So I've just been cruising thru this site and the MCP community page and it seems like 99 to 1 fail this exam?!? What's up?
I'm a newly minted MCSA W2K having just passed my Security+ and now turning to Page 1 of my MS Press Self-Paced Training Kit for Exams 292 and 296. Should I be scared?
I've always heard the 216 was the tough one...do we have new competition for that dubious honour? Most everyone that posted felt they had did well on the exam and were shocked not to pass and in some cases by a fair margin. Could there be problems with the exam or the new exam engines?
I'm hoping to write the exam before May 31st, but until I hear better news I'm not saying what year.
Im in the same boat myself, have the book sitting in front of me. However i think im gonna hold off and get my MCSE: Security & Messenging on 2000, and hope that in them couple of months that this gets sorted out... Im not sure whether the difficulty has greatly increase, or if its just the marking that has!!
Either way the posts on this site havent been good in the last month. If anybody has failed/passed the exam, please post what you thought of it. It may help others in their preparation.
> If anybody has failed/passed the exam, please post what you thought of > it. It > may help others in their preparation.
I passed 70-292 last week with a score of 700. I had 6 result bars, 3 at 100% and 3 at about 80%. It took me about 50 minutes.
Honestly, I didn't prepare. I passed all of the other 2003 exams in beta last year and just got around to taking this one. Passing this one test made me MCSE Security and MCSA Security for 2003 Server. (I work full time as a 2003 Systems Administrator so I spend 60/hours a week actually using this stuff.) I'm kind of glad I didn't look here before I went! <grin>
As far as the questions went, the large majority of them weren't very hard. There were some others that required what I would consider some fairly obscure knowledge. As always with these, a broad background to eliminate the obviously wrong answers is important. There was one question I probably spent 5 minutes on, marked, and looked over a couple more before making a best guess and moving on. On that question I didn't see a correct answer, and still have no idea. I assume it's one I missed. It might have been something simple I just didn't get.
The test required some book knowledge and some hands-on too; not just with 2003 Server, but with related technologies like SUS and MBSA as well. I do remember a few questions that I don't think would easily fit under any of the categories on the preparation guide. If you work in a shop that uses third party tools like Citrix and Veritas Backup, uses third party patch management, recovery and security tools, etc you should spend some time becoming familiar with the 'built-in' versions of these tools. Definitely know DNS, and the specific capabilites of Windows 2003 DNS including directory integration and application partitions. The test is very diverse, and covers some things most admins don't do often like Automated system recovery.
I thought I'd post so others know the test is difficult, but it can be passed. I'm definitely a little disapointed in my score, even if the psychometricians say all passes are statistically pretty much the same.
I'm confident it does not measure us the way it should. I failed twice and up to now I did not realize what I missed.
Yes, 216 was like the most difficult and I passed at first try. Now, 292 has something that makes any MCSE get pi$$ed off.
People keep on saying it's not that difficult, that they passed with 700, but that's the lowest score, how about doing 900, 950 like in the other exams for 2000???
> So I've just been cruising thru this site and the MCP community page and it > seems like 99 to 1 fail this exam?!? What's up?
> I'm a newly minted MCSA W2K having just passed my Security+ and now turning > to Page 1 of my MS Press Self-Paced Training Kit for Exams 292 and 296. > Should I be scared?
> I've always heard the 216 was the tough one...do we have new competition for > that dubious honour? Most everyone that posted felt they had did well on the > exam and were shocked not to pass and in some cases by a fair margin. Could > there be problems with the exam or the new exam engines?
> I'm hoping to write the exam before May 31st, but until I hear better news > I'm not saying what year.
I just took the test and failed with 664. I have taken over 20 MCSE tests in the past 10 years and this is the first that I have failed. The questions are very poorly written and the "best" answers are missing about 20% of the time. There were no "bars" telling me where I need work and there were only 40 questions. They recently changed the test (in the last 6 months or so)an I haven't heard any good things about it. Microsoft has really gone down hill with their Tests and Training materials. I have been a consultant and trainer for 10 years and this was horrible. How am I supposed to tell my students to get excited about this thing. The individual tests are not too bad. But this upgrade for professionals was an insult.
>-----Original Message----- >> If anybody has failed/passed the exam, please post
what you thought of
>> it. It >> may help others in their preparation.
