Put me on the "failed first time" list please!

dwiemann

Yep, it was tricky. I've spent a few weeks studying this and apparently need more time. It's quite a bit harder after just coming from a few CompTIAs exams.

Actually, I rushed this and crammed during the last week because of a job interview (trying to impress). I have the CBT Nuggets series and they are excellent. Honestly, I have to say that 99% of what was on the exam are in the CBTs. Along with watching them, I took over 40 pages of notes (double sided) to make it all soak in more and then review later. I also have enough spare money to invest in several test machines. I have two slim Dell PCs under my coffee table (to force myself into training while watching TV/news) and three aditional PCs, one being an actual server w/RAID-5. All of these are running W2K3 ent. edition (120-trial version). Also, surprisingly you can use this version all over your lab. I went to a local university and community college and both let me sign up on the MSDN software checkout, so I was able to check out, copy, and get several product keys of the software!!!

I have two DCs running and did a lot of the hands-on practice early on in my studying. But as I went on and got lazy, I just watched and learned instead of hand-on. I could tell a huge difference. It sucks when you say, "oh yeah, I remember that but aren't quite sure how to do it". Trust me, hands-on is manditory.

But overall, the test didn't seem that hard, even though I failed it. Total 44 questions, 4 sims, 3:05 time. I scored 546/700.

Oh well, I'm going to take another two to three weeks and only take it when I feel I've perfected GPOs, SUS, TS, RDP, etc.

janmike

Sorry about your bad experience.

But, I must agree, hands-on is absolutely necessary if you expect to have any chance of passing. I have about a week, and then I'm going to need the experience and study.

Good luck!

nickmdi

Just a week or so after passing 270 I tried to cram everything in and attempted this one.

I definately wasn't as prepared as I should so I failed with 612.
I actually thought I passed....thats the worse feeling.
But the second shot made me try it early.

Thanks for the posts on this list. I will give myself another couple of weeks of studying before I re-attempt.

44 questions 4 sims (had no prob with the sims)

I used exam cram 2 but I didnt even get to finish all the material.

Nick

TeKniques

I failed it last week with a 688. I agree the test is pretty darn hard if you don't get to work with W2k3 server all day long.

I just purchased the Exam Cram book and the CBT Nuggets videos (my first ones). I just watched the first 4 nuggets and it is excellent. You are right though, hands on is mandatory for this exam.

Good luck on your retake.

steve77uk

dwiemann wrote:

Yep, it was tricky. I've spent a few weeks studying this and apparently need more time. It's quite a bit harder after just coming from a few CompTIAs exams.

Actually, I rushed this and crammed during the last week because of a job interview.... ....review later. I also have enough spare money to invest in say, "oh yeah, I remember that but aren't quite sure how to do it". Trust .

Mate I know how you feel on this one! I took it today and only scaped through! I found some questions a bit ambiguous where two answers would have done it - but my judgement got thebetter of me here and changed some answers, probably for the worst!

Good luck mate - hope you get there!