Yo Yoda! ...

[darth vador]

The power of the dark side is growing...

I just passed my first Microsoft Certification exam tonight. (I got a 900)

I foresee myself being even more powerful than ... Yoda.

Seriously, your guidance in these forums played a big part of me deciding to get certified. I had given up on trying to do it but your personal story of how it helped you out, and your opinion of its value, influenced me to change my mind and go ahead and pursue it. Thanks.

[ComputerJy]

Congratulations!

[darth vador]

Thanks!

[RobDog888]

Cool, Congrats!

To refresh my memory, you are currently in school or working already?

If your still in school did you ask any of your professors, that are in the field, how they felt about it?

If your working, did you get your boss to agree to give you a raise before you tested?

[Valleysboy1978]

900!
I've done it twice and only got 596
Doing it again on Friday and I'm dreading it. Any tips guys as I hate exams?

[RobDog888]

Yes, ...

Eliminate the known wrong answers first. Then select from the remaining ones.

Budget your time. Calculate the time per question ratio.

Answer all questions first and then if time permits you can double check your unsure answers.

Dont just study from books, perform the hands on lab exercises

Nothing is more import then hands on experience.

[mendhak]

I got >930 on all five exams. It's really not that hard. (Except the architecture one)

The first thing would be to not dread it. Second, it does depend upon the kind of experience you've had. If you don't think you've had all-encompassing experience, then shell the money out and get the self-paced books from Microsoft. You do need time to go over everything and it's really a matter of staying as cool as possible during the exam, and thinking about each question real well. They've given you plenty of time for the whole exam, spend whatever time you can on each question... logic, cool, study.

[RobDog888]

Oh ya, and get pleanty of sleep the night before and eat a good breakfast so you wont have to be thinknng about hunger during the exam or falling asleep.

[mendhak]

Nice. That can't be emphasized enough. A lot of people tend to end up studying right until the last 2 minutes before the exam starts. The only thing that gives them is a crapload of tension. There isn't a point to that. Rely on the power of the neural connections within your brain, they are meant to recall such information when you really need it.

[RobDog888]

And get to the test site early so your not rushing to be on time and get yourself all wound up, especially if your drinking coffee.

[Valleysboy1978]

I got >930 on all five exams. It's really not that hard. (Except the architecture one)

The first thing would be to not dread it. Second, it does depend upon the kind of experience you've had. If you don't think you've had all-encompassing experience, then shell the money out and get the self-paced books from Microsoft. You do need time to go over everything and it's really a matter of staying as cool as possible during the exam, and thinking about each question real well. They've given you plenty of time for the whole exam, spend whatever time you can on each question... logic, cool, study.

I've only had about 6 months development experience and that's where I'm struggling. I don't really have any experience with deployment, services, components, assemblies etc etc

Never mind eh, let's just keep plugging away at it, or at least as long as the company will pay for the exams

[Valleysboy1978]

Thanks for the tips though guys
I HATE exams!

[darth vador]

Cool, Congrats!

To refresh my memory, you are currently in school or working already?

If your still in school did you ask any of your professors, that are in the field, how they felt about it?

If your working, did you get your boss to agree to give you a raise before you tested?

I'm currently working as a full-time programmer. I'm also attending college but haven't finished yet. (I'm 36 and got married/had children before I finished my college degree - dumb! ) But... I am going to finish my degree and am working toward that now.

I didn't ask my boss about a raise, because the stucture of our company doesn't allow for that. I work for a government contractor and we have set pay scales with annual increases.

I bought the ms self pace core test kit and started with that. I took about 250 pages of notes on the windows app book. I coded a lot - my experience has helped a lot.

But, I still am weak in the area of Interfaces, tracing-logging errors and security. I got some pretty simple questions on my exam in those areas and did well. I know I missed one question on how to debug a service. Other than that, I'm not sure what I missed but I did guess on a few covering error logs and security. I've never implemented security in any app I've wrote so that make it hard. I use debug all the time but never log anything so I don't have much working experience with that either.

