Failed 70-284 2x cause had not taken 290 and 291 my bad!!!!

itdaddy · October 2007

Hey guys

i have taken this 70-284 2x and failed both same score.

This is my frustration. You guys can bash me but please give me facts on my errors.

okay. i have not taken 290 or 291 but I know how to build a DC and know how to build
the DNS and install and configure fully an Exchange 2003 server. I can
do many things

RSG recovery
Mailbox recover
i know how to use ESEutil
and ISinteg and many other EXCHANGE skills
I know how to setup routing groups, connectors TLS and many other things

But during both Fkg exams i sware i may have gotten 4 questions out of 30 on exchange
and the rest on I do not know what. both exams. this is bullsht! i look at my score report
and the bottom skill I bombed but in my studying there was not much details on this.

I have setup firewalls front end servers but to see these question on these exams
i had to ask the test monitor if this was the right exam cause maybe 4 out of 30
words/skills for exchange and the rest. i did not even recognize

where do I get my training for this or does 290 and 291 have all the answers.
i am no dummy and manage an exchange server and undestand a heck of a lot
but my exam on 70-284 were for sht! And everyone is so hush hush
i have use great study aids andstill did not see anything remotely same as my study aids.

plus i have my own exhange system at home fully function and everything and i manage one at work what

AM i missing okay dude bash me but please give me some facts on where i can get this etheral
Exchaneg training cause i did not see it on the exam; no how to deal with corupt data or how to deal with a store that doesnt mount fjking nothing! nothing!

Robert
help ia m way to [pissed of and feel like an IT DUMMY and i can do this stuff but what the hell
are they asking??
thanks

Ferret999 · October 2007

Itdaddy (Robert)

I would not worry to much about it most of the exams have no relevance to the real world they ask very strange questions that are not how you would do things in the real world. Anyhow when doing the test have a look at all the questions and make sure that as well as choosing the right answer you eliminate all the other answers. Also did you use any legitimate practice exam software for this test? I find practice exams get me in test mode and most of the time I recommend Self Test Software however when I did this exam I also used Measureup which I found really useful for 284.

itdaddy · October 2007

Ferret999
thanks for replying; I did study measure up. I had i am not kidding 4 questions on exchange
my score card was about 3/4 on everything buut the last line of OTHER exhange stuff
and bombed that one I couldnt believe it...and atleast 8 questions were of somethingi had never seen really...

i can do all the skills in exchange all of them
i used exam cram 2
ucertify test engine nice
and i can build one set it up and fix corrupt data and fix mounting issues
and many other things but i had to get up and say is this the right exam

it asked question that dealt with scenarious that i had never seen before.
and i studied a lot; I did not take 290 and 291 and i from looking at exam
think it is a smart exam where it pounds you when you get some wrong more
topics dealing with the type of questions you got wrong to fail me or at least ask
me till i get it right. I even read info on exchange the white papers how to
fix DB when doesnt mount and practise but i didnt get to use anything i learned
only like 4 questions; this other guy said that once i finish 290 and 291 then
when i take it gain which i will next fall 08, that it will be easier
pissed me off cause be nice if MS would let me build one and set it up righ in front of them
cause i can do it!
but thanks;
i am back up and going to kick some butt!
man was my ego hurt! but i gues sin IT you have to bounce back up!
i love my field andwell new plan!
hahahaha
thanks man !
thanks!

itdaddy · October 2007

http://www.cramsession.com/articles/files/inside-the-microsoft-exam-9102003-1225.asp

Hey you all that read my rant and failure attempt at 70-284....

Well welcome to the wild!

I did some needed research; wish I would have done this prior. but I ASSUMED
well you know what they say about Assuming! yeah A$$!

I see that you need to play by the rules. I am 100 % sure if I had taken 290 and 291
i would have passed this 70-284.. I was strong on all my stuff except last one.
I will take it again next year sometime once I finish my 290 and 291
..
what a dork i am but man did i learn my lesson.!

thanks to all agreed with me that 70-284 sucks! hahahah LOL

sprkymrk · October 2007

Thanks for sharing the link Robert, I am sure that will help others avoid the same conundrum you found yourself in.

