Beast is having a closed casket funeral

I took the dreaded 70-291 exam today. I had 9 simulation questions out of 40 total. It took me a little over an hour and I vanquished the beast with a 892.

I was pretty sure I had passed, but was shocked to see the best score I have ever gotten on a cert exam appear! I used Microsoft Press, CBT Nuggets and TestOut to study for the exam. My favorite was the CBT Nuggets videos, I thought they focused well on many of the test's topics.

Now onto the Windows 7 client exam...then I will be a MCSA.

I just realized I started my first IT certification about this time last year. I think I am doing pretty well...A+, Net+, Sec+, 70-290, 70-291 in a year. After the Win 7 exam and MCSA that will come with it, what do you think I should do next to provide a well rounded foundation for operations specialist? I was thinking maybe going for CCNA...

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Devilsbane

Samurai004 wrote: »

I just realized I started my first IT certification about this time last year. I think I am doing pretty well...A+, Net+, Sec+, 70-290, 70-291 in a year. After the Win 7 exam and MCSA that will come with it, what do you think I should do next to provide a well rounded foundation for operations specialist? I was thinking maybe going for CCNA...:

Congrats.

It is amazing how fast time flies. I took the first part of my A+ the last week of July last year. Took the second test in August. Net+ in Novmember. MOS:2007 in February. Then I took some time off...

May: 70-270
June: 70-290
July: 70-291 (for the MCSA0
August: Security+
That is 8 tests in just over a year, and there were several periods where I was just taking time off. Imagine where the two of us could be a year from now.....

Samurai004

That is very true, I think the trick is to not get burned out but keep moving forward at a steady, brisk pace. I am guessing the exams will be getting harder and harder from here on...the extra time needed to study to pass those will be yet another hurdle of determination to overcome. It has been a very fun and informative quest thus far. I hope you have had the same enjoyment and have had the same sense of accomplishment.

krauser

Congratulations, Sam. We have common achievements, and the 70-680 is our last target. It won't be hard, but we cannot be overconfident. If you like configuring Cisco Routers, go for it.
My thing is configuring systems, so after the 70-680 I am going to take Linux+.

Study hard and keep it on.

brewd

Samurai004 wrote: »

I just realized I started my first IT certification about this time last year. I think I am doing pretty well...A+, Net+, Sec+, 70-290, 70-291 in a year. After the Win 7 exam and MCSA that will come with it, what do you think I should do next to provide a well rounded foundation for operations specialist? I was thinking maybe going for CCNA...:

Congrats Samurai! 70-291 is tough as is 70-293 and in my opinion 70-298 (Security Design). I actually enjoyed 70-294, mostly AD and GPO stuff.

I would say finish off the MCSE, and since you already have the Security+, maybe even go for the MCSE:Security (you would only have to do 70-299 or an ISA test). After that, getting the MCITP out of the way is simple. Those exams were a breeze compared to the MCSE IMHO.

My next conquest will hopefully be the CCNA (that's the plan anyway), so I understand the appeal to move on to a new field of study after having hit up Microsoft exams so hard for the last year.

Good luck with whichever path you choose!

krauser

MCSE? The idea is excellent, but the track is getting longer. Sh*t, now I have to start making new plans.

Samurai004

Krauser, if you want the Linux+ cert. I would definitely go for it now...before the end of the year. That way you have the lifetime certification and don't have to renew it.

For CompTIA, I was thinking maybe Project+ or Server+, but I don't know if that has any real marketablility, given what I already have, I also don't know if it would be worth the time/cash investment.

I probably will continue the MSCE:Security route since it is all fresh in my head. That will be my goal by next spring as of right now. I really need to put it all down in writing and make a strick schedule to maintain.

Bl8ckr0uter

Samurai004 wrote: »

Krauser, if you want the Linux+ cert. I would definitely go for it now...before the end of the year. That way you have the lifetime certification and don't have to renew it.

The linux+ isn't going to change at the end of the year. It is still a lifetime cert. Security+ , Network+ and A+ are the ones that are changing:
CompTIA Certification Renewal Policy

Now in October you will have to take the "new" Linux+ (which is basically the LPIC-1):

CompTIA Linux+

Devilsbane

Samurai004 wrote: »

Krauser, if you want the Linux+ cert. I would definitely go for it now...before the end of the year. That way you have the lifetime certification and don't have to renew it.

Unless things have changed, only A+, Net+, and Sec+ are subject to the new renewal guidelines. Linux+ should still be a lifer. In fact, with Linux+, they are pairing with LPIC. So there are now two tests, but passing them gives you two certifications.

Devilsbane

knwminus wrote: »

The linux+ isn't going to change at the end of the year. It is still a lifetime cert. Security+ , Network+ and A+ are the ones that are changing:
CompTIA Certification Renewal Policy

Now in October you will have to take the "new" Linux+ (which is basically the LPIC-1):

CompTIA Linux+

Gah, you beat me to it

Bl8ckr0uter

Devilsbane wrote: »

Gah, you beat me to it

Plus my post has links

I'm ultra l33t!

rogue2shadow

Man I had no idea L+ was lifetime lol. Hmm.... I don't think I'll even be ready by then lol.

powerfool

Congrats on killing the exam. I think I had that exact score. It does feel good.

Psoasman

Congrats on the pass!

varelg

Awesome samurai, congradulations! Getting all those certs in such a short time is not a small feat!

Any details on your lab that you used for the practical part of your studies for this exam?
If you decide to take any of the linux certs, they are different than MS both in format and in the amount of detail that you will be required to know in order to pass. No sims or drag-n-drop, but no tangled user scenarios and misleading language in the exam questions either. And exam objectives are much more precise.

Samurai004

Thanks for the support guys, feels great to be this far..so far. As far as my lab setup, I did not use a lab for the 70-291, I felt I had a pretty good grasp after reading the practice labs at the end of the chapters in MS Press. I did use a virtual box for labs in 70-290 however on my laptop.

Without going into specific details and violating the agreements...the labs really weren't that bad, much simpler and more guided by lack of other options than you would expect. They pretty much serve up the critical part of the question on a silver platter. I got the feeling if you knew the material conceptually you could figure out the labs.

earweed

Congrats on slaying the best with such a good score. What's your experience level with 2k3?

Samurai004

Just the labs I have used on vmware from the MS Press books. I do not work in the IT field yet (so I have never actually touched a real production server), but I am desperately trying to break into it. However, I have been using computers before kindergarten, so the concepts seem pretty easy to grasp once I wrap my head around them.

willhi1979

Congrats, the Windows 7 client exam wasn't too bad so I'm sure you'll do fine with it.