Exam Profile MCITP 70-634: Microsoft Office Project Server 2007, Managing Projects and Programs
Date: Sep 11, 2012
The Microsoft 70-634 exam is designed to help project managers apply the best practices and methodologies as established by the Project Management Institute (PMI). The 70-634 exam is meant to be taken by those who are a project manager, program manager, member of the project management office, or participant in the deployment of an Enterprise Project Management (EPM) solution. Although there are no specific prerequisites for this test, you should be able to refine the Office EPM environment further to create solutions for business problems. Familiarity with the key project management concepts and terminology found in the Project Management Institute's A Guide to the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) is recommended. Extensive hands-on experience in Project Professional 2007 and Project Web Access 2007 is also recommended.
After you pass the Microsoft Office Project Server 2007, Managing Projects and Programs exam, you have completed the requirements for the Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP): Enterprise Project Management with Microsoft Office Project Server 2007 certification.
The Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) certification validates that you have the comprehensive set of skills necessary to perform a particular job role, such as database administrator or enterprise messaging administrator. MCITP certifications build on the technical proficiency measured in the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certifications. Therefore, you will earn one or more MCTS certifications on your way to earning an MCITP certification. MCITP candidates are IT professionals capable of deploying, building, designing, optimizing, and operating technologies for a particular job role. They make the design and technology decisions necessary to ensure successful technology implementation projects.
The 70-634 is an elective exam.
Exam Details
- Number of Questions: Approximately 55 questions (Since Microsoft does not publish this information, the number of exam questions may change without notice.)
- Types of Questions: This exam consists of multiple-choice questions. There are no case study type questions and the test is not adaptive.
- Passing Score: 700/1000
- Time Limit: 120 minutes
- How to Register: Prometric.com
This passing score does not mean that you must answer 70 percent of the items correctly in order to pass the exam. The actual percentage varies from exam to exam and may be more or less than 70 percent. There is no penalty for guessing. No points are deducted for incorrect answers. If a question specifies that you must choose multiple correct answers, you must choose the exact number of correct answers specified in the question in order to earn a point for that item. Some of the questions on the exam may not count toward the calculation of your score. Microsoft will often throw a question in that is meant to gather data that will help them improve the exam.
The Microsoft 70-634 exam is designed to measure your knowledge and expertise in deploying, building, designing, optimizing, and operating technologies for a particular job role. This certification exam is designed to be relevant in the ever changing IT marketplace.
Trouble Spots
As with any exam, it will vary from person to person as to what is deemed to be difficult. Be sure you are familiar with each of the topics in the exam objectives listed below.
In project management, the resource breakdown structure (RBS) is a hierarchical list of resources related by function and resource type that is used to facilitate planning and controlling of project work. At a minimum, RBS includes the personnel resources, tools, machinery, equipment, fees and licenses needed for successful completion of a project. Money itself is not considered a resource in the RBS; only those resources that will cost money are included. The information in the RBS is organized in a fashion for easy recollection by all of those who may need it. All resources are broken down into categories as well as resource types that may be used for purposes of identifying needs in regards to human resources and staffing.
Preparation Hints
Review the Exam Objectives below and make sure that you are familiar with them. The Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007, Configuring exam is designed for those who have experience in this environment. Always check the Microsoft site for the specific exam you are going to take. In this instance, the site is http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exam.aspx?ID=70-634.
There are many web sites and blogs that can help you to research topics, but be careful to fully research the information you read. It is not advisable to try to find sites that list questions and answers for several reasons. First, you don’t know if you will be asked a specific question and second, the answers given in a blog may be inaccurate and third, you need to understand the information to adequately prepare. Microsoft describes a brain dump as a website that contains certification exam content that has been fraudulently obtained with the intention to share it with or sell it to exam candidates. The content included in brain dumps is exactly the same or substantially similar to items appearing on the exam. Because the exam content was fraudulently obtained, using this type of material to prepare for or during an exam constitutes cheating. Brain dump providers are in violation of Microsoft intellectual property rights and nondisclosure agreements.
Microsoft has developed classroom training for exam 70-634. If you want, you can contact a certified Microsoft training center and schedule training in one of the following five classes:
Classroom Training
- 5929A: Microsoft Office Project Server 2007, Managing Projects and Programs (5 Days)
- 5927A: Microsoft Office Project 2007, Managing Projects (3 Days)
- 5928A: Microsoft Office Project Server 2007, Managing Projects (3 Days)
- 5928AD: Microsoft Office Project Server 2007, Managing Projects (3 Days)
- 5927AD: Microsoft Office Project 2007, Managing Projects (3 Days)
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, Microsoft recommends the book, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge. This is a 450-page book that is not an easy read. You can purchase it at several locations including Amazon.com for about forty dollars. If you just want to become familiar with the terms and definitions related to Project management, you can visit the PM Connection website. This site does not explain concepts or go into any great narrative; it just has terms and definitions.
When taking the exam, read each question carefully. Microsoft is notorious for adding a lot of unneeded information in their questions. Make sure that when you click on a choice, that it is really marked. Be careful clicking anywhere on the screen. I found that by inadvertently clicking near the scroll bar on the right of the screen, I actually changed an answer. You get a single piece of paper and a marker for writing. You can use a small amount of time before you even start the exam to make notes once you enter the test area. Sometimes there is even a questionnaire at the beginning of the test that does not count against your test time. You can even use this time to write down notes, facts, tables or other information by taking your time between answers.
Recommended Study Resources
The website http://www.pass-guaranteed.com/70-634.htm contains sample questions and test engine software. They have a guarantee that you will pass the exam on your first try or you get your money back. You have to have failed the exam within 120 days of purchasing their product.
The website http://www.itexamfox.com/ contains sample questions and test engine software. They have a guarantee that you will pass the exam on your first try or you get your money back. You have to have failed the exam within 90 days of purchasing their product.
Even though the official Microsoft site for this exam points you to MeasureUp.com and SelfTestSoftware.com, neither of these sites have test prep material for exam 70-634.
Exam Objectives
The exam objectives are broken up into five different categories. The 70-634 exam measures your ability to accomplish the technical tasks listed below.
The percentages indicate the relative weight of each major topic area on the exam. The higher the percentage, the more questions you are likely to see on that content area on the exam.
The objectives for Exam 70-634 as stated by Microsoft are as follows:
Managing Data Access and Collaboration
- Manage users, groups, categories, permissions, and Resource Breakdown Structure (RBSA).
- Archive projects.
- Maintain data integrity.
- Manage project workspaces.
- Apply regional settings.
- Create a library of enterprise project templates.
- Manage My Resources alerts and reminders.
Planning and Troubleshooting Active Projects and Programs
- Optimize for time, cost, and resources.
- Refine a program.
- Plan a program.
- Set baselines.
Controlling Projects and Programs
- Account for time.
- Create non-project time categories.
- Identify variances outside threshold.
- Control changes.
Managing Resources
- Propose or commit a resource.
- Set up skill-based resources.
- Set up role-based resources.
- Identify critical resources.
- Manage resource pool.
- Manage team assignments.
Reporting and Analyzing Business Data
- Manage reporting.
- Customize views.
- Perform Earned Value Analysis.
- Configure, modify, or build a cube.
- Report risks and issues across enterprise by escalations.
Where to Go from Here
After you pass the Microsoft Office Project Server 2007, Managing Projects and Programs exam, you may want to take exams:
- TS: Microsoft Office Project 2007, Managing Projects Exam 70-632
- TS: Microsoft Office Project Server 2007, Managing Projects Exam 70-633