Venting...frustrated with 70-290..scheduled for this Tuesday

License2ILL

Well I get 70-75's highs on transcender and 60's lowend.

I just want to say that some questions are ridiculous....and I really wish ppl would just not memorize the syntax to some of these commands or even the automated scripts for creating users and OU's ....i mean how much of a life must u not have ??? to memorize that level of horsechit??
I am a firm beleiver in referencing subjects that do not adhere to rhyme or reason...one of these are idiotic scripts that some programmer came up with.....why should we be fukn drilled on these subjects.???....I cannot force my mind to memorize something that I know I should be able to reference. It's a process I have adopted from very young....and I tend to discard data like this...in favor of reasoning ability and logical processing.

I do not think I am stupid...but this thing makes me feel that way. Memory is not my forte....but yet I find tendencies in this test requiring you to be some sort of whimsical god at memorization of bullchit that only a high level geek would know(lets face it we are all entry levels at a minimum) or want to know.

I have absolutely nothing to give me the experience of what a simulation might be like and the Microsoft example sim does not load......I do use TestOUT that has some sims in it but imagine the test ones might be more complex or maybe like them but on steroids....can anyone shed some light on sim experiences?

I slotted myself for this test this Tuesday becuz I cannot take this anymore its been over 2 months of ABSOLUTELY NO LIFE.....all I dream about is getting this over with...to take a 3-4week break before the next one which I dont want to think about how much harder it may be.
Honestly tho....ppl just should not allow them to expect of us this level of horsechit...some of those questions where you match chit up in the right order is nonsense. I will never memorize that chit and I expect to get those wrong. I have better things to do with my mind.

To top it off it's spring break. Stuck in my house for the next 4 days cramming. I have to get past this hump in my life over with and done with. This is frustrating. In the real world I would simply reference most of this chit. My other question is if they wanted to Simulate then fine but whyTF? go back to tests, that you have already put out there without Sims??? Why not just fukn start with whatever hasn't been done? I hope they don't think they were doing us some kind of favor....to me it's just a curveball for the method I have been prepping for.

License2ILL

Classic example:
"To gain access to ISAIs desktop while John is attempting to configure settings, you can use the Application Sharing feature in Windows Messenger. If Instant Messaging is not implemented on your corporate network, then you can use the Internet-based instant messaging that is provided by Microsoft. You should sign in to Windows Messenger on your workstation, and John should sign in to Windows Messenger on ISAI. You and John should add each other as contacts. Either of you can initiate Application Sharing by selecting the other one in the Windows Messenger Window and selecting Start Application Sharing from the Actions menu. Suppose you have initiated Application Sharing. Then, John should accept your invitation, click App Sharing in the Sharing Session bar, select Desktop, click Share, and then click Allow Control. ISAI s desktop will appear in a separate window on your computer. You should select Request Control from the Control menu, and John should click Accept on ISAI. Application Sharing in Windows Messenger provides a similar experience to a Remote Assistance session. "

Ok so if it is so similar to Remote ASSistance then why the frak the redundancy in repeating it in a gizmo like chat utility ?

And even furthermore why take and use these 2 similarities to exploit and mix them into a question that is not clear of which one is being spoken about directly but have answers that pertain to both....with only a slight or minute detail off or right to differentiate between the wrong answers or the right......only memorization to a the level of a drone or Zombie of the windows we see ....will let you "see the light" or right answer.
Ultimately these details won't apply in the real world when you have the god damm problem and window staring you right in the face you will know what to conclude to.......that is if you DON'T practice memorization and have some real reasoning skills.......otherwise you'll be dumbfounded which is what I find most memory experts are when they run out of "answers"(memorized).

dynamik

If 290 has you this upset, 291 and 293 are going to make you cry. Just FYI

You really should be getting 90%+ in Transcender before you attempt the actual exam. Are you doing the flashcards or just the exam experience questions? I've found some of the flashcards to be really obscure, and I don't typically use them. If you're having that much trouble with the exam questions, you really need to go back to the written resources and go over the material again.

