Has Prometric made the exams harder?

Discussion in 'General Microsoft Certifications' started by Rockstar, Feb 7, 2008.

  1. Rockstar

    Rockstar Bit Poster

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    I hear prometric has a higher percentage of people failing their exams then vue did...did prometric rewrite the exams and make them thougher?

    Just wondering...thx!

    :whatthink
     
    Certifications: A+, Net+, MCP - 70-290, 70-270
    WIP: need to get 70-291 - to get MCSA!
  2. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    I work in IT certification training, and this is the first I've heard of this "urban legend".

    Prometric does not write the exams; the vendors (Microsoft, CompTIA, etc.) do. Prometric only delivers the test using their software engine at testing centers they authorize as "Prometric test centers". Thus, it is not logical to believe that Microsoft going solely with Prometric would cause more people to fail exams... nor would Cisco going solely with VUE cause more people to pass exams.

    There's really no mystery or conspiracy to figure out; if you know the material, you will pass... if you don't, you will fail.
     
    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!
  3. JonnyMX

    JonnyMX Petabyte Poster

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    I hadn't heard that one either.

    However, every now and then beta questions slip into exams, suggesting that the content is updated or reviewed from time to time.

    Knowing MS's love for crunching stats, I wouldn't be surprised if they tweak exams from time to time to try and keep the pass rate consistant, e.g. not too easy and not too hard.
    While they want everyone in the world to be MS certified and using MS technology, ultimately if everyone got an MCSE it would devalue the cert.

    On the other hand, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't bother...
     
    Certifications: MCT, MCTS, i-Net+, CIW CI, Prince2, MSP, MCSD
  4. grim

    grim Gigabyte Poster

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    M$ are re-writing all their exams this year to make them sim based so they're more life like and to stop people test kinging the exams

    Grim
     
    Certifications: Bsc, 70-270, 70-290, 70-291, 70-293, 70-294, 70-298, 70-299, 70-620, 70-649, 70-680
    WIP: 70-646, 70-640
  5. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    If you've got a link to that info, Grim, I'd be appreciative. :)
     
    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!
  6. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Yes, but the beta questions they slip in are unscored... so that wouldn't cause people to fail.

    However, if I understand what you are getting at, the beta questions eventually make their way into the live exam as scored items. For those who rely on braindumps to cheat, new questions can certainly cause more people to fail (those who actually deserve to fail because they don't know the concepts). So, in that respect, IF more people are failing, then it's still not Prometric's fault. :)
     
    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. grim

    grim Gigabyte Poster

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    unforunately i don't, i heard it from an M$ trainer.

    Grim
     
    Certifications: Bsc, 70-270, 70-290, 70-291, 70-293, 70-294, 70-298, 70-299, 70-620, 70-649, 70-680
    WIP: 70-646, 70-640
  8. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Thanks anyway, mate. :)
     
    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!
  9. Rockstar

    Rockstar Bit Poster

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    Thanks for the replies guys, I'm studying for the 70-291 exam right now so... since I'm studying so hard I should be fine. I'll let you'all know once I pass!

    :morebeer
     
    Certifications: A+, Net+, MCP - 70-290, 70-270
    WIP: need to get 70-291 - to get MCSA!
  10. michael78

    michael78 Terabyte Poster

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    I would love all exams to be mainly sims due to the fact that sometimes I don't know the answer to a question so there is a chance I'll get it wrong. With Sims it allows you to play around and possibly work it out for yourself. For me that would make it a lot easier (doubt it will happen though).
     
    Certifications: A+ | Network+ | Security+ | MCP | MCDST | MCTS: Hyper-V | MCTS: AD | MCTS: Exchange 2007 | MCTS: Windows 7 | MCSA: 2003 | ITIL Foundation v3 | CCA: Xenapp 5.0 | MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Administrator on Windows 7 | MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Support Technician on Windows 7
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  11. neutralhills

    neutralhills Kilobyte Poster

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    I talked to a Microsoft employee back in 2002 when I was in Redmond at one of those one day meetings a handful of people get invites for to set the cut score for the exam (70-270 in this case). The employee in question worked in the certification part of MS and she stated that the goal was to make the exams more real-world task based through sims. They felt this would not only make the exams more accurate as diagnostic tools, but that it would take the piss out of the braindumpers.

    The problem at the time was that so many of the computers at the testing centers were underpowered pieces of crap that the sims kept bringing the systems to their knees and crashing them in the middle of the exam. Anyhow, this was a goal I know they've been working towards for quite some time. I was granted this meeting with the Redmond Gods back when I was a CS employee, which is why I got to talk with a high-muckety muck about it.

    I'm afraid that this is hearsay evidence and that I can't provide a link, however. :blink
     
    Certifications: Lots.
    WIP: Upgrading MS certs
  12. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Yeah, I know that that's certainly a goal they're moving towards... but re-writing their entire bank of exams within the span of a year so that they all include sims? Not sure that's realistic, considering the amount of time it takes to program them.

    Microsoft will have to make their sims far less linear if they plan on taking the piss out of the braindumpers. As it is now, you don't even need braindumps to pass them... just click until you find the only working path, and you're almost done. :(

    Additionally, Microsoft *really* needs to introduce some component of variability to REALLY nerf the braindumpers. Meaning, if they want to do a DHCP scope question, they shouldn't have a single DHCP scope simulation where you create the same scope with the same addresses and the same DHCP options for every single test taker. They should add some variability... sometimes you might require:
    - one IP range
    - multiple IP ranges
    - one exclusion range
    - several exclusion ranges (some single addresses, some multiple addresses)
    - different DHCP options

    ...or if you're troubleshooting an existing DHCP scope, always have something DIFFERENT broken in the scope... not always the DNS server, for example.

    THAT will cause the braindumpers to not have anything to latch onto, other than to say "Know completely how to deal with DHCP scopes".

    I've got tons of ideas like these for Microsoft... if they want them, they likely know how to reach me. 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!
  13. Tinus1959

    Tinus1959 Gigabyte Poster

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    Back in 2002, yes, I can imagion that the bigger part of exam testing machines was not powerfull enough to run the sims. In fact two years ago there was a level upgrade for prometric machines. This means that a test center machine has to have a specific amount of RAM, processor power and disk space (and video card specs) to be able to run those new exams.
    Up to this point only 290, 291, 293 and 294 have real sims in them (and maybe the new SQL exams).
    I did Vista and exchange 2007 recently. No sims.

    Also, MS had a new type of exams a few years back, the adeptive test. In this test question two depended more or less on your answer on question one.
    They abandoned this type of tests quickly.

    Bottom line: MS keeps innovating its exams and you'll never know how they will test in 2 years time.
     
    Certifications: See my signature
    WIP: MCSD, MCAD, CCNA, CCNP

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