Study FRUSTRATION!

joehalford01

Do any of you guys get close to the test date and get just plain frustrated? My 70-642 is scheduled for this coming Saturday. I've read the MS-Press book, taken notes like crazy, I'm on my second pack of index cards for making flash cards and I'm still scoring 69-75% on my practice tests. It's making me crazy! Not sure if I should buckle down and try to re-read some sections or lab more or just keep taking practice tests until my eyes bleed....

Any advice?

netsysllc

what practice tests are you using? How much time have you spent on technet or using labs?

joehalford01

Wiley, Ucertify, and MeasureUp. I've scored up to 80% on Ucertify but those are usually easier than the MeasureUP. Quite a few hours labbing, my network equipment is lacking though, so I feel like I spend more time fighting with my virtual machines than actually labbing certain scenarios.

neilbaal

Hi, I'm going through the 642 at the moment, not as close to the exam as you though, I know what you mean about fighting with VM's. Obviously from my other post you can tell I'm a great advocate of TestOut, at the moment though I've put that aside and have just been working through the practicals from the second release of Microsoft Press 70-642 to promote understanding. Then I will return to testout work through it and re-lab anything I'm weak on. Not sure if this is the best strategy but it works for me,
Let me know if I can help further

pumbaa_g

If at this stage you are still scoring 70-80% then there are chances of you not clearing. Unless you have the second shot voucher/offer I will personally say go back to your weak areas and work on then. If however you have the second shot what do you have to lose, give it a shot
Funny enough I was in the same dilemma about 642, postponed it twice and then scored very well as I had overdone the study part The trick is to know when to stop and just give the exam

joehalford01

pumbaa_g wrote: »

If at this stage you are still scoring 70-80% then there are chances of you not clearing. Unless you have the second shot voucher/offer I will personally say go back to your weak areas and work on then. If however you have the second shot what do you have to lose, give it a shot
Funny enough I was in the same dilemma about 642, postponed it twice and then scored very well as I had overdone the study part The trick is to know when to stop and just give the exam

I'm hoping it goes that way for me. I'm doing it through WGU and I do still have time for another round this semester if I don't pass. Just don't like to fail so I start to freak out when I can't retain it all. I'm trying to push that out of mind and read my weak areas in other sources. Finished reading and labbing DFS and File Services from Server Unleashed last night, got that down quite a bit better now.

joehalford01

neilbaal wrote: »

Hi, I'm going through the 642 at the moment, not as close to the exam as you though, I know what you mean about fighting with VM's. Obviously from my other post you can tell I'm a great advocate of TestOut, at the moment though I've put that aside and have just been working through the practicals from the second release of Microsoft Press 70-642 to promote understanding. Then I will return to testout work through it and re-lab anything I'm weak on. Not sure if this is the best strategy but it works for me,
Let me know if I can help further

Thanks dude. Glad I'm not the only one experiencing this.

yuddhidhtir

If you think that you have given your 100% then you will be fine,but if you know that you are weak in certain areas make sure you work on it, nervousness will always be there and that will make you feel that you are not prepared. so give your best shot and don't worry about the result, all the best for the test

RobertKaucher

I'll just say that I have had mixed results with test prep. For the 271 I was scoring low but managed to get a score in the mid 900s on the actual exam. But for the 291 I was scoring low and failed my first time. The network infrastructure exams tend to be much harder than the others.

When I took the 2008 upgrade I also used the paid measureup tests. I had just come fresh out of my MCSE (literally took 2 months for prep after completing my MCSE: Security) and was doing some tutoring on the MCSA track. I was scoring in the mid 800s on those and scored similarly on the exam itself.

I guess the point of that rambling is that if you are not passing the test prep in the mid 800s you might consider postponing if it is not too late or if you don't have the second shot offer.

joehalford01

I get three tries thru WGU before I start paying for the tests, so I'm okay there. I studied hard on file services, DHCP, and revisited IPv6 generally as well as IPv4 sub-netting. Managed to score an 89% on the practice test tonight. Just need to push tomorrow than relax Friday night and bring my A-game Saturday morning.

pumbaa_g

All the best!

Ivanjam

joehalford01, you have already knocked out 70-640, so I a sure you can pass 70-642.

I am dreading the trio of 70-640, 70-642 and 70-646 and can't even decide where to start. I suppose I know more about networking than Active Directory, so I'll start from the 70-642.

Best of luck, man - I am sure you can pass this exam, after all, you have passed a more difficult one already!

