70-686 In 1 Week

MCITBound

I'm taking the 70-686 one week from today.. I hope it goes well

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MCITBound

And I failed with a 520.

srabiee

Try not to feel too bad about it. Its a really difficult exam. Now that you know what kind of test it is and what sort of questions they are going to throw at you, you can come back stronger and pass it on your next attempt.

MCITBound

Feels like a real blow to the gut though - just sayin'

srabiee

MCITBound wrote: »

Feels like a real blow to the gut though - just sayin'

Think of it this way. The reason why Microsoft's Second Shot program is so wildly popular is because of the vast number of people who fail MS exams on their first attempt. Microsoft borderline designs these exams so that that the test-taker fails their first try. They are just flat-out overly difficult. You are in the same boat as thousands before you.

But don't give up. Keep studying, keep labbing, and keep taking practice tests. Next time around, knock that sucker out!

Claymoore

srabiee wrote: »

Microsoft borderline designs these exams so that that the test-taker fails their first try. They are just flat-out overly difficult.

No, the tests are designed for a certain audience. If you meet or exceed the recommended experience in the audience profile, you'll find the tests much easier. Take the 685 and 686 for example:

685:

Audience Profile
Candidates for this exam support end users who run Microsoft Windows 7 in a corporate environment. They should have experience using applications that are included with the operating system, such as productivity applications used in a corporate environment and Microsoft Office applications.
Candidates should be able to resolve operating system issues by telephone, email, connecting to an end user's system remotely, or by visiting an end user's desktop. They should have a working knowledge of operating in an Active Directory domain environment.

686:

Audience Profile
Candidates for this exam should have a minimum of three years of experience installing, configuring, and administering clients in a Windows networked environment and also have experience deploying operating systems and applications. Candidates should be familiar with the client administration capabilities of Windows Server and with management tools such as the System Center suite of products.

If you are new to the industry and have a position where support end-users and have experience troubleshooting Win7, 685 is the test for you. If you have more experience and are managing enterprise Win7 environments with SCCM or MDT deployment and lots of group policy, 686 is a better match. A front line helpdesk tech is going to have a hard time with 686 since they don't have that experience. They will need to compensate with more studying/lab/class time to gain the knowledge Microsoft assumes the 686 audience use every day. Make sure the exam matches up to the position you have or want and adjust your approach as necessary.

srabiee

Yes, I understand what you're saying and I agree that the necessary experience is crucial.

I just personally don't agree with Microsoft's practice of requiring test takers to have years of experience in an enterprise environment just to expect to pass an entry-level MCTS exam. For one thing, how do they expect the test taker to obtain these jobs to gain the necessary experience if they can't first obtain the certifications to help them obtain the jobs? It's a catch-22.

I'm just sympathetic with some of these guys who are trying to get their foot in the door, further their careers, etc and are having a very difficult time passing the 680, 685, 686, despite studying for months.

Of course this is just my opinion on the matter.

MCITBound

Passed this today! CBT Nuggets and the Microsoft Official Course books (6293/6294) is what I used for studying. I also took a different approach to taking the exam itself. The first time, I remember reading the whole question. This time I went straight to the answers, read those. Then went to the last sentence in the body of text, read the question. I saved a lot of time and hassle with bypassing all the mind-throwing junk they throw into the exam.

@Claymore: I have spent the last 5 years in an environment where installing, configuring and administering Windows clients with deploying Operating Systems and Applications on a regular basis. The thing is, I am used to Altiris Deployments. Using SCCM was a learning curve for me.

@srabiee: I agree with you that this test isn't an entry level exam. There is a great deal of complications that they throw into their questions.

Asif Dasl

Congrats on the pass!

MCITBound

Thanks Asif!