70-270 Exam question

tuesday451

Hi all. I'm studying really hard for my 70-270 test tomorrow at 11:30am..

been studying a book i have and using software testout... so far my problem is with test taking rather then the information which is good. but i seem to be more capable at an adaptive test then a standard test. not good.

I'm curious as to whether or not i choose the type of test i get, or if its random, or whatever the possible variation is. seeing as that i'm a very anxious person i need to know the ins and outs of the exam to calm my nerves.

i'm averaging a passing score, 70% or 700 or so plus, give or take. any suggestions that would help me push in the right direction, i'm really weak in managing and troubleshooting security and implementing resource administration (according to my reviews). I confuse my NTFS permissions with my folder permissions.

thanks

Slowhand

The 70-270 exam is not adaptive, you'll get a fixed number of questions chosen from a pool of hundreds. The usual recommendation for exam-prep software is that you should be scoring 85% - 90% cold, (after a while, you start to remember the answers, and that defeats the whole purpose of the pre-tests). I don't know what to tell you about doing any last-minute studying, but trying to calm your nerves will help. Take your time when reading the questions on the exam, don't rush even if you're tempted by the clock. The best thing you can do is keep telling yourself, "It's just a test, I can do this".

Good luck! Let us know how it goes for you, we'll be looking forward to seeing that "Update: I passed!!!" ammendment to this thread tomorrow afternoon.

Sie

Microsoft claim they do not do adaptive tests for this and as i remember mine was a random set of questions from all the objectives.

You will need to know NTFS permissions they are covered in most tests and form the foundation of Permissions and User Access.

What book are you studying?

I know its the Technotes for the 70-290 here but it covers the subject well:

http://www.techexams.net/technotes/70290/permissions.shtml

The passing score is 700 so I would brush up on the areas you know you are weak in before you book this exam.

Good Luck

Edit: As slowhand mentioned you get plenty of time so you dont need to rush, the main thing with this or any Microsoft Exam is reading the question carefully, often one word (such as NOT) can change the whole meaning.

undomiel

Find a network somewhere, screw up the permissions, get the users yelling and screaming at you.

You'll learn those permissions REALLY swift that way!

For all intents and purposes the exam hands you random multiple choices questions, you read the paragraphs of text and distill it for the pertinent information, and then you answer. Don't forget to read the questions!

Read up on the tech notes here and look for resources on the sections that you are having trouble with. Also try and do some labs on your weak areas. I wish I had done some labs on RIS and unattended installs for instance because I knew those to be some of my weak areas.

tuesday451

thanks for the encouragement guys! i appreciate it. i noticed that the requirement is 2 hours and 45 minutes, PLENTY OF TIME considering i usually take 90 minute tests...

i'm taking exam tests from the Thomson Course Tech. book: MCSE XP Pro 70-270 and Test Out, however i find myself memorizing the Test Out, and as i begin to realize i'm memorizing the Sim test, but the questions all have similarities, so i'm not all that concerned.

i heard of a site that gives a virtual OS of all of Microsoft's flavors. does anybody suggest a good place to go for such a thing? i think a little hands on wouldn't hurt.

undomiel

Grab one of the trial versions off of Microsoft's site and install it in a VM to play around with. You'll definitely want to do that for the server exams to get some hands on.

Sie

Microsoft Virtual PC and VMWare are two good virtulisation products:

Microsoft Virtual PC 2007
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/virtualpc/default.mspx

Microsoft Virtual Server
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/virtualserver/downloads/default.mspx

VMWare
www.vmware.com

As for the OS Microsoft Provide a variety of Evaluation Copies of their Software:

I was about to post some links but they seem to be reporting errors at present, just search at Google for Evaluation (or trial) XP / Vista / 2003 etc.

Hope this helps, any more questions on this can be directed at our Virtulization Forum located here, theres lots of topics that will help you on your way.

http://www.techexams.net/forums/viewforum.php?f=68

tuesday451

thanks a whole bunch! you guys really are helpful, and quick!


anxiety is high and time is short

i do know this stuff, its just being calm enough to pump it out. my friends (and you guys, who i'm considering my new friends) are telling me to be calm, get it done.

from here on out its just one more review before bed and then the test tomorrow morning.

update the story tomorrow.

thanks again guys

undomiel

Just don't forget that you'll have plenty of time during the test. 2 & 1/2 hours if I remember correctly. Just take your time, relax, read the question, relax some more, reread the question, submit your answer, relax, go on to the next question. No rush!

tuesday451

failed with a 607

Mishra

tuesday451 wrote:

failed with a 607

Did you sign up for second shot?

undomiel

That's unfortunate. Did you sign-up with the second shot offer? Now at least you'll be familiar with how a Microsoft exam is structured. Those questions can be fairly tricky at first. Look over and identify your weak areas and put some practice into those, do some labs, and then go back and give that exam a good beat down.

tuesday451

i attend a technical institute, and after being behind the test i realized our teacher didn't teach us anything, and i was completely ill prepared for the test in regards to the material i was given by the school

i am extremely irritated considering how much money i spent, however..

the administration said that the success rate of our class was 40% as compared to a 98% success compared to previous (and other current) classes withing the institutes name.

because of this the administration gave me a "whatever it takes to get you to pass" voucher

so now with a calm and steady pace i will study my weak points with a proper understanding of what is required of me. I assume that considering how ill prepared i was and i still scored a 607 shows me i at least did something right

failing is depressing, so i'm in a funk atm... but i know i'm not a failure so better luck next time, right?!

bwcarty

tuesday451 wrote:

failing is depressing, so i'm in a funk atm... but i know i'm not a failure so better luck next time, right?!

