Taking the 70-290 exam today!

Bit nervous... first certification exam I am taking (been working in IT for the last 3 years though). Any words or advice or encouragement?!?!

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LOkrasa

Relax... you spent a considerable amount of time studying and now its going to pay off. Just believe in yourself.

7255carl

best of luck

buaawwww

I really appreciate it... I only just found this site like a week ago, and wish I found it sooner!!!

buaawwww

410?!?!? A f*&(ing 410??? I studied for months for this thing... I have been working in IT for 3 years... and this is how I did on my first ever certification exam???

Do I just have a lot attention span or something? Unbelieveable.

ilcram19

oh wow...do u have a lab at home?...do u mess with AD?, how about file and folder ACCESS?, back ups?

well i would just read and write notes on all over the test is kind of tricky but when u know the stuff is pretty easy i fail the first time i took it 603 but the next time i pass with a 866
so keep trying u can do it!!!!!
once u get it everything will fall in place

Non-Profit Techie

what did you use to study and how often did you study?
What book and/or practice exams did you use?

jbaello

Haha welcome to Microsoft Exam, I felt the same way on my 1st MCP exam

you'll get it next time, the secret is you gotta have the right study materials

remember at work you don't apply every Microsoft technology just partial, so those stuff not implemented at work, will tank you.

Slowhand

The exams can be tough, they can really throw you off with stuff that "no one uses every day". I think we all got blindsided on our first exam. Don't let yourself get too discouraged, you just have to take this as a learning experience and make a game plan for your re-take. Take a look at the exam objectives to make sure you're familiar with all the concepts you need to know for the test.

You never did mention what book you used to study, but I'd recommend taking a look at the MS Press book, and possibly the Sybex book as your primary study resources. Setting up a home lab where you can do some of the specific tasks you'll see in the end-of-chapter reviews in the books is essential, and other resources like CBT Nuggets and TestOut can help as well. And, of course, the TechNotes on sites like this are very helpful, as is TechNet, itself.

Vogon Poet

Ouch, sorry to hear that.
They call 70-291 the beast, but 290 is plenty challenging.
Re-group, study everything you can, and try again.
Microsoft makes them tough.

rlebah

I agree with slowhand. They make them hard as in they want to make sure you can apply the knowledge you learn. Not like some other non microsoft certifications where you can memorize the answers and than have all the jealous it staff ask you real world questions and laugh because your answers are tanking.

There seems to be a stigma out there from people that have not recently taken an exam or never have. They feel you cant apply the the certification because you forget half of what you learn or the way you studied you knew the answers but did not understand the concept.

Now after preparing for an exam you can go to the network team and discuss with them the current network queue it fires. If your making them nervous your studying is sinking in. This is an especially fun tatic if your department still has staff from the 2k area when it seemed everyone was outsourced. You can always spot one because they do not want anyone to learn there job.

If you have been working with Server already, Dont sweat it there is the real world and than the Microsoft Way.

I failed 290. I spent months studying, Each chapter was like a book for me. My downfall was lack of a network.

If your looking for a virtual training friend email me. Heck if anyone else wants to we can create a study group for 290 especially since they passed on the exam insurance.

Slowhand

Yup, that's an important thing to remember. All certification tests, especially Microsoft's, tend to lean towards an idealized version of how things are done, sometimes forgetting about real-world workarounds and third-party solutions. You learn a lot of good stuff, but it always goes with Microsoft-only jargon, (like having 'several Windows 2000 Servers acting as routers in your corporate network' listed on a question, when you know full-well those should all be 1U high and have the Cisco logo on 'em).

The most important thing to remember when you're answering questions is that Microsoft expects you to know the solutions that they recommend, even if you know a better 'real-world' way of doing things. There's the right way, the wrong way, and One Microsoft Way.

bjaxx

Slowhand wrote:

Yup, that's an important thing to remember. All certification tests, especially Microsoft's, tend to lean towards an idealized version of how things are done, sometimes forgetting about real-world workarounds and third-party solutions. You learn a lot of good stuff, but it always goes with Microsoft-only jargon, (like having 'several Windows 2000 Servers acting as routers in your corporate network' listed on a question, when you know full-well those should all be 1U high and have the Cisco logo on 'em).

The most important thing to remember when you're answering questions is that Microsoft expects you to know the solutions that they recommend, even if you know a better 'real-world' way of doing things. There's the right way, the wrong way, and One Microsoft Way.

Life is about failing my friend its how you react to it and pick yourself up. You don't get the title engineer for passing easy exams. These exams as posted previously will throw you through every possible loop possible.

Couple of things I found useful. Get the objectives and then go through them look them up get familiar with every objective, Make sure you have a server at home to practice - most work places get the MSDN software or an evaluation version for help.
Read the book pertaining to the exam from microsoft. pick up a good testing software transcenders, prep logic etc.. Find some study guides and gauge yourself off of how well you do on your practice exams. If you are scoring 70-80 percent on the transcender/microsoft readiness practice exams your not ready. When you are scoring 90 percent or better then your ready to go.

