Passed 70-284

Just passed 70-284 second time with a 910/1000

Microsoft Press
Sybex
Exam Cram
Exchange 5.5 for dummies
CBTNuggets
vtc.com
Microsoft Exchange Routing and Deployment Guide
Microsoft Exchange web casts
Microsoft Exchange Unleashed

I clocked myself at just over 60 hour in labs. I have worked supporting Exchange for about 6 months. Studied for about 5 months.

Didn't use Transcender this time around because my new job doesn't have it and I can't afford it. I think that might have helped, I might have to break down and charge it next time.

I credit the decent score to repeat questions from last time. But honestly, many of the questions I ran into simply were not covered by the material above. This was without a doubt the hardest exam I have run into yet. ( 70-291 < 70-284, imho)

I would recommend anyone tackling this exam to start with Exchange 5.5 for dummies, play with ISA server then start in on the official training. You are going to need that background so you don't end up spending too much time backtracking. Also would not recommend bothing this one until you have at least a CCNA level knowledge and the 70-291 under your belt.

System crashed on a question and then again at the moment of truth which was nerve wracking. Creepy enough, the testing center was empty of people at the second crash. I had to walk trhoguh an empty building calling out "hello" until some lady came out from behind a cubical. Turns out the proctor took off to lunch! So I ended up going for a 20 minute walk around until the guy came back.

Oh, and at some point a class full of students (weekend bootcampers) walked by the testing room which was loud enough, and then one of them opened the door and screamed "raiders" into there. Seriously, wtf?

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Comments

undomiel

Sounds like a great testing center. Congratulations on your pass though!

dynamik

That sounds rough. Congratulations though!

Any interest in 285 for the MCSE:M?

skrpune

Congrats on the pass & great score! ...booooo on the test center though. Very not cool for them to have throngs of people passing through loudly and even poorer for them to not supervise them, and double boo for the proctor taking off on ya. Have you gone to this place before?? Wonder if it's common practice for them to not actually proctor exams?

Daniel333

I actually like the testing center. Taken all my exams there except A+. Normally a cute chick running the front who seems to remember me.

70-285, maybe. But not in the near future. I need more deployment experience for me to feel I should take that test. But maybe, who knows? I might just randomly end up with extra time on my hands.

I got a buddy who wants me to take the Linux+ with him, but I am not a fan of Comptia. As it stands I'll probably just take the shortest path to the MCSE and decide then on which direction to head into when I am nearing completion of that. Vmware, SANS and Voice most likely.

Thoughts?

royal

Congrats Daniel. Go do the 285. It's not a whole lot different and do it while it's fresh in your mind. Heck, the 285 didn't even warrant dedicated books. I'd just sign up for the second shot right now and go in and try.