70-290 Beginner

chaosdivine

Hi All!

this is my first post here just found you guys using google look like a friendly bunch so i was hoping to get some help

basically where i work at the moment im kind of the IT guy however i don't hold any qualification its just what im good at and im quick to learn when it comes to IT.

My brother is a IT tech of some sort and he suggested i start my MCSA since i am the admin of my server in work.

i have the microsoft press book for 70-290 and ive just started reading through it, i really want to get my MCSA and start looking toward my career in IT as im only 20 years old.

so basically im self studying just this book and i have the 180 CD for windows server 2003 which i have installed on virtual box so i can practice at home and work.

is this all i really need to pass? how long should it take for me to pass 290? are the exams just multiple choice? and is there any other advice you can give me?

i greatly appreciate all your help!

Many Thanks !

ivlatt

Hello fellow 290 beginner

I am also taking the 290 exam soon (this time next week actually )

From what I've read there are between 40-50 questions in the exam, some of which are multiple choice, others are single choice questions and some simulations. People say they average about 5 questions per topic and they get about 5 simulation questions.

Finished reading my book last night so now I'm going to go over the practicals until my head explodes.

Have you sheduled a date for your exam yet?

Shadly1

I used the MS course videos and CramMaster for practice questions on this one. From what I remember, it wasn't too bad. Definitely an eye opener. My advice is to get your hands on some sort of test prep software. It's hard to beat test simulations. There are a lot of choices out there so read up on what all of them offer. I did CramMaster which was enough for this test. It's good for beginners but not all that thorough. When you get to the 70-291, you're going to need a lot more than a book and a sim. Transcenders is thorough. More questions and more depth. MeasureUp is somewhere in the middle of those two. I like MeasureUp because they use a lot of the same terminology that is on the tests. They also use the same little tricks that the test uses to throw you off. I usually use some sort of combination of these three sims depending on what I'm doing. For MS tests, I usually take about a month to study for each one. It's enough time to get through a book or two and a sim or two and not burn out on the topic. If I fail a test, I'll take another month for it. Oh, and always get second shot vouchers when you can...

Devilsbane

I wouldn't suggest the 290 as your first certification. It isn't that difficult in comparison to others, but any Microsoft test I've ever taken has been more difficult than any Final I've ever taken to sort of put things in perspective for you. Jumping right in with a server exam wouldn't be impossible but it would be challenging.

It took me about a month of study/labbing for the 290. But I had also spent time before that studying for other certifications that carried many of the same principals forward. If you are completely new to this then it is probably going to take longer than that to pull everything together.

Welcome to TE!

The exam is mostly multiple choice answers. Many choose 1 of 4, but there are also some choose 2's and that kind of thing. There are also simulation questions where they will tell you what needs to be done and then bring you into a test enviornment to implement the desired changes.

For the 290 I used CBT Nuggets, the Microsoft Academic book, and a VMWare lab for my own toying. I also had the MSPress book but barely used it.

DOS

I used the CBT Nuggets from my work with the MS Press book and was able to pass. I started with 70-270 first and that gave me an idea on how Microsoft's exams are set up. I also already had A+ & Net+ under my belt.

Good luck