As far as the command line utilities are concerned, you're not going to be expected to create a long command with complex parameters from memory; just knowing what they do and why they're useful should be enough.

The best way to learn is to get hands-on experience. If you're just memorizing a bunch of commands, I can see why you're finding this to be so enjoyable. You can download a free trial from MS. Load it up on an old PC, dual-boot, or install it in a VM. You'll find the experience more enjoyable, and you'll retain the knowledge better.

License2ILL

Another:
"In this scenario, you must assign John the Allow - Full Control NTFS permission for the UserData folder in order to enable John to modify NTFS permissions for it locally. You should not assign John any share permissions for UserData because the scenario does not require that John can modify NTFS permissions for UserData from another computer. Note that the Full Control permission includes all other permissions; when you select the Allow - Full Control check box, all the other Allow checkboxes are selected automatically. Therefore, to correctly perform the task in this scenario, you should select all Allow checkboxes on the Security tab of the UserData Properties sheet. "

(no duh to the full control checkboxes)

So basically nevermind that you remembered that for a shared folder's NTFS permissions to be modified you need to have Full Shared permissions......we tricked you by stating that the user was logged on locally....altho we spoke about the folder as being shared repeatedly that was to lead you to beleive that it was to be your focus on in the answer. Gotcha!!! your stupid!!!

Trickery. What I am going to "memorize" is to counter my initial logical and reasonable answer with the most illogical and unusual answers given and see if I can manage to force the "imbecile" answer to be the correct one....and then simply choose that 1 over what would be the obvious one....while remembering the level of trickery to most of these questions that allot for the imbecile answer to be correct.......

I really don't see how these tests are truly relevant to skill or know how. Outside of the insider skill you have to develop to take them.(a real world useless skill)

Is this what foreigners equivalize to american stupidity?

License2ILL

I am going to test my theory and if I find it to be true it will be the advice I try to lend out to ppl in my same bind.

Thnks for your help Dynamik but what sample are you talking about a simulation test @ MS...they are downloadable......??

Stupidity has to be defeated..one way or another I will pass. But it has to be noted and passed on the ridiculousness of most of these trick questions. I find them unethical. Entrapment is illegal why should this be any different?

dynamik

You can download a trial version of server 2003 here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsserver/bb430831.aspx

If you haven't actually used it, I highly encourage you to do so. Also, pick up the MS Press book if you don't have it, and work through the chapter exercises. You will learn a great deal by doing that (and you will be able to do any sim you encounter on the exam).

The questions are indeed tricky. You will be tested on your understanding of the material as well as reading comprehension, situational awareness, and troubleshooting. Each question typically tests you on multiple areas simultaneously. They aren't going to ask you the difference between NTFS and share permissions outright. Instead, they're going to work it into a question, such as the one you posted.

sprkymrk

I think you are in the minority on your level of frustration, and also in the wrong career if a studying for a certification has you this upset. No one in their right mind enjoys the MS format of testing, but what kind of questions should they be asking? All of CompTIA exams are nothing more than memorization of facts - facts that could easily be researched in the real world instead of memorized. Same for Cisco. You either memorize the OSI layers and what happens on each layer and memorize commands for routers and switches or you don't pass the exam.

Did you get this upset in High School? College? It's all the same when you get right down to it.

As far as helpful advice, maybe you should get some training videos and watch them over an espresso and bagel or get some audio training and take a walk on the beach while listening. Something low stress. Then when you go back to the books or practice exams it will come together better. Best of luck to you.

License2ILL

Had no problems on those....SAT's were a breeze.

These questions are formulated with leading you to the wrong answer in mind.
They apply the same method to the answers in that the wrong answer they try to lead you into is tweaked just enough to finalize you into concluding it is right.

