MS Certification

[dRAMmer]

Hi guys!

I'm planning to take a shot at an MS Certification, specifically MCAD. I would like to ask for an advice on how to prepare for that. I have been reading books from MSPress, Wrox and O'Reilly. I have been to forums checking some problem of fellow developers and see if I have a solution for them, I answered on my own coz every problem posted here has a quick answer (I can't butt in)
Anyway, so I would like to test the depth of my knowledge by purchasing a skill assessment softwares. I've seen two from uCeritfy and Transcender, are these good and can you suggest something that you've actually used? Does MCAD/MCSD Self-Paced Training Kit: Developing XML Web Services and Server Components with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET and Microsoft Visual C# .NET contains similar study question that uCertify offers? By the way I'm also using MSDE connection PTR and am happy to say that based on my track I'm ready to go. But I'm not really sure, I know you guys here will be able to tell if I'm not ready or not.

I really need your advices. Thanks in advance!

[RobDog888]

MS recommends having at least 2 years hands on experience before taking a test but I did pass my first NT 4 Workstation test with 6 months exp. though.

I passed my VB 6 tests with a few years experience and got a high score of 924/1000.

Using Transcender tests seems to be the most popular though.

[Hack]

Using Transcender tests seems to be the most popular though.

And the reason for this, IMO, is because they are the best.

[RobDog888]

Oh ya, MS has some study guides/books that are the official ones for the tests. They are supposed to be good too.

[dRAMmer]

Hi Rob!

I passed my VB 6 tests with a few years experience and got a high score of 924/1000.

Using Transcender tests seems to be the most popular though.

You mean there are 1000 questions on the actual exam? Or is it the total for one type of cert. (ie MCAD=3 exams=1000 questions in all)?

About the experience, yes, I have been programming VB6 for 5+yrs and .Net for almost 2yrs.

Thanks for the suggestion about Transcender maybe I'll grab one. I really need this type of resources so I'll know if what I know so far is deep already. (I hope so).

I'm still open for suggestion, ideas, and (most importantly) encouragement. Thanks Hack and Rob!

[RobDog888]

Depending on the Exam there will be ~35-75 questions. Their scoring system was based on 1000 points each question varying in the amount of points divided by the number of questions for that particular test.

So like my high score, I only missed ~5 questions out of 72 total.

[conipto]

Do they still use the dynamic difficulty thing for MCP tests? I remember something about it when I was taking the MCSE certs, if you got one wrong you got a harder question later, or something?

Bill

[RobDog888]

Not too sure but I do know that if you fail a test you wont get the exact same questions for your next take. A certain percentage will be the same but othe rest will be a division of new questions and some that are similar with certain details changed and the answer is no longer the same either (I failed 2 tests before ).

[dRAMmer]

I hope it will no longer be like what conipto said. Imagine if you missed three questions then the next set of questions are 3x harder. How hard could that be

Rob,
You failed twice! It seems that you know a lot already. I was wondering how would I fare, if it looks like I only got a few percentage of your expertise

[RobDog888]

I had to take the Distributed Applications (70-175 COM, DCOM & MTS) twice as I had very little experience with DCOM and never even seen MTS before. Also, Analyzing Requirements (70-100) twice as it was so hard with only 20 questions I think it was but each one was a massive question and they gave you 3 hours for that one.

I took 3 exams all that day and spent all day at the testing center.

[conipto]

I took 3 exams all that day and spent all day at the testing center.

Man, Gangster Yoda don't play.

I took the MCSE Exams a few years ago, and failed Enterprise Server the first time. Those tests are no joke. I had started the MCSD track, but all the sample tests I took seemed to have very little to do with the language, and more about the friggin 2005 IDE. Although I guess that's more important since it's a Microsoft cert and not just a c# cert, it is a shame that you can study using study tools, pass the test, and know diddly about c# programming, for example.

Bill

[RobDog888]

Thanks Bill. I had to take so many at once because it was when the VB 6 tests were being retired. I took the second attempts on the very last day.

Well I think maybe the version you got that day was more geared towards the IDE then as I had taken several tests so far over the years and I see a trend of them wanting to throw you off guard but including questions that are not directly related to your exam. I took 70-228 Designing and Implementing Database or such and they had questions on administration, performance, anaylzation, and less then 50% on stored procedures, cursors, and SQL code.