Another thing when taking your exam take about 10 deep breathes before you sit down.
When that first questions comes up get in the practice of reading the question once and reread it again and then eliminate wrong answers and then make your selection.

Finally your lack of preparation put you in the position to fail - three years of working IT doesn't buy you into anything. You should have the burning desire to hit the books every night until you pass that sob. And when you pass have a beer for BJAXX.

Good luck and don't ever give up.

Pash

Despite people saying 291 is the hardest MS exam in the set, 290 really gave me a headache and I thought I knew all the little tricks. As others have said, get yourself a eval copy of server2k3 and just practice permissions, applying them and what not. Practicing this is essential for passing the exam.

sprkymrk

DNS, WSUS, DNS and DNS are the bulk of this exam. If you are weak in either of these... Let me rephrase that - If you are even average in either of these you will not likely pass. You must know them inside-out.

Vogon Poet

sprkymrk wrote:

DNS, WSUS, DNS and DNS are the bulk of this exam. If you are weak in either of these... Let me rephrase that - If you are even average in either of these you will not likely pass. You must know them inside-out.

Oops. Wrong forum Sprkymrk. But the advice about knowing objectives inside-out is exactly right when taking Microsoft exams, no matter what the subject matter.

VantageUK

sprkymrk wrote:

DNS, WSUS, DNS and DNS are the bulk of this exam.

Really?

I'd expect a bit of WSUS.

But DNS? The bulk of the exam?

buaawwww

Sorry everyone I was away. Wow thanks for all of the responses and the extra added motivation. I thought I was in pretty good shape, really did. I used the Microsoft 70-790 textbook, self paced training kit (Dan Holme and Orin Thomas). I had rebuilt an old PC of mine with the CD that came with it for the practices but had problems with my current PC and had to fix up that one, kind of derailed me. I mean honestly I have never, EVER been a very good test taker, even in all of my years in school. I was very discouraged after this but I will take a little time and then just apply myself that much more to it, even if it means devoting morning noon and night to it.
How did you guys study and prepare? Is it really all about the hands on practice? I think I should have done more of that. I mean I had 10 questions on IIS and didn't absorb as much of that as I did say groups, and there were less questions about that! Totally threw me off my game.
Thanks again and I will keep prepping and try and take this again sooner rather than later. Should I set my sites on something else before this one? Any thoughts are most welcome.

cndshullaw

Geez I'm scared now....I've been studying for 2 months now with the same materials. I don't spend as much time on IIS or Licensing as I should, but I think now I will. Sorry to hear you didn't pass. But you should have no problem next time.

Vogon Poet

buaawwww wrote:

How did you guys study and prepare? Is it really all about the hands on practice?

Everything that you learn from the book you should be able to implement.
It's odd. I studied IIS like crazy and didn't get one question. So you never know.
I started with the Syngress book, learned it inside out, and then supplemented with info not covered from the Sybex book. Then I throw in at least two practice tests.

buaawwww

yeah I was completely taken by surprise when I got the 5 IIS question in a row! I was so mad at myself for not spending more time on that, but I NEVER would have guessed there would be many questions on the test on this subject. Oh well.
Do you think I'd be better off taking a different test first for my MCP, then revisiting 70-290?

bjaxx

buaawwww wrote:

yeah I was completely taken by surprise when I got the 5 IIS question in a row! I was so mad at myself for not spending more time on that, but I NEVER would have guessed there would be many questions on the test on this subject. Oh well.
Do you think I'd be better off taking a different test first for my MCP, then revisiting 70-290?

I would stick it out - no need to change gears on your brain. Things will start to click. If you need a study partner look me up I just setup my WSUS server last night and configured IIS to get the ball rolling.

Vogon Poet

bjaxx wrote:

buaawwww wrote:

Do you think I'd be better off taking a different test first for my MCP, then revisiting 70-290?

I would stick it out - no need to change gears on your brain. Things will start to click.

Totally agree. Revisit the study material.

sprkymrk

Vogon Poet wrote:

sprkymrk wrote:

DNS, WSUS, DNS and DNS are the bulk of this exam. If you are weak in either of these... Let me rephrase that - If you are even average in either of these you will not likely pass. You must know them inside-out.

Oops. Wrong forum Sprkymrk. But the advice about knowing objectives inside-out is exactly right when taking Microsoft exams, no matter what the subject matter.

VantageUK wrote:

sprkymrk wrote:

DNS, WSUS, DNS and DNS are the bulk of this exam.

Really?

I'd expect a bit of WSUS.

But DNS? The bulk of the exam?

Whoops! Sorry about that - I was thinking about 291 - thanks for catching it and hope I didn't scare anyone.

royal

sprkymrk wrote:

Whoops! Sorry about that - I was thinking about 291 - thanks for catching it and hope I didn't scare anyone.

I got scared. Only a little though.

VantageUK

sprkymrk wrote:

Whoops! Sorry about that - I was thinking about 291 - thanks for catching it and hope I didn't scare anyone.

No worries.

It was only a mild heart attack