some hands on with AD and a few other aspects to Server 2003...that would be nice, but unfortunately, haven't heard from them yet.

SWM

MS stole SOME of Novell server principles. There are plenty that I wish W2003 had that it doesn't. How easy was it to undelete a network file from a Novell 3.12/4.11 server. try doing that without MS 2003 shadow copy...

rockstar81

I agree with you guys, some of the questions I had on the 70-290 where just confusing as the question would have so many twists and turns. What I try to do is chew the meat and spit out the bones. Make bullet points of what is needed from the question and put aside the rest.

dogcheese

HA HA HA, no more you rat bastard of a test! I beat you.........MCSA baby, thanks for the ranting room yall!

Dog

SWM

I take it you passed!!!!! Well done, What score did you end up with? I guess 700 is enough to put you out of your misery.

Silver Bullet

Congratulations

rcoop

Congrats! Way to persevere!

royal

Way too pass, congrats! I commend you for not giving up and acheiving your goal.

dogcheese

721 for the gentleman that inquired.....

frede

Great job dog. CONGRATS!!

I go for my 3rd attempt at 70-291 tomorrow. Any advice?

Fred

mikej412

dogcheese wrote:

I beat you.........MCSA baby

Congratulations!

TeKniques

Congrats on the pass! Must feel good to finally conquer it!

tweakingit

Just remember there is a testing world and the real world.

The real world envolves many diffrent ways to fix things, the microsoft "Testing" way is sometimes on the other side of the moon. Or in my most of my experince works only half the time.

So i find myself putting on the "working" hat then the "Testing" hat when time to take the test.