>I passed 70-292 last week with a score of 700. I had 6 result bars, 3 at >100% and 3 at about 80%. It took me about 50 minutes.
>Honestly, I didn't prepare. I passed all of the other 2003 exams in beta >last year and just got around to taking this one.
Passing this one test
>made me MCSE Security and MCSA Security for 2003 Server. (I work full time >as a 2003 Systems Administrator so I spend 60/hours a
week actually using
>this stuff.) I'm kind of glad I didn't look here before I went! <grin>
>As far as the questions went, the large majority of them weren't very hard. >There were some others that required what I would
consider some fairly
>obscure knowledge. As always with these, a broad
background to eliminate
>the obviously wrong answers is important. There was one question I >probably spent 5 minutes on, marked, and looked over a couple more before >making a best guess and moving on. On that question I
didn't see a correct
>answer, and still have no idea. I assume it's one I
missed. It might have
>been something simple I just didn't get.
>The test required some book knowledge and some hands-on too; not just with >2003 Server, but with related technologies like SUS and
MBSA as well. I do
>remember a few questions that I don't think would easily fit under any of >the categories on the preparation guide. If you work in a shop that uses >third party tools like Citrix and Veritas Backup, uses third party patch >management, recovery and security tools, etc you should spend some time >becoming familiar with the 'built-in' versions of these tools. Definitely >know DNS, and the specific capabilites of Windows 2003 DNS including >directory integration and application partitions. The
>and covers some things most admins don't do often like Automated system >recovery.
>I thought I'd post so others know the test is difficult, but it can be >passed. I'm definitely a little disapointed in my score, even if the >psychometricians say all passes are statistically pretty much the same.
Agree 100%, I failed twice and think they are measuring useless this, not knowledge.
Hope no one comes here and post useless comments, keep on saying bull-$hit, like, study more, I took it and it was easy, use this, use that, but give us some real good tips.
To these ones, please post things that aggregate, add value!!!
Mark, I will keep on studying and take it again in month or so and will come back to this forum. And 2 other friends (one has failed twice in the past, the other never took the exam) will take it this month or in the next. Let's keep in touch.
"markm200" wrote: > I just took the test and failed with 664. I have taken > over 20 MCSE tests in the past 10 years and this is the > first that I have failed. The questions are very poorly > written and the "best" answers are missing about 20% of > the time. There were no "bars" telling me where I need > work and there were only 40 questions. They recently > changed the test (in the last 6 months or so)an I haven't > heard any good things about it. Microsoft has really gone > down hill with their Tests and Training materials. I have > been a consultant and trainer for 10 years and this was > horrible. How am I supposed to tell my students to get > excited about this thing. The individual tests are not too > bad. But this upgrade for professionals was an insult.
> >-----Original Message----- > >> If anybody has failed/passed the exam, please post > what you thought of > >> it. It > >> may help others in their preparation.
> >I passed 70-292 last week with a score of 700. I had 6 > result bars, 3 at > >100% and 3 at about 80%. It took me about 50 minutes.
> >Honestly, I didn't prepare. I passed all of the other > 2003 exams in beta > >last year and just got around to taking this one. > Passing this one test > >made me MCSE Security and MCSA Security for 2003 Server. > (I work full time > >as a 2003 Systems Administrator so I spend 60/hours a > week actually using > >this stuff.) I'm kind of glad I didn't look here before > I went! <grin>
> >As far as the questions went, the large majority of them > weren't very hard. > >There were some others that required what I would > consider some fairly > >obscure knowledge. As always with these, a broad > background to eliminate > >the obviously wrong answers is important. There was one > question I > >probably spent 5 minutes on, marked, and looked over a > couple more before > >making a best guess and moving on. On that question I > didn't see a correct > >answer, and still have no idea. I assume it's one I > missed. It might have > >been something simple I just didn't get.
> >The test required some book knowledge and some hands-on > too; not just with > >2003 Server, but with related technologies like SUS and > MBSA as well. I do > >remember a few questions that I don't think would easily > fit under any of > >the categories on the preparation guide. If you work in > a shop that uses > >third party tools like Citrix and Veritas Backup, uses > third party patch > >management, recovery and security tools, etc you should > spend some time > >becoming familiar with the 'built-in' versions of these > tools. Definitely > >know DNS, and the specific capabilites of Windows 2003 > DNS including > >directory integration and application partitions. The > test is very diverse, > >and covers some things most admins don't do often like > Automated system > >recovery.
