70-640 - What do I miss

kunalraiker

I'am studying to give this exam,have searched and studied different online materials,but wanted to make sure I have not left any leaf unturned,

Could some of the members that have answered the exam recently chime in with some tips and recommendations on what not to miss for sure.

I also want to know what is the amount of time for the exam,the number of questions.

Are they in any particular order,do we usually have ample time or we need to rush through the questions.

Does the degree of difficulty increase with every question.

Thanks Guys.

za3bour

I'am studying to give this exam,have searched and studied different online materials,but wanted to make sure I have not left any leaf unturned,

Welcome to the forum

Could some of the members that have answered the exam recently chime in with some tips and recommendations on what not to miss for sure.

Lab then lab, take a lots of notes.

I also want to know what is the amount of time for the exam,the number of questions.

There is no role, you will find out the ammount of time when you book the exam questions usally between 42-70 and sometimes you have case studies with questions as well

Are they in any particular order,do we usually have ample time or we need to rush through the questions.

There is no order, you will have a small survey before and after the exam, you can mark the questions for review later

Does the degree of difficulty increase with every question.

No I don't think it does, you will find a mix of hard and easy questions with no order whatsoever.

Good luck for you, what is your study material? are you labbing?

earweed

Za3bour did a lot better job answering the OPs question than I could have, and without breaking NDA. I did notice on a couple tests though that sometimes MS does group each particular area together sometimes. I've also taken some of the 40 question tests (90 minutes) where I ran out of time. The longer tests are actually better in that respect as I've always finished those withe time to spare.

kunalraiker

za3bour wrote: »

Welcome to the forum



Lab then lab, take a lots of notes.



There is no role, you will find out the ammount of time when you book the exam questions usally between 42-70 and sometimes you have case studies with questions as well




There is no order, you will have a small survey before and after the exam, you can mark the questions for review later




No I don't think it does, you will find a mix of hard and easy questions with no order whatsoever.

Good luck for you, what is your study material? are you labbing?

Thanks for your very elaborate and informative post,when you say lab, you mean mock tests right.

earweed

kunalraiker wrote: »

Thanks for your very elaborate and informative post,when you say lab, you mean mock tests right.

Lab means using VM's or multiple PC's set up with Server 2008 R2 and practice things you have been reading about. If using the MS Press books then do the practice exercises. Lab means to practice using the OS you are studying.

ltgenspecific

earweed wrote: »

Lab means using VM's or multiple PC's set up with Server 2008 R2 and practice things you have been reading about. If using the MS Press books then do the practice exercises. Lab means to practice using the OS you are studying.

CBT Nuggets was extremely helpful in this capacity (coupled with the MSPress book). Just walk through the install and config/custom steps with the MSPress book... then wipe your vmachines clean and do it all over again with CBT and you'll be golden.

Good luck. Remember the strong emphasis this test usually places on CA and PKI (including KRA)...

NINJA1200

ltgenspecific wrote: »

CBT Nuggets was extremely helpful in this capacity (coupled with the MSPress book). Just walk through the install and config/custom steps with the MSPress book... then wipe your vmachines clean and do it all over again with CBT and you'll be golden.

Good luck. Remember the strong emphasis this test usually places on CA and PKI (including KRA)...

What version of CBT Nuggets do you have?
In the one that I have it doesn't mention 2008 R2 because it's from december 2008, but the exame I did today had too many questions about R2.
I didn't pass it btw...
This exam was difficult! There are too many acronyms to remember!!!

earweed

None of the CBT vendors (trainsignal, CBT nugget, labsim, etc) have updated for R2 yet so you used the current version of CBT nuggets. Reread the book and make sure you understand all the acronyms. I'd also recommend reading the pertinet chepters of Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed so you'll be familiar with the R2 material.
Good luck on your retake!

ltgenspecific

earweed wrote: »

None of the CBT vendors (trainsignal, CBT nugget, labsim, etc) have updated for R2 yet so you used the current version of CBT nuggets. Reread the book and make sure you understand all the acronyms. I'd also recommend reading the pertinet chepters of Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed so you'll be familiar with the R2 material.
Good luck on your retake!

Yeah, I could have been more clear. I meant that for the "labbing" section of his question, if he follows CBT Nuggets through the examples and follows the MSPress book in the same manner he should be ready for the exam from that standpoint. In terms of R2, the book listed in your sig, Mastering Server 2008 R2 was very very informative.

NINJA1200

First of all, thank you both for the info.

