Initial thoughts and impressions on studying 70-432

LCA

Been studying this for 8 hours a day since I started 10 days ago and have found learning SQL Server quite a different experience to what I expected. It's actually easier than expected though that said it has to be noted there is a lot of fine detail to ones head around.

For study material addition to the books mentioned by Robert Kaucher in his excellent 70-432 resources thread I've been reading the weighty tome Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Unleashed published by Sams. It isn't really for a novice but it suits my learning style perfectly and has a wealth of T-SQL sample code sprinkled through the entire book. Other reading includes the infamous BOL of course. On top of that is the essential labbing plenty of stuff on a VM.

The main reasons I'm not finding it fiendishly hard are two-fold. First after having gained my MCITP:EA I've gained a wealth of knowledge about Windows Server and other allied software and technology so that now learning new advanced software has got easier for me. The other reason is to my surprise database administration is right up my alley more than I expected. Initially I was going to do this exam just as a top up to the MCITP but I'm starting to have second thoughts on that now.

It'll take me up to 3 months to learn SQL Server well enough to pass the exam.

LCA

The good progress of studying the exam has continued which has been helped by being able to study SQL Server for 8 hours a day for most of the last 3 weeks as on the IT course I'm doing it had a SQL Server module so it's been like using it as a full time job.

I've been hammering away at T-SQL to get it into my brain. I hope to sit the exam around March 3rd or 4th.

RobertKaucher

Good luck and keep posting. Even if I don't always respond, I'm watching and rooting!

LCA

Thanks Robert!


Going to make the booking for 432 tomorrow for March 4th (I hope). Currently reading the SQL Server 2008 R2 Unleashed book mentioned above. I must be learning something because the material covered in the book doesn't look so forbidding as it did a couple of months ago when I first read it. Learning high availability/replication/mirroring which are not simple topics.

Anyway back to .

[UPDATE]: Prometric have confirmed the exam for 9am March 3rd 2011.

LCA

Still hammering away at study for the exam which is 19 days away now. I've been getting into some new areas such as learning the intricacies of monitoring SQL servers which has meant playing with the good old Windows Performance Monitor also studying in depth replication, clustering, mirroring, and learning exactly how a transaction is handled inside SQL Server which means stuff like transaction locking etc.

Still haven't found anything I cannot get my head around but the amount of sheer detail to grasp to get up to exam standard is really something. I'm studying this stuff for at least 6 hours a day.

DThomassen

I am planning to study SQL after the Exchange 2010 exams are done. What is the 'BOL' in "Other reading includes the infamous BOL of course." I am looking at doing the server admin side, not creating them.

LCA

DThomassen wrote: »

I am planning to study SQL after the Exchange 2010 exams are done. What is the 'BOL' in "Other reading includes the infamous BOL of course." I am looking at doing the server admin side, not creating them.

It's the SQL Server Books Online that is included on the SQL Server DVD. It is very detailed and comprehensive. It is also available as a separate download.

I haven't read every page of it but it's indispensible for SQL Server exam study.

HTH

RobertKaucher

SQL Server Books Online

LCA

Just a quick update on my exam prep. Only 13 days to go now, still studying for 6 hours a day incl reading my big fat MS SQL Server 2008 R2 Unleashed treatise on the bus each day!

I've found myself going deeper and deeper into stuff, even more so than I did for the any of the Windows Server exams though I'm certain that all that previous knowledge I've assimilated and more refined study techniques mean that I can process complex topics much easier now.

Of course it isn't anywhere near as hard to learn anything when you love a topic like I do SQL Server (I found Active Directory not too hard for the same reason).

LCA

I'm back into studying 70-432 again and all things SQL Server in much greater detail than before. So after 432 I'll probably do 450 and later on down the track 70-448 as getting my head around BI in SQL Server will be good skill to learn.

I am also trying to get myself into a year long full time course that would give me a Graduate Diploma in Business Information Systems which covers amongst other things business analysis, systems analysis and IT management. This course also has a major real world industry project in a chosen area of specialisation which will be great to have a go at. The entry requirements are relatively steep but being an MCITP:EA should help me get in.

RobertKaucher

LCA wrote: »

I'm back into studying 70-432 again and all things SQL Server in much greater detail than before. So after 432 I'll probably do 450 and later on down the track 70-448 as getting my head around BI in SQL Server will be good skill to learn.

I am also trying to get myself into a year long full time course that would give me a Graduate Diploma in Business Information Systems which covers amongst other things business analysis, systems analysis and IT management. This course also has a major real world industry project in a chosen area of specialisation which will be great to have a go at. The entry requirements are relatively steep but being an MCITP:EA should help me get in.

I'm hitting the objectives for these exams as well. But I'm worried more about the 2011 beta exams. I figure a lot of the 2008 stuff will still be valid and I am lost on the XML cr@p, so I really need to look at that. I highly recommend the AppDev training if you can get someone to pay for it for you.

LCA

I should be able to do the 70-432 exam in 6 weeks time. I am currently beavering away on SQL Server everyday. Yesterday and today trying to get DMV's into my loaf. I've been doing so much work with SQL Server here at home lately along the way I've ended up reading a lot of the 70-450 topics as well. There really isn't any quick way of learning this stuff. I've also been reading the MS Press SQL Server Internals book which is a fabulous read. This book is really helping me to 'glue' all kinds of stuff together.

I'm also in the near future going to start up a blog (unnamed as yet) that will have extensive resources for the 70-432 and 70-450 exams.

RobertKaucher

Have you been brushing up on the XML stuff? Send me an email if you need a study resource for that.

LCA

I've started a blog which is still under development with currently resources for 70-432 which are far from complete. I'm concentrating entirely on researching and finding the information first then I'll add some better formatting etc. I'm halfway through 432, when that is finished I'll add the 70-450 stuff.

SQL Server Snapshots

Any comments and criticisms welcome!

NotHackingYou

So did you take the exam?