Failed 70-410 for the 4th time :(

Yesterday I attempted to pass the 70-410 before the new R2 info was added today. I failed with my closest attempt yet (682).
I have spent 5 months prepping and studying for the tests. My first attempt was Sept 30th (490), Nov 22 (472), Dec 30 (595) and then Jan 27th (682)

Very disheartened by this. I have seen many others post 1 or 2 failures but never have seen 3 let alone 4 failures.

I only have about 1 year of any sort of experience with Server OS's. Almost all of this has been for 2012. So I know that alot of the technologies that have been around for 5 to 10 years I really don't have any previous experience with. And now they are adding 8 more topics to test on . . . .

My study materials have been

CBTnuggets ( I have watched these videos 4 times through now )
ITfreetraining on youtube. This has been a ton of help for very specific topics.
Server 2012 unleashed book.
Hyper V setup on my home PC for labs.
Trancender practice tests. I have gone through probably 75 times now. .

My weak spots on the most recent test were.

Configure Server Roles and Features and Install and administer Active Directory.

I really would like to get my MCSA and MCSE but at this rate, never gonna happen.

I realize that most people taking the Server certification tests have a couple years of experience before attempting to cert up. Should I put this all on hold until I have more experience? Or should I just keep grinding through?

The nearest test center that I have is 3:20 away, so it takes an entire day to travel, test and return.

Just super deflated at this point.

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Comments

netsysllc

I have many years of experience and the 70-640 was my Nemesis. Take a break from it and shake it off, don't let it defeat you. This stuff is geared towards people with experience in large corporate environments that use many of the technologies tested on.

If you have not used them I would look at these resources.
TechNet Blogs
Windows Server Training Courses - Microsoft Virtual Academy
90 Days to MCSA

Take every item tested on from the course description and study it heavily in Technet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you will likely end up with 40+ links of things to study

I find it very helpful to use OneNote and create a workbook with multiple pages. Create one for hyper-links to relevant information, another for powershell and cmd commands that are likely to be on the test. A page for blurbs of information from technet or other articles that are relevant such as minimum specifications for server 2012, what are the requirements and specs for Hyper-v, stuff like that.

Last but not least, you will have to learn to narrow down the answers. there could be 50% totally wrong answers for a question and then the choice might be between two ways to accomplish or seem like they accomplish the same thing. Re-read the question, it is easy to miss what is being asked for. I try not to go back and change answers often, seems like when I do is when I fail. Mark the ones you are unsure of and during the review look them over but go with your gut and don't second guess too much.

It might also help to study the 70-411 and 412 materials before you revisit this exam, they build on each other.

good luck on your next attempt!

Theegg911

Seems I cannot message you....

Flemeth

Take it as a challenge and if you don't give up am make improvements you will get it . I agree that it's kina a ****** up cert as you do not have good learning material if you do not have windows administration experience and the test is not about theory. I failed once and it only made me more focused , if by any chance i fail again the next thing i ll do is take 1 week + off from work and study to pass it ...

If you don't give up and make improvements you ll get it and because you used Server 2012 unleashed you ll me much more ready for 411/412
I personally advice you to limit any kind of tests to 1 week or less before the exam (they are meant to highligh areas where you are short and check your exam readiness) , they should not be used as learning tools

unfbilly11

I failed the 70-640 5 times. It is VERY frustrating, I know. I really feel like I understand Active Directory and I still wasn't able to pass that exam. I have even solved multiple Active Directory problems at work since failing the test, which really ticks me off because I obviously know it well enough to support it.

I know how frustrating these tests can be. My advice would be to step away for a week or two and don't even think about anything Server 2012 related. Then, I would come back and try to think back to what kinds of questions you weren't sure about. One of the most frustrating things for me personally with the 70-640 is that I would know exactly how to do something with the GUI but the test question would be asking to do it with cmdlets...The ones that I knew the cmdlets they asked me how with the GUI. It's really disheartening. I'm sure there are similar things that you are missing. I'd agree with some of the others that Technet is the better way to go than the reference books and everything else. It seems like Technet gives a better description of the "how" process and that is what the exam tests.

You are only a couple questions from a pass. You can get it on the next try.

BMDTECH

I will be studying up again to try this for my 5th attempt on May 19th. Plan is to go through CBT nuggets for a 3rd time, build a lab and practice out all of the bullet points. I will let you all know in 11 days.

EdwardCarndy

BMD, I am in a similar place that you are. I got my CCNA last year, and now I thought I could start studying for an MCSA. But I have no server experience and this material is very challenging.

I would like to recommend Boson's lab simulator for MCSA 70-410. The labs are live and are set up with multiple servers and client pc's. And it guides you step by step on configuring roles and services, for each topic.

I thought a few months of studying was all I would need before I took the exam. Nope. It may take me 6 months to a year before I pass just the first exam. I'm a Cisco guy, so all of this is new to me.

