K which test to take first...

LTParis

It's been a year since I had promised myself to begin on a new certification path, and after hoping to start up taking my MCITP:EA exams, and getting delayed time and time again, i think I am back on track. It also helps that I started a new job recently and i will have some book time on my commute back and forth from work.

So i have been studying for the 70-642 for the past couple days, and so far in the measure ups I have been getting 70% so far, with some weakness in command line DNS and File Sharing and learning up on NAP which I had not really utilized in the past. Finally my 70-680 book came in so now I wonder if to pause my 70-642 studying for an easier test to get in a groove.

Historical note, I have not taking a cert in 12 years! So I am a bit rusty.

Opinions?

helios

I'd say you're better off finishing what you've started... 642 will also give you a good understanding for later exams that have some overlap.

netBooger

I didn't think the 70-642 material was too tough, just make sure you know NAP because it is tested heavily.

If you do start with the 70-642 I suggest you do the 70-680 last so that all the server side stuff is still fresh in your mind.

Any reason your not starting with the 70-640 instead of 70-642?

LTParis

netBooger wrote: »

I didn't think the 70-642 material was too tough, just make sure you know NAP because it is tested heavily.

If you do start with the 70-642 I suggest you do the 70-680 last so that all the server side stuff is still fresh in your mind.

Any reason your not starting with the 70-640 instead of 70-642?

From what I was told 642 was harder than 640, so I was trying to pick an easier entry point test.

netBooger

Well the 70-642 kind of builds off of the 70-640. I thought 70-640 was harder but that is because I am not a fan of PKI.

If you do the 70-640 make sure you understand the Certificate Authority role as they it is tested more than most other objectives.

If you do the 70-642 then make sure you understand NAP because this is tested more than most other objectives.


I am a believer in doing the exams in order but good luck to with whichever way you go.

Piers

I don't really think the numbering system is an ordering system.. if you were doing the EA track using Vista as the elective, would you do Vista first, but if using Windows 7, would you do it last, just because one is 620 and the other is 680? They're just numbers. (and 83-640 comes after 70-642 )

I did the 642 first, as I broke in fresh into the MS server arena, mostly because the book was smaller but also because I had limited experiences with AD. I can see an advantage going either way.. If you have some experience, the AD should not only build on your knowledge, but be a little more interesting. There is some crossover with DNS etc which provides a taster of what's to come with 642

The 642 has more components to it, but more than 1/4 of that is DNS, helpful on the AD exam, some subnetting and IPconfiguring, lots more stuff that was good for me to have as a base before taking the 640 exam. It allowed me to concentrate almost solely on AD without making DNS, subnetting, NAP, routing etc etc as new stuff, and I think doing 642 first is why I got a better mark on 640 than on 642..

Hyper-Me

If you have some AD experience the 640 would be easier

If you have more networking experience, the 642 would be easier.

It's very subjective.

netBooger

Piers wrote: »

I don't really think the numbering system is an ordering system.. if you were doing the EA track using Vista as the elective, would you do Vista first, but if using Windows 7, would you do it last, just because one is 620 and the other is 680? They're just numbers. (and 83-640 comes after 70-642 )

The 620 and 680 are tests based on different Operating Systems so they would be done separately.

The 640, 642, 646, and 647 are all based on the same Operating System and therefore would be done consecutively.

As for 83-640 coming before 70-642, well the 83-640 also goes by 70-640 and that is how it is referred to on the MS site, but that is irrelevant since it is an elective test.

It is also suggested all over Microsoft's forums to do the tests in "order", here is an example:
MCITP-EA Recommended Order of Tests?