70-284 advice requested

[thetruthisoutthere]

Can anyone give some advice? I've done a few of the MSCA/MSCE-track exams and I'm intending to do the 70-284 next (although I'm starting to have second thoughts about this as an elective). I have always used the Microsoft 'blue' books for reference and additional reading material and whilst I have found a few errors, by-and-large they are OK, and have a lot of examples to look at and exercises to try.
I have got the 70-284 blue book and I am very disappointed so far. I have never used Exchange server 5.5 and there is a lot in the first part of the book about migrating from such older versions. The exercises assume you have an Exchange 5.5 server ready to upgrade. All I have is an Exchange 2003 server - the book itself only supplies you with an evaluation copy of Exchange 2003.
My question is - how important is it to know this particular stuff in the exam? If it is relevant, could you point me in the direction of any other (better) training materials. Are there any evaluation copies of Exchange 5.5 out there?

 

[DanMIS]

For the exam you need to know what you can and can't upgrade from 5.5, and how to migrate from 5.5. You don't have to know how to run 5.5.

They want to make sure you know what extra steps there are to migrate, not how to run 5.5. You won't need a copy of 5.5, just need to memorize the steps to migrate. I had a few questions about the ADC and the different ways to move user accounts and mailboxes between versions.

Good luck!

Dan

CCA Citrix 4.0
MCSA: Messaging 2003
MCSE 2003

 

[thetruthisoutthere]

Thanks Dan.

I'll try and be positive, study the migration steps, and give it my best shot!

 

[DanMIS]

Right now they have the promotion going on to get a free retest if you fail. Definitely sign up for that so if you miss it by a few questions you will be OK.

And if you fail, jump right back in and take it again. Every day you wait you will forget more material. I failed my last test for MCSE but passed the next week after studying until my head was full. Don't get frustrated, just go back and try again!

Dan

CCA Citrix 4.0
MCSA: Messaging 2003
MCSE 2003