Just scheduled 70-291

Hi Folks

It's been 5 years since I sat a MS exam (I only ever did the XP one), I give up certification for some reason back then. I'm now raring to go and am hoping to complete the MCSE track within a relatively short time frame (looking to do an exam every 3 weeks!).

I've just booked 70-291 (hardest first?), I've got 3 weeks worth of studying for it. I do work with this stuff day in, day out, so I'm hoping that nothing should come as a shock.

I've worked in IT for around 6 years now, mainly as a Windows Admin, I would say I've got a fairly good grasp of it. How do other people in similar positions with that amount of experience find the exam?

Wish me luck.

Martin

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Comments

peanutnoggin

I haven't taken a Microsoft exam... so I'm of no help to you!!! But good luck.

Devilsbane

martincoxxx wrote: »

Hi Folks

It's been 5 years since I sat a MS exam (I only ever did the XP one), I give up certification for some reason back then. I'm now raring to go and am hoping to complete the MCSE track within a relatively short time frame (looking to do an exam every 3 weeks!).

I've just booked 70-291 (hardest first?), I've got 3 weeks worth of studying for it. I do work with this stuff day in, day out, so I'm hoping that nothing should come as a shock.

I've worked in IT for around 6 years now, mainly as a Windows Admin, I would say I've got a fairly good grasp of it. How do other people in similar positions with that amount of experience find the exam?

Wish me luck.

Martin

I am also working on a 3 week a test approach. It is pretty quick but I have been told it is possible. Just never take your foot off that gas pettle.

I wouldn't recommend the 291 first. Start with either 270 or 290, second do the one you didn't pick first, and then the 291. Some do like to get the big bad boy out of the way, but some also fail it and it takes a large chunk out of their confidence. Especially when you are on a 3 week/exam track, losing confidence guarentees you to fail your goal.

There is the belief that doing 290 prior to 270 is a good method since the 270 is so broad and has things that the 290 covers better. So since the 290 has less objectives you are able to learn those concepts better so when they pop up on 270 you answer without batting an eye.

There is also the belief that 270 comes before 290, I'm not sure if this is for strategic reasons or just because 270 comes before 290 just as 1 comes before 2. Maybe you just feel good about XP and think that would be a good confidence builder.

As I have not taken all of the exams, I can only speculate on how difficult they are when related to each other. It is normally viewed as 290, 270, 291.

Since you have 6 years of working experience, maybe this isn't a big deal for you. But don't forget that that experience can harm you. I'm sure you use many 3rd party tools in your day to day work but when Microsoft tests you, they test you on native tools. Some of which you may have never used. For example the firewall, I don't know too many businesses that use the windows firewall. They use other ones, so when you get a question about the windows firewall you might not know it.