I don't understand why didn't Microsoft change the numbers of all 2008 certifications as they did with Vista to 7 (70-620 to 70-680, etc...)
Before I did the 70-640 today, I thought there were no R2 questions, but the reality was quite different. For me it's wrong to use the same cert number, when the learning material is not he same.
Not even the MS Press toolkit book is updated at the moment, so it looks that there in no official reading material for the exams right now.
Yes, I know that I can read more than one book, but it's not the same thing...

earweed

The reason they didn't change the designation on the exams is that R2 just means an updated version of the same OS not a whole new OS. They didn't even change the exams when 2003 got an R2 change as the changes were less extensive than the changes done to 2008. The biggest changes in Server 2008 seem to be with the 70-643 exam as they did a lot of application changes.
The new MS books are coming out later this year. If you're lucky you didn't buy the whole exam pack of books.

kunalraiker

earweed wrote: »

Lab means using VM's or multiple PC's set up with Server 2008 R2 and practice things you have been reading about. If using the MS Press books then do the practice exercises. Lab means to practice using the OS you are studying.

I was under the impression that giving lots of mock exams and reading exam book should be sufficient,also I was trying to book a date but noticed the exam time was 3 hours.What am I supposed to do for 3 hours my impression was there would be at most 120 questions if not less.

Could people who have give this exam recently help me here.

Essendon

If you take lots of practice tests from the same question bank, you'll end up memorising the questions and answers which really defeats the purpose of the practice tests. Take the advice earweed gave, lab the material why and how something happens. What good is passing the exam if in real life you cant diagnose a DNS issue?

As for the exam, you usually get 40-65 questions. The time you'll get depends on the number of questions you get. On my 647 test, I had 45 questions to do in 90 minutes. This is even though when I booked the test it said the exam duration was 2.15 hours.

za3bour

kunalraiker wrote: »

I was under the impression that giving lots of mock exams and reading exam book should be sufficient,also I was trying to book a date but noticed the exam time was 3 hours.What am I supposed to do for 3 hours my impression was there would be at most 120 questions if not less.

Could people who have give this exam recently help me here.

MS will not tell you how many questions you will have however if the time is 3 hours then I suspect you will get some case studies in addition to the multiple questions.

There is no rule however, what you've said might be enough to pass the exam but the more you put into labs you more you will learn.

kunalraiker

Essendon wrote: »

If you take lots of practice tests from the same question bank, you'll end up memorising the questions and answers which really defeats the purpose of the practice tests. Take the advice earweed gave, lab the material why and how something happens. What good is passing the exam if in real life you cant diagnose a DNS issue?

As for the exam, you usually get 40-65 questions. The time you'll get depends on the number of questions you get. On my 647 test, I had 45 questions to do in 90 minutes. This is even though when I booked the test it said the exam duration was 2.15 hours.

Thanks for the information,I was a little overwhelmed by the 3 hour durations,may be I could try another centre and see if that makes a time difference.

kunalraiker

za3bour wrote: »

MS will not tell you how many questions you will have however if the time is 3 hours then I suspect you will get some case studies in addition to the multiple questions.

There is no rule however, what you've said might be enough to pass the exam but the more you put into labs you more you will learn.

Thanks,CA is the chapter I hate the most,but I will try some labs and see if I get some more understanding of the same.

za3bour

kunalraiker wrote: »

Thanks,CA is the chapter I hate the most,but I will try some labs and see if I get some more understanding of the same.

Yea I can't balme you CA is a hard subject to study but you will come across it almost in each of the MCITP exams so make sure you understand it well.

MentholMoose

kunalraiker wrote: »

Thanks for the information,I was a little overwhelmed by the 3 hour durations,may be I could try another centre and see if that makes a time difference.

Have you taken an exam before? You don't just walk in start taking the exam instantly. The three hours is the total appointment time, so it includes the sign-in process (such as verifying your photo ID, taking your photo, putting valuables in a locker, etc.), time for any questionnaires (before and/or after the actual exam), time for commenting on questions, and signing out, among other possible things. The time allotted is a maximum, so you may or may not take the entire three hours, and you may just leave thinking you needed even more time.

kunalraiker

MentholMoose wrote: »

Have you taken an exam before? You don't just walk in start taking the exam instantly. The three hours is the total appointment time, so it includes the sign-in process (such as verifying your photo ID, taking your photo, putting valuables in a locker, etc.), time for any questionnaires (before and/or after the actual exam), time for commenting on questions, and signing out, among other possible things. The time allotted is a maximum, so you may or may not take the entire three hours, and you may just leave thinking you needed even more time.

I know,this is a first exam with prometric after about 5 years, have forgotten the usual procedure.

70-640 want to make sure I'am completely prepaired,do questions get repeated, as i noticed some being the similar,only worded differently in the mock exams I have been taking.

