Need help with 640 exam

ElvisG

I just took the 640 exam for the 3rd time yesterday and failed again. All three test scores are in the 600 range. I need help and direction on getting over the 700 score. What I have used for resources are this website, MS Press 640 book, CBT, and Train Signal videos.

The 640 book is about 80% accurate for the test. There was test questions that I never read about in the 640. The Train Signal video was so so. I thought that the CBT video was a lot better for this exam. I just feel that MS Press 640 book isn't up to snuff for this test. The questions are far beyond what's in the book.

I read the 640 book through real fast and then went back and re-read the book thoroughly and highlighted all the important parts. I swear the MS 2008 test question are the most obscure questions you could think of. My weak area is the Cert Services area. I did good in the other areas. I really hate that incorporated Cert Services into the 640. The 290 and 291 were real easy compared to this. Should I buy another book or just skip this test and move on to the 642 / 646?

I really feel sorry for people who face the 640 as their first MS test.

unnamedplayer

No book at this moment (or in the future tbh) is up to snuff for the 640 imo. The R2 release is still a few months away I think and the Sybex I thought was inferior to the MS Press book. I didn't think the Train Signal videos were particularly useful either. I can't comment on CBT since I did not see them for the 640.

How much past experience do you have with AD and how much labbing are you doing? If you are struggling with Certificate Services, I recommend you give the whitepapers in the 70-640 resources thread a read. They really helped me to understand what exactly is happening. My strategy was to read those papers and then write my own summary to explain the process of what is going on. Doing this helped me clarify my thought process and allowed me to mark up areas that I didn't think were clear and write it in a way that made sense to me.

Also, are you doing any practice exams? I found the SelfTestSoftware practice questions to be helpful.

Good luck!

sherrill

Well, this is the first test I'm taking so now I'm really freaked out...:)

I'm using the MS Press book, ExamCram, and I'm going to purchase the SelfTest practice exams this weekend. I was given the Sybex book and I agree that it's not all that.

I'm using the MeasureUp practice exams to help me pinpoint my weak areas (which right now seem large), I'm hoping that these as well as the SelfTest exams will help me in my weak areas. I don't currently work in an AD environment, but I do have multiple labs at home.

earweed suggested the Unleashed book for R2 so I got that as well.

Good luck to you, hope you get going whatever you decide.

Claymoore

I took the 649 upgrade exam, but my primary resource for the 640 section was the 2008 Active Directory Resource Kit. The last 4 chapters, which include a chapter on CS, covered about everything I needed for the upgrade exam.

I read about half of the 2003 PKI and Certificate Security book when I was studying for the 293 exam and that was what made CS click for me. There is an updated 2008 PKI and Certificate Security book that is just as good. I referenced it when I was planning and migrating a client's CA to 2008 recently.

I stayed away from the official training kits when I was prepping for the 649 (there was no kit for the 649 at the time, but I didn't use the kits for the individual exams). I relied on resource kits and third party texts which really helped, not only for the 649 but also the 647 a little later. You should consider adding a non-MS resource such as Minasi's Mastering Server 2008 R2, Server 2008 R2 Unleashed, or even Moskowitz' Group Policy: Fundamentals, Security, and the Managed Desktop.

Have you made sure to cover the R2 additions in your studies?

ElvisG

Thanks everyone!

ibcritn

Have you worked with AD, or lab the technology? I find this is vital to success on technology specific certifications.

ITVince

Failed 638/1000. Im not being BIAS but that test was absolutely horrible, VERY poor reflection of the stated exam objectives. There were no sims wtf? 50 questions 2.5 hours to complete, most random obscure questions with Powershell, and Account management...Very obscure Certificate questions. I truely feel miserable right now I studied so much for so long and after taking that exam I truely feel like theres no way to prepare. I dont know what to do. Sigh....depression has kicked in. I'm going to reschedule in a week or two and see if I get a different test bank. The only thing thats "R2" about this exam is they say "You have a Windows Server 2008 R2 DC" what a joke. What...a..joke.

