Studying time for 70-270

Hi everyone, firstly a very quick intro. I work at a software company but am in the support side, supporting server 2k3 servers and all our customized software. Been in IT for what must be going on 8 years now and have an A+ and N+, so I know my way around a server/network pretty well. I am busy studying 70-270 as a first module towards my MCSE 2003.

Now, my question, I see people going on about how they are doing a module in like anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 weeks. Now I have been studying JUST the MS books for a good 2 months now and am only halfway through. I am running a Virtual PC lab so always have the machines right in front of me for proof-of-concept. How the h*ll are people doing this so fast and still be thorough?? How many hours a day do you dedicate to studies? Are you working 9 - 5 jobs as well??

It just amazes me how people can wizz through the stuff when I have experience of the content and the just the sheer volume and complexity the books go into surely must allow for at least 3 months worth of studying and 'labbing'? Or am I being too overcautious and giving the exams way too much respect? Not that that is a bad thing!!

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dynamik

2-3 months per exam is a reasonable rate. It completely depends on previous knowledge, study habits, available time, etc. Take the exam when you feel you're ready. Everyone is going to be different.

susuandme

I think the MS press training book, about 1300 pages with cdrom
is the best book to have, the Sybex book comes in second.

I am going through the MS press book training book at about 150-200 pages a day, and this is my 2nd time reading it from front to back and back to front.. I was amazed at some of the topics and "methods" it excluded among other things, but it is the easiest to follow since they drill you again and again and summarize everything again and again at the end of each chapter.

The press book misses some very important objecttives on deployment methods some of which are essential so you should supplement your reading with the sybex book.

Neither of these books will fully prepare you if you do not have some exposure to a Network server setting by career or other choice.

The ranges of subject matter, objectives, and topics covered in the exam is mind boggling, which has you stretching your brain and searching in different parts of your brain for the right answer, one question after another unrelated to the last one, with lenghty scripted questions followed by shorter questions in an endless roller coaster of exhaustion. So please be prepared for this.

The books only give you information about the objectives, the test is about "real life hands on problems" that occur working within a Server Active Directory Domain Controler environment, and the books don't even nearly touch some of the complicated situations that can occur, except in some of their sample questions, but not in the book itself.

grunjhed

Thanks for the replies

the 2 books I have are the MS press book and the exam cram books, plus I have a virtual network setup running a VM of server 2k3 and the host is an xp pro client, so log on locally as admin and then fire up the domain... not idea, but good enough with what I have.

I agree with the whole taking the exam when I am comfortable with the content, its just a touch depressing when I hear about guys knocking them out so quickly and yet it takes me much longer, but then again, I like to be 110% prepared and like to retain as close to 100% of the knowledge as possible. Thanks again!

dynamik

Why? They likely have more free time or experience.

Don't get bitter, get better

grunjhed

dynamik wrote:

Why? They likely have more free time or experience.

Don't get bitter, get better

Thanks dynamik, good words

Its just a touch depressing as some people test well and can knock them out quickly and achieve their cert goals quicker than others. Not that its a bad thing, I use it as motivation when I am really down and battling to get through a chapter