MCDST Study Blog - 70-271

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Good luck on your resit, Rick. Let us know how you get on.

My problem hasn't been motivation really, it's been scheduling. I've finished the 70-271 MS Press book now (so just need to update my blog! )

My problem has been scheduling the time to study. A point which is emphasised by the fact that it's 5:30am. On a Sunday. And I'm in work. We really do do this for love, don't we

 

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Okay, so scheduling myself in a break has helped *massively*

I finished reading the 'studying' section of the MS Press book (not the 'prepare for the exam section').

I studiously *didn't* do the end of chapter questions when I finished the chapter. Instead, I waited till the end to go over the objective review questions... wait for it... at the end of the book (duh).

I don't think questions at the end of the chapter particularly reaffirm information very well, especially as you normally answer these questions right after finishing the chapter, so the information is prevalent and fresh in your mind.

If I get more than one wrong in the objective review sections, I'm flagging up that lesson as needing reviewing. So far to say, I'm glad I have only two of the lessons marked

However, with regards to Chapter 5 - Supporting Windows XP File and Folder Access - I would certainly read this more than once, and take careful notes (without regurgitating the entire chapter on notepaper). There is a lot of information to take in here, and if you haven't really worked with local level permissions before it's worth a slow... steady... read. Which I found difficult with my skimming nature.

To get past this, I have started reading complicated sections of the book out loud. I was a bit embarassed about doing it myself at first, and was worried I would drive the other half nuts. But once I got over the fact that he didn't give two hoots, I realised it was really helping me to digest information more. When you're reading out loud, you're forced to not skim over information. Just a little tip some others may want to give a bash

With regards to Chapter 5, I would give special attention to lesson 2... I had to re-read that one myself twice. There's a lot of information in a relatively short lesson.

There have been some interesting limitations in how they treat certain things 'technically' as well.

The most notable example is in configuring your desktop, and, for example, having an extended desktop. They mention that you could have a VGA or DVI connected monitor and (basically) nothing else, which strictly isn't correct. Yeah I know I'm a special case, but I have a small form factor Dell. I couldn't be bothered to find a relevant graphics card to get my other monitor hooked up, and didn't fancy mucking about. So I stole a USB replicator for our laptops with VGA, USB and ethernet... and *wham* technically... a USB monitor

Anyway... tangents...

Also as an aside, I was trying to find an errata for this book on Microsoft's site and typed in the ISBN, but couldn't come up with anything. Does anyone know how to track the errata down (or indeed, if it even exists?)

I have to admit after Chapter 5, I did restart the skimming slightly, especially as I came across topics I was more and more confident with (supporting printers, troubleshooting network connectivity, et al).

I did slow back down (regards to reading) when I came to Chapter 8 - Supporting Storage Devices. Whilst I am fluent and confident in the basics, I have never implemented dynamic discs, and never done anything special on any machines with regards to RAID and so wanted to give this chapter the attention it evidently needed.

But this technically takes me back to the beginning of the post.

Like I said, as I have now finished the book, I am taking the objective review questions and marking the lessons of those chapters for re-review. I have rough notes from all the chapters that I could do with smartening up and re-writing. I'm also considering getting the Exam Cram in the run-up to the exam itself to swot on questions, but I don't particularly want to get into the mindset of expecting certain question types and "spoiling" myself for the exam. Plus, I've heard the Cram for 70-271 is quite poorly constructed both in the quality of the questions asked, and in accuracy - can anyone confirm this?

Overall, the MS-Press book has been quite good. It wasn't difficult to read, and was tech-friendly. The chapters are in a nice logical order to build on previously-read information. I wouldn't trust on it being the only source of material though for someone that had, say, the standard "6 months helpdesk experience". In this instance, I would definitely get another tome such as the Sybex book, to have a better overall feel for the material.

Having said that, I haven't passed the exam yet - I may yet still need the Sybex book myself

Will let you know how the next mock I do goes. The exam itself is in the morning of 9th October (2 weeks today).

 

ROFL.

I'm just doing a practise in the Readiness Review suite that came with the 70-271 MS Press book.

A question in there asks you to choose an option from the dialogue box shown, to configure a setting in Windows Firewall.

Beneath the question is the 'Power Options' dialogue box.

*sigh*

The questions in this thing are pathetic. No wonder I keep only getting 50% - 60%.

Studying Microsoft certs is just depressing.

One question was "which upgrade path should a user use to upgrade from NT4.0 to XP Pro?"

I answered 'clean install of XP Pro' as it didn't specify that SP5 was applied.

But the answer was 'direct upgrade if the customer has SP5 applied'... but... the question didn't state SP5 was applied... how the heck am I meant to answer that correctly.

Grrrrrrrr. And. Depressed. And miserable. And

 

Well I'll see how my motivation stands for the world of MS on Thursday afternoon, but as things stand my morale on the subject matter is pretty low.

Virtually all of my work experience with XP has been in a domain environment, which has left me with a low opinion of the 'real-life relevancy' of the stuff 70-271 has to offer.

Sure enough, there have been some elements of the material (USMT, local GPO) that I have found interesting, but the rest of it (to me) has been... shash. And a lot of the time, where the questions are concerned, very poorly worded shash. This may be the poorly revised state of the MS Readiness review suite, and BM is quite right - high quality questions would be filling me with confidence. Probably.

I think I need to take Andi's advice and try to 'alienate' myself from my current experiences. I'm not getting things wrong because I don't know "my stuff" but I am getting them wrong because I seem to disagree with the way Microsoft does things

Hey ho. I bet I'm not the only person currently in the world with this problem. But right now... I have users to support. *sigh*

 

Just did what will probably be my last 'readiness test' from the MS Press book.

I have to say, I do not recommend using the readiness suite as a revision tool at all, unless Microsoft have reissued the CD as a download on their site, correcting numerous grammar and spelling mistakes, and just plain godawful mistakes with answers, their scoring engine and... well... the whole terrible... thing. The Exam Cram books would possibly be a better idea in this instance.

Got 71% this time. Pfft.

 

Well, tomorrow be the day.

So how do you think I spent today?

Well I had to drive in the region of around 200 miles for work. So I spent this evening playing Wii Sports - tennis, mainly

My MS Press book is next to me, but to tell you the truth, I've become so apathetic about this exam over the last few weeks. I know I'm not in the right frame of mind for it, but I know that, hand on heart, I've done this job for nigh on two years, and I *should* pass. Not saying I will obviously, by any stretch of the imagination. But I should, and if I do fail, I'll only really have myself (and apathy) to blame.

Enthusiasm helps when it boils down to it. And right now, boy I have absolutely none.

Thanks for all the support I've had. You know who you are, you kind bastards

 

lol. Thanks Zeb

The drinks are on me for anyone that can make it to the centre of Birmingham in the next fifteen minutes

I got a score of 783, and will post my miniature white knuckle ride when I've finished celebrating... so probably tomorrow