The thing to do its have th hands on experience as you will encounter all the areas that will be tested on and not just one area like you would assume.

[maperry]

Before you go to far toward MCAD, take a look at MS's new certifications:

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/newgen/faq/

[RobDog888]

Yes, those came out a while ago but there is a Upgrade test that will convert your 2003 .NET cert to a 2005 one all with just one test.

[dRAMmer]

Before you go to far toward MCAD, take a look at MS's new certifications:

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/newgen/faq/

Yeah I;ve seen that one since it was released on the site. BUt those eaxms will only be avaiable mid this year (the soonest). I've been wanting to try and take a shot at MCAD for starters. So what I've planned is to go ahead right now and by the time those new exams are realsed, I'll just take the upgrade.

About what Rob said on those off-guard questions, it's really surprising they have that. I'm assuming that MS wants an individual to be not only familiar on a specific or part of a technology but rather on the entirety of said technology (ie, SQL in whole and not SP, cursors, etc only).

Thanks for the responses!

[Hack]

About what Rob said on those off-guard questions, it's really surprising they have that. I'm assuming that MS wants an individual to be not only familiar on a specific or part of a technology but rather on the entirety of said technology (ie, SQL in whole and not SP, cursors, etc only).

They are like that in all of their tests as well. In addition to the two VB6 tests, I also, years back, took three NT Server tests (NT Workstation, NT Server and NT Server in the Enteprise) and they come at you from directions you would never expect. The one thing I have learned is that you can pretty much discard the first two or three sentences of each test. They do something like

"Sally is programmer for a large insurance company and works long hard hours. Her latest project involves putting together an application which will have benefits for both her customers as well as others in her company. She has been asked to..."

Sally, her company, what her company does, her customers and her long hours are irrelevant of course. The real question starts at the "She has been asked to..." line.

[RobDog888]

Read th available answers first then while your reading the question you can alread know what the possible answers are.

[dRAMmer]

Very useful tips from both of you. Thanks!

[darth vador]

I have made up my mind I want to get certified but after doing some research today, I've found it cost about $10,000 to become a MCSD??
I thought the test were only about $150 each??

With 5 tests, I was thinking I could become certified while only having to invest around $2000 for study material and tests??

Can anyone give me a ball park figure as to how much it will cost??

[RobDog888]

Where did you get that figure from? Yes, the tests are still $125 each the last time I took one but could be $150 now.

[darth vador]

Thanks,

I saw the $10,000 figure on a site somewhere today. ( I thought it was transcender.com but didn't see it there.) Not sure what the site was now. I can't find it.

[RobDog888]

Maybe they were selling the certs .

[dRAMmer]

Maybe they were selling the certs .

lol
In the region where I live, it only cost $89 per test.

By the way, I have another question. I know C++, where I spent most of my college programming until it is required to use VB. I then been using VB since the first day I work for someone. I've hanged around VB since Vb4. Then I learned C# as a hobby, though I haven't really used at work. Now for the question, is it safe to assume that I choose to take the certification using C# rather than VB w/which I am more familiar with? What are the "key" points I should know why I shouldn't "try to waste my money" taking the exam w/C#. If I can tranlstate any (at least most) of VB Code into a C# and knows the difference of the two like there's no output param in VB unlike in C#, will it make sense?

[gigemboy]

Thanks,

I saw the $10,000 figure on a site somewhere today. ( I thought it was transcender.com but didn't see it there.) Not sure what the site was now. I can't find it.

The "10,000" dollar figure is what the "boot camps" or training centers usually charge... you go to a place where they train you for the tests over a certain amount of days, and some even guarantee you pass or they will let you sit in for another training session for free.. and/or pay for you to take the test again...

You dont have to do this, you can simply take the tests for whatever price they are. I went for Win2k MCSE back when it first came out, all I did was pick up a book over the first test, and paid a hundred bucks for the test and passed to become an MCP ... didnt follow up for the rest though...

[dRAMmer]

Hi again!

If one fails an exam would it reflect on his transcript or certificate? Or does something like "you pass the exam on the nth try" shows up?

[RobDog888]

AFAIK, from the certification certificates I have none of them state anywhere the number of attemts. I'm sure its saved somewhere but probably not provided outside of MS.

[dRAMmer]

That was a quick reply, thanks Rob!

[RobDog888]

I have no real life you know.

[dRAMmer]

I saw the link for the the transcript just now