Taking the 70-290

vColevCole Member Posts: 1,573 ■■■■■■■□□□
I will be taking the 70-290 in the next 2-3 weeks. Just posting this here for me to keep a log of my studies & to write a "review" of the exam after I take it. (& pass!!!) icon_thumright.gif
«1

Comments

  • skrpuneskrpune Member Posts: 1,409
    Good luck! I'll be taking mine tomorrow morning...not exactly sure if I'm totally ready, but then again I never think I'm ready! icon_lol.gif

    What resources are you using?
    Currently Studying For: Nothing (cert-wise, anyway)
    Next Up: Security+, 291?

    Enrolled in Masters program: CS 2011 expected completion
  • BreadfanBreadfan Member Posts: 282 ■■■□□□□□□□
    I will be taking the exam in the next few weeks as well. I feel I am "almost" there so far as being ready to take it. Permissions (both NTFS and shared folders) and groups seem to be my weak points (and maybe Term Server. I can create, modify, etc. but when I do the questions relating to these topics, I get them wrong icon_redface.gif

    I am using MS Press (sooooo Boring that I started using Sybex) but go back and forth for doing labs and questions. Also, using CBT Nuggets and VMware WS with 2 2003 SP1 Servers and one XP client

    I am trying to nail it down by domain/objectives and then move on to next Domain once I feel I have "mastered" the topics.

    What are you using and how are you preparing? Let us know how well you do when you pass
    Mark Twain

    “If I cannot drink Bourbon and smoke cigars in Heaven than I shall not go.

  • vColevCole Member Posts: 1,573 ■■■■■■■□□□
    I will be using the CBT Nugget for 70-290. Also, which book(s) are the best for 70-290?
  • skrpuneskrpune Member Posts: 1,409
    The MS Press book does the job I suppose, but it's certainly not great. There are published errata, but there are still other errors...and it asks questions in the exam review section on topics that aren't even mentioned in the "meaty" part of the book, GAH! That ticks me off.

    Haven't tried one out myself, but I've heard good things about Sybex books for MCSA exams. I might pick one up for the 291 - I'll need whatever help I can get for the beast!

    Not sure how indepth CBT Nuggets goes, but I have been using TestOut (which is WAY drier) for 290, and I found that was a bit light on the details...which is what I kinda expect with most cbt's. I used CBT Nuggets for A+ & Network+ and they were really good to give me a base comfort level. Using both TestOut and the MS Press book, along with playing around with virtual installs, has gotten me to a point where I'm fairly confident - just not quite sure if I'm as ready as I wanna be.
    Currently Studying For: Nothing (cert-wise, anyway)
    Next Up: Security+, 291?

    Enrolled in Masters program: CS 2011 expected completion
  • Tyrant1919Tyrant1919 Member Posts: 519 ■■■□□□□□□□
    I had to look up the requirements for MCSA to see if you'd get it after 290 and 291. Looks like you will. MCDST counts as an elective. And 70-621 counts as 70-620, which counts as a client exam.
    A+/N+/S+/L+/Svr+
    MCSA:03/08/12/16 MCSE:03s/EA08/Core Infra
    CCNA
  • vColevCole Member Posts: 1,573 ■■■■■■■□□□
    Thanks for all the info guys! & good luck skrpune! icon_thumright.gif
  • HallucinateHallucinate Member Posts: 63 ■■□□□□□□□□
    I am taking the 290 test on Friday. The only study material I have been using are the MS Press books (it comes with measureup test simulator), Testout, and VMWare. I feel like I am ready, but I guess I will know for sure in a couple of days. I'll let you know if it was enough.
  • vColevCole Member Posts: 1,573 ■■■■■■■□□□
    I am taking the 290 test on Friday. The only study material I have been using are the MS Press books (it comes with measureup test simulator), Testout, and VMWare. I feel like I am ready, but I guess I will know for sure in a couple of days. I'll let you know if it was enough.


    thanks!
  • PaperclipPaperclip Member Posts: 59 ■■□□□□□□□□
    I'm taking it June 6. I've watched almost all of the Nuggets, the guy is pretty entertaining.
  • skrpuneskrpune Member Posts: 1,409
    Paperclip wrote: »
    I'm taking it June 6. I've watched almost all of the Nuggets, the guy is pretty entertaining.
    James Conrad is great, he did the A+ videos too. Some people will say he's too silly and not serious enough, but I like his approach. He almost tricks you into learning! He's much more lively than the folks on the TestOut videos, who really need to get a little more excited about the subject matter.

