Passed Server+

joshmadakor

Study Materials Included:

CompTIA's official Server+ 2009 book CompTIA Server+ Certification, 2009 Edition +, Student Manual - CompTIA Authorized
Transcender's CompTIA Server+ 2009 Product Transcender CompTIA SK0-003 Exam | Server+ Certification Training Products
CertBlaster for Server+ 2009 CertBlaster Downloads

CertBlaster COMES WITH the CompTIA official study guide; there is the info for accessing the software within the book. The CompTIA book is alright in terms of content, but the book itself, physically, is really sh!tty for costing $70. It's just basically a ream of paper bound together by a spiral. Here are some pics of the actual book:

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/7854/img0326c.jpg
http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/1342/img0327wo.jpg

Anyway, as far as the exam goes it was kinda rough. Many of the questions were ambiguous and worded poorly (in my opinion).

There were a LOT of RAID questions. You should really know RAID well. Know more than just the definitions...you should be able to identify which RAID solution to go with, given X-circumstances and having N-number of drives available. I think I had questions revolving around EVERY level of RAID that is specified in the objectives.

It would be a good idea to memorize the SCSI table. I memorized the name/pins/bandwidth/bits/lengths from this table: SCSI - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There were also a lot of questions about redundancy; hot site, cold site, warm site etc. A few question about tapes (which has higher storage capacity, this or that)

There were a few questions about SMP (Symmetric Multiprocessing) as well.

Obviously, know your common port #s too, there were a few of those.

Study time was a little over 15 days. I read the CompTIA book and pounded transcender (All of the questions and half the flash cards). Unfortunately, I forgot that I could use CertBlaster until the morning of the exam. Lol oops

Final Score: 823

Good luck to those who wish to take it!

universalfrost

congrats...

all i used was the kindle book by Lao on amazon. cost was 9 bucks....

Dakinggamer87

Congrats on pass!!

joshmadakor

Dakinggamer87 wrote: »

Congrats on pass!!

Thanks!

universalfrost wrote: »

congrats...



all i used was the kindle book by Lao on amazon. cost was 9 bucks....

Do I need a kindle to read it? I didn't buy the book, my department did

universalfrost

no, i used the kindle for PC app..

joshmadakor

Oh interesting. I have never used kindle anything so I wouldn't know. Thanks

charlesc09

Is their an exam cram for Server+. I mean one for SK0-003. I found one for SKO-002, and most sources I found online has either 2001 or 2005 version. In btw, I manage to buy this book to study as well. At first when I open up my package, I was like wtf, I want a refund. But realize you got the exact same book as I do. It looked like someone just photocopy from a textbook and put it in a ring binder.

ptilsen

joshmadakor wrote: »

There were a LOT of RAID questions. You should really know RAID well. Know more than just the definitions...you should be able to identify which RAID solution to go with, given X-circumstances and having N-number of drives available. I think I had questions revolving around EVERY level of RAID that is specified in the objectives.

This alone gives Server+ value. You'd be surprised how many MCSE-level engineers I've worked and work with who can't tie RAID levels to solutions.

joshmadakor wrote: »

It would be a good idea to memorize the SCSI table. I memorized the name/pins/bandwidth/bits/lengths from this table: SCSI - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is the more worthless part of Server+. If you're in the type of job where you really have to have this memorized, you probably have and need a vendor cert.

Anyway, thanks for your feedback. I have been considering having some of my low and mid-level field engineers pursue Server+, and this helps me determine who should take it and who shouldn't.

erpadmin

ptilsen wrote: »

This is the more worthless part of Server+. If you're in the type of job where you really have to have this memorized, you probably have and need a vendor cert.

Many moons ago, one had to memorize IRQs and COM ports for the A+ (and manually configure them). I was doing that before 1999 (when A+ first came out I believe) and never thought it was a big deal.

Alot of those RAID questions seem to be related to Storage+. I had gotten hit with a lot of those type of questions taking the Storage+ beta. I only missed the passing score by 4 points, too. I'm really hoping there's a beta for Server+ because I'd be interested in taking it. I'm definitely going to take Storage+ again and pass it after I rebone up on the non standard RAID (RAID 3, 6, etc., etc.]

