70-297 Questions

kamikaze_worm

Hi All

Havent posted in a while but I'm about 2 weeks off taking my final MCSE exam. Not doing so well on the practice exams so Thought I would post on here and ask a few questions. I'm not 100% on the Microsoft exam rules (What constitutes cheating) so If you see a question that I can ask or be answered let me know and I will edit post.

-Anyone know of the best way to go about these exams, I always seam to miss vital parts out and get the question wrong.
-Anyone know the length of time per exam and testlet?

Any Tips for this exam will be really helpful

Regards

Kamikaze_worm

Devilsbane

I think the best way to prepare for these testlet exams is to buy a testing product like Transcenders that will simulate the testlests. That way it won't feel completely foreign when you sit down to take the exam.

You mentioned practice questions, which ones are you using?

Good luck

tbgree00

From the advice I've received the best course of action seems to be read the questions first then read the prompt looking for the answers. I'm currently studying for the 298 and have heard that many times.

If you've made it to the end you probably know the concepts enough to answer the questions, you just need to slow down and know what they're asking. Time management seems to be an issue. I watched a test format video on Microsoft's site and they said you can't go back to a testlet that you finish. That messes with my usual testing method a little. I hope I can adapt.

genXrcist

Ensure that you won't get hungry, thirsty or have to use the restroom. The design exams consitute multiple testlets and each one is individually timed. Unlike the other exams where you can be half way through it and only have used up about 45 minutes so you can take a break without it being an issue, this one doesn't work like that.

Good luck!

Devilsbane

tbgree00 wrote: »

I watched a test format video on Microsoft's site and they said you can't go back to a testlet that you finish. That messes with my usual testing method a little. I hope I can adapt.

What that means is that if you have 20 minutes for the first testlet and only use 5, you can't take that extra 15 minutes with you to question 2. This also prevents you from going through the whole test in hopes that a future question gives away an answer to one of the first question (something that actually happens fairly frequently).

tbgree00

Devilsbane wrote: »

What that means is that if you have 20 minutes for the first testlet and only use 5, you can't take that extra 15 minutes with you to question 2. This also prevents you from going through the whole test in hopes that a future question gives away an answer to one of the first question (something that actually happens fairly frequently).

Yeah, the future questions helping with the past questions is the cornerstone of my test taking strategy! Well only sorta. I generally go through every question looking for the low hanging fruit and writing down the number and topic of the questions I don't fully know or understand on the white board. I always knock out the sims, my strongest sections, at this time. Then I look at my list and say "3, 12, 14, and 20 are all on GPO" and consider them as a section, erasing them as I pick an answer. I haven't seen anything in MS terms that say it is cheating or poor form and I've taken tests with this method since High School.

It makes me a bit nervous just because it's different. I am confident that I will get the hang of it, it's the first couple that could throw me.

Devilsbane

tbgree00 wrote: »

I haven't seen anything in MS terms that say it is cheating or poor form and I've taken tests with this method since High School.

It isn't cheating. If they didn't want you to do it, they would either select better questions so that one question doesn't give away answers to the other or they would not allow you to return to a previous question.

I do the same thing, except not quite to the extent that you do. I go through answering questions that I know and leave anything I'm not sure about (although I do select an answer) and the sims until the end. I like to run through the sims after my first wave through the test because it might allow me to poke around at some menus that could be beneficial.

It always makes me feel uneasy when I'm on question 4 or 5 and have not confirmed an answer yet. But when I do come around the second time, I almost never change an answer, so I probably could just do it the first time, but I do like to have that "checks and balances" part so that I can confirm that I wasn't crazy the first time.

kamikaze_worm

Anyone know how long each testlet is roughly. I'm worried that I wont have enough time as case studies can be long and takes me 15 mins or so to read and note everything.


Cheers.