Exam Profile 70-461: Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012

Date: Oct 22, 2012

This article profiles the Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012 exam (70-461), for SQL Server database administrators, implementers, system engineers, and developers. Pearson IT Certification provides a variety of exam preparation tools to help our customers in their quest for certification, including the Exam Profile series. Each profile is developed based on the testing experience of one of our trainers or authors. You won’t get exact questions or answers, but you will get a real feel for the exam. Each profile describes question forms, trouble spots, hints for exam preparation, and recommendations for additional study resources. Find out what you can expect to see on the exam and how you can better prepare for it.

The 70-461 exam is meant to be taken by SQL Server database administrators, implementers, system engineers, and developers who have two or more years of experience and are seeking to prove their skills and knowledge in writing queries. Microsoft states that the exam is meant to be taken by those whose primary responsibilities may include:

Apply built-in scalar functions.
Apply ranking functions.
Combine datasets.
Create and alter DML triggers.
Create and alter indexes.
Create and alter stored procedures.
Create and alter tables.
Create and alter user-defined functions (UDFs).
Create and alter views.
Create and modify constraints.
Design T-SQL stored procedures.
Design views.
Implement aggregate queries.
Implement data types.
Implement error handling.
Implement subqueries.
Implement the sequence generator
Manage transactions.
Modify data by using INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements.
Modify data by using MERGE statements.
Optimize queries.
Query and Manage XML data.
Query data by using SELECT statements.
Return data by using the OUTPUT clause.

After passing the Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (70-461) exam, you complete the requirements for the following certification(s):

MCSA: SQL Server 2012
MCSE: Data Platform
MCSE: Business Intelligence

Exam Details

Number of Questions: Approximately 45-55 questions (Since Microsoft does not publish this information, the number of exam questions may change without notice.)
Types of Questions: This test format is multiple choice and multiple choice multiple answer. You may also see several scenario questions.
Passing Score: 700

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.

Time Limit: 120 minutes

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.

The Order By option in the SQL SELECT statement has been enhanced in SQL Server 2012. Using both the OFFSET and FETCH along with ORDER BY allows you to control paging through a result set.

Full Text Search has also been enhanced by allowing you to search and index data stored in extended properties or metadata. The newest release of SQL Server will allow you to search things such as a PDF document that has properties filled in such as Name, Address, State, etc.

Preparation Hints

Review the Exam Objectives below and make sure that you are familiar with them. The Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012 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=70-461

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.

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

Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2012 by Ross Mistry and Stacia Misner (Apr 7, 2012)
Learning Plans and Classroom Training 10774A: Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (5 Days)

This 5-day instructor led course provides students with the technical skills required to write basic Transact-SQL queries for Microsoft SQL Server 2012. This course is the foundation for all SQL Server-related disciplines including Database Administration, Database Development and Business Intelligence. This course will help you prepare for exam 70-461.

Exam Objectives

The exam objectives are broken up into four different categories. The 70-461 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 70-461 as stated by Microsoft are as follows:

Create Database Objects (24%)

Create and alter tables using T-SQL syntax (simple statements).

May include but not limited to: create tables without using the built in tools; ALTER; DROP; ALTER COLUMN; CREATE

Create and alter views (simple statements).

May include but not limited to: create indexed views; create views without using the built in tools; CREATE, ALTER, DROP

Design views.

May include but not limited to: ensure code non regression by keeping consistent signature for procedure, views and function (interfaces); security implications

Create and modify constraints (simple statements).

May include but not limited to: create constraints on tables; define constraints; unique constraints; default constraints; primary and foreign key constraints

Create and alter DML triggers.

May include but not limited to: inserted and deleted tables; nested triggers; types of triggers; update functions; handle multiple rows in a session; performance implications of triggers

Work with Data (27%)

Query data by using SELECT statements.

May include but not limited to: use the ranking function to select top(X) rows for multiple categories in a single query; write and perform queries efficiently using the new (SQL 2005/8->) code items such as synonyms, and joins (except, intersect); implement logic which uses dynamic SQL and system metadata; write efficient, technically complex SQL queries, including all types of joins versus the use of derived tables; determine what code may or may not execute based on the tables provided; given a table with constraints, determine which statement set would load a table; use and understand different data access technologies; case versus isnull versus coalesce

Implement sub-queries.

May include but not limited to: identify problematic elements in query plans; pivot and unpivot; apply operator; cte statement; with statement

Implement data types.

May include but not limited to: use appropriate data; understand the uses and limitations of each data type; impact of GUID (newid, newsequentialid) on database performance,when to use what data type for columns

Implement aggregate queries.

May include but not limited to: new analytic functions; grouping sets; spatial aggregates; apply ranking functions

Query and manage XML data.

May include but not limited to: understand xml datatypes and their schemas and interop w/, limitations & restrictions; implement XML schemas and handling of XML data; XML data: how to handle it in SQL Server and when and when not to use it, including XML namespaces; import and export xml; xml indexing

Modify Data (24%)

Create and alter stored procedures (simple statements).

May include but not limited to: write a stored procedure to meet a given set of requirements; branching logic; create stored procedures and other programmatic objects; techniques for developing stored procedures; different types of storeproc result; create stored procedure for data access layer; program stored procedures, triggers, functions with T-SQL

Modify data by using INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements.

May include but not limited to: given a set of code with defaults, constraints, and triggers, determine the output of a set of DDL; know which SQL statements are best to solve common requirements; use output statement

Combine datasets.

May include but not limited to: difference between UNION and UNION all; case versus isnull versus coalesce; modify data by using MERGE statements

Work with functions.

May include but not limited to: understand deterministic, non-deterministic functions; scalar and table values; apply built-in scalar functions; create and alter user-defined functions (UDFs)

Troubleshoot & Optimize (25%)

Optimize queries.

May include but not limited to: understand statistics; read query plans; plan guides; DMVs; hints; statistics IO; dynamic vs. parameterized queries; describe the different join types (HASH, MERGE, LOOP) and describe the scenarios they would be used

Manage transactions.

May include but not limited to: mark a transaction; understand begin tran, commit, and rollback; implicit vs explicit transactions; isolation levels; scope and type of locks; trancount

Evaluate the use of row-based operations vs. set-based operations.

May include but not limited to: when to use cursors; impact of scalar UDFs; combine multiple DML operations

Implement error handling.

May include but not limited to: implement try/catch/throw; use set based rather than row based logic; transaction management

Where to Go from Here

After you pass the Designing Business Intelligence Solutions with Microsoft SQL Server 2012 exam, you may want to take the following exams:

Administering Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Databases (70-462)
Implementing a Data Warehouse with Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (70-463)
Developing Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Databases (70-464)
Designing Database Solutions for Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (70-465)
Implementing Data Models and Reports with Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (70-466)
Designing Business Intelligence Solutions with Microsoft SQL Server 2012 (70-467)