MCITP:SA - Advice and Guidance

antc

Hi All,

As above I am looking for some guidance as to where to start with this.

I dont work with servers as such day to day (I tend to get little bits of experience here and there) but I am used to using things like active directory as part of my daily duties as a senior desktop technician.

See this thread here for more info on what exactly I do - http://www.techexams.net/forums/general-certification/70362-certification-job-career-advice.html

So i have the box set for the above qualification (640, 642 and 646)

I have got a server up and running at home which is running ESXI 5 ready to do my labs.

What and where would you guys suggest I begin?

Psoasman

antc wrote: »

Hi All,

As above I am looking for some guidance as to where to start with this.

I dont work with servers as such day to day (I tend to get little bits of experience here and there) but I am used to using things like active directory as part of my daily duties as a senior desktop technician.

See this thread here for more info on what exactly I do - http://www.techexams.net/forums/general-certification/70362-certification-job-career-advice.html

So i have the box set for the above qualification (640, 642 and 646)

I have got a server up and running at home which is running ESXI 5 ready to do my labs.

What and where would you guys suggest I begin?

I'd start with the 640 exam. Here is what I do for the exams:
1. download the exam objectives and lab through all of them. It helps to be able to visualize what you'd do for the exam questions.
2. read through the book, taking notes
3. skim through again, doing all the labs
4. Look up specifics on technet
5. use a good practice exam to gauge knowledge.

rinse and repeat for the 642 / 646 exams.

That being said, there are people who like to do the 642 first. The 640/642 have complementary material, so I studied them together.

method115

Psoasman wrote: »

I'd start with the 640 exam. Here is what I do for the exams:
1. download the exam objectives and lab through all of them. It helps to be able to visualize what you'd do for the exam questions.
2. read through the book, taking notes
3. skim through again, doing all the labs
4. Look up specifics on technet
5. use a good practice exam to gauge knowledge.

rinse and repeat for the 642 / 646 exams.

That being said, there are people who like to do the 642 first. The 640/642 have complementary material, so I studied them together.

What practice test did you use?

Psoasman

I used uCertify and the MS book test questions.

NOLAJ

Psoasman wrote: »

I used uCertify and the MS book test questions.

uCertify and Transcender are normally good tests. Good luck on your studies.

method115

Psoasman wrote: »

I used uCertify and the MS book test questions.

Did ucertify help or was the ms book test enough?

Psoasman

method115 wrote: »

Did ucertify help or was the ms book test enough?

uCertify for the 640 was good. For the 642, it sucks. You'll want another source.

antc

Psoasman wrote: »

I'd start with the 640 exam. Here is what I do for the exams:
1. download the exam objectives and lab through all of them. It helps to be able to visualize what you'd do for the exam questions.
2. read through the book, taking notes
3. skim through again, doing all the labs
4. Look up specifics on technet
5. use a good practice exam to gauge knowledge.

rinse and repeat for the 642 / 646 exams.

That being said, there are people who like to do the 642 first. The 640/642 have complementary material, so I studied them together.

Thanks for the advice here, that sounds like a good common sense approach. Just need to get my technet sub purchased now and I shall be away as I have now setup my home server with ESXI 5.

antc

Also one question I did mean to ask. What is a "normal" time to expect to spend studying for each of these exams.

I was thinking around the 3 month sort of scale and asjust slightly if needed.