70-461 Tracking Thread

This is the initial post

So far I have covered CBT nugget chapter 1 and 2

MSSMSE has been installed along wtih AdventureWorks2012

Going through some basic DDL functions Create and Drop etc. Even though this part isn't to terribly difficult I am not so hot on Views, so that will be a very nice piece to cover.

I'll keep updating as my progress continues.

Currently I am on a 3 month data project with a potential to hire so I am thinking if I can land this certification with 3 weeks left in the contract that could help assist me for the position. (That's the theory) However if that isn't the case, 3 month of T-SQL experience with the 461 certification should help me find another database project to roll into.

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MS SQL

I finally decided to take the plunge and take the 70-461 examination this weekend. It doesn't hurt that currently there is a 20% discount in addition to a free second shot (if you fail) voucher available. Will report back with results!

NotHackingYou

Good luck!

N2IT

MS SQL good luck! I wish you the best. I am studying hard at the moment. I am skipping around the book a bit though. I find myself getting terribly bored covering certain topics.

MS SQL

Thanks guys! Now time to go back and study!

N2IT

Finally bucked up for Pluralsight. Has anyone used the training from PS for 461? I went through a few of the lessons, of course the beginner lessons were very easy and light. However like any course it picks up steam. Has anyone used PluralSight to study for this exam, if so how did you like it? Thanks!

NotHackingYou

I used the TrainSignal videos which are the same as the ones at PluralSight. They were outstanding.

N2IT

Carl - So you think it will help me pass the exam along with reading the book? (Training Kit Book)

I am a visual learner so.......

NotHackingYou

Yes 100% it will be helpful to you

N2IT

Carl thanks a lot as always very helpful!

N2IT

Carl in a early thread you mentioned having experience working with SQL would be a huge advantage (almost a must to pass this exam). My question to you or anyone who has passed this thread - What if you have some experience, joins, unions, select, aggregate (grouping), temp tables, views, but are lacking experience with database creation, XML and stored procedures. Can you still pass this exam just book studying and using the plural site 461 training?

NotHackingYou

Yes, just make sure you practice these techniques and know their syntaxes and parameters.

knownhero

I had limited exposure to SQL before I sat the 461. I mainly used the the T-SQL Fundamentals with CBT nuggets, BUT saying that I work with developers who are VERY smart and helped me with the language.

Scrapping a pass I've now hardly used many of the things I learnt but the good stuff sticks, anyway to get back to your question about only using the books and videos, I'd personally say with time maybe. But if you work in an office with developers and DBA's etc. Sit with them and get as much knowledge as you can from them.

N2IT

I do that right now. I work in a business intelligence / data warehouse team. I build a lot of complex queries usually handing them over to the DBA's to create into views etc. My code is getting a lot more readable working with these developers. My role is a data/business analyst. I don't do a lot of requirements gathering I do more report development using SQL and VBA etc. As long as I have my ERD I can pretty much pull any data I want with ease. I've even set up some ETL's for some customer data we have managed, painful....... There are just elements I never work with. Stored procedures the other analyst use them a lot. I also don't build databases, I create temp tables if I am pivoting / unpivoting data within tables etc. My experience has grown within the last 6 months. I just don't want to take an exam that portrays me as a pretender. On the 461 Pluralsight video the trainer mentions its for database programmers and report writers. I am a report writer, but I also do system analyst work as well when "incidents" happen. So.......... While I am not a developer I do a lot within SSMS.

ClausIRL

Hey guys, I've just finished the CBT nuggets course on the 70-461 and it was quite easy at the start, only to get quite tough at the end from chapter 10 onwards. Now I'm doing the Microsoft Virtual Academy Querying course as it seems to be easier to understand, the guy from the nuggets moves way too fast. I don't have much practice apart from some easy tasks such as "retrieving the most sold product in terms of sales profit in a certain month by a certain person."

Anyway, I am also practicing from my SQL Server installed on the virtual machine as Brian Alderman talks about the different scenarios in the Virtual Academy course after which I will start the Pluralsight course on this & also take notes, hopefully it will be enough to then start with the practice tests, my set deadline for the exam is 30th of January 2014. Do you guys think 1 month will be enough to pass this exam?

NotHackingYou

@ClausIRL hard to say for sure, make sure you get the 70-461 practice exams with the MS Press book. They are OK. Not great, but OK.

N2IT

I agree the guy from CBT nuggets was very fast the course from Pluralsight has been great.

N2IT

FYI Pluralsight has been great I have been moving along quite quickly through Joins, Sub Queries and Aggregates. I am also reading through 461 training kit which helps introduce the same and new information into my brain through a different medium. Carl you are right about the training videos.

NotHackingYou

Glad to hear you are liking the PluralSight stuff! Are you watching the videos before reading the associated chapter or other way around?