Your advice on eliminating the ones that you know are wrong is very good. If you can eliminate two, you pretty much have a 50/50 chance of getting it right (on most questions)

[Valleysboy1978]

That's the problem! Due to my lack of practical experience I can rarely eliminate 2!

[darth vador]

I'll compile a list of things you need to know for the test (In my own terms... the self paced kit makes it complicated when it lists the sections)

I'll try to remember to post the list tonight when I get home.

One thing is for sure, you need to know what the different utilities are, what they're for, and when to use them. In my notes, I have a sheet that just listed them out, defined them, and listed when to use them.

[Valleysboy1978]

Cheers Darth

[RobDog888]

Hey Darth, you sound just like me. I went back to school to get my BSEE after a ~12 year abscense due to similar reasons as you. I'm enjoying the single dad life now and just started independant contracting after years of employment as a programmer.

Which test was it that you took? Remember not to post actual test questions.

[darth vador]

I took the 70-306 test.
Windows Apps with VB.Net

btw, do you have to take all the tests in the same language? Or can I take my next test in C#?? ( I suspect it has to all be with the same language?)

[RobDog888]

I dont believe you have to but certain ones cant be used together to fulfill the core requirements.

[darth vador]

I'll compile a list of things you need to know for the test (In my own terms... the self paced kit makes it complicated when it lists the sections)

I'll try to remember to post the list tonight when I get home.

One thing is for sure, you need to know what the different utilities are, what they're for, and when to use them. In my notes, I have a sheet that just listed them out, defined them, and listed when to use them.

Okay,

Here’s a bullet list of stuff to take to heart …

The several different utilities
• Native Image Generator – ngen.exe
Creates a native image of your assembly. ( i.e. - compiles your assy from msil – which all .net apps are compiled into -- with the exception of some C++ apps but you don’t need to know that for the test. ) – to the machine’s native machine code. This increases application startup time. So if you have an app that doesn’t start fast enough, use this tool to compile your app into the machine’s native language. It will then be like a .exe file before .Net came along. (… and MS forced everyone to compile their apps into Microsoft’s new intermediate langage. MSIL )
MS has admitted that .Net apps will run slower than old apps because old apps don’t have to be JIT compiled before they run. Only, MS says this isn’t a significant issue.
• Regasm.exe – for legacy com components. It generates registry info for an assy so COM components can freely use them
• Permview.exe – Permissions Viewer Utility
Can view the permissions required by an assembly and inform you if you have used the correct permissions. You can NOT use permview.exe to change permissions. You use the caspol.exe utility for that.
• Caspol.exe – Code Access Security Policy Tool
Enables you to edit security settings
• Signcode.exe - File signing tool -
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/9sh96ycy.aspx
• Wsdl.exe Web service descriptive language tool -
This utility creates a ‘proxy class’ for you web service.
Best I can tell, it basically allows you to duplicate your web service and make it available for consumption when your web service cannot be accessed. It may be down or you’re still working on completing it. It is used to temporarily supply access to your service.
• Certmgr.exe – Cert manager tool
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/e78byta0.aspx
• AL.exe – Assembly Linker tool
Enables you to create a single Assembly Manifest File by combining multiple modules. Each assembly has only one manifest. This tool combines multiple modules or resource files into one assy manifest.
• Gacutil.exe – Global Assembly Cache Utility – This installs shared assemblies into the global assembly cache of a machine. You use sn.exe to first create a strong name for you assembly. Then you use this utility to install it to the global assy cache. It is a 2 step process. 1. Give you assy a strongly typed names using sn.exe. 2. Install your assy to the global assy cache using gacutil.exe so multiple apps can use it.
(This works in theory.
Just today I had to install some assys to the gac of our server but my app kept crashing anyway saying it couldn’t find the assy’s .. BUT that was an asp.net app and there may be an issue with that? Still trying to figure it out. )
• Sn.exe – Gives your assy a strongly typed name so you can install it to the global assembly cache.

There may be more but those are the ones I have in my notes.

