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Exam difficulty: Your opinions 2

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Wishdiak

Wishdiak

Technical User
Mar 7, 2004
1,787
US
Since there are so many people in this forum who seem surprised that they didn't do better on a particular exam, it might help to compare the relative difficulty of each exam that we've taken. This might help some to anticipate the difficulty of a particular exam and to spend extra time studying.

I'll go first, with the exams I've passed in the MCSE: Security on Windows Server 2003 track.

Difficulty ratings below are from 1 to 5 stars, with one being the least difficult and 5 the most difficult.

70-270: *
70-290: ***
70-291: *****
70-293: **
70-294: ***
70-299: *****


Wishdiak
A+, Network+, Security+, MCSA: Security 2003
 
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I don't think you can classify any Microsoft exam as one star. I don't think Microsoft produces any exams so easy that you can just put your name on it and bing bang boom you passed.

Also I think it's best to put a rating system based on how the average test taker would rate it.

That being said, I would add these ratings to the list:

70-316: 4
70-315: 4
70-229: 4

 
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70-442 - 3 stars.

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000)
MCTS (SQL 2005 / Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0: Configuration / Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007: Configuration)
MCITP Database Administrator (SQL 2005) / Database Developer (SQL 2005)

--Anything is possible. All it takes is a little research. (Me)
[noevil]
 
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Thanks for your feedback, IT4EVR, Smooth23, and mrdenny.

Compiled information so far:
70-210: * (2 votes)
70-215: ** (1 vote)
70-217: ** (1 vote)
70-218: **** (1 vote)
70-228: ** (1 vote)
70-229: *** (2 vots)
70-235: *** (1 vote)
70-270: ** (5 votes)
70-282: ** (1 vote)
70-290: ** (5 votes)
70-291: *** (5 votes)
70-293: *** (4 vote)
70-294: *** (4 votes)
70-297: ** (2 votes)
70-298: ***** (1 vote)
70-299: ***** (1 vote)
70-315: ** (2 votes)
70-316: ** (2 votes)
70-320: *** (1 vote)
70-350: ** (1 vote)
70-431: * (2 votes)
70-442: *** (1 vote)
70-445: **** (1 vote)
70-447: ** (1 vote)
70-630: **** (1 vote)
70-631: **** (1 vote)

IT4EVR said:
I don't think you can classify any Microsoft exam as one star. I don't think Microsoft produces any exams so easy that you can just put your name on it and bing bang boom you passed.
Click to expand...
You're absolutely right. The one star rating means only "easiest of the Microsoft exams", not that the exam is easy compared with anything else.


The point of this thread is to help future exam takers to understand the relative difficulty between exams that they've taken and ones that they may consider taking in the future.

None of these exams are easy, it's just that some are more difficult than one might expect.

Wishdiak
A+, Network+, Security+, MCSA: Security 2003
 
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I've only taken two exams so far, so can only comment on those, - not sure if that makes my opinion valid but i'll post anyway! :)

270 & 290.

Personally I found 290 much easier than 270, but that is probably due to my relative lack of experience in comparision.

Not only that, I finished 270 with 1 minute left on the clock, I had nearly an hour left for the 290. Although I scored similar to both (almost 900), I found 290 much easier!

270 **
290 *
 
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Thanks for your feedback, PJamesD, and GeertVerhoeven.

Compiled information so far:
70-210: * (2 votes)
70-215: ** (1 vote)
70-217: ** (1 vote)
70-218: **** (1 vote)
70-228: ** (1 vote)
70-229: *** (2 vots)
70-235: *** (1 vote)
70-270: ** (6 votes)
70-282: ** (1 vote)
70-290: ** (6 votes)
70-291: *** (5 votes)
70-293: *** (4 vote)
70-294: *** (4 votes)
70-297: ** (2 votes)
70-298: ***** (2 votes)
70-299: ***** (1 vote)
70-315: ** (2 votes)
70-316: ** (2 votes)
70-320: *** (1 vote)
70-350: ** (1 vote)
70-431: * (2 votes)
70-441: ** (1 vote)
70-442: *** (1 vote)
70-445: **** (1 vote)
70-447: ** (1 vote)
70-630: **** (1 vote)
70-631: **** (1 vote)

Wishdiak
A+, Network+, Security+, MCSE: Security 2003
 
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Thanks Wishdiak for a very cool thread. I've taken three exams and thought all were hard, scoring only in the 700s on each. I'm an absolute newbie; when I began studying for my MCSA, I got nervous moving a file. I, like only a few who have responded to this thread, thought 270 wasn't any easier than the others; I finished with only a few minutes to spare. The material wasn't especially difficult, but the time limit was a killer. Here's how I chime in on the difficulty ratings:

70-290: ***
70-291: ****
70-270: **

By the way, you all have got me a little nervous about the 70-299!
 
