General format for Coding Exams

elaverick1981

I'm registered for the beta of one of the new .NET exams, I've been using 3.5 with C# since it came out and been programming generally for the last 24 years or so. So I'm reasonably happy with the the actual exam content.

The one thing I have been wondering recently is how Microsoft structures its Developer exams and the .NET ones in particular. I've done a number of the IT support type exams and one of the licensing exams but it's occured to me I don't actually know how they present the questions in the dev exams.

Are they in the - what's wrong with this bit of code - style or are they all more to do with live sims and actual code entry?
Should I still expect multiple choice or is this short form answer?
For that matter how are the multiple .NET languages and syntax's accounted for?

It's kinda like being fresh to the whole MS cert process... it's quite good fun in a perverse sort of way

Mishra

I know there are a few people are here that have taken .NET exams.

If you search on the net for free trial exams from legit sources then you will probably get a good idea. Like try transcenders trial exam.

elaverick1981

Well I did 71-505 the other day and it was an interesting experience. Obviously being a Beta there's no way of knowing how it will compare to the finished product, tho I suspect I might be seeing that one as well as I don't think I did terribly well on the exam.

I can't say too much about the questions that were there because of the restrictions of the NDA, besides which it probably wouldn't be of too much use seeing as how it was only a Beta anyway.

I had been expecting to see some simulations especially as the prep guide mentions preparing various controls both in the IDE and in code.

I also should have realised that being a .NET Framework 3.5 exam it really is pretty much ONLY about stuff that's new to 3.5...

An interesting experience none the less, I think I may well give the final thing a go once its released assuming I haven't pass this one.

MCPWannabe

elaverick1981 wrote:

I'm registered for the beta of one of the new .NET exams, I've been using 3.5 with C# since it came out and been programming generally for the last 24 years or so. So I'm reasonably happy with the the actual exam content.

The one thing I have been wondering recently is how Microsoft structures its Developer exams and the .NET ones in particular. I've done a number of the IT support type exams and one of the licensing exams but it's occured to me I don't actually know how they present the questions in the dev exams.

Are they in the - what's wrong with this bit of code - style or are they all more to do with live sims and actual code entry?
Should I still expect multiple choice or is this short form answer?
For that matter how are the multiple .NET languages and syntax's accounted for?

It's kinda like being fresh to the whole MS cert process... it's quite good fun in a perverse sort of way

Hi,

Allow me to take that question. So, what I've noticed about .NET exams as opposed to other exams are that the questions are more straightfoward but the concepts are amongst the hardest to understand.

That's why the questions are so straightfoward. About 33% of the exam will be simple little memory questions. About 50% of the exam will cover coding examples but hte questions will be just like the labs. Now, the other 17% of the exam will consist of abstract, strange questions that can give you a headache.

The key is to mark the abstract questions. My study strategy is simple. I always go through all the labs and make sure that I can do them and understand them. I read the content for understanding. When I take the exam, I mark every abstract question and go on to the other ones. After I'm done with all the moderate and easy questions, I go back through the abstract questions. That seems to work for me.

MCPWannabe

Oh, I forgot to mention another nice thing.. As you continue to take exams, you will find that Microsoft will repeat questions from many other exams. And on other questions, they will be extremely similar. That helps a lot to improve your score and pass percentage. That's why the first exam is probably the hardest; however, after that, you start to get into some overlap and it's nice.