70-294 Failed!

paulm187

Hi,

I sat for my 70-294 exam today. Lots of simulation questions and on group policies. Throughout the exam I felt "confortable" and felt right apart from about 12 questions that I marked fror review. I went back and changed some answers using my best guesstimate. I thought at best I should be scoring 80-85% and at worst skim through at 70-75%. But to my shock I scored 681. I was gutted as it was so close and yet so far.

What is worrying is that if I was to sit it again I may answer the questions in the same way because it felt so right. My weakest category is Manage and Maintain Group Policy which I think is 58% full. Browsing the internet it seems there are quite a few who failed on the first attempt and usually tripped over group policies. I work with group polices day-in-day out so suprised it was my weakest link. For those of you who have passed can you please shed some light on this and some tips? Also how soon should I re-take this exam? 1 or 2 weeks? I passed my previous 3 core exams on the first go so a bit deflated and licking my wounds.

mikedisd2

Yeah, I failed this the first time through; I even ran out of time. I believe this to be a very unfair exam given the length of the questions. Some of the scenarios just turned out to be an issue of simple logic and I remember almost falling asleep into the third paragraph.

681 is only a question or two from a pass, don't leave it too long before retrying. Can you remember some of the questions that left you scratching your head? I always note them down during the exam to better remember what to study if I failed.

You're so close, just get back in and have another go. You failed 1x exam? So what, it just wasn't your day.

DOS

I went almost 3 months before retaking it. I studied the sections I did bad in and really went over the labs in the book.
You should pass next time, you're first score was so close, much closer than mine. Good luck!!

kamikaze_worm

I failed that one first time. Retook it after a month. I failed with a lower score than you 536. 2nd attempt was 730.

I had the same area problem. I would say lab and do loads of practical stuff on it. Help me loads.

Dakinggamer87

Sorry you didn't pass!!

You'll get it next time

paulm187

Thanks all for your encouragement, I resat the exam this afternoon and passed with 809

Jack2

paulm187 wrote: »

Thanks all for your encouragement, I resat the exam this afternoon and passed with 809

Whoo Hoo! Congrats!

Cthu1hu

Nice score!! I like you failed my first time as well. Whats the next one you plan on doing?

paulm187

CthulthuDawn wrote: »

Nice score!! I like you failed my first time as well. Whats the next one you plan on doing?

Well, It's a bit of a conundrum. I've got to do my design, elective and client exams. I am a bit undecided about the design and elective. Some people say 70-297 is harder than 70-298 and others say it is not. I will only know for sure if I tried my hands at both. I'm not good at memorising facts & figures so may struggle with 70-298. I'm good at the overall picture aspect of design so 70-297 seems a nice fit. But then again I may not good at "seeing" things through Microsoft's eyes to produce answers a certian way to meet their criteria for the exam. The 70-298 seems more straight forward to me than 70-297, then again I may be wrong. My initial thought is to do 70-298 + 299 + 70-680. All I want to do is to finish my MCSE 2003 asap so that I can do the MCITP:EA upgrade exams. Anyhow, I'm going to a break for couple of days before I hit the books so will need to make up my mind by then. Any thoughts?

kamikaze_worm

congrats! Well done!

Dakinggamer87

Congrats on pass!!

Devilsbane

Also failed the first time. Most people take 2 cracks at this one, nothing to be ashamed of.

Congrats on passing