Easy or Difficult?

xirtlook

for those who have taken the test, how did you feel the test was on difficulty?

I have to get this certification for my job...

I use Win7 at home, have my MCSE, CCNA, A+/N+/S+.

I'm a decent test taker, photographic memory, lightly experienced....

however I know Microsoft questions/exams are one of the most trickiest I've had to deal with.

So just wanted to get a feel for what the test takers think about this 70-680.

I have to take it on the 26th of this month.

I've been looking through the resources on here, watching videos online, videos by TrainSignal, and reading Configuring Windows 7 (Training Kit) by Microsoft Press.

for the most part alot of it seems to be common desktop/networking knowledge.. just remember the new features and detailed commands/utilities.

thanks in advance guys (and gals?)

rjs_essex

IMO you need to have a grasp of Windows Server technologies or you may find it difficult... The exam focuses quite heavily on deployment, using DISM, Windows PE, WDS etc so make sure you are ready for that.

Once you pass, it's on to either the 685 or 686 or both!

Richard

LAN_Guru

xirtlook wrote: »

for those who have taken the test, how did you feel the test was on difficulty?

I have to get this certification for my job...

I use Win7 at home, have my MCSE, CCNA, A+/N+/S+.

I'm a decent test taker, photographic memory, lightly experienced....

however I know Microsoft questions/exams are one of the most trickiest I've had to deal with.

So just wanted to get a feel for what the test takers think about this 70-680.

I have to take it on the 26th of this month.

I've been looking through the resources on here, watching videos online, videos by TrainSignal, and reading Configuring Windows 7 (Training Kit) by Microsoft Press.

for the most part alot of it seems to be common desktop/networking knowledge.. just remember the new features and detailed commands/utilities.

thanks in advance guys (and gals?)

Don't let this exam catch you with your pants down. Many people go in thinking it is going to be easy because they "know Windows 7" and fail the exam, some fail it more than once. Some fail it who have studied it a considerable amount. Using Win 7 at home will only marginally help you as the exam covers enterprise technologies that I doubt you are using at home.

But you are an MCSE so you have taken a Microsoft desktop OS exam before. They are often more difficult than the server exams due to the sheer amount of different technologies you have to know.

All that being said: if you test well, have a good memory, have studied the entire MS Press 70-680 book (and understand it), done the labs, and done the exam sims that come with the book....you should be OK.

Don't let me scare you, I just try to encourage people to not take the desktop OS exams too lightly.

I will be looking for a "Passed 70-680" post from you around the 26th

whatthehell

Good luck!

xirtlook

scheduled for the test, Thursday 8/25 - 330pm est.

hope I pass. Another coworker banged out a 972/1000.

we're all using the same material, she is highly familiar with Vista. She swears she got every possible answer correct.

I told her I would score higher than her, but I doubt it.

Finding it hard to study and stay focused. I find myself getting too deep into one subject.

Still bouncing around between TrainSignal, ProfessorMesser, and MicrosoftPress: Configuring Windows 7 Training Kit (book).

I have my vmware workstation running 3 Windows 7 Enterprise, (2 of them on the domain, one not)... and Server 2008 R2.

I feel like most of the material is a lil fluffy... common sense stuff.. took the extra time to focus on Deployment, AppLocker, BrancheCache, DirectAccess... since these are new to me.

wish me luck...

Akaricloud

If you feel that most of it is common sense then you should be fine. I took it just using my work experience and scored in the mid 900s. The reason that I was able to do this is because I worked with or at least played with almost everything that the test was on.

As long as you're able to memorize the fluff and have enough experience with the rest then you should be okay.

Let us know how it goes!

xirtlook

well it looks like its not as "common sense" as I thought.

Only got a 646. I realized what I missed. I surprisingly got a lot of backup questions. I thought that was going to be the least on the test...

I learned two lessons from this.

1. BOOKS > VIDEOS.
I skimmed through the microsoft press book, and overlooked individual commands/switches/parameters (BIG MISTAKE!).