It's too bad it would seem I am of the minority but that subject on the other hand has happened before and very largely has not disproven me, to the contrary it is with experience that I can say I am even more likely to be correct when that happens. And I am trying to relay this with as minimum sauce on my own taco.

Throughout all the repeated questionings during practice testing this comes up as the constant. Not a lack of knowledge or understanding of concepts. But some small detail set to curve you from the right answer and answers to compliment that.

In their effort to remove process of elimination from being a factor they've snuck in trickery....and profiting from ppl's failure due to them. (this was probably a byproduct at first but by now is the primary motive judging from it's intense display)

Questioning can be made clearly and with emphasis to lead you to the CORRECT answer.
And making the answers close or similar or not would be acceptable.
But a strong effort is made to mislead you instead. And when you have a time counter ticking you will fall for this.
They've probably extended the times becuase of this...but the mastering and understanding of their trickery is still a constant. When you factor in profits.....the whole thing wreaks of foul-ness.

Memorization to me has always been a sure sign of not understanding.
CompTia was once nobody and ppl allowed them to become some kind of standard by flocking to them like they were some authority until they finally became authority. I remember their cheesy flyers back in the Dos days most would just laff.
Same thing happened with human resources being "outsourced" until headhunters and staffing agencies became the norm. And everyone thought it was some kind of cool....stupid...cuz the longterm effect is what it is today more companies without appropriate HR depts. lower salaries and leveraging angles for the employees and overall a shaft to employees. I knew it way back when as surely as it's developed to what it is today. I made my effort to not employ them until late into this decade can't say the same for most. If so they wouldn't even be an industry.

The complication of IT careers are controlled by these "authorities" who not only stand to profit but are from my summation inappropriately administering their tests employing unfair strategies.

When we are done with these testings we should also be acredited to practice law since we have also managed to learn to decipher the language of deception.

dynamik

I think you're missing the point of the exams. They are supposed to test your knowledge in real world scenarios. Questions that have cut-and-dry answers would diminish the value of the exams because that simply isn't the way it is in the real world. For example, a math question on your SAT will always have the same answer, no matter what. However, in IT, a solution to a problem in one situation might not work under a different set of circumstances. In order for these certifications to be of any value, they have to be applicable. If it's not, what's the point of earning it?

These exams put a lot of weight on your ability to think critically. If you know the material, don't rush through the question, can discern what information is important and what isn't, you'll be fine. If you're having a hard time doing that, you probably don't know the material well enough. This isn't some giant conspiracy by MS, and there's no reason to get this worked up over it. They even give you a free retake if you fail: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/offers/secondshot/default.mspx

I really don't think the purpose of their certification program is to make money off of retakes.

sprkymrk

License2ILL wrote:

Had no problems on those....SAT's were a breeze.

In your first post you cried about memorization. What did you do for history tests, science tests, and math tests? After all, in the Real World you could just look those things up, right?

License2ILL wrote:

These questions are formulated with leading you to the wrong answer in mind.

This tests your critical thinking skills then, right? Not just memorizing stuff. So now you appear to have changed your mind on what to complain about.

License2ILL wrote:

It's too bad it would seem I am of the minority but that subject on the other hand has happened before and very largely has not disproven me, to the contrary it is with experience that I can say I am even more likely to be correct when that happens.

Okay, now you totally lost me. I have no idea what you just said, really.

License2ILL wrote:

Throughout all the repeated questionings during practice testing this comes up as the constant. Not a lack of knowledge or understanding of concepts. But some small detail set to curve you from the right answer and answers to compliment that.

I have to respectfully disagree. It's exactly that lack of knowledge or understanding of concepts that will cause you to choose the wrong, but seemingly obvious, answer. The way to overcome that is to know the material inside and out (memorization) and apply critical thinking to come to the correct conclusion.

License2ILL wrote:

In their effort to remove process of elimination from being a factor they've snuck in trickery....and profiting from ppl's failure due to them.

