70-680 Advice for MCITP pursuers

Todd Burrell

I have passed the 70-647 and 649 exams and I am about 90% through the material for the 70-680 exam. I have read all of the horror stories about 70-680, but so far the material and practice tests do not seem that bad. However, I think I have seen the main problem - if you take 70-680 FIRST then it would probably kick your butt.

I would advise anyone starting on the MCITP track to take the 70-680 exam LAST. Much of the material I have convered for 70-680 has been a rerun of the other exams (like BranchCache, DirectAccess, BitLocker, WSUS, Software Restriction/AppLocker, VHD's, WDS, VPN access types, IPv6 and VPN Reconnect).

Just my 2 cents worth, but if you are just starting out (or thinking about starting) take 70-680 last - and definitely pull the errata for the MS Press book.

I'll put out another update once I take this test - hopefully around June 1st.

Psoasman

+1 After reading through some of the 686 material and then looking through the 680 again, it makes more sense.

pzero

I did the 680 first and am currently studying the 686. I would say that studying the 686 in conjunction with the 680 would assist sitting the 680 exam due to the heavy crossover in deployment technologies.

When I was studying for the 680 I read many a book outside of the 680 scope (like the Win 7 Resource kit etc). This did help.

But as you mention, its a beast of an exam requiring a good knowledge of Server 2008 R2 components. If I had my chance again, I would have prob studied and sat the server admin exams first to be honest. An MCT recomended me the same, but I pushed ahead and did the 680 anyway as I had already put a few months of study into it before he told me that!

pzero

Good luck when you sit the exam too mate! Im sure that if you have a good grasp of the technologies you have already mentioned, 680 should be a no-sweat.

aklabs

Good luck with your test. I am currently studyin gfor the 686 and 680 exam. Job requires I pass both by end of June. Heavy studying here I come.

Claymoore

Todd Burrell wrote: »

I would advise anyone starting on the MCITP track to take the 70-680 exam LAST. Much of the material I have convered for 70-680 has been a rerun of the other exams (like BranchCache, DirectAccess, BitLocker, WSUS, Software Restriction/AppLocker, VHD's, WDS, VPN access types, IPv6 and VPN Reconnect).

This advice makes sense. I always approached the MCSE/MCITP tracks starting with the client exam first and then moving on to server exams, much like a person's career would progress. In this case I already had my EA when I took the 680 and didn't find it too challenging. More challenging than the Vista client exam, but in a good way. All the Win7/R2 features were new to me and those pieces were the focus of my prep efforts.

Cthu1hu

I can defnitely see this reasoning in taking the 680 last. Back when I was going for MCSA my teacher said should do the 270 client last after the other ones. Unfortunately I didn't and the exam was brutal. I would definitely do the client last this time, but for me I took the beta 680 and already passed.

simtech

Yup, 680 is the beast. I failed twice, and preparing for the 3rd attempt. I read 686 materials and help me have a better understanding. I'm also working on MCITP, I wish I didn't take 680 first.

jyrki.arpiainen

Todd Burrell wrote: »

I have passed the 70-647 and 649 exams and I am about 90% through the material for the 70-680 exam. I have read all of the horror stories about 70-680, but so far the material and practice tests do not seem that bad. However, I think I have seen the main problem - if you take 70-680 FIRST then it would probably kick your butt.

I would advise anyone starting on the MCITP track to take the 70-680 exam LAST.
...

That's pretty much what i am doing. I completed my MCSE last year and started immediately to prepare upgrading it to 2008 Server and MCITP certifications.

I decided to start from 70-647 because overlapping topics with earlier MCSE exams like 70-297 and i felt that it would be easiest to adapt.
And i really passed it faster than most of the other exams -took just about 2-3 months.

Then continued with actual upgrade exam 70-649. That wasn't too easy, though.. it covered so much information that i started to forget things that i learned before i got it all through. Then i needed to start over. And again and again.
Took about 6-9 months but there was some other studies at the same time.

Anyhow, i got that passed and now 70-680 is the last one and completes my MCITP: EA!
Seems that my decision to take "reverse" order with this exams was right thing to do. I hope that i pass it now with first try.

Funny, IMHO this exam covers some server like topics more thoroughly than actual server exams. Like BranchCache and DirectAccess.


One thing which is sure is that after i pass this one i take a break from certifications.
I've studied certifications approx. 5 years now and there's plenty of topics that i know nothing about because they have not been covered.
Need to catch up those as well.. Little bit Exchange, VMware, Citrix, Powershell, CISCO stuff, SCCM to name few.
I think it's wiser to learn something about those all instead of concentrating to just one for months and then moving to another.

benmark

Hi

I just started prepping for the 70-680 and this is my first Microsoft cert. I've seen a few posts like this and wondering if I should abandon the 680 for now. I'm only 4 chapters in. I want to go for the MCITP Enterprise Administrator. What exam do you recommend starting with first?

jyrki.arpiainen

benmark wrote: »

Hi

I just started prepping for the 70-680 and this is my first Microsoft cert. I've seen a few posts like this and wondering if I should abandon the 680 for now. I'm only 4 chapters in. I want to go for the MCITP Enterprise Administrator. What exam do you recommend starting with first?

Hi. It's gonna take lots of time and efforts no matter from which exam you start. There's no particularly easy exams in this certification.

One possible approach is that you would take a peek from every exam, search pdf books from net and study them for a while. Or if you are absolutely sure that you are gonna achieve MCITP: EA, buy whole book pack at once.
Then it's possible to explore their topics and decide later which exam feels easier than others or is most interesting.
I prefer real books because they contain practice tests and pdf versions as well.

But sorry, i can't really say one and only answer about which test is easiest.