N2IT

Usually watching the video first and following up with the reading material. For instance the PSite training for 461 is broken down into two videos I am almost done with the 1st video, however I am only on page ~80 in the training kit. I thinking maybe another month or two ill be ready.

N2IT

Carl my first explanation was a little weak, besides I would like your feedback on my strategy if at all possible.

~90% of the time I am watching the videos and then going back through some of the lessons and "labbing" what was covered. Some aggregate functions such as Rollup and Cube for an example. You know from doing both that they do not line up exactly so at times I feel covering both can be strange, however sometimes I don't feel like hearing the guys voice or looking at a computer screen so then I will go to the book. That's when I have mixed emotions. For instance the book covers case select where and order whereas the movies go in a more logical (at least to me) order. Covering grouping after select where etc. The training kit covers order by before grouping which is guess doesn't really matter but it does throw of the continuity of my studying at times.

What was your approach?

Do you feel like studying the CBT's straight through then hitting the book is the way to go or the path I am currently on?

Thanks again for the heads up this material is no joke, anyone who passes this exam the legit way has the core competencies to work as a SQL junior developer or report writer IMO. Of course that means they should have some experience working with SQL already in some capacity, and not just executing queries that were pre made by a developer.

NotHackingYou

I like to do the book and labs before the videos. Here's the path I took.

Read the whole book chapter by chapter, in order. Here's how I did it for each chapter.

1. Read chapter, taking notes in OneNote. Do end of chapter quiz, re-skim details on questions I missed.
2. Do every lab in the chapter until I fully understand the technique demonstrated
3. Use the same technique against the AdventureWorks database from Microsoft - create my own queries to practice the technique.
4. Repeat 3-4 and research on Google as needed until usage, syntax and options are fully understood.

I really feel like steps 3 and 4 in this study pattern are key because it's easy to write the query when Iztik gives it to you. It's easy to look at it and say 'Oh, I'll remember that' - but this is not always the case. You will make a lot of mistakes and it will be hard but you will build the experience it takes to clear this exam. For me anyways, reading the book and watching the videos would not have been enough.

This exam was just far too tricky with syntax and many answers contain common mistakes. I re-created 100% of the techniques demonstrated in the book by myself against AdventureWorks.

After reading the book, I watched the videos straight through and updated my notes for anything I didn't recognize. Then I took the training kit practice exams. re-read my notes and finally sat the exam. I prefer to schedule my exams for 1-2 weeks out as I enter the home stretch of my study plan (Books/Videos/Practice phase). During that period, I'll practice anything that I struggled with, review my notes and take practice exams.

I spent 6 weeks total studying for this exam. For reference, I spent probably a good 4 days on Window and Framing functions. I feel like this is the one place the study material is lacking - it does not clearly explain (to me) the difference in the two. Once you 'get' it, it is pretty simple but until then it can be frustrating.

After all this, I passed the exam with only an 812.

N2IT

My adventureworks database doesn't align with the version that is used in the book. Some of the tables are missing columns and some tables are named different. Bizarre.... (It's 2012 so....)

NotHackingYou

I did not cross reference my copy of AdventureWorks with the book - I just looked at the tables and started from scratch.

N2IT

I've already made it through the first video on pluralsight, I may just finish off those videos then roll into the book full time while labbing.

Thanks again for the follow up.

aswebdev

I registered for the exam on Feb 27, I may also be registering for 70-483 on the same day so I don't have much time as it is. On top of that, my SQL experience is really just beginner level. I have a 1 month plural sight subscription and the training kit.

About the CBT videos, I would like to share my experience. I bought the 99$ subscription for 70-480 and I thought it was a waste. Too much information packed in a 7 hour video and everything was just done in a very hasty way. I don't know if it's the norm for CBT but seems like others are complaining about the same problem on other videos...

N2IT

@ aswebdev

I used the nuggets for SQL 433 and the PMP and both times I was very disappointed (extremely).

Pluralsight so far has been A LOT better IMO.

Thanks for chiming in.

NotHackingYou

@aswebdev let us know how you do.

aswebdev

CarlSaiyed wrote: »

@aswebdev let us know how you do.

Sure...taking a huge risk here but I thought I should make the best use of the offers (20% off, 2nd shot) available...The 3 with 1 MCSD pack with 70-483 was quite lucrative...

aswebdev

N2IT wrote: »

@ aswebdev

I used the nuggets for SQL 433 and the PMP and both times I was very disappointed (extremely).

Pluralsight so far has been A LOT better IMO.

Thanks for chiming in.

Pluralsight has the trainsignal 70-461 videos now, right ? Or are you are talking about their regular SQL Server tutorials ?

N2IT

aswebdev wrote: »

Pluralsight has the trainsignal 70-461 videos now, right ? Or are you are talking about their regular SQL Server tutorials ?

Correct (two of them)