Taking the exam tomorrow morning, expecting a failure :( [Update: Passed! 763]

Hello everyone,
I visited this site several times, and I think I should describe my attempt to pass the test for people in a situation similar to mine. First of all I want to apologize if my English is not so clear (or sound strange), it's just not my native language and I learned it mainly from WoW and reading MS Press books. Hope you'll understand me.

My background is:
I'm 20yo, without any official working experience, but with a lot of experience with using Windows XP at home (including repairing and in-depth managing). Unfortunately I never managed (or used) a client/server network, so most of the tested material is completely new for me.

My main learning source was the Microsoft Self-Paced Training Kit and the Measure Up software that came with it. I read all the chapters and performed all the required exercises in the first half. However when I moved to the second half the hands on practice became surprisingly complicated because it involved configuring Windows Server 2003 and a domain environment, so I couldn't complete them.

The real bad surprise struck me when I started to answer the sample questions on the second half and couldn't answer correctly more that 70%. The Measure Up result was even worse with an average grade of 55% and 48% the lowest. My global average result for all questions in the book is 66%.

Those results shocked me, but I decided not to cancel the test because I want to see the real thing with my own eyes and not rely on other's experience. I believe this `adventure` will help me to notice the most important information in the text, which I missed the first time I read the book.

In conclusion, the main cause I subscribed for the test is the wrong assumption that my experience will be sufficient for a test with the title "Managing (...) Windows XP". I was terribly wrong because the test includes information from all the MCSA exams, so I suggest to take it last place and not first.

The only thing I do expect from the test is to fail it with a grade that will not be too embarrassing and will encourage me to study harder (and most important from the Server 2003 point of view!) and eventually get the much desired grade. I'm afraid I don't have a limitless time to achieve this goal.

Thanks for the help I got from this site. Let's see what I'll get...

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Comments

jay754

Good luck Nyromith. You might be surprised how much you remember on the day if you cope OK with the nerves!

Psoasman

If you are expecting to fail the test, then you should reschedule until you feel you are ready, why waste the money?
The questions that come with the book in my experience, tend to be more difficult than the actual exam.

Nyromith

Can't believe it... tamed the beast today. So sweet is the victory

It was much easier than the questions in the book, and most of them were single-choice american questions. There were no drag and drop questions. Most of the questions I wasn't sure about (and probably didn't answer correctly) were about anvanced IIS and VPN configuration. Don't know if it's luck, but only a few questions concentrated on the Server 2003 management, and most of them were asked from the XP point of view.

After finishing the test (before submitting) I reviewed it and changed some answers to questions I was not sure about. I'm a bit disappointed I will never be able to see the right answer. The test had 2 questions I saw earlier in the Measure Up software, so it wasn't a bad idea to study the questions there.

In conclusion, I can say that the Self-Paced Training Kit helped me a lot, and I couldn't pass the test without it. It lacks some important information that can lead to a failure if you have a bit less luck than me, but it is still a very good primary resource.

That's it, moving up to 70-290.

SneakyStevie

Congrats! Did you have any Simulations?

Nyromith

I had some images called "exhibits". Don't know if this is what you mean... All questions were american and most of them with a single choice.

SneakyStevie

Nyromith wrote: »

I had some images called "exhibits". Don't know if this is what you mean... All questions were american and most of them with a single choice.

I see, that is what I mean! Thanks!

thugg

Congrats on the pass.. reading your post yesterday you seem so unsure, but you were playing right

. again congrats.

citinerd

Congrats!!! I am studying for the 270 and 290 at the same time (heard it helps). Good luck with the 290!

JockVSJock

Nyromith wrote: »

Most of the questions I wasn't sure about (and probably didn't answer correctly) were about anvanced IIS and VPN configuration.

Congrads on the pass.

Interesting comments. Looking thru the MS Self-Paced training kit, there is very little on VPN and a few pages on IIS. However the Exam Cram book has about 7 pages dedicated to it.

dynamik

I always expect to fail. There's no disappointment that way, and when I pass, I'm always surprised

Congrats!