Call it whatever you want, and I agree that it makes the exam hard, but it was done because of how easy it was to "****" the NT4 exams.

License2ILL wrote:

When you factor in profits.....the whole thing wreaks of foul-ness.

They make money by selling software, not training. Other companies make money from training.

License2ILL wrote:

Memorization to me has always been a sure sign of not understanding.

Oh really?

As for the rest of your comments, it really sounds like sour grapes. Seriously, take a break from this studying unless you want to get high blood pressure. Dynamic and I were trying to be helpful, but it's obvious we won't change your mind.

I do wish you well. If you have any specific issues you'd like help or advice with please don't hesitate to ask. On the other hand, if you want to just post another rant, please make yourself a blog and do it there. There are people here who enjoy the challenge and reward of certification.

License2ILL

I thanked Dynamic for his help. And I extend that to you as well.

Have a look at this:
"You are your companys network administrator. Your companys network consists of a single Active Directory Domain. All servers run Windows Server 2003, and all client computers run Windows XP Professional. The network contains four domain controllers. You are designing a disaster recovery plan for the domain controllers. Should any of them fail, you must be able to restore the exact same domain controllers, regardless of the severity of the failure. You want to minimize the amount of data that you will back up on each domain controller.
Which of the following data should you back up on each domain controller? (Select all correct answers. Each correct answer presents part of the solution.) "

There is only one correct answer here. But the question is presented as the usual more than one answer. Typically when there is only 1 answer they do not say this. But I guess they're in the clear becuz technically it's only saying to select all correct answers. It's there form of disclaiming and just basically scoring a wrong answer on us.

The reality is that the ppl coming up with these exams are just having a free for all with us....the intent is decoy, trip, and make fall. I stand behind my postings as an inescapable observation....I cannot apologize for something that I see clearly and repeatedly.
Sour grapes or not. SAT's were not like this in my day...there were deliberate and concise questions with multiple concise choices that incorrect ones could be made from but you were not DIRECTLY steered into.

Questions should be neutral as well as the answers........and their method should be free from trickery and uniform. This posts example breaks the uniform of this method and reminds you that the statements made for "each correct answer being part of the solution" questions can still refer to 1 answer even tho by and large it is intended for more than 1.
Defend them all you want between conceptual understanding and memorizing what we can....adding this to the list of things to stress is nonsense. It's insult to injury.

More ppl should be taking note of their tactics and many should be complaining rather than to be sitting here calmly in acceptance....of this fodder.
We'll agree there is a challenge here............it's more like a war with no applicable rules...except the ones we have to follow.

License2ILL

Trickery:
"Your company consists of the central office and a branch office. The two offices are connected through a private WAN link. The network consists of a single Active Directory domain. All servers run Windows Server 2003. You are a network administrator in the branch office. The network in the branch office is configured as a separate site and contains two domain controllers named DC5 and DC6. Replication between the two sites is scheduled to occur every night after business hours. As part of your disaster recovery plan, you back up Active Directory on both domain controllers every night.
In the morning, you connect to DC5 from your workstation and accidentally delete an organizational unit (CU) named Branch Users, which contains the user accounts of several hundred branch office employees. Two hours later, an employee reports that he cannot log on to the domain. You attempt to locate the users account in Active Directory Users and Computers, and you notice that the Branch Users CU is missing along with its contents. You must recover the accidentally deleted objects as soon as possible while minimizing data loss. You want to achieve your goal with the least amount of administrative effort.
Which of the following should you do?
r In Active Directory Users and Computers, connect to DC6 instead of DC5.
( Perform a non-authoritative restore of Active Directory on DC5.
r Force immediate replication between DC5 and DC6.
r Perform an authoritative restore of Active Directory on DC6.
r Force immediate replication between DC5 and a domain controller in the central office.
Answer:
Perform an authoritative restore of Active Directory on DC6.
Explanation:
By default, Active Directory replication between domain controllers within the same site occurs every hour. When you accidentally deleted the Branch Users CU on DC5, the deletion was, most likely, replicated to DC6 within one hour. To recover the deleted objects in this scenario, you should perform an authoritative restore of Active Directory from the backup that was made on DC5 or DC6 the previous night. Generally, you can use the most recent of the available backups of any domain controller in the domain made prior to the deletion. However, to avoid any unexpected results, you should take into account some additional circumstances, such as whether any changes were made to Active Directory on any domain controllers in the domain after you had deleted the Branch Users CU and whether those changes were replicated across the domain. Cnce you decide which domain controller to restore, you should reboot that domain controller, start it in Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM), and perform a regular, non-authoritative restore of Active Directory. Next, you should use the Ntdsutil command-line utility to mark the Branch Users CU and all its contents as authoritative. Finally, you should reboot the domain controller one more time and start it normally. The objects marked as authoritative will be replicated to other domain controllers and will overwrite more recent information about the deletion of those objects, or tombstones, on other domain controllers.
If you performed only a non-authoritative restore on DC5 or DC6, then the tombstones of the deleted objects that exist on the other domain controller in the branch office would be considered more recent than the objects that were restored from the backup. Consequently, the tombstones would overwrite the restored Branch Users CU and its contents, and those objects would be deleted again as soon as you started the restored domain controller in normal mode. "