Josh, congratulations, btw! Well done and rep for the pass!

joshmadakor

charlesc09 wrote: »

Is their an exam cram for Server+

I don't think so.. The CompTIA book is the only real one I could find (not counting the Kindle version..)

erpadmin wrote: »

Josh, congratulations, btw! Well done and rep for the pass!

Thanks! Much appreciated! I'm going to take the 70-680 on Tuesday the third, but don't tell anyone. I don't want to bring home a fail

ptilsen

erpadmin wrote: »

Many moons ago, one had to memorize IRQs and COM ports for the A+ (and manually configure them). I was doing that before 1999 (when A+ first came out I believe) and never thought it was a big deal.

Me too, and I didn't think it was that bad, either. It's also a skill I haven't used since the late 90s and it really made me feel not great about the A+ at the time. I think it's important for a certification to test relevant, practical information. Configuring IRQs wasn't practical information in the mid-2000s, and knowing every detail of every single variation of SCSI interface isn't practical information in the early 2010s.

erpadmin

ptilsen wrote: »

Me too, and I didn't think it was that bad, either. It's also a skill I haven't used since the late 90s and it really made me feel not great about the A+ at the time. I think it's important for a certification to test relevant, practical information. Configuring IRQs wasn't practical information in the mid-2000s, and knowing every detail of every single variation of SCSI interface isn't practical information in the early 2010s.

I don't necessarily disagree with you...I'm just saying it's probably not a big deal. I don't think that that the SCSI pins are going to make or break a person taking Server+ that much, anymore than IRQs and COM ports did for early A+ guys like us.

BTW, I remember hating Plug and Pray when it came out....I felt it was going to make me less relevant as a techie. I'm really glad I was wrong.

charlesc09

joshmadakor wrote: »

I don't think so.. The CompTIA book is the only real one I could find (not counting the Kindle version..)

Is that CompTIA book good enough for the latest version of server+ exam. I have about 1 and half years of desktop support experience. Got my A+ in October, and will do Network+ right after new years. So technically as of right now, I have the knowledge in both A+ and Network+. The reason why I wanted to do this cert, is because I felt like half the topics are closely related to A+, and some dealing with Network+. The fact it doesn't have an expiry attracted me to do this first before security.

I know I prob need to still get some practice questions to do, but was wondering if this student book alone is good enough for a source.

And I also builded 2 servers before at work with another colleague, but never manually configured one before.

avadmin

Big congrats to the OP for the pass, score and tips. CompTIA Server+ has been on my 'to-take' list for a long time and this thread just peaked my interest again. Again thanks! My preferred method of learning, which consequencely has never failed me, is one night of CBT Nuggets --> Official Course Book --> Hands-on at home --> Skipping through CBT Nuggets for a second round. Oh, and any techexam notes posted to read in the car sitting outside the exam center. Some people like their books mint, I prefer to use a highlighter for key terms and definitions.

joshmadakor

charlesc09 wrote: »

Is that CompTIA book good enough for the latest version of server+ exam?

Yes, it's the for the latest version of the test. I would supplement the book with something (it comes with uCertify, so just study the book well and use that)

avadmin wrote: »

Big congrats to the OP for the pass, score and tips...

Thanks so much! That sounds like a good method, good luck when you take it, you will crush it with that study plan I'm sure

erpadmin

universalfrost wrote: »

congrats...

all i used was the kindle book by Lao on amazon. cost was 9 bucks....

Out of curiousity, I wanted to check this book out. It appears that if one's a Prime subscriber (and I am... ), you can check this book out for free! I had to borrow this book from my Kindle device.

This is the first time I have ever borrowed a book from Kindle, so I'll make the best of it now by checking this book out. I can keep the book for as long as I want, and when(ever) I'm done with Server+, I'll return the book back.

When I'm finally done with my 70-643 studies, I will start reading this book. I always suspected I would take this exam at some point, which is why I never ruled it out. (I will admit though that I never saw a need for this certification, but I figure why not now. I was hoping to take a free beta exam...)

+1 for you (I already repped you for something else it seems... [BTW, the author's name is Lau, not Lao.]

http://www.amazon.com/Concise-Server-Study-SK0-003-ebook/dp/B0051OS0Q6/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top#_

universalfrost

check one of my threads on this book. a few typos in the questions, but overall well worth the 9 bucks.... i took a quick week to study for it and got a cheap voucher off ebay