MTciscoguy

Not knocking you guys at all, I have failed a few tests in the past, but you really need to relax and evaluate your study methods, look at the way you are approaching your studies and figure out a system that allows you to actually immerse yourself in the information, reading it and owning it is two different things. It needs to become second nature, it has to become part of you. I learned this the hard way, I retired from my last career in 2006 and always took a lesson with me from one very important instructor, you have to live the subject, the instructor I learned this from, was the hero of the first Gulf War, his name was General Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr, I retired from the US Army in 2006 as a Colonel. Buck down guys and figure the way it works for you.

BMDTECH

Failed again the 5th attempt. I got a 668 on this one. The 5th had quite a few questions regarding the R2 materials. It also included well over 20 questions about power shell commands ugh. I fell short by 2 or 3 questions on this one. So I had to request permission from MS to take the test again before the 1 year wait policy Microsoft has for failing 5 times. Told my wife that I would be at my desk doing labs for the next 3 weeks. We'll see.

FullTilt151

I failed for the 3rd time today. The bad thing is the 2nd shot test is only good through this month, so I have to retake it next week. I've been watching the CBT Nuggets, The R2 unleashed book and I bought 2 months of the MeasureUp practice tests. It's so much material to study for and it seems the questions are completely off the wall.

I'm not sure what to do at this point. I guess just keep plugging away and hope for the best; dont know what else I can do.....

Itrimble

I also failed the first time, I got a 525 after looking at CBT Nuggets, and the Exam Ref book. The ExamRef book didn't really seem relevant once I took the exam. This time I've been reading the Mastering Server 2012 R2 book, not only is it a much better read but they make the book much more representative of real word usage. I'm taking it again on May 29th... Wish me luck.

LAF1972

BMDTECH, how did you go about contacting MS to take the test again? Im currently struggling with 70-411 which I failed for the 4th time on Sunday

abyssinica

I'm just wondering why you guys seem to be fixating on passing the exam. Instead of learning about the subject. I'm just saying, you should learn all about the main topics, and you should do a more general study. Buying up a million practice tests, watching these 3rd-party videos and reading entire textbooks can't be useful, because obviously every time you try the exam, it will contain questions that you never practised. And then you'll never be able to pass!

There is no way you can learn an entire big textbook unless you have genius intelligence. If you just read through a textbook or try to memorize the whole thing, you will fail. You have to study "topics" or "sections" in a smart way. If you have a general understanding of the topic, then even when you don't know the answer on a test, you can make a great guess. You would've read from all kinds of internet sources including wikipedia, just trying to gain a deeper understanding of the general topic.

**The purpose of any practice test material you buy, is to further evaluate what you need to know. I'm just talking from general test-taking experience. For example, if I see a question on the Transport Layer in an exam, I'm not going to just learn about the Transport Layer. That tells me to study the entire OSI model. If I see a question on SMTP, I'm not going to just learn about SMTP. I will learn about all possible network protocols.

That's what I mean by, practice tests are just a guide. They shouldn't be your go-to to pass exams.

pjd007

abyssinica wrote: »

I'm just wondering why you guys seem to be fixating on passing the exam. Instead of learning about the subject. I'm just saying, you should learn all about the main topics, and you should do a more general study. Buying up a million practice tests, watching these 3rd-party videos and reading entire textbooks can't be useful, because obviously every time you try the exam, it will contain questions that you never practised. And then you'll never be able to pass!

There is no way you can learn an entire big textbook unless you have genius intelligence. If you just read through a textbook or try to memorize the whole thing, you will fail. You have to study "topics" or "sections" in a smart way. If you have a general understanding of the topic, then even when you don't know the answer on a test, you can make a great guess. You would've read from all kinds of internet sources including wikipedia, just trying to gain a deeper understanding of the general topic.

**The purpose of any practice test material you buy, is to further evaluate what you need to know. I'm just talking from general test-taking experience. For example, if I see a question on the Transport Layer in an exam, I'm not going to just learn about the Transport Layer. That tells me to study the entire OSI model. If I see a question on SMTP, I'm not going to just learn about SMTP. I will learn about all possible network protocols.

That's what I mean by, practice tests are just a guide. They shouldn't be your go-to to pass exams.

The obvious fixation is the fact that if you're looking to achieve the MCSE there's 5 exams to be completed and if you're stuck on the 1st one then that is naturally going to frustrate the hell out of you !

Given my experience so far I'd say it's near impossible to fluke the exams and I'm sure those that pass them will have learned more than enough to be confident when it comes to using server 2012 R2 in the work place.

abyssinica

pjd007 wrote: »

The obvious fixation is the fact that if you're looking to achieve the MCSE there's 5 exams to be completed and if you're stuck on the 1st one then that is naturally going to frustrate the hell out of you !

Given my experience so far I'd say it's near impossible to fluke the exams and I'm sure those that pass them will have learned more than enough to be confident when it comes to using server 2012 R2 in the work place.

Someone who gets so easily frustrated instead of evaluating their study techniques probably should give the certs a rest. This "frustration" is not productive and just results in multiple failures.

Louie1277

Well question then... if you failed the exam do you study the material you have current or try other book?

Do you start all over with the same book you were studying what do advice would you give to someone who failed? I myself failed on last friday but have the current "installing and configuring windows server 2012 r2" should I start reading the book once again or buy other book ?