Am I ready for the 70-680?

Moon Child

I want to add a few more certs on my resume besides my A+ certification I got a few years ago. I really want to add the 70-680 on there, but I have been flunking the practice tests online does that mean I am not ready? I just passed a week ago the MTA-Operating Systems and thought the test was fairly easy even though I also was flunking the practice tests for the MTA exam online. I found people who were writing sample test questions were making them a lot harder than they needed to be and the material in the practice tests was a lot harder than what was actually on the MTA-Operating Systems exam. I had purchased a study guide for the MTA for Microsoft and completed all the questions at the end of the chapter, which were much easier than the questions I practiced with online for the test. I also found that the best study guide for the test was the book & practice questions for the MTA Operating Systems exam published by Microsoft; many of the questions in the practice tests online for the exams were not only a lot harder than they needed to be, but they also did not do a great job of covering the material that was on the exam. The same can be said for the 70-680 book I bought from Microsoft, I read the book and completed all the questions in the book. I can answer all the questions correctly in the book and know all the material in each of the chapters. However, when I take sample practice tests online for the 70-680 I always seem to flunk them and the questions are a lot harder than the ones in the review book I purchased from Microsoft. Am I ready for the exam or no? While I have been studying for the exam I also have been studying for the Network+. I am passing the sample Network+ practice tests online fine and doing fine with the questions & sample tests in the books I checked out from my local library. So I might take the Network+ before I attempt to take the 70-680. I have been reading all the books I can find that could apply to the 70-680 as well as practicing deploying Microsoft windows 7 on my home network; installing, uninstalling, reinstalling, migrating user profiles, creating VHD's, creating ISO images and backing up the hard disk, creating repair disks, etc over and over until I get it. Opinions of those who have taken 70-680? Think I am ready or need to study some more?

Psoasman

Another way to gauge your readiness is to download the exam objectives and make sure you can do what they state. Labbing is critical for this exam, it really helps to be able to visualize the steps in your mind.

Doing the N+ before will probably help, it will certainly be easier than the 680.

srabiee

From what I have read and experienced first-hand, the actual test is much more difficult than most of the practice tests out there. I'd say if you aren't passing the practice tests, then you aren't ready for the actual exam. It's quite difficult IMO.

If you feel like you're ready though and want to take the test, make sure you get a Second Shot voucher through Microsoft if they are offering them right now. That way if you don't pass the exam on the first attempt, you will be entitled to a free second attempt.

MeatCatalogue

You make no mention of command lines. Half this exam, like most MS exams, is knowing command line of everything. I took this exam 20 days ago and I had to know intimiately netsh, dism, imagex, diskpart, etc. You will fail unless you know these topics in and out.

Netsh is hugely contextual and would take you days to learn.

diskpart has 26 different commands to add and break raids, mount and unmount disks, etc.

Sad to say that MS makes these exams difficult for no real reason - in the real world you could google the diskpart command needed and find it within 15 seconds.