Last Ditch Attempt - 70-290

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Ok its official i've booked my 5th attempt at 70-290 for 3 weeks time, i've had a read through my old notes this morning and the information seems to still be there. Does anyone have any further suggestions on how I can pass this exam!! agghh!! I was thinking as the info is in my head maybe I could do with some exam practice, does anyone have any suggestions of sites or products I can try? I've used trancender previously and my version is now out of date and i've also "learned" the answers which is unhelpful. I'm getting desperate and will give anything a try.

PS - If I don't pass it this time, its time to give up and give the MCDST a try!

 

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Good luck for three weeks time! I can't offer any more suggestions - you're doing exactly what I did (study, study and er.... more study!). Have your previous print-outs suggested any one area you're particularly weak on? Have you had lots of hands-on?

 

Unfortunately not, my print outs have been all over the place every time, I've found them very unhelpful. I've had lots of hands on and i've worked through the microsoft press book on each exercise, i've also been on the training courses so that shouldn't be a problem.
Has anyone tried Measure Up? I need some papers with some simulations on really and they've got a sale on at the moment!.

 

I'm stumped then, Loopy. Sometimes it really is a luck of the draw to which questions you get asked (I failed Network+ the first time by about 1% because I was hammered with Netware questions. On the resit only 1 - which was on probably one of the few things I knew about Netware!). I'm sure you'll nail it easily this time.

I've got to admit I'll probably be in the same position as you for the 291

 

Hello

There are some free "mock" 70-290 Exams here: *********

Anouther mock test here:
http://certification.about.com/cs/sampletests/a/mcse70290.htm

Free try demo type prog.:
http://www.softforall.com/HomeEducation/TeachingTools/70-290_Demo_Exam_Questions05160198.htm

And Good Luck to you!!!





Admin Edit (J): Link to likely illegal materials removed

 

Good luck Loopy.

 

Thanks Sarah, i'll have a look at those. Keith please don't joke about 291 i've got that to come yet, if 290 takes me 5 attempts I dread to think about the next.
One of the guys from my office passed 70-290 and 70-291 with 700 exactly, why can't I do that hey!!
I passed 70-270 first time so hopefully the MCDST will be ok to move onto for a break from server exams!. I'll do 70-291 in the winter when i'm stuck inside bored!!.
Nah its going to have to be more practice exam papers I think, and yet more reading (i've got about 4 books on the go now!!)
Thanks for the support guys, i'll keep you posted.

 

I ain't joking about it! For me it's a struggle (with hindsight I think doing Security+ might have helped with those sections but too late now!). 290 was (relatively) easy because I do most of the stuff from day to day. 291 touches other stuff that we don't do (setting up DNS & DHCP, VPN connections, yadda yadda yadda). General concensus from everyone I've heard from it appears the 291 is slightly harder.

I keep saying, though, that there's a huge leap in difficulty from the 270 to 290 which catches a lot of people out!!

I'm moving onto the MCDST after I finish the MCSA so I'll let you know how that one goes!

 

Yeah I know the 70-291 is slightly harder than the 290 although I do find the networking stuff slightly more interesting.
I started with the 70-290 had 3 attempts and then moved onto the 70-270 which I passed first time (I think the 290 revision helped actually), so i'm back trying to pass the server exam now. But your right its definitely a huge leap, I think the MCDST exams will be somewhere inbetween the level of difficulty.
Out of interest what are the security+ exams? I've had all the training for my MCSA exams but these have never been mentioned?

BTW i'm using the MCSDT as an elective for my MCSA, i've done the exchange 2003 course but apparently this exam is harder than the 70-291. They certainly make you work for it hey!

 

That's the CompTIA exam - can be used as an elective for MCSA (and MCSE). Jamin. commented in another thread that doing it previously helped him with the VPN stuff in the 291 but I think there may be other security issue crossovers. If you're starting out and haven't already got an elective it might be worth considering (I would if I could have my time over!)

I'm using my A+/Network+ as an elective to get the MCSA quicker but I'll be moving on (next year) to the 284 to make the cert a "proper" Microsoft one! I guess now it's your turn to scare me !

I decided on trying the MCDST after looking at the 271 objectives - looks really like the 270 so I may be half way there already! As a lot of my work is desktop support I guess it'll look good on the CV too...

 

Loopy, it looks like Sarah has given you some pretty good resources. As you know by now, no two exams are quite the same. The 290, just like any other cert exam, draws from a large database of possible questions. Frankly, some versions are just harder than others. Unless you suspect that you don't understand the material on a *fundemental* level, then it's just a matter of continuing to study until you "nail the sucka".

I wish you all the luck there is and anticipate that you will come back from the testing center victorious but just in case it doesn't work out, perhaps putting down the material and studying for a completely different test would help. Occasionally, a person can "overstudy" for an exam and somehow the information gets stale, making it difficult to actually "perform" well enough to pass. Changing to something fresh sometimes really helps. Then you come back to the original course work weeks or occasionally months later with a new perspective and rip it up.

Whichever way it works, we're all pulling for you. Good luck, Loopy.

 

Best of luck Loopy

 

Thanks i'll need it I feel, still 2 weeks to get some revision in now, so i'll be making the most of all the resources i can get my hands on. Thanks for the support!!

 

Loopy have you tried an examcram book they are pretty easy at condensing exam material. I'm not looking forward to the network side of my MCSA as it will touch on things like exchange which we don't use at work (Lotus Bloody Notes ) so it's going to be difficult for me but stick in there and I'm sure you will pass.

 

There was NOTHING about Exchange for my MCSA test! Is this the MCSA 2003 you are talking about? And yes, the problem with MS certs is the assumption that your shop is ALL Microsoft, and that the Microsoft solution is always the best... They even want you to use Microsoft Servers as routers...

 

MRobinson, you cover exchange in the MCSE exams as far as I'm aware maybe in the MCSA ones as well. It's been a while since I looked at the exam content but I'm sure you do or can take it as an elective exam.

 

Hi,
Just a quickie to say I was not asked to learn about exchange in any of the MCSA books I have used so far, SMTP / POP / IMAP yes, exchange as a product, no.
Jam.

 

There's no Exchange in the core exams for MCSA. You can do an elective in it (70-284 I know which is for the MCSA: Messaging, but I think there may be another one too?) if you feel you need to. On the other hand, choose the right elective and you can avoid it all together!

 

Jamin, it might be an elective exam as I'm sure I came across it when researching doing my MCSA/MCSE then again it was a while ago so I might be wrong.