As for the rest, make sure you have a good general knowledge of all elements of the .Net architecture. I got a good amount of questions on ADO.Net. (And I was glad because I use it all day-every day) ... Sometimes I think their questions are unfair (I failed a MCSE test about 8 years ago and never re-took it. I thought the same thing then.) Yesterday, I got a question about stored procedures in SQL server. You had to know how to edit a stored procedure. (I did) But I was thinking... "This question does NOT belong on this test. It belongs on the next one regarding MS SQL."
But I do think that is rare.

Here's some more things off the top of my head...

Make sure you understand how to use and read the app.config file - both for dynamic setting creating and tracing/trace switches.

Understand dataviews and RowFiltering, Row Sorting and Row State Filter (modified.current) etc...

Make sure you understand ADO.Net pretty well
- DataAdapters and DataSets. The Command object and a dataReader and XMLReader (they are almost identical)

I didn't have many questions on security. But that doesn't mean much. You may have many.
You need to know about localization and globalization.
Form validation
control.dock and control anchoring
I had no questions on delegate. (but again, you may.)

LOL... Basically, everything in the self paced book by MS.

Seriously, have a good general knowledge of each section.
I do think you need to know the utilities I mentioned above.

Think about it, you only have to get 3 right for every 1 you miss to get a 70% and pass.

And keep us posted as to how you do. I'm curious to know.
Good luck!

[Valleysboy1978]

Most of the notes you've kindly provided are the same as the exam I'm doing 70-305 Web Apps with VB.Net.

Will let you know asap

[RobDog888]

Great post Darth. Thanks

Which test are you taking next?

@Valleysboy1978: Good luck on your test

[darth vador]

I haven't decided which test I'm taking.
I though I was going to take the SQL test (70-229 I think is the number)
But, I may have to rewrite some existing software here and incorporate it with some new software I'll write from scratch. A web service may be ideal for it. So I may take the web services test next? I'll try to decide within a week because I want to test by August 1st. (THAT is a lofty goal for me now as I'm very busy in school. But I'm going to target that date for now.)

[RobDog888]

Well 70-229 is good choice for an elective towards an MCAD and MCSD. Did you check the MS page for the test paths for the certs?

I took 70-029 a couple of years ago and missed it by ~60 points. I'm gonna take 70-229 before it gets retired. It isnt on the "to be retired" list, I believe but it may be soon.

[Valleysboy1978]

Great post Darth. Thanks

Which test are you taking next?

@Valleysboy1978: Good luck on your test

WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!!!
Only 734 but I'll TAKE IT!

[Valleysboy1978]

Thanks for all the best wishes guys, much appreciated

[mendhak]

Nice work Valleys! Where would you be without us?


@Darth: It can be useful to take the tests alternatingly in C# and VB.

[penagate]

Congratulations, both of you

[darth vador]

WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOO!!!
Only 734 but I'll TAKE IT!

That's awesome. Congrats!!
I have the same attitude. Just pass!

Again. Congrats!

Just curious, did you get many questions on Databases, Adapters etc?? I got a load of them.

[RobDog888]

Congrats Valleysboy!

[Valleysboy1978]

Just curious, did you get many questions on Databases, Adapters etc?? I got a load of them.

Oh yeah! I had a load of those too, but I was ready for them this time

[Valleysboy1978]

If I now took the 70-306 exam would that qualify as the two elective exams required for the MCAD?

[RobDog888]

You need three exams for a MCAD. so lets see, if you have 70-305 and 70-306 then you only need one more. Check out the cert path guide on the ms site.

[Valleysboy1978]

Found the cert guide too confusing. Why they can't just allow me to tick three exams and it then lets me know if that would qualify

[Valleysboy1978]

To fulfill the core certification requirements, pass one exam that is focused on either Web Application Development or Windows Application Development in the language of your choice. Then pass one Web Services and Server Components exam

So in other words the 70-306 would qualify as an ELECTIVE exam, not a core exam because I already have the 70-305

I would have to take the 70-310 exam to get my MCAD

well that s0cks