MS is very dirty...

I took the 70-291 exam today.

Microsoft kicked me in the crotch on this one... I scored a 657.

Apparently they changed the test recently because my official MS book (2nd Edition even) has 1/2 of a page devoted to WSUS while the online MS E-Learnings never even mentioned it. Guess how many questions out of the 46 on the test were related to WSUS? At least freakin' 10 or 15!!!! Way to go on screwing me Microsoft.

Even on their website http://www.microsoft.com/learning/exams/70-291.mspx it says that everything on the exam is covered in the E-Learnings. Maybe they should change that.

There were also only 2 labs on the test as well. That seemed strange to me and probably didn't help me out any. On my 70-290 exam there were 6 and I felt more comfortable doing that test because actually doing something instead of answering a stupid multiple choice or checkbox question seems more relevant to me.

Anyway, I'm going to play around with WSUS and brush up some more on RRAS this weekend and take the test again Monday. Better to retake a test soon than wait and forget some stuff. I know that if I had studied WSUS that I would've passed but not even my practice exams mentioned it (Preplogic).

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emmajoyce

I will agree. MS is very good at having questions that cannot be answered from reading books or watching videos

macdude

Hey man, looks like me and you are in the same boat. I scored 657 today as well. It sucks big time. When I went to vue, I had to wait, while they downloaded the update.

Just a few questions away, I least I know my weak spot and its time to hit it till i get it.

2 sims, I was suspecting alot more.

blargoe

emmajoyce wrote:

I will agree. MS is very good at having questions that cannot be answered from reading books or watching videos

As it should be.

You would be much, much better off for the exam and for your future job if you spend the time working with the items that are listed in the exam objectives hands on. For example, WSUS is a free download and is very simple to install. In 30 minutes or so you could have a fully functional WSUS server.

hanakuin

I totally agree with blargoe, you have to get your hands dirty with the technology that you're studying about. Get your hands on some server evals and run it on virtual machione at least and practice some of the labs that are usually included with the study guides. If you break it or when I should say

is when you learn the most.

royal

I also agree with blargoe. You should never be able to obtain a certification just from watching videos and reading books. Microsoft states that you should have 18 months of experience minimum before even attempting any of the exams. They tell you this for a reason!

georgemc

Actually...
The MSPRESS 70-291 official book has 1 1/2 pages (15-18 & 15-19) of text devoted to Objective 3.2 (Install and Configure Software Update Infrastructure)

It details where you can download WSUS for free; explains that WSUS has all of the functionality of SUS and the having a thorough knowledge of WSUS will be sufficient to cover any SUS questions you may encounter; details items that you need to know, be familiar with, and be aware of.

The book then devotes 2 pages(15-20 & 15-21) for a total of 6 multiple choice questions, all of which concern WSUS(not SUS). And unlike in Part 1 of the book, there are explanations for all answers, both correct and incorrect.

Having not taken the 70-291 yet, I can't be sure that this would suffice for the WSUS questions on the exam, but the book does cover the objective/subject and points you to a resource to get hands-on experience and familiarity.

At first, I had decided to skip Part 2 of the book. Your question/comments caused me to look further and find additional subject matter/review questions and revise my decision. So thanks...

Georgemc

BTW: WSUS isn't covered at all by the Transcender 70-291 practice tests either.

Airwolf123

blargoe wrote:

emmajoyce wrote:

I will agree. MS is very good at having questions that cannot be answered from reading books or watching videos

As it should be.

You would be much, much better off for the exam and for your future job if you spend the time working with the items that are listed in the exam objectives hands on. For example, WSUS is a free download and is very simple to install. In 30 minutes or so you could have a fully functional WSUS server.

Future job? I AM a Server Systems Administrator for a fairly large company. And I DO know the material on the exam, well, all of it aside from WSUS. Honestly, who in their right mind would use WSUS when you have companies like Shavlik and St. Bernard (who was actually just bought out by Shavlik) who make MUCH better patch management software?

Airwolf123

icroyal wrote:

I also agree with blargoe. You should never be able to obtain a certification just from watching videos and reading books. Microsoft states that you should have 18 months of experience minimum before even attempting any of the exams. They tell you this for a reason!

I agree, you should have to have hands on experience. I do, just not with WSUS because the company I work for chose (before my time) to go with 3rd party patch management software. MS tests are designed so you can't just watch a video or read a book. If you haven't ever setup a scope in DHCP, how would you expect to do it in a lab on the test?

sprkymrk

Airwolf123 wrote:

Honestly, who in their right mind would use WSUS when you have companies like Shavlik and St. Bernard (who was actually just bought out by Shavlik) who make MUCH better patch management software?

Those who don't need an 800 pound gorilla that costs money when a 75 pound dog will do the job for free. Besides the fact that you took a Microsoft exam, not a Shavlik exam.

helms20

sprkymrk wrote:

Airwolf123 wrote:

Honestly, who in their right mind would use WSUS when you have companies like Shavlik and St. Bernard (who was actually just bought out by Shavlik) who make MUCH better patch management software?

Those who don't need an 800 pound gorilla that costs money when a 75 pound dog will do the job for free. Besides the fact that you took a Microsoft exam, not a Shavlik exam.

not to be mean, but if you would have done a search on questions that were covered in the exam, in this forum, you would have seen that many people have already experienced this. Anyways study up on it and good luck on your next attempt.

