MCDST Info Please...

Discussion in 'General Microsoft Certifications' started by SarlechS, Sep 13, 2008.

  1. SarlechS

    SarlechS Bit Poster

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    hi, me and my mate are looking at doing an MCDST, looking really at IT Support jobs for now just to get a job in IT and then hopefully move onwards and upwards.

    i have finished off my degree in Business IT, and my mate is finishing off his Networking Degree this year Part Time, so some knowledge is already there. We are thinking of learning from book and taking the exam through someone like globalknowledge or any other place on the microsoft certified list situated around coventry/birmingham.

    i just need some queries answered before i go ahead...

    how many questions are in the exams?
    what is the percentage required to pass the exams?
    what is the price per exam?
    does having both exams imply ur a MCDST automatically?
    would you advise people to learn by themselves or go on a boot camp etc and pay the extra £££?
    whats the difference between this and the "A+", which is seen as the higher qualification?
    how many hours would you say is required before you should take the exam?


    i'd appreciate any feedback

    thanks
     
    Certifications: BA(Hons) Business Information Technology
    WIP: MCDST
  2. greenbrucelee
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    greenbrucelee Zettabyte Poster

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    The exam questions vary apparently
    Microsoft do not set a percentage but is around the 70% mark
    price varies dependant on wether you have a voucher or not but it's arounf the £85 mark
    both the 70-271 & 272 get you the MCDST passing one makes you an MCP
    Learn by yourself it's cheaper
    most people do the A+,N+ and then MCDST and no further untill you have the relevant on the job experience.
    How many hours is upto you only you can answer this. Buy some practice exams once you have studied a bit to gauage your reddiness.

    Welcome to CF.
     
    Certifications: A+, N+, MCDST, Security+, 70-270
    WIP: 70-620 or 70-680?
  3. Kitkatninja
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    Kitkatninja aka me, myself & I Moderator

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    1. The pass mark is 700, we take it as 70% but that is just an assumption.

    2. It's about £88 quid, you may be able to get it cheaper if you cam find early expiry vouchers, discounted vouchers, money off vouchers, etc...

    3. Passing both exams, and those exams reaching MS makes you MCDST

    4. I would either advise either self study or contacting your local college to see if they do MS courses. Going thru alot of private training companies (not all, but most) are expensive. I would not advise doing a bootcamp unless you have a lot of experience.

    5. MCDST is geared up towards MS technologies, specifically XP. The Comptia A+ is vendor neutral and covers Operating systems in general, basic networking, and hardware. Both certs compliement each other. Both of these are level 2 certs.

    6. That's a fuzzy question, it depends on the individual...

    -Ken
     
    Certifications: MSc, PGDip, PGCert, BSc, HNC, LCGI, MBCS CITP, MCP, MCSA, MCSE, MCE, A+, N+, S+, Server+
    WIP: MSc Cyber Security
  4. SarlechS

    SarlechS Bit Poster

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    thanks for your info guys its been really informative....just a few more questions please..

    how long is the exam? (estimate if not 100% known)
    is there a place i can find practice papers?
    how many questions are in the exam? (or estimate if your not 100%)
    are the questions likely to be similar to the learning material?
    what books do you recommend? i've been using testking books are these good?

    thanks again

    appreciated!
     
    Certifications: BA(Hons) Business Information Technology
    WIP: MCDST
  5. wizard

    wizard Petabyte Poster

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    Do not touch any testking material they are very well known braindumping site.
     
    Certifications: SIA DS Licence
    WIP: A+ 2009
  6. Sparky
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    Sparky Zettabyte Poster Moderator

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  7. SarlechS

    SarlechS Bit Poster

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    thanks for your information on the books i am using, and thanks for linking me to some better learning material.

    i was just thinking is it a waste as time doing the MCDST as it's Windows XP? wouldn't it be better to learn Vista...isn't it the MCITP?
     
    Certifications: BA(Hons) Business Information Technology
    WIP: MCDST
  8. greenbrucelee
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    greenbrucelee Zettabyte Poster

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    do both, most companies use XP some still use 2000. I don't know of any companies that use Vista fully.
     