Essendon

Begin reading with a grain of salt. Correct me if I am wrong mate, but that test bank you are referring to is a **** (it did get hashed out in one of your threads). Steer away from them if you can. Dont learn anything from dumping an exam anyway. What good is a bit of paper if you cant do what you are asked in the real world.

You may want to supplement your exam resources with TechNet, Server 2008 R2 Unleashed and the AD Resource Kit if you can lay your hands on it. Ever since my 291 exam for the MCSA, I have used TechNet as my primary resource and it has been invaluable. Free and from MS themselves. Also I hope you had 2008 R2 running on your VM's right?

ElvisG

Yeah, I dislike the 640 test so much I think it's better to just move on to the 642 / 646 then come back. I mean when they ask you about sysprep and the answers have zero reflection on what the question is asking, wtf. I use Ghost and Sysprep all the time so I do have some knowledge on Sysprep.

Here is the test objectives and I don't see anything about Sysprep. Not only that but the MS Press 640 book has nothing in it about imaging or using Sysprep.

TS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring

alokin123

ElvisG wrote: »

Yeah, I dislike the 640 test so much I think it's better to just move on to the 642 / 646 then come back. I mean when they ask you about sysprep and the answers have zero reflection on what the question is asking, wtf. I use Ghost and Sysprep all the time so I do have some knowledge on Sysprep.

Here is the test objectives and I don't see anything about Sysprep. Not only that but the MS Press 640 book has nothing in it about imaging or using Sysprep.

TS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring

I think you need to think outside the square a bit. Yes the exam objectives dont mention sysprep explicitly but think about situations in an AD environment where you need to use sysprep. Multiple machines in a domain environment with the same SID can cause issues. What is one way to fix it? Sysprep.

Stupid as it may sound, but who is to say Microsoft might not throw another curly one. What roles don't support sysprep? There are a few AD specific ones:
Sysprep Support for Server Roles

You need to think about these issues if you are deploying things like DCs, Certificate servers etc...

cn=guy

Hey yall!

I'm new to this forum. I really appreciate all of your feedback on the 70-640 approach strategy. I'm planning on taking this exam as well. I just completed Microsoft's 70-640 book (reading/labs on vms).

I struggled with some key topics towards the end of the book.

AD CS
AD RMS
AD FS

I'll be using 2008 PKI and Certificate security book for AD CS, but I'm wondering if yall might know any good books on the last two topics.

Thanks again for the tips... heh heh... they boosted my morale!

MickQ

Hi cn.
As I said in this thread:http://www.techexams.net/forums/mcts-mcitp-windows-2008-general/63155-70-640-what-do-i-miss.html I've found the Minasi book (mentioned by Claymoore) to be a big help.
Take your time and go through the Technet topics on each item like CAs, RMS, FS, etc.
I stuck to going through one per night, but you may well want to time it differently.


@Elvis:
Looking back now, I'd have taken the 642 first, then 640, but I've a strong networking background. My worst score was in the 646. Those testlets really threw me. They didn't have the option: "haggle with the beancounters for replacing old kit".

ouchris

I read sybex and this book (I wrote the 1 review). I found the second book to be better. I'm not a fan of sybex. I'm studying the 70-642 (70-640 was the first cert I ever got) and the first chapter on networking is total crap. It's extremely convoluted and confusing.

I had to take 70-640 twice. I studied on and off for about 6 months. Be sure and get a MS 2nd shot voucher if possible. You get to take the test again for free if you fail it the first time.

Good luck

cn=guy

@MickQ

Many thanks for your suggestions. Your experienced guidance is really appreciated. To me, understanding the point of all these tools is key. Once I know what does what, when, where, and why, and that I practice all the possible scenarios thoroughly, I will have a bit more confidence that I can be of some help on my stage; in two months!

@ouchris

Thank you ouchris for your tips on sybex's analysis of the 70-640 topics. I've started reading sybex ccna and I find their explanations to be fairly good. I think different companies will each have their own strengths on different topics; but that must also be paired with an author that can translate technical concepts into English.

I'll be sure to get the voucher if I can.
As for real job experience, I was wondering which topics from the 70-640 curriculum you work with more often than others.