Assessment or pre-requisites

I'm wondering if someone can help me out to determine how one is considered capable of going after a MCDST certification? Is there an assessment test or pre-requisites?

If I wanted to assess someone, could someone here give me a basic outline on what concepts they should know before taking their MCDST?

Much Appreciated.

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Devilsbane

educator619 wrote: »

I'm wondering if someone can help me out to determine how one is considered capable of going after a MCDST certification? Is there an assessment test or pre-requisites?

If I wanted to assess someone, could someone here give me a basic outline on what concepts they should know before taking their MCDST?

Much Appreciated.

Anyone can get an MCDST. All you have to do is devote some time to study and take the test. Any book you pick up is going to assume you know very little about windows xp. The more you know the easier it will be and the quicker you can get through it. If it is all completely new, you will probably want a couple different books.

Welcome to TE and good luck!

Michael.J.Palmer

The only real pre-requ that I'd say you'd have to have for the MCDST is a fairly good knowledge of how to navigate through Windows XP and a working knowledge of Office 2003. Everything else you'll learn through your studies for the exam as you prepare for it.

The MCDST is a good stepping stone for anyone entering the IT field as it gives you a respectable certification to show on your resume and allows you to test on an OS that you've probably been using for the better part of the decade so it's definitely one of the easiest to jump into if you're an IT "n00b".

Things I'd probably suggest just for common courtesy though. If you can and are able, take your A+ before you take your MCDST. The A+ will set you up with a lot of the simple basics as far as network configurations and what not go and will help give you more of a basic knowledge to build your MCDST with. I took my MCDST before the A+ and granted I've got about 8 years of experience in troubleshooting XP, it still probably would have been easier if I had taken the A+ first (that's not to say that I didn't do well, I scored a 916 on the 271 and an 838 on the 272 with minimal studying along the way).

I guess in a nutshell it really comes down to your base knowledge right now. If you have any prior experience then just steady the material that is out there and you should be fine.

Psoasman

Michael's advice is good.I would hit the A+ first, this helps to understand the basics.
I would look over the exam objectives and get a lab computer for fix / break exercises.

Most of the MS press books dealing with XP assume you have some experience with it. The MS press books for the 271/272 are pretty good.

earweed

Here are the skills measured aka objectives
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exam.aspx?ID=70-271&locale=en-us#tab2
Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Desktop Applications on a Microsoft Windows XP Operating System*

gandalph

educator619 wrote: »

I'm wondering if someone can help me out to determine how one is considered capable of going after a MCDST certification? Is there an assessment test or pre-requisites?

If I wanted to assess someone, could someone here give me a basic outline on what concepts they should know before taking their MCDST?

Much Appreciated.

if you are looking at this from a trainers point of view then the pre requisites are really down to the trainer but a general understanding of XP would go a long way. If you are running this as a MOAC course then the MOAC material includes a pre entry test which is actually a bit tough for newbies so if you were thinking of using something like that then perhaps have a look over it first and glean out some of the more difficult questions.
If you are looking at it from a trainees point of view then the above advice is good, go for the A+ first as this will give you a good grounding to work from.