    Good luck Hallucinate & Paperclip! icon_thumright.gif And thanks for the well wishes FadeToBright!
    Currently Studying For: Nothing (cert-wise, anyway)
    Next Up: Security+, 291?

    Enrolled in Masters program: CS 2011 expected completion
  • PaperclipPaperclip Member Posts: 59 ■■□□□□□□□□
    Thanks skrprune and good luck to you too!

    Keep your eye on James' drawings near the beginning on a part about RAID1. I think he tried to sneak a subliminal pneumonic device in there, lol.
  • mrmcmintmrmcmint Member Posts: 492 ■■■□□□□□□□
    skrpune - totally agree with you. James Conrad is excellent, he is my IT 'hero'.
    If you read his profile on the nuggets website it shows you what he has and what he has done. Inspiring! Compared to the testout videos, the people on there are so slow i thought i had a problem with my laptop lol!

    Good luck on the 290 BTW, i still havn't thanked you for the tech notes for the 620 exam - they proved very useful.

    Let us know how you did!!! - That goes for everyone else taking it too :)
  • jankes11jankes11 Member Posts: 2 ■□□□□□□□□□
    I'm going to take my exam tomorrow,hopefully evyrything is gonna be fine - fingers crossed !
  • jankes11jankes11 Member Posts: 2 ■□□□□□□□□□
    everything ofcourse ;)
  • skrpuneskrpune Member Posts: 1,409
    mrmcmint wrote: »
    Good luck on the 290 BTW, i still havn't thanked you for the tech notes for the 620 exam - they proved very useful.
    Wait, what? Are you talking about the technotes here? I made a set of notes forever ago & posted them up over at ProProfs...are those what you're talking about? Forgive me for being so dense, I'm tired and used up all my brain power on my exam this morning!
    mrmcmint wrote: »
    Let us know how you did!!! - That goes for everyone else taking it too :)
    icon_cheers.gif Yahoo, I passed! icon_cheers.gif Got a score of 844. Still kinda wondering how I did that. I tanked on "Manage & Maintain Access to Resources" (~50% icon_redface.gif) and "Manage and Implement Disaster Recovery" (~60-65%), but I was strong on everything else so I guess it evened out. I totally guessed on a couple and did some educated guesses on others, and then I was totally surprised by the final pass/score screen. ( I was not confident that I passed, and I was halfway expecting to see a score of 697!icon_lol.gif)

    Me tired and brain hurty, but me happy. Too bad I gotta go to class this afternoon, or I'd be doing some serious celebrating right now!! Damn priorities...guess I gotta do some more icon_study.gif before I can get all drunken_smilie.gif...
    Currently Studying For: Nothing (cert-wise, anyway)
    Next Up: Security+, 291?

    Enrolled in Masters program: CS 2011 expected completion
  • BreadfanBreadfan Member Posts: 282 ■■■□□□□□□□
    Congrats Skrpune...Well Done! icon_cheers.gif

    I hope to have that same feeling (and that score aint too shabby either) in a few weeks.

    How many questions and sims did you have?

    Oh yea, forgot to thank you as well for the notes on the 70-620 exam as well on the Proprofs.com site (your notes are the ONLY reason I registered there) and helped me pass that exam

    What is next for you 70-291? Good luck....and don't forget to celebrate...
    Mark Twain

    “If I cannot drink Bourbon and smoke cigars in Heaven than I shall not go.

  • skrpuneskrpune Member Posts: 1,409
    Thanks breadfan! I had 44 questions & 4 sims. I ALMOST messed up on two of them - I definitely did not sleep enough and missed some details, so I'm really glad I went back to review them. I ended up totally redoing those two so I could complete all the goals of the sims.

    Yup, 291 is up next. I'll try to get started with that in the next week or two - unfortunatey no student discounts for CBT Nuggets, so I'll probably be getting TestOut again to supplement the MS Press book for that one.

    Oh, and I've got to stay sober for a few hours but then I'm definitely doing some celebrating this evening after class!
    Currently Studying For: Nothing (cert-wise, anyway)
    Next Up: Security+, 291?