Good luck on your next attempt.

blargoe · October 2007

I took and passed that exam a couple months ago, but I agree with you on the questions.

If measureup is the one that comes with the MS Press book, and that's the practice test you used, then no wonder you failed. I used it and thought it was the absolute worst practice exam I had ever seen (given, I was able to pick out some glaring mistakes because I knew some parts of Exchange very well, and because I went through the MS Press guide and the MS online course and there were contradictions between them and the measureup test)

Unfortunately, you really have to know the Microsoft AD flavor of DNS very well to be able to answer some of the questions, and at least a Network+ level of networking knowledge to answer some of the questions that involved routing. I don't think there are enough pure, day-to-day Exchange administration questions to pass the exam, if that is where you're strong and not as strong in the other areas.

Good luck next time... third time's the charm hopefully

Slowhand · October 2007

It's rough to fail an exam, it makes you feel like someone just pushed you into traffic. Still, don't get too discouraged, you'll pass it once you've gotten some more experience with the general Windows Server concepts. You're definitely right about doing 70-290 and 70-291 first. According to the 70-284 MCP site, you need to have some prerequisite skills:

Microsoft wrote:

Audience Profile
The Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) and Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) on Microsoft Windows Server 2003 credentials are designed for IT professionals who work in the typically complex computing environment of medium to large companies.

A candidate for this exam should have at least one year of experience implementing and managing an Exchange messaging system in environments that have the following characteristics:

• 250 to 5,000 or more users

• Three or more physical locations

• Network services and resources such as multiple versions of Exchange Server, Active Directory, proxy server, firewall, other messaging systems, DNS, Internet, intranet, and mobile client computers

• Three or more domain controllers

• Two or more Exchange Server computers

• Connectivity requirements such as connecting branch offices and individual users in remote locations to the corporate network and connecting corporate networks to the Internet

Judging by that, it looks like the other two are a good way to get some of the skills mentioned. Having passed the 70-290, you'll know the Server 2003 operating system inside and out. Passing the 70-291 gets you the knowledge of those "three or more domain controllers" and other things they talk about, like DNS and the infrastructure concepts needed to really know how Exchange fits into the environment.

Let us know how the tests go, what you decide to do. And, of course, I wish you the best of luck (and the best coffee you can find,) for your tests and your studies.

itdaddy · October 2007

Sprkymrk

thanks man! what a hard lesson. I am just mad at myself for not readin the MCSA profile
that Slowhand mentioned after reading that I can see some holes. I just assumed it was just on Exchange and not a synthesis of prerequisites, but darn it I can see how it being the last in the set how they want you to fit it all together. ouch but i feel better and am back on the IT horse.
thanks! feels good to help others not be as nieve as I was! hahaaha LOL

Blargoe

I used many other study aids but I need to read the MCSA profiles much closer and follw
the order in which MS says. I jusst need to get a grip on myself and play my game better. hee hee..I did great in college reading teachers what they wanted I just need to apply it much better .haha LOL thanks for refelecting with me on the exam scope. sucked but I guess
i will take my lumps!
But you are 100 percent right the flavors of DNS..

Actually I cant wait to start studying 290 and 291 so i can laugh my way through 284.
hahaha

Slowhand it is rough when you think you are great at IT (hence the name IT Daddy) ahhahah
haahLOL but "pride cometh before a fall!" haha

but i just got to pay attention to the details of the game; just couldnt believe how many
NON practical day to day exchange examples and scenarios were missingto me 70-284
should be 70-285 and leave 70-284 for pratical exchange questions there was maybe
so few hard to remmber but i know exchange and can build it in a single domain
but i am getting into VPC 2007 so I plaon building me an multidomain at home on my machines
hee should be fun!
thank men

i appreciate you and when i do make comments on this form as few as they maybe sometime cause i am so busy, i hope i help someone in our Underpaid and underappreciate field!

rock on dudes!

as our beloved Arnold says "I ll be back!"