The correct answer in accordance to their questioning is to perform a non-authoritive restore on DC5....in which case DC6 (which is intact becuz as the question states replication is scheduled for the evening as well as A.D backup) would replicate itself to DC5 and restore the missing objects.

But you see the question LIES in that by default AD replicates hourly.....

This is a LIE as it is being presented in the question as a fact. You are paying to take a test to filter thru LIES. And if there is any subject that you didnt ingrain into your soul about Server 2003 then you will fail.
Misleading, decoying, and shady. incredible that we are to support this unprofessional crap as a test.

What if you assumed that somehow the defualt replication settings were changed and scheduled for the evening as the question proposes or leads you to beleive?????........(and which by the way is probably possible to do....I wouldnt be surprised)

sprkymrk

Is this from the Transcenders, ExamSim or TestOut questions? If so, how can you blame Microsoft? The third parties make them, and as I mentioned they are the ones making money on them.

License2ILL wrote:

I do use TestOUT that has some sims in it but imagine the test ones might be more complex or maybe like them but on steroids....can anyone shed some light on sim experiences?

I can tell you that the long-winded scenarios are similar to the MS exam.

dynamik

I was just going to make that point, Mark.

Microsoft is in no way associated with these products, so I don't know why you're up in arms against MS. If you don't think these are worthwhile products, don't buy them in the future. It's not that big of deal. I believe they even offer refunds if you're not satisfied.

Second, and I'm not trying to be a jerk, but it's becoming pretty obvious that you simply don't know the material. If they tell you to pick all the correct options, pick all the correct options. If you know what you're doing, it won't matter if it's one or four. And regarding your last post, you clearly don't understand the difference between intersite and intrasite replication. They didn't say anything about changes to the intrasite replication schedule, so you should assume that it is set to it's default. There were no lies.

Like it or not, if you're not able to answer these questions, it's not likely you'll be able to properly perform IT tasks on the job. If anyone could just flip open a reference book and effortless troubleshoot any problem, we wouldn't have jobs. You really need to change you way of thinking if you're seriously considering a career in IT.

License2ILL

These are from Transcenders my friend. Aren't they close or almost carbonization of the real thing?

Or are the MS ones professionally phrased and executed?

I have read MSpress and Sybex and Que...scatteringly but in the 75% range each..I have some experience real world and a few chunks that were mundane I skipped.

Did Serebra videos scatteringly and Cbtnuggets scatteringly....and finally got a hold of the ones I like Testout and am doing those but even more scattered cuz I'm repeating already studied ones. But have done there simulations and would like to complete them all into tonight.
Tommorrow plan to do many MSbook labs on Virtual PC server 2k3.