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Here are my opinions so far:

70-210: *
70-290: **
70-291: ***
70-293: **
70-294: ****
70-297: (working on now)

One thing I can't stress enough- READ WHAT'S BEING ASKED OF YOU!! I failed 291 and 294 twice each before I finally passed. Then I realized I had been skimming through the questions and not really giving the answers much thought (nervousness). Once I slowed down and paid attention to the exact question, my test scores dramatically improved.

Think like Microsoft thinks when you're choosing the answers. It's not always like what you would actually do in real life. You'll start learning what in the question is important and what's just fluff.
 
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Thanks for your feedback, abstractmechanic, and ServerMistress.

Compiled information so far:
70-210: * (3 votes)
70-215: ** (1 vote)
70-217: ** (1 vote)
70-218: **** (1 vote)
70-228: ** (1 vote)
70-229: *** (2 vots)
70-235: *** (1 vote)
70-270: ** (7 votes)
70-282: ** (1 vote)
70-290: ** (8 votes)
70-291: *** (7 votes)
70-293: *** (5 vote)
70-294: *** (5 votes)
70-297: ** (2 votes)
70-298: ***** (2 votes)
70-299: ***** (1 vote)
70-315: ** (2 votes)
70-316: ** (2 votes)
70-320: *** (1 vote)
70-350: ** (1 vote)
70-431: * (2 votes)
70-441: ** (1 vote)
70-442: *** (1 vote)
70-445: **** (1 vote)
70-447: ** (1 vote)
70-630: **** (1 vote)
70-631: **** (1 vote)

And to abstractmechanic: Nobody's trying to make you more nervous. As Microsoft exams go, 70-299 is one of the most difficult that I've seen. I failed it on the first attempt. Forewarned is forearmed.

Wishdiak
A+, Network+, Security+, MCSE: Security 2003
 
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Does anyone have any opinions on 70-284? That will be the last test for my MCSE, so I would be interested in knowing how it rates compared to the others.

Wishdiak - This was a brilliant idea!
 
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Been some time since I last took an exam, so here are some votes for old ones:
70-210: *
70-215: *
70-218: **
Studying for Security+ atm...
Thanks for the cool thread! Just what I was looking for!
 
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Hi Guyz

On all the compiled ratings no one has rated 70-284.Anyone with an idea

 
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Thanks for your feedback, Quip666, and ServerMistress.

Compiled information so far:
70-210: * (4 votes)
70-215: ** (2 votes)
70-217: ** (1 vote)
70-218: *** (2 votes)
70-228: ** (1 vote)
70-229: *** (2 vots)
70-235: *** (1 vote)
70-270: ** (7 votes)
70-282: ** (1 vote)
70-290: ** (8 votes)
70-291: *** (7 votes)
70-293: *** (5 vote)
70-294: *** (5 votes)
70-297: *** (3 votes)
70-298: ***** (2 votes)
70-299: ***** (1 vote)
70-315: ** (2 votes)
70-316: ** (2 votes)
70-320: *** (1 vote)
70-350: ** (1 vote)
70-431: * (2 votes)
70-441: ** (1 vote)
70-442: *** (1 vote)
70-445: **** (1 vote)
70-447: ** (1 vote)
70-630: **** (1 vote)
70-631: **** (1 vote)

Wishdiak
A+, Network+, Security+, MCSE: Security 2003
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Thanks for your feedback, AdamKerr, and ServerMistress.

Compiled information so far:
70-210: * (4 votes)
70-215: ** (2 votes)
70-217: ** (1 vote)
70-218: *** (2 votes)
70-228: ** (1 vote)
70-229: *** (2 vots)
70-235: *** (1 vote)
70-270: ** (7 votes)
70-271: ** (1 vote)
70-282: ** (1 vote)
70-284: ** (1 vote)
70-290: ** (8 votes)
70-291: *** (7 votes)
70-293: *** (5 vote)
70-294: *** (5 votes)
70-297: *** (3 votes)
70-298: ***** (2 votes)
70-299: ***** (1 vote)
70-315: ** (2 votes)
70-316: ** (2 votes)
70-320: *** (1 vote)
70-350: ** (1 vote)
70-431: * (2 votes)
70-441: ** (1 vote)
70-442: *** (1 vote)
70-445: **** (1 vote)
70-447: ** (1 vote)
70-630: **** (1 vote)
70-631: **** (1 vote)

Wishdiak
A+, Network+, Security+, MCSE: Security 2003
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
70-296 I'd give 5 stars, Most difficult MS exam I ever took and I failed with 585. Make sure you know PKI/IPSEC/Ad Sites n Serices and Loads of DNS
 
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