    Enrolled in Masters program: CS 2011 expected completion
  • vColevCole Member Posts: 1,573 ■■■■■■■□□□
    skrpune wrote: »
    Thanks breadfan! I had 44 questions & 4 sims. I ALMOST messed up on two of them - I definitely did not sleep enough and missed some details, so I'm really glad I went back to review them. I ended up totally redoing those two so I could complete all the goals of the sims.

    Yup, 291 is up next. I'll try to get started with that in the next week or two - unfortunatey no student discounts for CBT Nuggets, so I'll probably be getting TestOut again to supplement the MS Press book for that one.

    Oh, and I've got to stay sober for a few hours but then I'm definitely doing some celebrating this evening after class!


    Congrats Skrpune! icon_cheers.gificon_thumright.gificon_thumright.gif
  • dynamikdynamik Banned Posts: 12,312 ■■■■■■■■■□
    skrpune wrote: »
    ...guess I gotta do some more icon_study.gif before I can get all drunken_smilie.gif...

    Is there some rule that you have to go to class sober?

    Congrats on the pass!
  • skrpuneskrpune Member Posts: 1,409
    Thanks, Fade & dynamik!
    dynamik wrote: »
    Is there some rule that you have to go to class sober?
    Well, if you asked me that back when I was 21, I would have said no & would have pointed you to the stash of liquor in the geology club lounge room (one of the perks of being a geeky club president!). I barely remember my groundwater hydrology class...

    ...but now that I'm all adult-like, I suppose I should say yes. Although if I didn't have a meeting with a prof today and if I wasn't working at 8am tomorrow, I'd probably be tanked already! icon_lol.gif
    Currently Studying For: Nothing (cert-wise, anyway)
    Next Up: Security+, 291?

    Enrolled in Masters program: CS 2011 expected completion
  • PaperclipPaperclip Member Posts: 59 ■■□□□□□□□□
    Fortunately for this reason, I have found a place that offers appointments on Saturdays.
  • vColevCole Member Posts: 1,573 ■■■■■■■□□□
    Paperclip wrote: »
    Fortunately for this reason, I have found a place that offers appointments on Saturdays.


    Same here icon_thumright.gif
  • hunterbhaihunterbhai Member Posts: 4 ■□□□□□□□□□
    Along with others in this thread i shall also be taking the 70-290 exam within the next two weeks. Got the feeling that i'm no where near prepared for it at this stage so it might be later than what i think at this stage.

    I've not got hold of the nuggets but i've done good reading from Microsoft coursware books but will have to see how things pan out in the near future.
  • NetAdmin2436NetAdmin2436 Member Posts: 1,076
    Congrats Skyprune! Best O' luck on the beast.

    Good luck on your exam Fade.
    WIP: CCENT/CCNA (.....probably)
  • vColevCole Member Posts: 1,573 ■■■■■■■□□□
    Officially scheduled for 6/13 @ 11A.M. icon_thumright.gif
  • KujoKujo Member Posts: 18 ■□□□□□□□□□
    I plan on taking this exam in the next few weeks as well. Taking advantage of Microsoft free pass if I fail, which I'm not planning on. :) I'm using TestOut.
  • skrpuneskrpune Member Posts: 1,409
    Officially scheduled for 6/13 @ 11A.M. icon_thumright.gif
    Awesome! Nothing like having the exam scheduled to really kick things into gear! Good luck with the studies, I'm sure you'll kick arse.
    Congrats Skyprune! Best O' luck on the beast.
    Thanks! And I'll need some luck, the beast scares me a little... icon_eek.gif
    Currently Studying For: Nothing (cert-wise, anyway)
    Next Up: Security+, 291?

    Enrolled in Masters program: CS 2011 expected completion
  • vColevCole Member Posts: 1,573 ■■■■■■■□□□
    Wondering what book(s) to pick up for this exam....recommendations? :D
  • vColevCole Member Posts: 1,573 ■■■■■■■□□□
    Really liking the CBT Nugget for 70-290, I recommend it. icon_thumright.gif
  • loxleynewloxleynew Member Posts: 405
    Congrats skrpune! and GL fade!

    I take it on June 26th. I feel like I know the stuff but not the questions they will ask. Does that make any sense? :)

    Anyways nothing like forcing a test schedule to make me study more.
Sign In or Register to comment.