MCITP SA - which test should I attempt first?

I have never worked on servers all of my experience has always been Desktop Support work. I have my A+, Net+ and MCDST. I've been in IT for about 10 years. I'm trying to figure out which test would be a good one to start with. I was thinking the 70-642 but I can't tell if that requires any knowledge from the 70-640, it doesnt look like it.

What would be a realistic goal for each of these tests? I can usually judge the study time I will need for every test fairly well but since I've never taken a server exam I wanted to set a realistic goal. I was thinking 2 or 3 months for the 70-642.

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LCA

There's no right way with this. It's very much personal choice.

I sat 642 first but studied most of 640 at the same time. I studied for 3 months then did 642 and did 640 4 weeks later.

For me doing 642 first was what worked for me as it gave me a solid grounding on networking as it relates to the Wintel world. In the 640 exam I found Certificate Services to be a tough topic, the same applies to Group Policy.

earweed

I studied the 640 first and wish I would have done the 642 first. There isn't much overlap between the 2 (except for DNS) and you should be ok doing 642 first.
It would be best, since you have no prior server experience, to have the 640 book handy when first starting to lab so you can look up how to do a few things covered in there.

Hypntick

I'm actually starting on 70-646. It just makes the most sense to me. Since I have next to no hands on experience with 08 doing this first just made the most sense. I plan on going backwards essentially, 646, 642 and 640. We'll see how it works out here soon.

PhantomJedi

Oye...I'm not sure you want to do that. 646 is supposed to be the hardest of the bunch and after failing it 3 times, I'm inclined to agree.

It's personal choice, of course, but just wanted to give you the warning. Also: make sure you study R2 stuff as well. They don't say it on MS's website yet, but it's all R2.

Hypntick

PhantomJedi wrote: »

Oye...I'm not sure you want to do that. 646 is supposed to be the hardest of the bunch and after failing it 3 times, I'm inclined to agree.

It's personal choice, of course, but just wanted to give you the warning. Also: make sure you study R2 stuff as well. They don't say it on MS's website yet, but it's all R2.

Appreciate the heads up. I have looked at what each exam entails, from a logical progression standpoint 646, 642 and then 640 seem to be the order they should be taken in. Then again I took Net+ first and then dove headlong into A+. I have heard about the R2 stuff and picked up a copy of Mastering Server 08 R2 to go over when I get the chance. Just wondering however, there can't have been that big of a change in the OS can there? Or is it more just additions of other features that they're testing on?

earweed

You'll find that there is a HUGE difference between taking the 646 first and, say, taking the Net+ or Sec+ first. That's like comparing writing something out in pen before first starting writing out in pencil and Driving a high powered racing motorcycle before learning to drive a bicycle. The difficulty of the tests and the amount of the material covered is much greater.
You need a deep understanding of material from the 640 and 642 plus a lot of additional stuff to pass the 646.

unnamedplayer

Hypntick wrote: »

Appreciate the heads up. I have looked at what each exam entails, from a logical progression standpoint 646, 642 and then 640 seem to be the order they should be taken in. Then again I took Net+ first and then dove headlong into A+. I have heard about the R2 stuff and picked up a copy of Mastering Server 08 R2 to go over when I get the chance. Just wondering however, there can't have been that big of a change in the OS can there? Or is it more just additions of other features that they're testing on?

I've got to agree with Phantom Jedi on this. Not sure how you see 646-642-640 as a logical progression. The 646 encompasses everything you've learned from the 640 and 642. It is a Pro exam, which as I understand these are more along the lines of planning and implementing solutions with these technologies. Not sure how you can do this if you don't have the prior knowledge or any experience with Windows Server 2008. Just my $0.02

Edit: earweed beat me to it

za3bour

whatever you're comfortable with , I did 642 then 640

MentholMoose

I like 640 as the starting point. If you only ever take one Microsoft exam, it should be 640, since Active Directory is the most important Microsoft concept. There are some benefits to learning the 642 material first, however I think it is more important to start out with a solid understanding of AD.

As for taking 646 first, I think it is not optimal unless you already have extensive work experience in a Microsoft environment. Just read the Skills Measured for the exam. It is all about planning and implementing strategies for the various concepts covered in 640 and 642, so how can you plan and implement a strategy for something you don't understand?

Hypntick

I may well be crazy, in fact i'm pretty sure that I am. Just looking at the objectives measured 646 makes more sense to me. I may be looking at things all wrong, but for my way of thinking it makes more sense to learn the big picture first, at least that's how i'm looking at it. I'm looking at the AD stuff covered in 640 and the networking stuff in 642 as building off of 646 not the other way around. I guess time is going to tell on this one, my only limit is myself really. Then again I always did like a challenge.

daburrrninator

Maybe Hypntick is seeing the 646 as a way to study for both the 642 and 640 at the same time as the 646. I can kind of see his point of view, if you tackle the hardest first the rest should fall in place easier.

I just read a chapter of the 642 and one of the 640. I think I'm going to go with the 642 first. It seems like the "funner" test to study for. That and I hope somewhere in the studying I can figure out why my DNS stopped working at home. I know it has to be something dumb because it worked, then I fiddled, then it no longer worked.

I'm definitely leaving the 646 for the end.

LCA

Hypntick wrote: »

I'm looking at the AD stuff covered in 640 and the networking stuff in 642 as building off of 646 not the other way around.

I seriously doubt that's how Microsoft have designed the exam topics. 646 and 647 build on what is in previous Server 2008 exams in a big way.

I'm currently up to my eyeballs studying for the 647 exam in the new year and with the benefit of hindsight (4 MS exams later) there would've have been no hope in hell of passing me a major network infrastructure planning exam first up.

But at the end of the day its each to his own. I sincerely hope you don't do 646 as your first MS exam and get bitten. It's a big step up from Comptia to Microsoft exams.

I wish you all the best, you're a braver person than me........

Hypntick

LCA wrote: »

I wish you all the best, you're a braver person than me........

Now i'm concerned if i'm going to find out first hand that there is a fine line between bravery and stupidity.

I may change my mind a little bit down the road. I really haven't done much more than go over some of the book, still waiting on my RAM so I can set up more VMs to study with. However I refuse to even schedule an exam until I feel i'm at least 98% certain i'll pass. So you may come back in 6 months and say "Hey what happened?" and i'll respond with "I don't feel ready yet." But believe me i'm not gonna rush into this without thinking it through long and hard.