> >I thought I'd post so others know the test is difficult, > but it can be > >passed. I'm definitely a little disapointed in my score, > even if the > >psychometricians say all passes are statistically pretty > much the same.
I'm also a newly vergin MCSA 2000 student :-) I'm also enrolled in a course for the 70-292, and I found that the materials given me for this exam are far to shy of what I really need, after reading some practice questions online and with in a few test engines. Examples: ActualTest, ExamForce, CramMaster, and so on. From what I'm hearing is that no matter how much reading and practice exams you take "Passing this exam is like heading downTown Miami for a "CRAP GAME".
Now from what I've read with in the MS community there are a lot of well experienced and Knowledgeable people who've taken the exam and failed, and there are the few who've taken the exam and passed with a minimul score as apposed to their previous scores on other MS exam.
My thoughts are like this, I'm sure everyone here has taken many practice exams and seen how well the wording goes with in these questions, along with how well the answers are given. It's like a third grader has put these practice exams together, kind of remindes me of our local paper with all the miss spelled words. Anyways It sounds like this exam has been hit with a bad case of bad answers and bad grammer. I can only hope they have this Crap cleened up before I'm scheduled to write at the end of the month :(
If by some fluke I pass this exam I'll do my best to let the group know what did it forme whether it be one of many practice exams, or many books I read "Ah yes there's that word READ, and READ LOL. I wish everyone who is taking this exam all the luck in the world because that's what it sounds like we need ;-)
> So I've just been cruising thru this site and the MCP community page and it > seems like 99 to 1 fail this exam?!? What's up?
> I'm a newly minted MCSA W2K having just passed my Security+ and now turning > to Page 1 of my MS Press Self-Paced Training Kit for Exams 292 and 296. > Should I be scared?
> I've always heard the 216 was the tough one...do we have new competition for > that dubious honour? Most everyone that posted felt they had did well on the > exam and were shocked not to pass and in some cases by a fair margin. Could > there be problems with the exam or the new exam engines?
> I'm hoping to write the exam before May 31st, but until I hear better news > I'm not saying what year.
> I'm also a newly vergin MCSA 2000 student :-) I'm also enrolled in a course > for the 70-292, and I found that the materials given me for this exam are far > to shy of what I really need, after reading some practice questions online > and with in a few test engines. Examples: ActualTest, ExamForce, CramMaster, > and so on. From what I'm hearing is that no matter how much reading and > practice exams you take "Passing this exam is like heading downTown Miami for > a "CRAP GAME".
> Now from what I've read with in the MS community there are a lot of well > experienced and Knowledgeable people who've taken the exam and failed, and > there are the few who've taken the exam and passed with a minimul score as > apposed to their previous scores on other MS exam.
> My thoughts are like this, I'm sure everyone here has taken many practice > exams and seen how well the wording goes with in these questions, along with > how well the answers are given. It's like a third grader has put these > practice exams together, kind of remindes me of our local paper with all the > miss spelled words. Anyways It sounds like this exam has been hit with a bad > case of bad answers and bad grammer. I can only hope they have this Crap > cleened up before I'm scheduled to write at the end of the month :(
> If by some fluke I pass this exam I'll do my best to let the group know what > did it forme whether it be one of many practice exams, or many books I read > "Ah yes there's that word READ, and READ LOL. I wish everyone who is taking > this exam all the luck in the world because that's what it sounds like we > need ;-)
> "Panicking in Prince George" wrote:
> > Hello All
> > So I've just been cruising thru this site and the MCP community page and it > > seems like 99 to 1 fail this exam?!? What's up?
> > I'm a newly minted MCSA W2K having just passed my Security+ and now turning > > to Page 1 of my MS Press Self-Paced Training Kit for Exams 292 and 296. > > Should I be scared?
> > I've always heard the 216 was the tough one...do we have new competition for > > that dubious honour? Most everyone that posted felt they had did well on the > > exam and were shocked not to pass and in some cases by a fair margin. Could > > there be problems with the exam or the new exam engines?
> > I'm hoping to write the exam before May 31st, but until I hear better news > > I'm not saying what year.
-- Catwalker aka Pu$$y Feet BS, MCP, MCSA MCNGP #43 www.mcngp.com faq.mcngp.com "If man could be crossed with the cat, it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat." Mark Twain
