70-294 sim fail

Discussion in 'Active Directory Exams' started by Mell, Jun 8, 2008.

  1. Mell

    Mell Bit Poster

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    Hi,

    I took this exam last Wednesday and got 677.. Which normally I would think 'ho hum', however, the reason for 677 was because one of the sims errored, hung the system and we had to restart the session. This took me back to the same question..... I answered it the opposite way round and it errored straight away.

    A sim reset reset ok, but it would not let me answer it (also the menu options from 'start' didn't appear after the error. The guy from the test centre knew exactly where and what I was doing and he said it always crashes the system....

    Anyhow, I moved on and got the score as above, without the sim which was an easy one (although worth no marks to me).

    I have appealed to Prometric (really no help.....) and have since escalated to MS who will be back in touch.

    If I had got 600 then fair enough but what a ******* (choose as desired).

    So, I will start to read my 298 book and await their decision...

    Mind you, if I have to sit the exam again, what happens if I have the same sim question and it happens again?

    Mell
     
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  2. Sparky
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    Sparky Zettabyte Poster Moderator

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    Unlucky mate. You assume that the sim will give you enough points to get over 700? Why is that? :blink

    Probably best to wait until MS back to you...
     
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  3. Mell

    Mell Bit Poster

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    Errm, yes I have a bit but as the sims are generally weighted more than some questions then for the sake of 23 marks or 2.3% left of the passing score then I suspect it may be a fair assumption. Of course if the sims are not worth much then even if I had completed all of the options on it (I would of done) then I would have failed anyhow...

    Years ago I was always told that the sims were worth more than most of the question.

    The biggest erk is that the test centre were aware of the problem which makes it difficult if your a sim down when you start. I am not sure how may sims there are in the pool but that one was a tad unlucky.

    Mell


     
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  4. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Microsoft has never revealed whether some questions are worth more than others, so there's no way of knowing for sure.
     
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  5. Mell

    Mell Bit Poster

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    Microsoft have never revealed many things, doesn't mean to say that thats not the case though.

    If the question is worth more than 23 marks then it should be an issue, if it isnt then no worries. If I didnt know the anser to it then I wouldnt be so annoyed.

    Anyhow, Prometric have replied and stated that, there was nothing wrong with the exam... I don't suppose they spoke to the testing centre to confirm or deny this. Although in conversation with them last week they did say that all they have to go on is.... how many questions you answered and how long you took and I am not sure how this relates to what happens on the client end of the exam but hey ho...

    MS are on the case and I should get some sort of response shortly...

    Mell


     
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  6. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Never said it wasn't. I simply said the information to answer that question is not available.
     
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  7. Mell

    Mell Bit Poster

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    After a week MS called to obtain a few more details..... Meanwhile I studied for my 298 and took that at the same centre.

    They said that they had not received a call from MS or Prometric regarding the issue....A week later ( total five weeks after I logged the call) I had an email from Prometric stating that there were no problems with my test and suggested that I read the tutorial which may help me with the exam and that the call was closed

    I was livid.

    I called MS and asked why it had been closed and why they did not bother to call the test centre. MS stated that the call wasn't closed.

    Anyhow, I sent a very snotty reply to Prometric..... I received a reply from somebody there who had taken control of the problem and two days later was given a free retake.

    I took the exam last Monday (at a different centre), had the same question again and this time passed with approx 862....

    The worrying thing is that it was not Prometrics fault no MS but it looks like the test centre hardware cannot deal with the exam..... great hu?

    I will get back to the test centre to explain that it was most l;ikely their fault...

    Anyhow, I am now an MCSE too....at last.

    Mell
     
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  8. onoski

    onoski Terabyte Poster

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    Glad to hear it all ended up well with a pass as well as the MCSE, congratulations:)
     
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  9. Sparky
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    Sparky Zettabyte Poster Moderator

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    Congrats on the MCSE :thumbleft
     
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  10. craigie

    craigie Terabyte Poster

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    Well done and congratulations you MCSE you :)
     
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  11. BosonMichael
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    Congrats!
     
