has anyone taken / passed the WPF cert 70-502?

[r0k3t]

I am about to take this and I wonder if anyone has any thoughts on it?

Thanks

[chris128]

Not taken it but I was considering it at some point - let us know what its like and how you do!

[gep13]

Hey,

Like Chris, I haven't done it yet, but I think it is on the cards. The have recently bought the book for 70-503, and will be starting to read this soon.

Out of curiosity, how have you prepared for the exam? Is this your first Microsoft exam?

Good luck when it comes around!!

Gary

[r0k3t]

This is my first MS exam, yes... I of course have the 70-502 book but it has been a little frustrating, It clearly tells you that there in no need to know how to create XPS documents but then the practice exam has questions about the steps involved in creating them. I did some checking and it appears that, YES! the creation of an XPS document is an exam topic, I only found this out Yesterday and the exam is Monday.

At any rate I also used Petzolds book, "Code + Markup = Application" - That is a good book for getting a more overall indepth knowledge of certian topics, like databanding and command and routedEvents. The MS Press book is more like, OK - Here is a element, it has these properties, the code fragments are really incomplete and leave out a lot of detail.

Other than that I have just created hordes of sample apps to wee what works.

It is a lot of material, I am not sure I will pass it the first time, if not I did some digging and it looks like the SAMS book is an excellent resource for passing the test.

We will find out soon enough right!

[r0k3t]

Opps see what works!

[DeanMc]

Im about 50% through my studies I hope to take it mid march!

[r0k3t]

What sort of resources are you using?

[DeanMc]

The MS press cert book, its sample questions and some good ole fashioned rooting around the framework. WPF gets much easier once you start using it.

[r0k3t]

I have been less than impressed with the MS Press 70-502 book, Mine refrenced chapter 10 Lesson 3, 4 & 5... Too bad they aren't there... I have found many other people who say that book will leave you woefully unprepared.

Not that don't cover some thins OK - The practice test questions are pretty sloppy too it seems.

[RobDog888]

Im going to take it when I feel I am prepared. Maybe by June. There are some good jobs out there that focus on WPF and Silverlight. Im going to order a few books and plow through a bunch of apps to get a good understanding of it all.

Good luck Monday!

[r0k3t]

I just picked up WPF Unleashed today, I wish I would have gotten it sooner, I would highly recommend this book, It is just very thorough and it puts topics together in a really enlightening way, I read 281 pages from the thing today (it's 600+) pages.

My problem is that I am an not really ready for some topics so we will see, I wont be upset if I fail the thing - I will know for sure how to prepare and what I can expect the next time. I just look at it like another investment in prep tools like a practice test or book.

[gep13]

Hey,

I am quite surprised to hear that you are having problems with the Microsoft Press books. For all the exams I have done (5 in total now), I have always found that the MS books have been really good.

Gary

[RobDog888]

Say that author looks like his books are the ones to read.

Biography
Adam Nathan is a principal developer for Microsoft Visual Studio, which has recently been transformed into a first-class WPF application. Adam was prevously the founding developer and architect for Popfly, Microsoft's first product built on Silverlight, named one of the 25 most innovative products of 2007 by PCWorld Magazine. Having started his career on Microsoft's Common Language Runtime team, Adam has been at the core of .NET and WPF technologies since the very beginning.

Adam's books have been considered required reading by many inside Microsoft and throughout the industry...

I think I will order it

[r0k3t]

Right I can't recommend that book enough. There were questions on the test that looked like they took them straight from his book.

Anyway - I passed... I am now WPF certified! I ended up with an 836... Not shabby but not great, I did get 100% on databinding though.

[DeanMc]

Tell me was the exam as meaty as say the foundation exam for just the framework or is this more lightweight?



CONGRATS BTW!!!!

[RobDog888]

Congrats! Thats great to hear. 836 is still like about 84% which is a solid B if you were to put it into a grading scale

[r0k3t]

Thanks!

This is the first MS exam I have taken so I don't have much to compare it too... With that said, there where five questions that where "Evaluation Questions" - they weren't part off the final score and you could pretty much tell what those where, they where way of the track, super in depth, the one was about creating a page and there was a ton of code for it.

Most of them where really straightforward and if you had a solid foundation when you saw it you could figure it out, I was pleased with that.

My other worry was the weather I could understand the questions. I bought the Ucerify test and half the questions where like, "HUH?", there was no problem with that on the MS test, the code was clear and there where bullet points regarding what it was supposed to accomplish.

The only other thing I could say was there was more XAML than code and the code that was there was easy to understand, no curve balls. I have also heard people complain about VB in the C# version however I didn't get that.

