Failed 70-680 3 times!

Liggle

Hi Guys,

After a bit of guidance really, I've now failed the 70-680 3 times!

I got 516, 610 and 682 so getting progressively better but its a little discouraging failing so many times.

I hate reading the MS Press book, are there any others you can recommend for the 70-680, I see a lot of third party ones mentioned for 70-685/686.

How long are you guys spending on the revision generally before sitting an exam?

Grynder

Are there any particular sections that you fail while passing others?

Bokeh

Amazon.com: MCTS 70-680 Cert Guide: Microsoft Windows 7, Configuring (9780789747075): Don Poulton: Books - currently using, great book.

RobertKaucher

Lab, Lab, lab and then lab some more. You cannot just lab with Win 7. You need to set up a server environment in which you can use the client.
When you are doing your test prep, make sure you turn each question you get wrong into some sort of lab. Duplicate it to the best of your ability and drive the information into your brain.

ehnde

Lab, lab lab.

Reading a book will not enable you to pass this exam! If you've read through the MS press book you can use it as a reference, but do the labs in the book. That's what I did. There are virtual labs on technet that you might find to be of use as well. Reading is too passive. If you don't do this stuff it won't click.

Grab you a free copy of vmware esxi and throw it on an extra computer if you can, or just run vmware workstation. Set up a a Win 2008 R2 server virtual machine, a Win 7 machine, xp machine, and vista machine. Practice upgrading xp and vista and migrating their profiles.

If you're getting 90% or higher on any of the objectives, skip those. Lab the stuff that is causing you to fail. It's more trouble to do labs, but not as much trouble as failing the exam for a 4th time and losing your $$$.

N2IT

So how would you recommend studying then gents?

Read the book front to cover first?
Set up your server client environment?
Lab Lab Lab?
Practice test?
Take exam?

QHalo

For the lab portions that you need, I went through each chapter reading the information and then created an outline of each chapter with the actual items that needed to be configured and were not conceptual. Each one, I made into a lab. I have about 10 pages of labs for all the chapters in the MS Press book. Each include doing it via the CLI and GUI.

cyberguypr

Welcome to the forum. Based on the results report, what are your weakest areas? Some technologies are harder to grasp or apply. If you give us a better picture of what you are struggling with we can provide recommendations.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say deployment is one of them.

za3bour

N2IT wrote: »

So how would you recommend studying then gents?

Read the book front to cover first?
Set up your server client environment?
Lab Lab Lab?
Practice test?
Take exam?

Setup lab
Read the book (take notes)
Lab during reading
Read the book again (take notes)
Lab during reading (the things you didn't master)
Practice test
Take exam
Celebrate

Liggle

Grynder wrote: »

Are there any particular sections that you fail while passing others?

My weakest area by far the first two attempts was deployment, on my third attempt I scored 100% in this area, on the third attempt my weakest area wwas configuring hardware and applications - an area I had done very well on in previous attempts.

The most annoying this is the score of 682, I must have been literally one question off.

I had a test environment using Oracle VM Virtualbox which helped the deployment section sink in. My biggest problem is I am pushed for time, I am doing this in my spare time and have took 3 exams in a 6 week period due to 'pressure' from my employer.

za3bour

Liggle wrote: »

My weakest area by far the first two attempts was deployment, on my third attempt I scored 100% in this area, on the third attempt my weakest area wwas configuring hardware and applications - an area I had done very well on in previous attempts.

The most annoying this is the score of 682, I must have been literally one question off.

I had a test environment using Oracle VM Virtualbox which helped the deployment section sink in. My biggest problem is I am pushed for time, I am doing this in my spare time and have took 3 exams in a 6 week period due to 'pressure' from my employer.

3 exams in 6 weeks is a lot, your employer should appreciate this and he should understand that exams are not equal some of them needs more preparation.

I hope you're not paying for this?

Liggle

za3bour wrote: »

3 exams in 6 weeks is a lot, your employer should appreciate this and he should understand that exams are not equal some of them needs more preparation.

I hope you're not paying for this?

Yeah thats what I thought, we were given a date (16th Feb) 2 weeks before Xmas and told you'd need to be passed by then, here's a book... off you go.

All in our spare time, no time off work and no other incentive. Obviously I want to pass this for my own benefit, but I dont benefit from doing it with such tight time restraints.

I am not paying for this luckily. In comparison, I paid for the Network+ out of my own pocket did it in my own time and got over 90%

za3bour

Liggle wrote: »

Yeah thats what I thought, we were given a date (16th Feb) 2 weeks before Xmas and told you'd need to be passed by then, here's a book... off you go.

All in our spare time, no time off work and no other incentive. Obviously I want to pass this for my own benefit, but I dont benefit from doing it with such tight time restraints.

I am not paying for this luckily. In comparison, I paid for the Network+ out of my own pocket did it in my own time and got over 90%

I don't honstly feel you're not passing because of technical issue or that you are not prepared I really feel it's because of stress and because you've been pushed by mgmt to do this quickly.

So really try to relax before the exam don't study the day before it I usually only read notes, have a nice meal on the day of it just have a positive attitude about it and I'm sure you will pass with a high score next time.

remember last time I'm sure you failed by one question so good luck next time and bring us some very high marks

Liggle

Yeah good advice, cheers. I am not the only one in the failed 3 times club, 3 of us failed 3 times and 2 others failed twice, so its not just me!

I have requested we order the Don Poulton book so I'll give that a try, gonna give it a bit longer before the next re-take this time.