2. ONLY SMACKTALK AFTER YOU TEST, NEVER BEFORE
I had been studying for 12+ hours a day, doing labs, skimming papers, watchin videos, I felt so confident, that I was challenging my coworkers, highest score gets free lunch, tellin them imma get a perfect score (kidding ofcourse)... well, I scored the lowest... thats Karma lol....

I'm re-taking my test on 9/6.

Psoasman

Sorry to hear you didn't pass, don't beat yourself up too much, it's a tough exam. I'd look over your score sheet and check that against the exam objectives. Lab through the stuff again. You might try another book, such as Poulton's. Look through some of the server-related material relating to the exam, that should help.

badboyeee

goodluck on the retest

xirtlook

im a visual learner, so thats why I went with videos and labs... and barely opened the book.

my coworkers used the the book primarily and scored high... so its apparent that the videos I was watching didnt go into great detail, but was a great overview on everything.

when I took the test, I can't tell you how many times I looked around like... is his a Windows 7 test? so many scenarios of "you have a windows vista" or "you have windows xp in your network"... my thought was... im running a windows 7 and server 2008 environment, get them out of my domain... LOL

I took much needed break... going to hit it hard again on monday... read 2 chapters a day, make sure I know all the commands and parameters....

its weird, the old microsoft tests, atleast server side, gave you too much info, and it seems like the windows 7 didnt give you enough... like they went from paragraphs to few sentences... anyone else notice that?

sheckler

Yeah the questions are pretty short. But they only give you 60 minutes, so they can't be too long I guess. I got a 610 the first time, taking it again tomorrow.

xirtlook

yeah thats another thing, that was probably the shortest test I've every took.. 60mins caught me off guard lol

I see you passed. congrats dude. Im back to reading.. man do I hate reading...
(im a slow reader).

simtech

Keep reading and lab, you'll be okay.. To make you feel better, I passed on the 3rd attempt.

xirtlook

third time must be a charm.... my coworker took this exam this morning for the third time and banged a perfect score (1000). very proud of him.

he failed twice with 682 both times.

My other coworkers hit 972 and 890.. they all finished in like 20-30mins.

theyre secret is they read the microsoft press book and technet articles.

I tried to get sneaky and cut corners and only watched the videos and did my labs.

I learned I was missing out on the detailed information... So far I've knocked out 12 chapters... I only have Configuring System Images, Deploying System Images left.. I'll go over that tomorrow.

I'm still finishing up managing Devices/Drivers and Managing Disks.

Drivers/Devices has got to be one of the boring reads of my life... ugh!

I can't wait to get this over with and go back to Cisco lol..

N2IT

xirtlook wrote: »

third time must be a charm.... my coworker took this exam this morning for the third time and banged a perfect score (1000). very proud of him.

he failed twice with 682 both times.

My other coworkers hit 972 and 890.. they all finished in like 20-30mins.

theyre secret is they read the microsoft press book and technet articles.

I tried to get sneaky and cut corners and only watched the videos and did my labs.

I learned I was missing out on the detailed information... So far I've knocked out 12 chapters... I only have Configuring System Images, Deploying System Images left.. I'll go over that tomorrow.

I'm still finishing up managing Devices/Drivers and Managing Disks.

Drivers/Devices has got to be one of the boring reads of my life... ugh!

I can't wait to get this over with and go back to Cisco lol..

You got me kind of worries lol

I plan on taking this thing sooner than later, but not to soon

xirtlook

dont be worried... just dont rely heavily on videos like I did.

I will say tho, the test is more difficult than anticipated, I thought I was going to get an easy test like XP was.

just read the books, and know the commands, and what they do, and have good ability to see the obviously wrong answers from the right answers and should be fine.

i take my test tomorrow... guess we'll see how much reading helps.

xirtlook

I think microsoft is watching me lol...

my second time around, I only got 2 of the same questions from the first time, and they seem to throw questions at me that I overlooked from the book to cut time lol... darn you microsoft...

but the final verdict... i squeeked by with a 727!

I thought I had a 860-900, but ohwell. Passing is Passing.

time to go back to Cisco

simtech

Congrats!