Essendon

Where are these "mock" exams from?

The questions are from a pretty sizable question pool and you'll get a random set every time.

kunalraiker

Essendon wrote: »

Where are these "mock" exams from?

The questions are from a pretty sizable question pool and you'll get a random set every time.

My tuitor gave them to me.

Essendon

What's the name of the test questions?

kunalraiker

Essendon wrote: »

What's the name of the test questions?

Bounce

kunalraiker

I have started reading another Prep Book from Microsoft, can guys who have recently given the exams chime in with what online books you have been reading.

MickQ

I've found the Minasi books to be brilliant. I've two copies, the 2003 and 2008 R2, both sitting here at my desk beside the MS Press lot.
I've experience of AD going back many years, so it wasn't too bad for me. All the same, I was dreading the 640 as I'm more used to networks.

As to the difficulty of the questions, that depends on your knowledge!
I flew through the first 20 then hit the first of the R2 material and that was a speed bump.

As the others say on the other posts, practice, practice, practice. That means labbing.
Get a PC with as much RAM as you can, a few hard drives in RAID or set up as you think they should be, and VM a setup.
Think up a scenario, search the web for ideas if you have to, and make a forest with subdomains, etc. All done? Good. Now add in a CA and (if you can) R2 stuff like DirectAccess, Federation Trusts, BranchCache...

Rinse and repeat.

There really is no substitute for real world experience, and you will see how the theory comes together and where it's applied.

One of the questions I had in mine (can't give details - NDA) would have thrown me if I didn't come across it in the field. You'll probably come across your own things by setting up your own lab (VM system).

For various reasons, I've only sat the MCITP exams and didn't do the MCSE. Just done the 646, 640 and 642 - in that order - and passed all three this month and last. Doing CCNA in a couple of weeks, then on to the EA by mid April (I hope).

I wish you all the best with your journey. Don't be put off by a fail or two. Some of those questions are tricky in their wording and have to be read carefully so you don't jump to the wrong conclusion.

kunalraiker

MickQ wrote: »

I've found the Minasi books to be brilliant. I've two copies, the 2003 and 2008 R2, both sitting here at my desk beside the MS Press lot.
I've experience of AD going back many years, so it wasn't too bad for me. All the same, I was dreading the 640 as I'm more used to networks.

As to the difficulty of the questions, that depends on your knowledge!
I flew through the first 20 then hit the first of the R2 material and that was a speed bump.

As the others say on the other posts, practice, practice, practice. That means labbing.
Get a PC with as much RAM as you can, a few hard drives in RAID or set up as you think they should be, and VM a setup.
Think up a scenario, search the web for ideas if you have to, and make a forest with subdomains, etc. All done? Good. Now add in a CA and (if you can) R2 stuff like DirectAccess, Federation Trusts, BranchCache...

Rinse and repeat.

There really is no substitute for real world experience, and you will see how the theory comes together and where it's applied.

One of the questions I had in mine (can't give details - NDA) would have thrown me if I didn't come across it in the field. You'll probably come across your own things by setting up your own lab (VM system).

For various reasons, I've only sat the MCITP exams and didn't do the MCSE. Just done the 646, 640 and 642 - in that order - and passed all three this month and last. Doing CCNA in a couple of weeks, then on to the EA by mid April (I hope).

I wish you all the best with your journey. Don't be put off by a fail or two. Some of those questions are tricky in their wording and have to be read carefully so you don't jump to the wrong conclusion.

Thanks for your very elaborate,reply,seems like I need to do way more preparation then I thought I would,read through a few books,use some of the things at work definitely not CA

I hate the labs,too lenghty and boring,have setup couple of Windows 2008 virtual pcs,could'nt get the CA to work.

Would there be a easier way to pass the exam rather then spending another month doing labs.

Essendon

Do you want to just pass the exam or learn something useful as well? Lab it all, and lab it well.

earweed

Essendon wrote: »

Do you want to just pass the exam or learn something useful as well? Lab it all, and lab it well.

+1 Labbing is the best way to learn the material.

kunalraiker

Essendon wrote: »

Do you want to just pass the exam or learn something useful as well? Lab it all, and lab it well.

At this stage just pass the exam.

Essendon

Okay in that case, best thing to do is to send an email including your name and MCP ID to certguard.com saying you want the latest questions and answers to the 70-640 and they'll do the rest for you.

kunalraiker

Essendon wrote: »

Okay in that case, best thing to do is to send an email including your name and MCP ID to certguard.com saying you want the latest questions and answers to the 70-640 and they'll do the rest for you.

Please don't be so sarcastic, I really need to get this certificate out of the way.