How much do you know?

amyamandaallen · October 2006

Now I've spent about 6-8 weeks studying for the 290 I realise that Im starting to forget the stuff I did at the begining ( well not forgeting but needing a nudge here and there

)

I know that on exam day were supposed to remember EVERYTHING

But just wondering how much others remember once they leave the exam area and maybe 3 months time. Things you dont use everyday. Im trying to get MCSA to improve my job potential but having that title suggests I now that subject 100% off by heart.

How does everyone else get on?

Also be interested in knowing if anyone knows a program for an on/offline counter? The idea being to find out how much time I've actally spent training for a cert. Sad I know but Im sure Im past the 50 hour mark so far and I've 4 weeks to the exam.

Cheers.

AAA

Ricka182 · October 2006

I know what you mean. I've been trying to get my MCSA since 2003, but just haven't found the time. Not to say I'm so busy I can't study; but when I do, sometimes I see something that might reference something else I should already know by that chapter, and I can't remember. My last job, and my current job have no use for MCSA. Maybe in the future, but for now, it's essentially useless. I still want it though, because it was a goal, and I said I would get it. I only have 218, which I've heard is the easiest one, but when you don't use the technology on a daily basis, and don't constantly read the material, it's tough to retain what you have picked up. I set a new goal to have it done by the end of the year, maybe mid November-ish....

kujayhawk93 · October 2006

amyamandaallen wrote:

Im trying to get MCSA to improve my job potential but having that title suggests I now that subject 100% off by heart.

I don't think that's necessarily true. No one can know every single thing about Microsoft products by heart, there's just too much information. To me, having the cert signifies that you have a very solid understanding of the material, and know where to find answers to the things you don't know, not that you have committed 100% of it to memory. It's very natural to forget things that you don't use every day, it happens to all of us.

amyamandaallen · October 2006

I look at it more of you have 'instincts and hunches' with the ability to study a peticular area further/more detailed if needed.

/usr · October 2006

I'm not exactly sure what you're asking.

How much we remember after we've tested?

If I don't use it continuously, almost all of it, but that's the nature of things. If you don't use it, you "forget" it, but you don't really forget it. Meaning that even though I forget 90% of what I learned for my CEH of Security+, I would remember 75% of it in detail with one read through the textbooks I used to study.

elover_jm · October 2006

don't wrry man it simply means u have to read over ur stuff again

Smallguy · October 2006

no one remebers it all that's why we have Technet, message boards and support.microsoft

any palce that expects osmeone ot know it all is living in a dream world unless you built the internet from scratch and have been in IT since it wasn't even called IT.

you will realize how much you know when u have the oppurtunity to mentor someone just learning

Slowhand · October 2006

I'm going to have to go with the general concensus here, and say that no one is expected to remember every detail, every command, every option, every tool they've studied when taking a cert test. You want to be able to know enough to understand what you're doing, and know enough of the concepts and ideas so you know where to look if you ever have to go back and look something up again. My math teacher in high school used to tell me, "I've studied math for the last 50 years, and I don't remember every formula and equation there is. I remember the ones I use on a daily basis, the ones I teach in these classes. The rest, I look up in those thick books you see sitting on my shelf at the back of the room."

As for me. . . well, I tend to remember certain things with uncanny clarity, and other things just drain right out of my brain. I can manage and administrate a Windows 2003 network, I can find my way around a Linux or Unix box, and I do alright when asked to configure routers and switches. I know how to use the programs I've used on a regular basis, and I know how to figure out new programs, for the most part. There are tons and TONS of things I've forgotten. Like I said earlier, I make sure I have a general understanding of what I've been studying coming away from the test. For the rest, I buy those big, thick books on how to administrate/how to manage/how to program/etc. . .

How much do you know?

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