But these tests not coming back with high scores are demoralizing me with trickery when I go back to review the reasons for my wrong answers. I have resorted to now writing them down on paper to now memorize the skanky facts that are supposed to lead me to their version of the sift pass our bullchit...."correct" answers....I am trying not to memorize the questions and their answers but rather the reasoning. But am finding a lack of it in there questioning.

License2ILL

dynamik wrote:

Like it or not, if you're not able to answer these questions, it's not likely you'll be able to properly perform IT tasks on the job. If anyone could just flip open a reference book and effortless troubleshoot any problem, we wouldn't have jobs. You really need to change you way of thinking if you're seriously considering a career in IT.

You're wrong I been in this field for 10 years and troubleshooting is my forte becuz I know where to start and how to progress with a problem....

These tests are not problem related they are how do we do this following the MS procedures.

I have seen many a "memorizer" and many a "certified" personel lose their jobs for not being able to properly troubleshoot when a problem arises in the real world.

True troubleshooting relies on reasoning and logic not textbook dorking...I have also met many a keen managers who know this....and who do not respect these certs at all.

My purpose in doing them on my own is to simply add them to my resume...as it is going I think that when it is all said and done I will stay firm with the section of ppl who do not respect them as well. So as for considering a career in IT...well and beyond that.

Your not comprehending the question if your going so deeply into the levels of inter/intrasite replication. It simply states that replication is set to happen in the evening.....screw geek-ier know how...screw geek-ier technicalities. Its not saying how it did it or not did it.
Its saying it did it. So you by entertaining these technicalities are feeding into the stupid nature they set across on questioning the public.

These are shady formats of questioning and that's all....... if the MS methods are not like this then serve your purpose on this board and state otherwise.
I stated from the first post this is on Transcenders. if they have a tendency to overwork their questions and not be clear then what you "gurus" should be chiming in to state is "hey they tend to lean on dorking you around on transcenders...try this or that"

See the lack of logic and reasoning leading to not understanding? i'm not trying to be a jerk either.

snadam

sprkymrk wrote:

Seriously, take a break from this studying unless you want to get high blood pressure.

Heed this advice, my friend.

sounds like youre beyond the boiling point. When this happens to me, I take a day off of studying and regroup; and by regroup I mean hanging out with friends and drink yourself silly over one days time to get all the frustration out

All these questions you are reading and getting wrong are the same style as their on the actual exam. If youre doing below average on the questions, then youre not ready for the exam. I see youve taken 270 already, so you should know how this goes. MS has its fancy way of testing your skills.

Nuwin

I have found that some of the test questions are far more difficult than the real ones. They do effectively prepare you for the long winded questions asked on Microsoft exams.

Although somewhat annoying, I have found these questions to be very valuable. It helps make sure you can focus on the meat of the problem and cut the fat.

I guess, in 10 years, has every user you have dealt with been very direct in their issue or have you gotten some ridiculous back stories that required you to weed out garbage to find the real problem?

But as others have said, if you're this upset, take a break! You're not getting anywhere by cursing up a storm at the way Microsoft tests. They're not going to change their format, so you just have to accept it and move on.

sprkymrk

License2ILL wrote:

I stated from the first post this is on Transcenders. if they have a tendency to overwork their questions and not be clear then what you "gurus" should be chiming in to state is "hey they tend to lean on dorking you around on transcenders...try this or that"

You may have stated that they were Transcenders, but you proceded to name other vendors but all the while you were cursing Microsoft, so it was difficult to decipher what you were getting at.

I did state:

sprkymrk wrote:

I can tell you that the long-winded scenarios are similar to the MS exam.

So anyway, no hard feelings and I hope you can relax and enjoy the forums here. This thread is now officially locked as it serves no useful purpose. If you want to ask/offer advice we welcome you. For any further rants, please find a blog or somewhere else to continue.