    Certifications: A+, N+, MCDST, Security+, 70-270
    WIP: 70-620 or 70-680?
  9. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    ...particularly since nobody knows the minimum score, the maximum score, whether questions are worth varying amounts of points, or whether partial credit is given. Throw in the fact that some exams are scored based on lowest-scoring section, and the percentage basically goes out the window.
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  10. Sparky
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    Sparky Zettabyte Poster Moderator

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    I do support one small Vista only network. It has a SBS and 10 laptops but we couldn’t get XP on the laptops so had to settle for Vista.

    The network has only been in for 6 months so perhaps too early to say how Vista is working out.
     
    Certifications: MSc MCSE MCSA:M MCSA:S MCITP:EA MCTS(x5) MS-900 AZ-900 Security+ Network+ A+
    WIP: Microsoft Certs
  11. FlashDangerpants

    FlashDangerpants Byte Poster

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    We advise customers to get their laptops with Vista Business OEM which can be downgraded to XP. Buy the right ones and you get a downgrade CD with them (if you don't its a tortuous process that involves negotiating a new XP key with a witless noob on the MS helpdesk).

    We do also support a handful of Vista systems across different companies, but I don't think any of our engineers have done a specific course or qualification in that OS, and we probably wouldn't look for it on CVs. XP is still very much the way to go right now.
     
    Certifications: MCITP Exchange 2010, MCSA Svr 2012
    WIP: Exchange 2013
  12. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Why bother phoning Microsoft? There's a way to do it on the Web, and it's quite easy. :thumbleft
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  13. FlashDangerpants

    FlashDangerpants Byte Poster

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    Is there? Could I trouble you for a link? I won't type details of how we're doing it at the moment as somebody from MS might disapprove.
     
    Certifications: MCITP Exchange 2010, MCSA Svr 2012
    WIP: Exchange 2013
  14. Qs

    Qs Semi-Honorary Member Gold Member

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    Link 1 - here
    Link 2 - here

    Official MS Downgrade chart - here

    That should do ya :)

    Qs
     
    Certifications: MCT, MCSE: Private Cloud, MCSA (2008), MCITP: EA, MCITP: SA, MCSE: 2003, MCSA: 2003, MCITP: EDA7, MCITP: EDST7, MCITP: EST Vista, MCTS: Exh 2010, MCTS:ServerVirt, MCTS: SCCM07 & SCCM2012, MCTS: SCOM07, MCTS: Win7Conf, MCTS: VistaConf, MCDST, MCP, MBCS, HND: Applied IT, ITIL v3: Foundation, CCA
  15. FlashDangerpants

    FlashDangerpants Byte Poster

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    Thanks, but that pretty much describes how we do it already, with the repeated annoyance of having to phone MS for activation. I was kinda looking for Michael's phone avoiding mechanism.
     
    Certifications: MCITP Exchange 2010, MCSA Svr 2012
    WIP: Exchange 2013
  16. Qs

    Qs Semi-Honorary Member Gold Member

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    As far as I'm aware I don't think there's a way around it. I'm happy to be proven wrong though...

    Qs
     
    Certifications: MCT, MCSE: Private Cloud, MCSA (2008), MCITP: EA, MCITP: SA, MCSE: 2003, MCSA: 2003, MCITP: EDA7, MCITP: EDST7, MCITP: EST Vista, MCTS: Exh 2010, MCTS:ServerVirt, MCTS: SCCM07 & SCCM2012, MCTS: SCOM07, MCTS: Win7Conf, MCTS: VistaConf, MCDST, MCP, MBCS, HND: Applied IT, ITIL v3: Foundation, CCA
  17. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Well... I thought I had seen it before... but I can't find any trace of it anywhere. Maybe it was a beta that never released... Hm.

    I guess the phone activation method is the only way...
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  18. Qs

    Qs Semi-Honorary Member Gold Member

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    Qs - 1

    BosonMichael - 0


    *running awaaaaay*
     
    Certifications: MCT, MCSE: Private Cloud, MCSA (2008), MCITP: EA, MCITP: SA, MCSE: 2003, MCSA: 2003, MCITP: EDA7, MCITP: EDST7, MCITP: EST Vista, MCTS: Exh 2010, MCTS:ServerVirt, MCTS: SCCM07 & SCCM2012, MCTS: SCOM07, MCTS: Win7Conf, MCTS: VistaConf, MCDST, MCP, MBCS, HND: Applied IT, ITIL v3: Foundation, CCA
  19. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    8)
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!

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