Question on the two exams

Discussion in 'MCDST' started by ICS are Cr@p, Mar 5, 2010.

  1. ICS are Cr@p

    ICS are Cr@p Bit Poster

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    Hiya,
    I'm just starting to study this course and yet to find my own method, but my question is this:
    I notice there are different grades given to the two exams depending on what percentage you get.
    I wondered if anyone could tell me what the pass mark is? i.e. the mark i'm sure of getting a certificate and qualification...

    Also...

    If I study for one exam at a time, eg. study for 271 then take it (hopefully pass it!) then do the same with 272 then sit that one, is there a time limit between passing one and then the other? Eg. once i've passed one have I got 6 months to do the other one or i'll have to take the first one again?

    Any help would be appreciated.

    Cheers,

    Ben.
     
  2. Gingerdave

    Gingerdave Megabyte Poster

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    Hi Ben

    the pass mark for both is 700/1000, however the often throw beta questions in there so there is no set number of questions or number needed to get right, just the end score.

    As for the time limit between, each counts as its own qualification so you would be a Microsoft Certified Professional in Windows XP operating system (271) or in Desktop applications on XP (272). When they are combined they becomed the MCDST, essentially they are linked but seperate so there is no time limit between so as long as the exam is available you have time.
     
    Certifications: A+,MCP, MCDST, VCP5 /VCP-DV 5, MCTS AD+ Net Inf 2008, MCSA 2008
    WIP: MCSA 2012
  3. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Mmmmm... the pass mark is 700, but the maximum may or may not be 1000. And the minimum may or may not be 0. So the 700 mark is rather arbitrary; it does not necessarily denote a 70% score.

    Best you can do is to study the concepts completely and forget about trying to reach a certain percentage.
     
    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!
  4. Gingerdave

    Gingerdave Megabyte Poster

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    I stand corrected!

    Both of my 271 and 271 were out of 1000 so i thought they all were.
     
    Certifications: A+,MCP, MCDST, VCP5 /VCP-DV 5, MCTS AD+ Net Inf 2008, MCSA 2008
    WIP: MCSA 2012
  5. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    So you scored 1000?
     
    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. soundian

    soundian Gigabyte Poster

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    Was there not a link to an article a few months ago from one of the big cheeses in MS exams that said 0 and 1000 were the only marks which you could be sure of, as a percentage of questions answered correctly, i.e. 0=no correct answers, 1000=all answers correct. Anywhere in between is subject to scaling, weighting etc and they won't tell how that's done.
     
    Certifications: A+, N+,MCDST,MCTS(680), MCP(270, 271, 272), ITILv3F, CCENT
    WIP: Knuckling down at my new job
  7. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Not to my knowledge. In fact, there have been reports of perfect scores of both less than and greater than 1000. Granted, most (if not all) of these reports came out back when Microsoft standardized all passing scores to 700, even for older exams that weren't that way originally, and I suspect that might have had something to do with it.

    Still, CompTIA starts at 100, and Cisco starts at 300, so we cannot summarily assume that Microsoft starts at 0.
     
    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!
  8. soundian

    soundian Gigabyte Poster

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    http://www.certforums.co.uk/forums/thread34808.html

    "Here’s the key that bears repeating—700 is not equal to 70%. I hear this a lot… I need to answer 70% of the questions correctly to pass the exam. This is not true; in fact the actual percentage of items that you have to answer correctly varies for exam to exam and can range from roughly 50% to 85%. I can’t tell you what the range is exactly for our exams or what the cut score percentage is for a specific exam, but I can tell you that it varies—on some exams you need to answer a higher percentage of items correctly to pass than you need to on other exams. The cut score for a particular exam is based on input from SMEs, the minimum qualifications for competency, and the difficulty of the item pool. Carrying this one step further, this also means that the score that you see in the score report is not the percentage of items that you answered correctly (unless you answered all the questions correct (1000=100%) or incorrect (0=0%), but these are the only exceptions). It’s simply an indication of your performance in relation to the cut score.!
     
    Certifications: A+, N+,MCDST,MCTS(680), MCP(270, 271, 272), ITILv3F, CCENT
    WIP: Knuckling down at my new job
  9. ICS are Cr@p

    ICS are Cr@p Bit Poster

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    Thanks very much everybody.
    I can already tell i'm going to learn a lot more from this forum than the one on the ICS community website. What a joke that is! (hence my username!!)

    Michael i've just clocked your qualifications on your signiture. Well done mate, that must have taken a lot of work!
     
  10. Kitkatninja
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    Kitkatninja aka me, myself & I Moderator

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    No there's no time limit, the only factor with this is to take and pass the exam(s) before it retires.

    -Ken
     
    Certifications: MSc, PGDip, PGCert, BSc, HNC, LCGI, MBCS CITP, MCP, MCSA, MCSE, MCE, A+, N+, S+, Server+
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  11. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Ah, gotcha. I've never seen one of those "perfect" scores of greater or lesser than 1000... and in any case, if there were any exams like that, they're likely retired by now, as those were all around the 2K era when the conversion to 700 happened.

    Repped.
     
    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!
  12. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Well, it's a necessary hazard of my job. Although I've been a real-world network administrator, I'm currently a Senior Content Developer at Boson Software, writing practice exams for a living. :)
     
    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. ICS are Cr@p

    ICS are Cr@p Bit Poster

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    Crikey!! Can you write me a practice exam please? lol...
     
  14. Gingerdave

    Gingerdave Megabyte Poster

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    Sure he will just look at the Boson Test Prep Software!
     
    Certifications: A+,MCP, MCDST, VCP5 /VCP-DV 5, MCTS AD+ Net Inf 2008, MCSA 2008
    WIP: MCSA 2012
  15. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    I'd love to... but we are currently tasked with updating the CCNP exams. :)
     
    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!

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