OCS Release 2 Exam 070-638

Discussion in 'General Microsoft Certifications' started by cavey76, Feb 3, 2009.

  1. cavey76

    cavey76 Bit Poster

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    Gents, Took the above exam today. Last one i need for my MCSE. Was looking good...or thought i was. I had used the MS Resource Kit Book, Video Collection 5125 from MS and Measureup mock papers for good measure. Also had access to a quick last minute "powerhour" last minute swotting video courtesy of Global Knowledge.

    So thought i was on for a pass, maybe even a decent one......hit start and up pops 65 questions!....as i got into them i realised i hadn't a clue. The focus of the exam was ENTIRELY release 2 (R2, Server 2008, 64 bit Server 2003) but this wasn't very clear from the MS website. Measureup have already refunded me and i have fired a few complaint emails to MS. Now i dig a little more into the MS website i see that there are currently no training materials available for Release 2, The resource kit for R2, i have on order as i'll need it for work but it's not out for another few days. I am gutted as this was to be my last exam and unless MS reevaluate my paper (unlikely) i'll need to take a few more weeks/months before i am ready to do this again.

    So basically if any of you chaps are considering doing this exam in the next couple of weeks....DON'T!

    Yours guttedly

    cavey:(
     
    Certifications: MCSE Server 2003, MCTS OCS2007 R2, CCNA
    WIP: CCNA Voice, Sharepoint
  2. Kitkatninja
    Highly Decorated Member Award 500 Likes Award

    Kitkatninja aka me, myself & I Moderator

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    Sorry about your experience, however did you actually check Microsoft's page before the exam?

    See here.

    The exam was first released in 2007, and like all MS exams they do get updated to reflect the technology.

    However on the plus side, you now know the type of questions on this exam and hopefully you actually used the second shot promo so you can sit the exam again for free.

    -Ken
     
    Certifications: MSc, PGDip, PGCert, BSc, HNC, LCGI, MBCS CITP, MCP, MCSA, MCSE, MCE, A+, N+, S+, Server+
    WIP: MSc Cyber Security
  3. cavey76

    cavey76 Bit Poster

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    Ken, I had actually several times, I was flapping a bit about using solely the Resource Kit so was searching their website for our resources. Hence i picked up the 5125 collection of videos for £85 last week. This was recommended at the time as training.

    Also the website refers to certain sections of the exams as being R2, also my MCT checked his knowledgebase and saw that R2 had been introduced. From his experience he reckoned a certain percentage of Qs would be R2 but not ALL of them.

    Basically you can't study for R2 yet as neither the Resource Kit is available, nor are any of the other MS resources set up for R2 but then the exam is. I wouldn't have minded had the exam been declared a different exam but 070-638 pointed you at the training materials i used. Actually i have just heard from our program manager in the US where we had 15 people on the Global Knowledge OCS training course last week only 1 passed the OCS exam yesterday and it seems they are chasing MS for some sort of clarification.

    I'll keep you all posted should you be interested but meanwhile don't exam on OCS
     
    Certifications: MCSE Server 2003, MCTS OCS2007 R2, CCNA
    WIP: CCNA Voice, Sharepoint
  4. Kitkatninja
    Highly Decorated Member Award 500 Likes Award

    Kitkatninja aka me, myself & I Moderator

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    Keep us updated on the outcome :)

    -ken
     
    Certifications: MSc, PGDip, PGCert, BSc, HNC, LCGI, MBCS CITP, MCP, MCSA, MCSE, MCE, A+, N+, S+, Server+
    WIP: MSc Cyber Security
  5. fluffcat1

    fluffcat1 New Member

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    I booked this the 15th Jan, they changed it the 16th, I took it the 23rd and failed by 1 mark :-(

    So I kicked off with microsoft's program manager and got this reply after a week or so:

    > We are writing in regards to the issue that you raised to us recently.
    >
    > Please be informed that the exam was primarily refreshed for
    > psychometric reasons which is our standard practice to combat piracy.
    >
    > In this case we took the opportunity to update a small number of items
    > to R2 specific content, but that isn’t enough to fail a qualified
    > candidate.
    >
    >
    > There is no longer an “R1” version of this exam to take.Two items in a
    > sixty-five item exam still keeps us in on target for pass rates and
    > other psychometric measurements and isn’t the deciding factor in whether
    > they pass or fail.
    >
    > Please find free retake voucher enclosed below:
    >
    > XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx
    >
    > If you have any further questions please get in touch with us and we
    > will be happy to assist you in any way we can.
    >
    > Kind Regards

    So I got my 2nd shot try booked *and* a voucher that let me book a different exam. Result Not taking the r2 version until I've had a play with it - only downloaded last week from the launch site.

    HTH.

    Richard
     
  6. BosonMichael
    Honorary Member Highly Decorated Member Award 500 Likes Award

    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Congrats!
     
