70-662 material. Sybex or MS?

Q80Crud

I'm on Amazon and basically both are getting mixed reviews. I'm looking for people that have used one of the two reading materials and how it helped/didn't help prepping for the exam.

fly2dw

I can't comment on the Sybex book as I have not read it, however I found the MS book to be okay. You can supplement the MS book with some reading on technet Exchange 2010 library (and The Exchange Blog Team):

Exchange Server 2010: Exchange 2010 Help

Exchange Team Blog - Site Home - TechNet Blogs

You need to supplement the MS book as it has not been updated to Exchange 2010 SP1.

Personally I used (Which was updated to SP1):

Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Inside Out: Amazon.co.uk: Tony Redmond: Books

Or if you are in the US

Amazon.com: Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Inside Out (9780735640610): Tony Redmond: Books

With the Exchange 2010 Inside Out book, The Exchange Blog Team, and hands on experience I was able to pass 70-662. I would recommend the Inside Out book to anybody who wants a book for on the job or certification studying.

A little caution to exercise here as the exam is currently testing at Exchange 2010 SP1 release. Exchange 2010 SP2 has come out and the exam will no doubt get updated at some point. Make sure you are aware of additional functionality. The service packs in Exchange 2010 add GUI's to areas where Exchange RTM was only Exchange Management Shell accessible.

CChilderhose

I used the Tony Redmond - Inside Out book as well as this one -

Amazon.com: Exchange Server 2010 Administration: Real World Skills for MCITP Certification and Beyond (Exams 70-662 and 70-663) (9780470624432): Joel Stidley, Erik Gustafson: Books

I also have the Train Signal 662 & 663 videos which I am watching too. Both very good.

Q80Crud

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I'll be going the MS route and also supplement it with some of the other books suggested. I'd like to do the video training but it's a little pricey for my budget.

Meat

Started out using the Trainsignal Exchange 2010 videos but after the first 4 chapters videos I had a hunch that this would not be enough. So I bought the sybex book Exchange Server 2010 (ISBN:978-0-470-62443-2) which covers 70-662 and 70-663. The book is ok. I also bought Exchange 2010 Inside out which I haven't glanced at yet. Im trying to follow along with the labs in the sybex book at some points it will tell you do something but never mention anywhere what should be done before you can do it.


For example:

1) Ok you want me to add exchange cert to my server......at what point were you going to tell me I needed a CA authority on my lab domain

2) Ok you want me to create a public folder replica but at no point did you tell me i should have built another exchange server


All of this I figured out but when you write a technical guide you should include every step and what needs to be done before you start a lab. They told me to have 5 servers in the begining of the book and I dont want to run out of servers because I know at home point I will have to do High availability/clustering lab...or something.

So frustrating. Im only half way through the book and I expect alot more of this.

The Shadow

I used Trainsignal for both the 70-662 and 70-663. I really liked the one for 70-662. I didn't like the one for 70-663, it was way too theoretical.

I then used ITDVS.com to fill in the gaps, and it was great. Highly recommended!