Hands on experience advantage?

bigdawg986

Ok, I half way through my M.S. in I.T. have decided to get a few certs as well. My background on XP has been extensive since the beta. I have probably installed XP over a thousand times. I am the admin for a 150 node LAN with all XP clients. How much studying am I really gonna have to do for this? The only thing I can see tripping me up is all the stuff that is really irrelevant to how we operate in the real world. e.g. having to memorize the outdated minimum system requirements and what to do for recovery etc. when what we do in the real world is just re-image the machine in 5 minutes etc. I don't want to be overconfident, but I do not want to waste valuable time studying minute details if not necessary either. I generally test very well with little prep. The reason I ask is because the MS Press book is like 10 inches thick. Anyone with a lot of hands on experience who can offer their opinion is appreciated.

dynamik

Most people who consider themselves to be XP power-users typically seem to be caught off-guard by the breadth and depth of material covered in the exam. You're in a better position since you work with it in a corporate environment. However, it really depends on what you do with it. Do you use a third-party tool for your deployment, or do you use RIS, sysprep, answer files, etc. The latter is a significant portion of the exam. Permissions are also a major topic, as is performance monitoring.

If you have the MS Press book, at least skim it once to get a better idea of the material. If you come across something you're not familiar with, delve into. While someone in your position won't need to scrutinize every word in the book, you'll probably come across some information that's new to you.

Be sure to review the exam objectives as well: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exams/70-270.mspx

Also, MS does still have their second-shot offer in effect, so you could test the waters without losing any money (though the most inconvenient part of the exam for me is taking the time to go test, and I'd rather be fully prepared and just do that once): http://www.microsoft.com/Learning/Mcp/Offers/Secondshot/Default.Mspx Be sure to use the code when you register initially; you can't apply it retroactively.

Good luck and welcome to the forums

Mishra

http://www.techexams.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=27977

bigdawg986

Thanks dynamik,

One more question. One of the reasons i am going for cert is because another job I wanted to apply for has absolute requirement of being at least an MCP. How does the new cert program affect this? If I pass 70-270 will be designated an MCP in the new system?

dynamik

270 will make you an MCP. The new exams will give you an MCTS. If you're unsure what an exam will give you, just check out the MS page for that exam (the one I linked to earlier in the case of 270). Compare the following 270 and 620 details:

Microsoft wrote:

When you pass the Installing, Configuring, and Administering Windows XP Professional exam, you achieve Microsoft Certified Professional status.

Microsoft wrote:

When you pass Exam 70-620: TS: Configuring Microsoft Windows Vista Client, you complete the requirements for the following certification(s):

*Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS): Windows Vista, Configuration

Nice link Mishra

NetAdmin2436

No doubt, do not take this exam lightly. As mentioned in Mishra's link, this exam has caught so many people off guard. All the stuff beneath XP's surface is what's on the exam.

undomiel

If you're just needing an MCP and you're comfortable as a Server 2003 admin already I would say rather go for the 70-290 instead of the 70-270 as I personally feel that the 290 is an easier test than the 270. It is more focused and doesn't hit the breadth of areas that the 270 covers which can get into sections of XP that you may only have cursory knowledge of. I know as dynamik mentioned that when I took the exam I went in really confident and after only 10 questions was sure that I was going to fail the exam. Fortunate for me I didn't do so bad.

ThunderPipe

I too thought that I was an XP master. I've been using Pro since forever. Troubleshooting, configuring, installing, etc... I thought I would be able to go take the test that day, but after going through the practice exams, you realize just how deep they go. I'm set to take mine this month. Luckily I heard about this "2nd Shot" deal. It takes a little stress of failing. My company pays for your first go, the rest are out of your own pocket.

Daniel333

I destroyed the XP exam when I got there, highest I have ever gotten. But I too had been working with XP for while. I also spent near 6 month studying.

Sure the real world reimages their PCs a lot but the exam isn't interested in your Symantec Ghost abilities.

Some interesting things from the exam that suprised me in my studies
- Knowledge of SPX/IPX
- Use of RIS
- Creation of Images
- Application Compability
- Protocol prioritization
- Some degree of knowledge ot TCP/IP tools (pathping, nslookup etc)
- Roaming profiles
- default profile creation
- USMT

There was some trivia in there concerning system requirements, but not much. I have to say, that XP exam really made me give a little more respect for Microsoft Exams.

Once you pass the 70-270 you are qualified as a "MCP". Almost all of Microsofts certifications grant you that title.

Slowhand

Something I like to do before I begin studying for a particular exam, (or for any other reason,) is to spend an afternoon in the bookstore. I get a cup of coffee, walk to the computer-section and pick out the books I'm interested in reading, then bring them with me to find a seat. I peruse the table of contents of each, read a few paragraphs in a couple of chapters, and see which book(s) is most interesting and useful for me. (I also like to check the user-ratings and feedback on Amazon, as well as ask around on this forum for input, but that's just me taking far too much joy in research. )

In your case, you could adapt this technique to browing through a couple of 70-270 books at the bookstore to see if the topics covered are familiar. Maybe sit and do the end-of-chapter practice tests in your head and see how you score? If you're knocking 'em out of the park, then you probably have little to worry about. If you're getting low scores, pick up the book and work on those weak areas.

bigdawg986

I had thought about that, but I have a lot more time in on XP than I do Server 2003, and what the heck, might as well get the hard one done first to get a feel for the exams. Although my original intent was just a MCP, I know that once I start I will probably go on to at least an MCSA and then a CCNA.

undomiel wrote:

If you're just needing an MCP and you're comfortable as a Server 2003 admin already I would say rather go for the 70-290 instead of the 70-270 as I personally feel that the 290 is an easier test than the 270. It is more focused and doesn't hit the breadth of areas that the 270 covers which can get into sections of XP that you may only have cursory knowledge of. I know as dynamik mentioned that when I took the exam I went in really confident and after only 10 questions was sure that I was going to fail the exam. Fortunate for me I didn't do so bad.

daltec

And just to pile on, I *just* passed the 270 exam (today!) with an 889. Which actually turned out to be better than I thought I would do, at least while I was taking the test. It truly is harder than you might expect.

Now, I don't have nearly your experience. However, I've been the admin and IT jack of all trades for a small company for over a year, and thought I was in good shape -- I mean, it's just XP, right? But the exam covers a lot of stuff that just does not appear in my day to day.

Without getting too specific, my exam had a lot of "local"-based questions, as opposed to domain ones. Stuff you just don't normally deal with in "the real world" -- *especially* at a big company! Have you taken the practice exam on this site? If you have, and scored in the high 80s or 90s, you might be in good shape. If not.... well....

Anyways, my .02... or .01 in this economy! Good luck whatever you decide to do.