Passed 70-240 Accelerated Win2K MCSE test today - whew!

[TreyRandom]

Man, am I ever glad I passed the 70-240 test. It was a monster, having to sit for 3 hours (you get 4 hours max) answering LONG question after LONG question - 90-something in total. But at least now I don't have to answer 240 LONG questions spread out over 4 tests.

None of my friends or co-workers has known of anyone else to pass the 240 test. It was hard, and all, but I can't imagine that only a small percentage of people have passed it. It also seems that many techs are not even taking the 240 test, opting instead to take the tests individually and let their companies pick up the tab. Or, some just aren't going to upgrade their MCSE to 2K at all.

What have y'all heard about the test - difficulty, success rates, lack of desire to take it, study methods used for those that passed/failed?

 

[MarkUsG3]

I failed it. First failure after taking 9 tests. Not to make excuses, but I was sick and under the influence of drugs (cold medication that is).

I should have studied more as well, the AD stuff killed me.

 

Most failed.

And I thought that offering to current MCSEs was dead a long time ago.
How did you pick that one up?

 

[MarkUsG3]

It ends on the 31st.

 

[fastcobra]

Good going!

 

[iamshady]

Nice job!

 

[TreyRandom]

Thanks. Yeah, the test is gone after the 31st - in some states, I hear that you can't even register for it anymore - no seats available. At least, for Prometric, anyway... I hear the Vue testing centers still have a few seats open.

I was always a big fan of Exam Cram back in the NT4 days, but they don't seem to be as useful anymore. Troytechs and CheetSheets didn't help at all, because I'm no good at regurgitating answers when I don't know the concepts. I was worried that the Transcender tests would not prepare me well enough because they did not specifically offer a 70-240 exam - they suggested to purchase and study each of the 4 core tests individually... but they worked. I usually skim through a Sybex book or McGraw Hill or New Riders book (and, I used to read through the Exam Cram) before taking the practice tests. The Microsoft official curriculum (the big white notebooks) never worked for me.

Plus, a prayer before the test never hurts, either.

I went into the testing center this afternoon, and either Prometric didn't send my registration or New Horizons didn't receive it correctly. Had to wait 30 minutes for the secretary (who was a bit bitchy) to call Prometric and then download the test.

Mark: it's no shame failing that one - after passing 10 MCSE tests with no failures, I was sure I'd fail this one. And if I had, after looking at what was on the test, I would not have felt too terribly... after all, with only 22 Network and 22 DS questions, you can only miss a few before you've failed. A bad run of questions is all it takes. The senior tech at my company failed it because of the DS questions too, Mark. When I was taking the practice tests, that was my weakest test, so I was nervous about that section. Got a 444 my first time through the 3rd Transcender DS practice test. Ouch.

Wonder what the passing score is, since they don't give a score report - only a Pass/Fail.

 

[TreyRandom]

By the way - anyone know any good study guides for the 70-220 Security exam? That's the last test I need to take to get my upgrade.

 

[certifyexpress]

Congrats!

I'm due to sit for the exam this coming Friday (21 Dec). Hope I can make it.

 

[FelixDeCat]

I think people are going to look back at all this one day and laugh. Some people were so fired about these microsoft tests for almost a decade and forgot all the jobs were taken. Then one day we all woke up (probably around 2010) and realized that we didnt need tests. How funny !

 

[TreyRandom]

If two techs are equally proficient, and one has taken the extra step to get/remain certified, perhaps that is enough to make a difference. I'll take any edge I can get. Certification matters at my last few places of employment. Plus, I've never had a problem getting a job.

Granted, experience is what really matters in the long run, I agree. Certification only gets you so far, but hey, as long as it gets me in the door, then I can dazzle the employer/customer with my expertise.

Good luck, C.E. Study the heck out of DS and Net... you only get 22 questions for each.

 

[jaynonymous]

I, too, passed the 70-240 exam. I agree with Trey about certification. You still have to know how to do your job. Certification by itself does not necessarily mean that you are an "expert." It just means that you have knowledge of the product. Job experience is still important. I have both and, like Trey, I haven't had much of a problem getting a job. Good luck to all pursuing certification. I am going to finish the 2000 track and then tackle Novell.

 

[RGN]

A good friend of mine pass it.