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  12. Luddym

    Luddym Megabyte Poster

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    Congrats on the pass, and I agree with you on the hardware sometimes not coping. when I sat my 70-293,(i think, either this or the 294) 4 machines crashed and It worked out id taken the exam on 5 different machines. Sucks big time as it completely throws you off of your game, instead of worring about the questions, you worry that when you press 'next' it will lose the last question you did and you'll have to move onto another machine!
     
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  13. Mell

    Mell Bit Poster

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    Cheers guys.

    Now all I need is a job! :rolleyes:

    Mell
     
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  14. onoski

    onoski Terabyte Poster

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    Do have any hands on work experience gain from working in IT? Just curious as you have quite a few certs to your name:)
     
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  15. Mell

    Mell Bit Poster

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    lol....

    Ermm been around since..... CBM were the computing mainstay of business's. My IT knowledge was all self taught and originally I was at the forefront of the whole computery thing, which meant I could leave a job and walk into another.

    Agencies existed, so it was always a 'face to face' interview....but........nowadays experience is worth ZILCH when you use the net or agencies as they search for the quals....hence I have now added these too.

    But to answer your Q, about 26 years of IT covering most areas....

    Mell


     
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  16. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Eh? Absolutely not true. Experience is worth more today than it ever has been.

    Sure, companies like to see certifications... but try having certifications and no experience and see where that gets you these days: nowhere. Fortunately, you don't have to deal with that problem - you've got experience as well.
     
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  17. Bluerinse
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    Bluerinse Exabyte Poster

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    Congrats on the MCSE 8)
     
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  18. Mell

    Mell Bit Poster

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    Errrm, not quite.

    One of the problems stems from agencies who do not know subjects in depth enough to realise that if you have done A, B, C then not having D is irrelevant. They are given a spec and expect you to match it. If you do not then no call.

    Rather than understanding roles most, merely 'word search' for specifics. A case in point being as follows....

    A relly completed a CV and heard NOTHING... so he changed his CV to state...

    I do not have the following qualifications.....and listed a whole load.... He then got loads of phone calls with potential positions.... it seems that nobody bothered to read his CV but were more interested in what was picked up on the 'search'.

    However, I have heard from companies who hire through agencies and do get 'paper' skills and believe it or not people lie on their CV's, no really! Still, they get the job, don't stay the full term and then move on.

    It is a bit of a lottery as far as I can see.

    Mell



     
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  19. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Fair enough, but agencies who don't know a qualified applicant from an unqualified one typically don't stay in business long enough because they consistently provide unqualified applicants to an employer. Agencies who DO understand the industry tend to thrive, as they provide highly relevant applicants to employers. I know this from experience, having been the guy reviewing resumes in the past.

    Again, certifications without the appropriate amount of experience is pretty useless. Sure, there are rare exceptions... but they don't tend to be kept for long, as they are wholly unqualified. Or, they're not hired in the first place. Employers have been burned by hiring people who were certified, but didn't have the experience. They've learned not to do that now, and as a result, the value of our hard-earned certifications has diminished. Nowadays, experience is king to employers. Again, I know this not only from the employer's side of things, but also from seeing it every... single... day... listening to hundreds of people on these very forums.

    Don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying certifications are useless. If I believed that, I wouldn't be doing the job I do today. But certifications without experience are useless.

    So... did he get hired for any of them? Getting your resume noticed is NOT the point. Certainly that tactic will get your CV noticed. Getting hired is the point... and that sort of tactic won't do it.

    If I got his CV, it'd go in the bin for pulling such a tactic. :dry

    Yes, people do lie on their CVs. Does it make it right? So what is it you're recommending - that we certify up regardless of experience (and what employers believe be damned in the process) or that we lie on our CV to make us look better?

    It's not a lottery at all. Not if you craft your career the right way... based on experience, not just smoke and mirrors and tricks or a bunch of letters after your name.

    Good Lord, what is it with new guys on the forum the past couple of days who justify and rationalize bad behavior?!? It's absolutely mind boggling! :blink
     
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