    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!
  7. meonfloor

    meonfloor New Member

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    I fail on 70-638, i just shocked it was 65 questions, and its all OCS 2007 R2. i didnt know before. on live training by microsoft didnt says about this, or maybe i am missed?, but its the things i havent try before. so i fail.

    i will try again later.
     
  8. cavey76

    cavey76 Bit Poster

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    Richard, That's really interesting!. Similarly, in truest petted lip fashion i fired off a "it's no fair, MS and a bunch of jobbies" email to MS and got guess what.... a refund for the 5125 training collection. Which i am happy enough about. As OCS is absolutely core to what my future job role will be i am starting all over again. I got my R2 Resource Kit book about a week ago and i am reading that again. Also my company have orgnaised a couple of days of R2 training with MS in a month or so i am not taking any chances on a 2nd attempt just yet. Here is the REALLY fascinating stuff. Look at the response i got from MS....Names removed/changed to protect the innocent. What some of my colleagues found fascinating was the tone of the mail from MS, some said it was almost cheeky. To be honest as someone who has been listening to corporate bullwhatsit for a decade i found the honesty almost refreshing and my only grievance now is that i still think greater effort should have went into co-ordinating the exam with the training material release. Also i still deny the fact it was only 10% R2 and i've read many other aggreived reports on the web that it was way higher than that. I take my refund and the free voucher give above to fluffcat as the closest anyone will get to an admission of any sort from MS. Ah well...you live and learn.

    The black text is mine, the blue the MS press chappie and Lionel, played here by an actor is, i assume some sort of test writer/program boyo.

    Hello Mr. Cavey,

    I believe our RSC has already been in contact with you to arrange a refund for the e-learning collection. I am happy to approve the refund of the E-Learning collection, but I want to be sure we also properly address the issues you have raised about the exam and acknowledge if the statements are correct.

    Specific issues to address in this Complaint about exam 70-638

    a. “I have since heard that the exam changed to the R2 version in late January and has so far had a very poor pass rate”
    Question: Lionel, is this true? No, the exam does not have a “very poor pass rate”. It is lower than the previous exam which was ridiculously easy. But at the moment it is not far below our target. We generally see pass rates dip when we refresh an exam especially when we suspect it has been compromised.

    b. Does this not say something about the available preparation materials? If (a) is true then Yes it does say something about our preparation materials.
    Lionel, you suggest that 90% of the items pertain to functionality that applies to OCS 2007 and OCS 2007 R2 but then go on to say the exam is being clarified so that items that represent functionality that applies to both versions uses the OCS 2007 designation. Is this guy the only one confused on this issue, or is your modification of the exam based on similar feedback? If so, we do need to acknowledge that to the customer. yes, I would say his problem is one of perception like the other reports we’ve had. Simply stated less than 10% of the items were based on R2 (not the 62 out of 65 this fellow believes). However, there has been a very vocal minority that the PG wanted to address and thus they are funding the rebranding of the items that pertain to both “r2” and “plain” OCS. Technically the existing prep material would cover 90% of what is on the exam even though it was rebranded as OCS 2007 R2, however given that candidates are being thrown by the branding and mistaking general functionality with R2 specific functionality I think it makes sense that they feel the training is inadequate, regardless of whether it is or not.

    c. Still the Microsoft website points to Measure Up and the 5125 collection as being the recommended training materials. Lionel, considering you are making changes to the exam and there is allegedly a poor pass rate do you feel these are appropriate training preps? the training is in the process of being updated and should RTM soon. Since the scope (OD) of the exam didn’t change 5125 is still the best training to utilize. To be honest, when the new training comes out it will invariably cover some R2 details that the exam doesn’t and as such will probably be as much (or as far) on target as the current offerings, just tilted towards R2 rather than “plain” OCS. If that makes sense?

    d. Does Microsoft not think it would have been more logical to release OCS R2 and the associated training materials and after a few weeks THEN upgrade the exam. Question: Lionel, this is excellent point, so why do we not proceed in this manner. absolutely! Ideally we’d like the training material to come out before the exam and the product should come out before both. In a case like this when the PG funds the project we differ to their schedules. The reality of the situation is that it is quicker to make an exam than training so for PG funded projects like this it isn’t uncommon for the exam to come out first. That’s certainly not our preference but often the PG has commitments around getting a course or an exam out and that drives the dates more than anything, excluding perhaps budget. In this case the exam and product were scheduled to come out at the same time but the product slipped a few days along the way and the exam ended up coming out a few days prior to RTM.

    We’re addressing the branding issue – and I think that’s really what it is – as fast as we can on the exam side of things. This is definitely not the way we like things to go but it is what it is and we have to adjust the best we can.

    I hope that this reposne is satrifactory and if you sholuld have any further queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.

    Kind Regards

    MS PRESS CHAPPIE
     
    Certifications: MCSE Server 2003, MCTS OCS2007 R2, CCNA
    WIP: CCNA Voice, Sharepoint

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