I would rate the test pretty well, not off the wall hard if you know WPF. Like I said before, GET WPF Unleashed! I can't tell you helpful it was... the organization was so good and it was so thorough.

If I had to rate the MS Press book, incomplete - fragmented, porrly researched in some sections... I don't know - how could a book from MS for THEIR test be so bad?

Anyway - thanks again for the congrats all, I think I will go actually do something cool with WPF instead of worrying about if I have gotten all the subjects covered.

[gep13]

Right I can't recommend that book enough. There were questions on the test that looked like they took them straight from his book.

Anyway - I passed... I am now WPF certified! I ended up with an 836... Not shabby but not great, I did get 100% on databinding though.

Congratulations on passing your exam!!

I thought you said this was your first exam? Or have you also done 70-536? As far as I was aware, you need both of these exams to obtain the qualification:

MCTS: .NET Framework 3.5 Windows Presentation Foundation Applications

Or is that not what you were referring to?

Gary

[r0k3t]

No - I haven't done the 70-536, not yet, a study group was forming for this one and I figured why not, the sweet thing about these tests is that you do not have to take them in order.

Thanks!

[chris128]

Congrats 100% on databinding eh? You can teach me how to use it now then

[DeanMc]

Hmm,

Well I am reading WPF unleashed now and it is pretty well featured albet a little condensed. Having said that I think once you get the overall WPF features the rest falls into place.

I think I might take this exam in january with my voucher from the ms press book, if anything just to see how it goes!

[gep13]

No - I haven't done the 70-536, not yet, a study group was forming for this one and I figured why not, the sweet thing about these tests is that you do not have to take them in order.

Thanks!

Ah, that makes sense. Just wanted to check

I opted to do 70-536 first. It is critical to a lot of the certification paths, so thought I would get it out the way.

Congratulations again!!

[r0k3t]

How was the 70-536? I didn't know dud about XAML and WPF however I have been working with asp.net / c# for going on three years now.

[gep13]

Hey,

I am not going to lie, it was a tough exam. It is the foundation exam for a lot of other routes, MCTS, MCPD etc, so it has to cover a lot of information. Took me a good while to study everything, and then actually sit the exam. I just used the MS book for study purposes.

Gary

[r0k3t]

Well, I put four months into the WPF exam, that is good to know that the MS material covers everything. I have no problem buying multiple books but the worst thing about the 70-502 book was that it left things off and I was left to wonder, "Did I study everything I needed to know?" - that is never a good feeling.

Actually on the test there where a couple of questions, easy ones - that I only knew because I went out and bought the SAM's book, had I not done that it would have been very frustrating, at the same time I am like, "How did an MS Press book miss this."

Anyway - thanks for the info... I am hoping to get it May this year. Then you get a cool logo for your emails... I think that is why they have exams, right? Is there some other point to them? (just kidding)

[gep13]

Ha ha, yeah, you will be able to download the logo, in multiple formats no less. There are fairly strict guidelines about how they can be used though.

Gary

[jmcilhinney]

I just picked up WPF Unleashed today, I wish I would have gotten it sooner, I would highly recommend this book, It is just very thorough and it puts topics together in a really enlightening way, I read 281 pages from the thing today (it's 600+) pages.

That book better be good now! I bought it yesterday based on your comments. Read the first two chapters (what a sad NYE ) and it seems good so far.

[r0k3t]

Yes, it is very good... I can say that without a doubt - I think I said this before but some of exam questions look like they came from the "FAQ" sections of that book.

And don't feel bad... I spent a good portion of mine reading about generics in the C# In Depth book... *Shrug*

But seriously if you can handle what is in the book you will pass the test.

[r0k3t]

Oh am give me some cred if the book helps... I never get any cred on this forum.

[jmcilhinney]

Oh am give me some cred if the book helps... I never get any cred on this forum.

Duly noted.

[RobDog888]

I just picked up WPF Unleashed today, I wish I would have gotten it sooner, I would highly recommend this book, It is just very thorough and it puts topics together in a really enlightening way, I read 281 pages from the thing today (it's 600+) pages.

My problem is that I am an not really ready for some topics so we will see, I wont be upset if I fail the thing - I will know for sure how to prepare and what I can expect the next time. I just look at it like another investment in prep tools like a practice test or book.

My book just came yesterday. Cracking it open after dinner

[r0k3t]

it's also way more fun than C# In Depth, I'm telling you this is work!!!

[gep13]

Hey,

I actually bought this book as well, based on this thread. Haven't started reading it yet, it is on a pile of books that I have to read, but lookig forward to it. Anyone know if the sister book for WCF is as good:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/067232948...14451_pe_ar_t2

Gary