Lunchbocks

Why do you think you are scoring so low? In other words, are you not reading the questions thorough enough, or do you not know the material? I was using Transcender and Measure Up for practice tests. I was getting in the 80's - 90's with Transcender and the 90's with Measure Up when I tested. What I would do is every time I took a practice test, I took all of the questions I missed and the questions that I guessed on and researched it through Technet. It's amazing what I discovered through Technet doing this and I do believe it's why I passed.

Good luck!

netsysllc

The questions you get wrong in the practice test, setup what it is asking in your lab and learn how to do it.

Psoasman

One trick I've found useful when using practice exams is to make a smaller amount of questions. In the MS Press books, you can do a custom exam and then have a practice exam with around 20-30 questions or so. I will try and answer the question, taking notes on the ones I miss. I would take snips of the diagrams and you can recreate some of them. Going through the large pools, I always find myself getting bogged down.

joehalford01

Thanks for the tips guys. They we're helpful. I squeaked by on this one with a 721. Going to give myself more time to study on the 70-643, which is up next.

neathneathneath

well done

X10MMX

Congrats, I've just done the 643 a few weeks ago.. I wont lie its a tough exam.. I found it tough as i don't work with those products all the time... im on the the 674 soon.. good luck

Essendon

Congrats!! Not doing the 642 before the 643? The 643 kinda builds on the 642. Lab up as much as you possibly can for the 643, it took me two tries to pass that bastard of an exam.

Lunchbocks

Congrats!!! A pass is a pass. I know your glad to get that one behind you.

Is there a reason you are going for the 643 before the 642?

joehalford01

I just passed the 642. That's the test I was frustrated with. I'm starting the 643 next. Any ideas on the 70-680? Should I do that one before the 647? I'm trying to get all of these knocked out before the MCITP:EA expires in July.

Essendon

joehalford01 wrote: »

I just passed the 642. That's the test I was frustrated with. I'm starting the 643 next. Any ideas on the 70-680? Should I do that one before the 647? I'm trying to get all of these knocked out before the MCITP:EA expires in July.

O ok, thought you were doing the 640 or maybe that's the one that you started the thread with. Anyways, good luck on the 643 - extensive labbing is the way to go for the junior beast aka 643. The real one is the 647, now that's a bear, a big grizzly bear.

I understand you wanting to knock out the EA, but if your employer doesnt require you to get it - why get something that'll get superseded (in fact, it already is) by the new MCSE. If I were at the stage you are at right now, I'd pass the 646 next. That'll make me a MCITP: SA and count towards the new MCSE. The SA and EA count the same towards the new MCSE, so I reckon you should get the shiny new cert!

The 680 isn't an easy one either. Sure it's a client OS exam, but it's about the client interacts with server technologies. On another note, if you are just after fulfilling the client requirement for the EA/SA, my advice is to pass the Vista exam (if still available) - I found it waaaaay easier than any other exam I have ever taken and I hadn't touched Vista ever.

joehalford01

Unfortunately, I have to pass these exams for WGU. I can either change my degree program, finish these tests before they expire, or take their own in house test if I don't make the cut in time. Part of the reason I wanted this degree was the "Management" in the name, so I don't want to change programs. Also, I figure if I'm going to go through the hassle of studying these, I may as well get the official Microsoft cert. Otherwise, I'd probably do exactly as you suggest.

Essendon

Aha, gotcha. Good luck with the next one!

Only out of curiosity, what degree you doing and how far off from finishing it?

neilperry

Not to take this too far off track, but as I'm looking to take the 642 (and hopefully pass) I'm wondering if I should put my sights on MCITP:EA versus my original goal of the MCSA:2008. I think I can dedicate the time to the tests before they expire in July 13 but not sure if its any worthwhile. I'm not enrolled in WGU or anything that requres me to take MCITP:EA vs MCSA:2008. Thoughts?

nosoup4u

neilperry wrote: »

Not to take this too far off track, but as I'm looking to take the 642 (and hopefully pass) I'm wondering if I should put my sights on MCITP:EA versus my original goal of the MCSA:2008. I think I can dedicate the time to the tests before they expire in July 13 but not sure if its any worthwhile. I'm not enrolled in WGU or anything that requres me to take MCITP:EA vs MCSA:2008. Thoughts?

From what everyone is saying the new Microsoft track puts both SA/EA in the same basket and unless you want or need the information regarding the 643 and 647 you might be better off just taking 640, 642, 646.

I'm stubborn and am going for the EA anyways

neilperry

Right. While I'm not actively looking for a new job I always keep my eyes open and am thinking the EA would be more worthwhile. However like I said I am not actively looking so not sure if its worth the extra effort involved.

joehalford01

I'm doing the Network Design and Management Degree. I'd like to squeeze it all in and be done by my third semester but I think these Microsoft exams are going to challenge me. I'm looking at a total of four semesters, so I should be done this time next year.