Thanks for all the suggestions/advice, glad I joined up - lots of resources to work from

themagicone

I failed twice so far. Labs can and will help BUT there is somethings they ask on that test that not even a lab will help you answer. Without breaking NDA (Which I did in a previous post woop before I realized it), I can't tell you what they asked. There was 2-3 questions that were way way out there, nothing you would find in any book or by labing. And guess what? I failed by only 1-2 questions. I understand making the test harder to give is more credibility but designing the test to fail you by being overly adaptive? Come on.

Daniel333

I keep saying it, this exam is no joke and certainly not as entry level as people make it out to be.

One thing I have learned is that, about 80% of what you need to know for acert is in the materials. Only 80%. So assuming you know everything you will probably fail. The other 5% you need to pass comes from experience and good guess work. I honestly believe they do it this way on purpose for statistically analysis of the test takers.

I did the cbt training and read the MS 70-680 book myself and never did the exam. That being said you might consider 70-270 and 70-620 before taking 70-680. Or at least work through the materials.

And since the 70-680 assumes some knowledge of 2008 server it couldn't hurt to get yourself a 2008 crash course book. At least learn how to get DNS, DHCP, AD and WDS running.

Best of luck on the next round.

elkristo

To pass you must have 700 points?
are there any other requirements?

ajs1976

Use more then one book / major resource.

RobertKaucher

Daniel333 wrote: »

I keep saying it, this exam is no joke and certainly not as entry level as people make it out to be.

I think this depends on your opinion of entry level. What do you want from a new guy?

1. One who has a fundamental, just above the normal user base understanding of the technology AND no practical experience.

or

2. One who has a very strong understanding of the technology but no practical experience.

Some folks will be offended by my saying this, but it was true of me and is true of most people. The less you know, the more confident of your knowledge you are. Many people who have been involved in IT (or anything for that matter) for years and have not advanced past the "advanced beginner" phase of knowledge think they in fact know much more about their field than they actually do.

This is one (just one) reason why you see people who languish in the help desk for years, complaining about how they get passed over for promotions, etc. They believe they are experts in their field but are in fact far less advanced than they believe they are.

How many of you guys have encountered that annoying end user who thinks they could be a CCNA because they set up their LinkSys "router" on their home network? That's just an extreme example.

za3bour

RobertKaucher wrote: »

How many of you guys have encountered that annoying end user who thinks they could be a CCNA because they set up their LinkSys "router" on their home network? That's just an extreme example.

Countless, and those who think that by connecting two PCs together they can get MCSE in a heartbeat

RobertKaucher

za3bour wrote: »

Countless, and those who think that by connecting two PCs together they can get MCSE in a heartbeat

When I was younger I thought I was very good at chess. I was a terrible beginner. It was not until I played people who were really good and began to actually study chess that I realized how poorly I played and vowed never to make the mental mistake of that kind of arrogance again in my life.

Turgon

RobertKaucher wrote: »

I think this depends on your opinion of entry level. What do you want from a new guy?

1. One who has a fundamental, just above the normal user base understanding of the technology AND no practical experience.

or

2. One who has a very strong understanding of the technology but no practical experience.

Some folks will be offended by my saying this, but it was true of me and is true of most people. The less you know, the more confident of your knowledge you are. Many people who have been involved in IT (or anything for that matter) for years and have not advanced past the "advanced beginner" phase of knowledge think they in fact know much more about their field than they actually do.

This is one (just one) reason why you see people who languish in the help desk for years, complaining about how they get passed over for promotions, etc. They believe they are experts in their field but are in fact far less advanced than they believe they are.

How many of you guys have encountered that annoying end user who thinks they could be a CCNA because they set up their LinkSys "router" on their home network? That's just an extreme example.

Lot of truth in that. In 14 years I still have challenging things coming my way. If you keep advancing hard questions are constantly asked of you. I think when the job becomes too easy it's quite normal for people to overestimate what they can *actually* do well.

za3bour

RobertKaucher wrote: »

When I was younger I thought I was very good at chess. I was a terrible beginner. It was not until I played people who were really good and began to actually study chess that I realized how poorly I played and vowed never to make the mental mistake of that kind of arrogance again in my life.

Lol, I had the same feeling but man I sucks in chess and I didn't touch it in 6 years now.

Liggle

I have 3+ years of IT Support experience, I am currently a 2nd/3rd line support engineer, I am exposed to Server 2008 daily and know it quite well.

I think its more the book aspect I am struggling with, I find it hard to sit down and read and book and take it in, if the exam were more interactive I'd do better. I know this isnt going to change, its just taking me a long time to get my brain to absorb the information from reading a book!

My Don Poulton book on 70-680 should be here tomorrow, I am going to read that cover to cover then book the exam and read it/perhaps the MS Press book again.

RobertKaucher

Liggle wrote: »

I have 3+ years of IT Support experience, I am currently a 2nd/3rd line support engineer, I am exposed to Server 2008 daily and know it quite well.

I think its more the book aspect I am struggling with, I find it hard to sit down and read and book and take it in, if the exam were more interactive I'd do better. I know this isnt going to change, its just taking me a long time to get my brain to absorb the information from reading a book!

My Don Poulton book on 70-680 should be here tomorrow, I am going to read that cover to cover then book the exam and read it/perhaps the MS Press book again.

Skim the book, lab scenarios that will drill the information into your head. 2/3 of your time should be labbing with the book as just a guide. The book is not enough, even if you memorized the entire thing. Your experience is not enough, or you would have passed. You need to build on your experience by repeatedly labbing until you can do it in your sleep.

Can you image a new PC using the deployement tools without looking at documentation? Can you explain to your grandmother how to configure her network settings w/o a computer in front of you to follow along? Can you explain the fundamentals of IPv6 addressing? This is the kind of depth you need in your knowledge.