RTmarc

sprkymrk wrote:

Airwolf123 wrote:

Honestly, who in their right mind would use WSUS when you have companies like Shavlik and St. Bernard (who was actually just bought out by Shavlik) who make MUCH better patch management software?

Those who don't need an 800 pound gorilla that costs money when a 75 pound dog will do the job for free. Besides the fact that you took a Microsoft exam, not a Shavlik exam.

Yep. WSUS, especially version 3.0, is quite capable of handling patch management and the part is that it's totally free.

Smallguy

helms20 wrote:

sprkymrk wrote:

Airwolf123 wrote:

Honestly, who in their right mind would use WSUS when you have companies like Shavlik and St. Bernard (who was actually just bought out by Shavlik) who make MUCH better patch management software?

Those who don't need an 800 pound gorilla that costs money when a 75 pound dog will do the job for free. Besides the fact that you took a Microsoft exam, not a Shavlik exam.

not to be mean, but if you would have done a search on questions that were covered in the exam, in this forum, you would have seen that many people have already experienced this. Anyways study up on it and good luck on your next attempt.

I do feel bad that you need to re-write but if you have looked around on here before you would have notied alot of people are geting alot of WSUS questions lately.

there aree many threads whether they are passed of I failed that say I was tested hyeavily on WSUS, DNS and RRAS.

famosbrown

Yep...when I took my 70-291 last November, I had about 10 questions on WSUS. If you search back to others posting about their experience on it, you will see that many hyave said the same thing...WSUS is on the exam. I was ready for it since after getting tested on SUS in 70-290, I saw that WSUS was the new thing out, so I began reading about it on TechNet. It wasn't in my study material either.

kujayhawk93

Airwolf123 wrote:

Anyway, I'm going to play around with WSUS and brush up some more on RRAS this weekend and take the test again Monday.

How did you do the second time around?

Airwolf123

I ended up scheduling my exam for this coming Friday the 23rd. I was angry after failing and I didn't want to take it again without a clear head. I probably would've just failed again. I've been playing around with WSUS and I'll be going over RRAS heavy this week. Hopefully I'll pass this time since I definitely know what to expect.

Sorry to all of you if I seemed kinda angry... I was! lol

Ahriakin

I just did 291 on friday, as far as WSUS goes as was suggested download/install and follow the Microsoft "WSUSStepByStep"document on setup (linked in various posts) and you should be fine for the exam.

sprkymrk

Good luck on Friday airwolf. Let us know how it goes.

APA

Best wishes for Friday mate..... I pencilled my 70-291 in today for the 19th of April.... So 1 month to go......

Irish Rover

Hey I have been thru the wringer with certs. school... jobs etc.
I am preparing for the 291 BEAST on March 29 and I think that MS is somewhat fair..
It is their Product ..so they want these certs to mean something
I somewhat dread this test.. but am plugging on ..
Did some WSUS labs in school and the week of the test will do one more go around on that so it is fresh in my head..
DNS is a pain but it is at the heart of Active Directory..so ...we ..need to know it...
I do think that ...to toss WSUS on this test is a curve but not much of one....

deneb829

Airwolf123 wrote:

I agree, you should have to have hands on experience. I do, just not with WSUS because the company I work for chose (before my time) to go with 3rd party patch management software. MS tests are designed so you can't just watch a video or read a book. If you haven't ever setup a scope in DHCP, how would you expect to do it in a lab on the test?

I am not sure if you are saying that this part is fair or not. I had this experience with the 70-290 about things being on the exam that I will probably never use - I mean how many people use the Windows backup feature? but on the Server exam, you had to know that thing backwards and forwards. I think that is fair, since being certified means that you understand the whole thing.

I have had the experience (and have read others experiences) about subjects popping up on the exam that no one seems to remember reading in the MS text - I have to admit that is kind of annoying, especially if that makes the difference between a pass or fail. But in Microsoft's defense, that happened to me on the Network+ too. I doubt that Microsoft or CompTIA's intention is to play dirty, that just wouldn't make any sense.

Ye Gum Noki

Airwolf123 wrote:

I ended up scheduling my exam for this coming Friday the 23rd. I was angry after failing and I didn't want to take it again without a clear head. I probably would've just failed again. I've been playing around with WSUS and I'll be going over RRAS heavy this week. Hopefully I'll pass this time since I definitely know what to expect.

Sorry to all of you if I seemed kinda angry... I was! lol

Most of us have been there. All you can do is just what you're doing, "Fix it and move on."

Also, I think WSUS is a damn fine product and we use it in a 1000 node domain.

PS: I whipped the beast's ass... the second time I took it.

Good luck on Friday.

Airwolf123

Well, I passed! Scored a 740 this time... I would've liked to score a bit higher but it doesn't matter. 700+ is 700+.

Woot! Man, am I glad that test is over.

Ye Gum Noki

Awesome, Wolfster!

Congratulations!

royal

Congrats Airwolf!

jimmyp83

Airwolf123 wrote:

Well, I passed! Scored a 740 this time... I would've liked to score a bit higher but it doesn't matter. 700+ is 700+.

Woot! Man, am I glad that test is over.

Congrats man!! I scored a 700 exactly, so dont feel bad. Passing is passing