MS 70-680 Online Study Sources, Messer vs CBTnuggets

Commguy23

I have less than a month to study for the MS70-680 test. To start off, I watched all of the Professor Messer videos (14 hours). The material seems pretty straight forward and somewhat simple to me, but I have read of so many people failing this exam do to the wording on questions.
I currently am on a TDY with no address, so I can not order books, all I can do is study online material for now. I was wondering if the CBT nuggets videos are really worth $500? Can they really be that much better than Professer Messer videos?
For Security + I used the Darril Gibson book, Transcender, Professer Messer and the Meyers book. I passed with a high score, so I was planning on getting the Transcender practice exam again, although there's less than 200 questions for $130. I do not have any other certs.
My laptop is not powerful enough to build virtual servers and clients, so unfortunately I can not set up a lab environment.
I need to read the material though, does anyone know of any e-books I can buy to study? I have found e-books for server 2008, but not windows 7.
Also, what's the difference between the Transcender and selftestsoftware practice exams? Transcender is a bit more expensive.
I greatly appreciate the help! Thanks in advance!

vytas_bew

I have failed this exam twice don't think its possible to pass without deep lab. books and videos are good only if you work with them on vm's. Messer videos are great, but after 2nd fail I bought darril gibson book for 685 and 686 as many material overlaps, but I was looking for more sources before I go on this sucker 3rd time.

if i where you id go for 640 first then 680.

And get yourself pc that is capable to run vm's as this will be your working tool that gets you a job and money of course so don't save on that.

Commguy23

I found a way to get a book shipped, does everyone recommend the Don Poulton book? I'm a little skeptical since its from 2010, and exams change constantly. Could it be outdated, or is it still my best bet for passing?

embraceIT

You want Poulton's 2011 edition, not the 2010 edition, imho. It is a good book. Get Gibson's Portable Command Guide too , --not the book which has the 685 and 686 in the title. I passed the 680 jsut short of 2 months ago. It was a tough nut exam -- and I thought I had gone overboard preparing for it.

If your local library offers free internet access to Safari eBooks (ask them), both books are there for free, along with other 680 preparation books.

In retrospect, I wish I had begun with the 640 (... 642 & 643) before making the 680 my goal. Setting up your own lab is pretty much a prerequiste unless you have a photographic memory and extraordinary IQ.

Good luck in your pursuits.

Commguy23

On Amazon the only Poulton book says (Nov 2010), is that the correct one? Also, the only Gibson book also says 685 and 686. Am I looking in the wrong place? Amazon has never done me wrong.

ITClown

Without wishing to step on embraceIT's toes, I'm confident that he or she is referring to "Windows 7 Portable Command Guide: MCTS 70-680, 70-685 and 70-686". It's ISBN 0789747359. My copy of the Poulton book (ISBN 0789747073) shows on Amazon.co.uk as having a publication date of November 2010 but is a) copyright 2011 and b) the fourth printing (dated December 2011). Hope this clarifies things. Oh, and as everyone says, labbing is pretty much essential for this exam.

kriscamaro68

Don't forget itfreetraining.com. I used that and the messer videos as my only resources to pass. Granted I deal with imaging a lot so I was familair with it. Just watch both of those and do what they are showing you on some vm's. Also learn the basic switches of the commands you will be dealing with.

Devilry

itfreetraining.com,

do you have to get this specific exam? If you can't lab I am not sure I would suggest taking this one.

4_lom

The Don Poulton book should be your main resource for this exam. If you are unable to get books, you should use the Prof. Messer videos and Technet. Also, the 70-680 resources page on this site.

embraceIT

For clarification, @ITClown is correct. The Gibson book I was steering you AWAY FROM was his Windows 7 Desktop Support and Administration: Real World Skills for MCITP Certification and Beyond (Exams 70-685 and 70-686) . This book won't be all that helpful with the 680. Nicely written, though. And its beginning chapter or two covers how to make a lab environment. For the 680, I'd definitely recommend the Command Guide that @ITClown referenced. Know the command-line programs and their purpose if nothing else. On the exam you may be asked questions relating to parameters for these programs. Just knowing the correct program function will increase the odds you'll answer the question right.

My copy of Poulton's book that I purchased from Amazon (USA) this year was the 3rd edition, copyright 2011. Probably best book for the 680 out there. My only negatives were that it had a small and weak index, its sparce coverage of command-line programs, and I thought it's chapter on Windows 7 distribution was confusing. To deal with the later, I used the documentation found in the AIK (which Poulton recommended, I recall).

Like everyone else, I believe that lab'ing is a must.