600+ isn't horrible when you consider 700 is a pass. Use your printout that identifies your weaknesses and strengths in each area for additional studying.

I've used Transcender practice tests for all of my exams before, so I'm not familiar with TestOut, but if they give the level of details in their explanations that Transcender does, use them heavily. Being able to pick out the answer on a practice test isn't as important as knowing why it's the correct answer.

tuesday451

i agree, i have been having a lot of "Ah-ha!" moments now that the whole pressure is off.

like, for a while i pretended to understand the whole page / file thing was...

it wasn't until i reviewed the system monitor and such and realized how many different parameter's that windows gives to view the actual strain on your hardware... its seriously in depth!

the biggest problem with the exam is i'm thinking wayyyy to technical. i realize they want the simplest answer. The test doesn't intimidate me anymore, its just the material hasn't soaked in quiet yet

tuesday451

Retake is tomorrow.

It seems that all my personal exams come down to the random 50 i get.

Where on one test results shows i have an extensive knowledge lets say in topic Implementing and Conducting Administration of Resources .. and then show relative weakness in Troubleshooting Monitoring, Managing and Implementing Hardware Device and Drivers

and then on the next test its vice versa!

I've been studying quite frequently, and I have been fluctuating between 600-700 on my personal exams or worse. I'm wondering if I should take more time before the test or just go all in and hope that the random 50 I get tomorrow will bring home the bacon.

Once I review my personal tests I'm often (literally) smacking myself in the forehead with "doh, you knew that!"

I'm just trying not to cut off my nose despite my face..

undomiel

If you're getting that type of reaction from your practice exams then you may want to slow down and take more time with each question. Explain to yourself why you picked such-and-such answer. If you're getting stuff wrong that you know you should know then just slow down, slow down.

RS_MCP

Good Luck with the 2nd shot!

Let us know the good result this time...

tuesday451

failed 677

yargh

Mishra

tuesday451 wrote:

failed 677

yargh

What topics are you getting the most confused on when you are taking the exam?

tuesday451

i have improved in every topic except two which i have shown no improvement.

the two topics are:

Installing Windows XP Pro (its the RIS specifically that kills me)

Implementing, Managing, and Troubleshooting Network Protocols and Services (don't even know)

so frustrating considering how much i reviewed and buckled down this round...

how long do i have to wait to retake it?

undomiel

14 day wait before a retake it looks like.

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcpexams/faq/registering.mspx

My recommendation, if you're still having troubles with certain areas, go and do some labs on them if you can. I wish I had done some RIS and unattended labs before I had done the test, though fortunately that didn't look to be my problem area. Hands on experience will solidify the book learning.

dynamik

tuesday451 wrote:

failed 677

yargh

That's not a bad score for a pirate. It must be hard to find time to study with all that swashbuckling and plundering, and I don't even want to get started on trying to find a solid WiFi signal out in the middle of the ocean...

Seriously though, you probably only missed it by a couple of questions. Hang in there, brush up on your weak areas, and nail it the next time around.

tuesday451

hey guys, just wanted to fill ya guys in that i passed the exam this Monday with a 739.

It was a lot easier once the anxiety of it all was gone. i mean, going in there twice and seeing the test, i was pretty familiar with it.

I wanted to thank all you guys for your support and help!

And my advice for all of you who are trying for any cert is; don't put it on a pedestal, its just a test! (AND there are a ton of them out there to get, the sooner your comfortable the easier the process becomes)

I'll be back 'round these parts when Security rears its head. I've got A+ now which is just good ole' playing with Lego's fun in my honest opinion.

yarrgghh =D
Web Swashbuckler out!

NetAdmin2436

Congrats!

Third times a charm. I know from experience that you can't rely solely on school/college and what the 'professors' teach you. I have an AAS in computer networking and I have to study just as hard as the next IT guy to pass.


Free study material for your next test:
1) Technotes from this site
2) studyguide from Cramsession.
http://www.cramsession.com/default.asp

Daniel333

Good job on the pass!

People underestimate the 70-270 all the time. Those tests go into great detail. Now that you know the format of a Microsoft exam you're better off.

Installing Windows XP Pro - you have GOT to get this down. The process is the same for 2003 server and it goes into even more detail on that test. Get RIS working on a Windows 2000 box and a 2003 box and install a couple times across the network using set manager and sysprep. It took me an entire day to figure out RIS when i was in doing 70-270 a while back.

I still use RIS and disk images at home all the time for my 70-290 studies, it's very handy. So ceratinly worth your time, even if you never do another Microsoft exam.

Either way, just awesome about the pass! See you in the 70-290 board!

kostin

Hey,
First of all Congratulations! on passing the 70-270 exam.
I intend to take this exam too but on the prometric.com site, when I want to schedule this exam, I see that the exam's duration is 03:15hours.
Now I'm worried that something was changed...maybe it became adaptive? Seems to long for me.
Any thoughts on this?

NetAdmin2436

kostin wrote:

Hey,
First of all Congratulations! on passing the 70-270 exam.
I intend to take this exam too but on the prometric.com site, when I want to schedule this exam, I see that the exam's duration is 03:15hours.
Now I'm worried that something was changed...maybe it became adaptive? Seems to long for me.
Any thoughts on this?

Weird, I just took this 3 days ago and it was only 2 1/2 hours.

kostin

I've read the email that I've received after registering on the prometric site and it says there that "Please note that the exam duration may include an exam tutorial and client survey."
Maybe this is why the duration is 03:15hours. I guess this is only available when you're taking your first ever Microsoft exam.