IT daddy out!

r0bski · November 2007

I have this exam this coming Tuesday.

This exam will complete my MCSA 2003 track, so yes i have done 70-290, 70-291 and xp exams already.

With all the studying i have done so far for exchange 2003, i can fairly say, you are stuffed without passing 290/291

it is true what the member said above, the microsoft way is not the 'real world' way, however you need to know the microsoft way to pass the exams.

my studying for exchange has come from the mspress exchange 2003 book (ISBN 0-7356-1899-2) which i do feel has covered 'new exchange' topics well, but a firm understanding of 290/291 is required.

Once i get this one out the way, i have 70-294 and a design exam to go for me MCSE

Nice to see there are 2 new exams for upgrading to the new qualification to 2008 from 2003

famosbrown · November 2007

Ditto!! When I took this exam, it reminded me more of 70-291 with all of the routing type questions. Here is my post when I took it.

http://www.techexams.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=23416

What helped me was doing this exam after completing 70-291. I began using Exchange Server 2003 more at work, so I wanted to learn more about it and test.

Don't beat yourself up...we have all failed at least one exam, and in the past two years, I've definitely failed more than one

.

royal · December 2007

I've said this many times before. If you are going to eventually go do your MCSE and your MCSA:M, ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS do your 70-291 AND 70-293 first. The reason is 70-291 discusses DNS and 70-293 introduces you to certificates, NLB, and Clustering. All 4 of which will help immensely with your 70-284 studies.

itdaddy · December 2007

royal

thanks royal for the great tip on 284 will do what you said! you obviously know what you are talkinga bout thanks a lot
cheers!

robert;)

Sanger80 · December 2007

I have a couple tests to go (293, 294 and 29

then I am going to hit Exchange. This actually looks like one of the more interesting subjects. Glad you posted this info. I was considering to jump into Exchange tests, but maybe it's best to go down the tree like Microsoft expects you to.

pryde7 · December 2007

Many do cram and pass....crying for jobs, complaining about salary, but can actually do nothing practical.

Though we must follow study and exam guides, failure sometimes come due to the inability to corelate a concept or technology to solve a problem. Kind of like knowing how to resolve a boot problem, but not know the cause or how to explain the process.
Tackling higher concepts without digesting basic and fundamentals also gives that false sense of readiness!

We IT guys will say "its what you can do that matters". Most employers look at the ronaldo #9 or #23 bckam certs on ur resume.

itdaddy · February 2008

Sanger80

me to with the jumping is man was i mad at myself but what a rude awaking
it had many questions for 290 and 291 the insturctor at this IT school enlightened
i kickes Arse on the exhange portion he said butsucked onthe 290 and 291 portion
word to the wise follow the order. i am over it but what time and money wasted!
but i did learn something and how the exam questions are told !

minisnmore · March 2008

I was so glad I found your comments Robert. That is exactly my experience. I seriously thought they had given me the wrong exam. I studied and practice tested for Exchange. Silly me. I didn't think I would do great, but I really didn't expect to fail so badly today.

I have not taken the exams in the correct order either. That was obviously my mistake. I will have to cram for the 290 and 290 so I can retake this exam and pass since I have already paid and have a second shot voucher.

My first and only MCP is in Active Directory (70-294) so it never occurred to me that couldn't take another one out of order and do as well.

itdaddy · March 2008

minisnmore

sucks dont it! hahhaa man was i pissed off! but i am wiser and well still at least going for

MSCA 2003 Exchange
270 have!
290
291
284

then i will take

228 so i am

MCSA 2003 Exchange
and MCSA 2000 on SQL server.
Exchange and SQL servers are common place. that is I will take it after I pass
my 640-802 this Sept 2008 ish!

and if i live and i have the time i will hammer out my final 3 to get MCSE 2003 with 228 as my option.

yeah!

Failed 70-284 2x cause had not taken 290 and 291 my bad!!!!

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