Barely, with a 718
I know it's pass/fail and a pass is a pass and that Microsoft considers 700 passing and if they wanted a higher passing score they would set it higher, blah blah blah. Bottom line is I hold myself to a higher standard than just meeting the minimum requirements and I was disappointed with my performance. I felt better prepared than that, but I suppose only 6 weeks experience with Exchange 2007 wasn't enough. I scored almost identical in every section, so it's not one or two week areas I need to improve in.
Materials Used:Microsoft Exchange Server 2007: Implementation and AdministrationMCTS: Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Configuration Study Guide: Exam 70-236Exchange Server 2007 Administrator's Companion, Second EditionPreparation:
I started reading about 2007 a year and half ago using other pre-SP1 material so I could work on a design for my previous employer. Other projects and budget cuts kept me from implementing it there while other study goals kept me from reading more about it. I didn't know if I would ever get around to taking this exam because I wasn't sure if I would continue down the MS career path or move to Cisco, but the new job is an MS job and my first project was an Exchange migration. I read both the Sybex study guide and the Exchange Implementation and Administration books with the Admin Guide as a reference in a few areas. I don't think the Sybex study guide alone is good enough for this exam, but I found the Implementation book to be both useful for the exam and the real world. I read some bad reviews on the MSPress 70-236 book so I stayed away from it.
Exam:
I can't really say much that hasn't already been said. Yes, there is a lot of Powershell. I wasn't trying to memorize every option for every cmdlet, instead I tried to learn what could only be done through the EMS and also how to do common tasks. I was surprised at the depth of a few of the questions, and sometimes I was stuck picking the answer that was at least syntactically correct and hoping for the best.
Next, on to 237. I started studying yesterday and found something in the first chapter that probably cost me 2 questions on the exam Friday. I was planning on taking this and 238 in the next 2 months, but I may need to stretch that to 3 in light of my low score on 236. I definitely have a lot more to learn if I am going to attempt an Exchange Ranger rotation some day.
